A redevelopment plan for Amazon HQ2 was approved by the Arlington County Board on Saturday, clearing the way to transform 6.2 acres of Metropolitan Park near Pentagon City into the first phase of Amazon’s new headquarters.
The redevelopment plan was unanimously approved by the County Board. The proposed redevelopment was under review by various County bodies from July to October of this year.
The site to be redeveloped is primarily abandoned warehouses from the 50s and surface parking. Once built, HQ2 will be an approximately 2.1-million square foot mixed-use building located at 1232-1450 South Eads Street. Two 22-story energy-efficient office towers will have entrances on South Eads Street and front on an expanded public space within Metropolitan Park.
Developer commitments include contributing half an acre of land to the central public open space planned for in the 2004 Metropolitan Park Design Guidelines, as well as donating $225,000 to the Arlington County Public Art Fund. There is also an expectation that HQ2 will provide community space for county-sponsored events and neighborhood groups once a quarter.
Beyond public space improvements, the redevelopment plan also includes a $20 million contribution to affordable housing, two new public streets, sidewalk improvements, new bicycle parking, street level retail space and an underground parking garage.
The Arlington County Board has also accepted a $200,000 federal grant to aid those negatively affected by the HQ2 development. The money will be evenly split between the cities of Arlington and Alexandria, each of which will be responsible for providing workforce training to 25 residents. Participants will have access to skills training, English instruction and GED and occupational certification programs.
Check out the site of the redevelopment below:
