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Crystal City Sector Plan Approved by County Board

Crystal City Sector Plan Approved by County Board
Plan Sees Continued Crystal City Growth

Crystal City (Arlington, VA) – The Crystal City Business Improvement District is pleased to announce last night’s unanimous approval of the Crystal City Sector Plan by the Arlington County Board. Acting as a blueprint for Crystal City redevelopment, the plan envisions the area as a lively, complete, urban community with richer transit options, better streets, more functional public open spaces, and numerous community and neighborhood-oriented services.

“For the past four years, the Crystal City BID has been programming open spaces, bringing art and culture to the neighborhood, and successfully changing how people see and perceive the area,” said Crystal City BID President/CEO Angela Fox. “With the Board’s approval of the Crystal City Sector Plan, the County has a blueprint to build on this momentum and ensure that Crystal City not only continues to be a great place to live, visit, and do business, but also remains Arlington’s largest downtown and most important source of tax revenue.”

The approved Crystal City Sector Plan is the culmination of four years of research, collaboration, community involvement, and compromise that followed the closures announced as part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. BRAC is expected to result in the loss of approximately 13,000 jobs from Crystal City, and would empty office space and eliminate a crucial tax base.

In what many jurisdictions would view as a dangerous and threatening crisis, the Arlington County Board recognized a unique opportunity to redefine the community, replace and modernize an aging building stock and transportation network, and build upon the existing positive aspects of Crystal City. Through partnerships with key Crystal City area stakeholders, the Arlington County Board formed the Crystal City Planning Task Force and the Crystal City Business Improvement District. The Crystal City BID's focus is on near term improvements and perception changes. Made up of area property owners, citizen representatives, and existing tenants, the Crystal City Task Force developed the research, guidance, and policies that were integrated into the Crystal City Sector Plan by County staff.

The proposal sees Crystal City as a world-class place for people to live, work and play in a neighborhood bustling with activity 18 hours a day. The plan calls for a better balance of residents and workers in Crystal City (with 26,000 residents and 56,000 jobs by 2050) all served by a vastly improved and better connected road, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian network. Residents will have access to more open space linked by a pedestrian-friendly, complete urban street grid.

With the approval of the Crystal City Sector Plan, the Arlington County Board has sent a clear signal to the development and investment community that Crystal City is, and will remain, one of the smartest places to do business, live, and visit within the metropolitan area.