Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Contact: Karen Vasquez 703-228-0896 (voice) 703-228-4743(TTY)
Arlington Announces Crystal City Planning Task Force
Panel to review development options for Crystal City
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Arlington County Board today announced members of a new Crystal City Planning Task Force, which will review future development options for Crystal City. The creation of the task force is one of a series of recommendations that the BRAC Transition Task Force will formally present to the Arlington County Board June 15.
“Crystal City holds tremendous potential; the area offers some of the most impressive qualities of any location in the National Capital Region,” said County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman. “It is a transit hub close to the airport, served by Metro and other transit options. It also has a great base of office space, housing, hotels, restaurants and entertainment sites on which to build. As Crystal City faces new challenges, it is important that we look at all the development options to produce another world-class urban village in which to live and work.”
The Crystal City Planning Task Force will initiate a planning process that develops a vision for Crystal City, analyzes fiscal and economic impacts, and provides a framework for its physical redevelopment. The Task Force will work toward creating a range of development policies that address a feasible balance of density, height, use mixes, open space, security and transportation to enhance the aesthetic quality, encourage reinvestment, and augment Crystal City's competitive advantages. The task force also will develop financial models to determine the real economics of redevelopment.
Marty Almquist, chair of the BRAC Transition Task Force, will chair the Crystal City Planning Task Force. Terry Savela, chair of the Arlington Planning Commission, will serve as vice chair of the panel.
Other members will include: Mariia Zimmerman, Arlington Transportation Commission; Sally Cooper, Resident; Jerry Norris, Economic Development; Commission; Barbara Landes, PBS; Wendy Rahm, chair, Arlington Arts Commission; Mitchell Bonanno, Charles E. Smith/Vornado; Harmar Thompson, Lowe/Crystal City BID; Daryl South, Archstone Realty; Ted Saks, Aurora Highlands Civic Association; Christer Ahl, Resident; and Neal Sigmon, Arlington Parks and Recreation Commission.
The creation of the Crystal City Planning Task Force is one of a series of recommendations that arose from the BRAC Transition Task Force. The BRAC Transition Task Force was appointed by the Arlington County Board in response to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC)’s announcement in 2005 that it would remove Department of Defense agencies from more than 3.2 million square feet of office space in Arlington, much of it concentrated in Crystal City.
Recognizing that the 2005 BRAC recommendations would have serious impacts on the Arlington economy, the Arlington County Board charged the BRAC Transition Task Force with developing strategic recommendations to address the impacts and opportunities arising from the 2005 BRAC actions. The BRAC Transition Task Force will issue its complete set of recommendations to the Arlington County Board at a public meeting on June 15, 2006.
Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.