For Immediate Release

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

DARPA Moving to New Arlington Location

First DoD secure building in Arlington will spur redevelopment of brownfield site

Arlington, VA -- Arlington officials announced today that the U.S. General Services Administration signed a lease for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to relocate all operations to 675 North Randolph Street, part of the Founders Square development by The Shooshan Company. DARPA, currently located in the Virginia Square neighborhood along Fairfax Drive, will move to this secure building in 2012 upon its completion, the first in Arlington to meet the Department of Defense’s new Minimum Anti-terrorism Standards for Buildings.

"I'm pleased that Virginia is able to retain such a valuable research agency as DARPA," stated Governor Tim Kaine. "With this highly advanced facility, Virginia will retain over 800 people working in the current location. DARPA also works with numerous defense contractors and other private businesses that employ over 1,700 workers in Arlington and Northern Virginia."

"DARPA is an extraordinary resource, a proverbial font of creativity responsible for the Internet and other scientific and research discoveries never before imagined,” said Congressman Jim Moran. “Retaining DARPA in Arlington was a top priority for all involved. This is a big victory for the County and its workforce. Combined with George Mason, Virginia Tech and the Office of Naval Research, the greatest minds in the country will continue to gravitate to our community."

Rendering of new DARPA building, looking north from N. Randolph

“We’re very pleased that DARPA will remain located in Arlington,” stated Arlington Board Chair Barbara Favola. “Research agencies like DARPA contribute to the highly-educated, sought-after workforce that defines Arlington. In addition, this building will spur the development of Founders Square on an existing brownfield site, plus expand the adjacent Mosaic Park, creating value and a high quality of life for those who live and work in Ballston.”

Arlington's science and research center

DARPA will be located in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, near the Office of Naval Research and blocks from National Science Foundation and a new Virginia Tech research center and a few blocks from its current Virginia Square location. A variety of defense, research, and university offices are co-located here, creating the highest concentration of scientific research agencies in the D.C. Metropolitan area and a hub for scientific research activity.

In 2005, a bipartisan coalition of local, state and federal Virginia representatives joined together to keep DARPA and other Extramural Research Agencies in Arlington during the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission hearings. A unanimous decision by the BRAC Commission reaffirmed the value of research synergy generated by the co-location of these agencies, surrounding the National Science Foundation.

Secure building to meet LEED Silver requirements

Rendering of new DARPA building, looking south from N. Randolph

The new building will be constructed to meet LEED Silver requirements and the DoD’s Minimum Anti-terrorism Standards for Buildings, featuring force protection, 82’ standoff distance and controlled parking.  Arlington is one of the first locations to offer this type of secured building in Virginia.

“GSA is pleased to be able to provide DARPA with high quality work space in a beautiful building that will be environmentally sustainable as well," commented GSA Acting Regional Administrator Sharon Banks.  "This kind of commitment will enable DARPA to continue to attract the talented personnel they need to carry out their mission.

“We feel extremely fortunate, especially with this difficult economy, to be able to play a role in this collaborative effort with Arlington County, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Federal Government to retain such a prestigious and important organization as DARPA for both our local economy and national security,” stated John Shooshan, Chairman of The Shooshan Company. “With DARPA’s new headquarters leading the way, Founders Square will be at the forefront of sustainable design and construction through the acquisition and redevelopment of the WMATA bus lot. Thanks to the leadership and professionalism of WMATA officials, we have been able to realize what has long been a strategic goal of Arlington County and our firm.”

Founders Square Development

• LEED-ND Gold (neighborhood development) pilot program, which emphasizes smart growth, urbanism and mixed-use development providing community connectivity
• Brownfield redevelopment
• Other buildings include:
  • 312,000 square foot office building
  • 2 residential buildings containing a combined 362 units
  • One story, 8,000 square foot retail building with surface parking
  • Total of 26,900 square foot ground floor retail
  • Streetscape improvements
  • Plazas and pedestrian pathways, public open space
• Mosaic Park - directly across the street and expanding by 0.6 acres due to land exchange with Arlington County

DARPA Building

• 13-story, 352,750 square foot building
• 675 North Randolph Street
• Meets Department of Defense’s Minimum Anti-terrorism Standards for Buildings
• Controlled parking garage
• LEED-NC Silver

Project Team

• RTKL Associates, Inc., Weidlinger Associates, Inc., Tolk, Inc., SK&A, Studio 39
• Brokers:  Studley Inc. brokers Neil Levy, David Lipson and Rob Brunton
• Project Financing: John Duffy and Bill Asbill; Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.

Press contact for The Shooshan Company:
Amanda Novak, 703.527.8600 ext. 271

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.