Pentagon City plan aims for higher density

A major study that will shape the future of Pentagon City is entering  its final stages.

The Arlington County urban village has grown from empty fields and warehouses in the 1950s to become one of the Washington, D.C., area’s busiest neighborhoods. With construction plans now under community review for Amazon.com Inc.’s HQ2, Pentagon City is approaching full build-out, which is kind of like turning on the “no vacancy” light under the current plans.

Amazon’s nearly 5 million-square-foot East Coast headquarters will be the final under zoning guidance in place since the 1970s but with an eye to the future, as modern planning principles and site standards will guide the surrounding future development that HQ2 will spur. The Pentagon City Planning Study, which establishes new long-term goals and parameters for growth, is set to be voted on in early 2022 by the Arlington County Board of Supervisors.

The study establishes requirements for property owners who want to increase density, putting in place parameters  such as a rule that a building cannot have more than 30% of its users rely on a car for transportation. Planners want to transform the area into a mixed-use hub, and they know current owners can only redevelop if they have the chance to increase density.

To prevent gridlock, the plan also includes a bike network that links the neighborhood, as well as parking programs to incentivize carpooling. 

“We have to emphasize different modes of travel,” says Arlington planner Matt Mattauszek, who is heading the study. “We have to have people thinking they can live or do business in Pentagon City without having to have a car.”

Expect to see more green space. The plan’s vision statement includes the call to “embrace biophilic design that makes nature a universal part of the everyday experience of the area.”

The live-work-play community that planners envision will require housing. The plan anticipates residential use growing from 45% of available space to as high as 65% in the future, and office use decreasing to somewhere between 25% and 30%, down from the current 38%.

Planners anticipate major redevelopment in the next decade, and they held meetings with existing tenants to ensure the new plans aligned with their long-term vision for the neighborhood.