National Landing

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Pentagon City Skyline (cropped).jpg
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From top to bottom: Crystal City, Pentagon City (both in Arlington County), and Potomac Yard (in Alexandria)

USA District of Columbia location map with colors for Virginia and Maryland.svg
Arlington County
City of Alexandria
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National Landing
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U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.
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National Landing is in Northern Virginia (shown in yellow), near Washington, D.C. (pink) and Maryland (gray).

National Landing is an area in Northern Virginia encompassing parts of the Crystal City and Pentagon City neighborhoods of Arlington County and the Potomac Yard neighborhood in the city of Alexandria. It is the location of the Amazon HQ2 headquarters. [1]

Contents

In 2018, the neighborhood was branded and announced as "National Landing" as part of a local economic development plans to bring Amazon HQ2 to the area. [2] [3] The announcement also included plans to build a graduate-school satellite university campus of Virginia Tech in the area. [4] The "National Landing" name derives, in part, from the area's proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. [3]

Branding campaign

When the name "National Landing" was announced on November 13, 2018 for the Amazon HQ2 launch, it was met with significant confusion, [5] and mockery [6] since locals had never heard this name before [7] and did not feel that "National Landing" was a real place. [8] Prior to the Amazon announcement, "National Landing" was not used by locals. [9]

While initial comments suggested Amazon was changing the name of Crystal City unilaterally, local officials explained that the region included more than just Crystal City, and that the name and branding campaign came from the local jurisdictions and their economic development committees (Arlington Economic Development and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership), in partnership with Amazon and developer JBG Smith. [10] [11] [12] [13] The rebranding is not expected to change the names of the existing neighborhoods, like Crystal City, but instead to serve as an umbrella term. [12] [13]

Redevelopment history

Oakville Triangle redevelopment and Virginia Tech Innovation Campus

Even before the Amazon HQ2 announcement, development in the National Landing area had been in the works. In June 2013, The Blackstone Group acquired industrial properties from First Potomac Realty Trust. [14] StonebridgeCarras, on behalf of landowner The Blackstone Group was employed to redevelop the Oakville Triangle, a 20-acre industrial park. [15] Consultations about the Oakville Triangle development began with the local community groups in 2014 [16] with groundbreaking to occur summer of 2017 and first 1 million-square-foot phase to open in Summer 2019. [17] [18]

In March 2018, the Oakville Triangle project reportedly stalled, [19] while Virginia Tech officials met with Amazon to discuss "Project Cooper," Virginia Tech's plan for an "innovation neighborhood." [20] On November 3, 2018, Virginia Tech signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Alexandria to put its new Innovation Center at Oakville Triangle, a decision announced in tandem with the HQ2 announcement on November 13. [4]

Potomac Yard redevelopment

In Summer 2015, developer JBG Companies indicated a desire to begin the process for redevelopment of North Potomac Yard. [21] [22] In June 2016, [23] Alexandria completed revisions to the 2010 plan and adopted a new the North Potomac Yard Small Area Plan. This plan included plans for a new Metro station, the Potomac Yard station. [24] The plan also "anticipates approximately 1.3 million square feet of mixed-use development to include office, hotel, residential, and concentrated areas of retail within a 1/4 mile of the new Metrorail station." [25]

Transportation

The entrance to Crystal City station Crystal City station entrance pylon (52677427419).png
The entrance to Crystal City station

The area includes the Crystal City station & Potomac Yard station of the Washington Metro . [26] The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail system also has a Crystal City station. The Metroway, a bus rapid transit, runs through the area, with 15 stations covering the area from Arlington's Pentagon City station to Alexandria's Braddock Road station (south of National Landing), with some of this route located in an exclusive busway. Future planning for the area includes a pedestrian bridge to connect National Landing to Reagan National Airport and improvements to the existing Metro rail stations. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlington County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the national capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area</span> Combined Statistical Area in the United States

The Washington–Baltimore combined metropolitan statistical area is a statistical area including the overlapping metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. The region includes Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, three counties in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and one county in south-central Pennsylvania. It is the most educated, highest-income, and third-most populous combined statistical area in the United States behind New York City–Newark, NJ and Los Angeles–Long Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Line (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro rapid transit line

The Blue Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 28 stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Blue Line runs from Franconia–Springfield to Downtown Largo. The line shares track with the Orange Line for 13 stations, the Silver Line for 18, and the Yellow Line for 7. Only 3 stations are exclusive to the Blue Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow Line (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro rapid transit line

The Yellow Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system that runs between Huntington in Virginia and Mount Vernon Square in Washington, D.C. It consists of 13 stations in Fairfax County, the city of Alexandria, and Arlington County in Virginia, and Washington, D.C. It is the shortest line in the system, and since its truncation to Mount Vernon Square, it is the only line that does not enter Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal City, Virginia</span> Neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, United States

Crystal City is an urban neighborhood in the southeastern corner of Arlington County, Virginia, approximately 5 miles south of Downtown Washington, D.C. Due to its extensive integration of office buildings and residential high-rise buildings using underground corridors, travel between stores, offices, and residences, it is possible to travel much of the neighborhood without going above ground, making at least part of Crystal City an underground city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal City station (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro station

Crystal City station is an underground Washington Metro station in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia. The station opened on July 1, 1977, and serves the Blue Line and Yellow Line services, with a Metroway bus rapid transit stop on the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentagon City</span> Area of Arlington County, Virginia, US

Pentagon City is an unincorporated neighborhood located in the southeast portion of Arlington County, Virginia. It is located near The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potomac Yard</span> Neighborhood in Northern Virginia

Potomac Yard is a neighborhood in Northern Virginia that straddles southeastern Arlington County and northeastern Alexandria, Virginia, located principally in the area between U.S. Route 1 and the Washington Metro Blue Line /Yellow Line tracks, or the George Washington Memorial Parkway, depending on the definition used. The area was home to what was once one of the busiest rail yards on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The "Potomac Yard" name is also used to refer to several developments in the area, especially the Potomac Yard Center power center and a Washington Metro station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandria Canal (Virginia)</span> Abandoned canal in Alexandria, Virginia, United States

The Alexandria Canal was a canal in the United States that connected the city of Alexandria to Georgetown in the District of Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westpost at National Landing</span> Shopping mall in Virginia, United States

Westpost at National Landing is an upscale outdoor shopping and residential center in the Pentagon City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, with storefronts facing South Joyce Street. It is adjacent to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. It opened in 1999 as Pentagon Row. In December 2020, it changed its name to "Westpost at National Landing" to better align with the neighborhood as it evolved following the announcement of Amazon's HQ2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlington Ridge, Virginia</span> Neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia

Arlington Ridge is a neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia. It is bordered on the north by The Pentagon, on the west by the Army Navy Country Club, and on the south the Alexandria. The main thoroughfare is the eponymous Arlington Ridge Road, a mansion-lined boulevard that, due to its high elevation, offers views of Washington, D.C., and the surrounding areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metroway</span> Bus rapid transit line operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Metroway is a bus rapid transit (BRT) line operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) as part of their Metrobus system. It consists of a single line operating in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia. It opened on August 24, 2014. It was the first bus rapid transit line to open in Virginia and in the Washington metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potomac Yard station</span> Washington Metro station

Potomac Yard station is a Washington Metro station in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. It is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), serving both the Blue and Yellow Lines, and opened on May 19, 2023. It is located at Alexandria's 7.5-million-square-foot (700,000 m2) Potomac Yard mixed-use development bounded by Richmond Highway and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It is the second infill station to be added to the Washington Metro system, after NoMa–Gallaudet U in 2004. It was constructed on the site of Potomac Yard, a former railroad freight yard.

Alexandria, Virginia is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located along the western bank of the Potomac River. The city of approximately 151,000 is about six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.

The Hume Springs neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia is a subdivision of red-brick row houses built in 1942. Hume Springs has roughly 175 homes situated on four streets, East Reed Avenue, Dale Street, Edison Street, and Mark Drive. The neighborhood is bordered on the north and east by Four Mile Run Park, a 48.22 acre park that is the largest suburban park in the DC area. Directly north of Hume Springs is Four Mile Run stream and Arlington, Virginia. Directly east of Hume Springs is the Cora Kelly Recreation Center, and 1⁄2 mile further is Route 1 and Potomac Yard. Directly west of Hume Springs is Arlandria, largely a Latino El Salvadorian community since the 1980s, and home to the Birchmere concert hall, the Alexandria Aces baseball team, Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market, and St. Rita's Church, built in 1949 of stoned Gothic architecture. To the South of Hume Springs is the historic Del Ray neighborhood with numerous restaurants, sidewalk seating, annual festivals and a popular farmer's market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazon HQ2</span> Amazon.coms future second headquarters in North America

Amazon HQ2 is Amazon's corporate headquarters in National Landing in Crystal City, Virginia and an expansion of the company's headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Phase I, which has capacity for 14,000 employees, opened in June 2023. Construction on Phase II is delayed and there is no timeline for development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Pike–Pentagon City Line</span> Bus routes in the Washington Metropolitan Area

The Columbia Pike–Pentagon City Line, designated as Routes 16G & 16H, were daily bus routes that was operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between the neighborhoods of Arlington Mill (16G) or Skyline City (16H) and Pentagon City station of the Yellow and Blue lines of the Washington Metro. This line is part of the Pike Ride service, which runs through Columbia Pike. This line provides service through the neighborhoods of Fairfax County and Arlington County to Pentagon City. Unlike the Columbia Pike Line, the Columbia Pike–Pentagon City Line does not serve Columbia Pike past the Arlington County line.

The Hunting Towers–Potomac Yard–Crystal City Line, designated as Route 11P, or Route 9B, was a bus route that was operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Hunting Towers in Huntington, Virginia, and Crystal City station of the Yellow and Blue lines of the Washington Metro. This line provides service from Hunting Towers in the City of City of Alexandria to Crystal City in Arlington County. Trips are roughly 25 minutes between intervals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Pike–National Landing Line</span> Bus route

The Columbia Pike–National Landing Line, designated as Route 16M, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Skyline City and Crystal City station of the Yellow and Blue lines of the Washington Metro. This line is part of the Pike Ride service, which runs through Columbia Pike. This line provides service through the neighborhoods of Fairfax County and Arlington County to Crystal City. Unlike the Columbia Pike Line, the Columbia Pike–National Landing Line does not serve Columbia Pike past the Arlington County line.

References

  1. ↑ Strupp, Julie. "Forget Crystal City, Amazon is coming to 'National Landing'". ggwash.org. Retrieved November 13, 2018. National Landing will be the newly defined interconnected and walkable neighborhood that encompasses Crystal City, the eastern portion of Pentagon City and the northern portion of Potomac Yard.
  2. ↑ Vincent, Brandi (November 13, 2018). "Amazon introduces 'National Landing' headquarters to confused Washington-area residents" . Retrieved November 13, 2018. National Landing was not an invention of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, but was instead dreamed up by local economic development officials, who created it as part of their attempt to lure the e-commerce giant.
  3. 1 2 Korff, Jay (November 13, 2018). "Duo delivers Amazon's HQ2 and 'National Landing' moniker to Crystal City" . Retrieved November 14, 2018. To create a cohesive brand that Amazon would buy, Landrum and Winn renamed this space "National Landing" since the Nation's Capital and Reagan National Airport are so close.
  4. 1 2 "Virginia Tech to establish $1 billion Innovation Center in Alexandria as part of Amazon deal". Virginia Business. November 13, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ Vincent, Brandi (November 13, 2018). "Amazon introduces 'National Landing' headquarters to confused Washington-area residents". NBC News. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  6. ↑ Taylor, Dan (November 14, 2018). "Arlingtonians Mock 'National Landing' Name For Crystal City". Patch. Retrieved November 21, 2018. some are doubtful about the new name of "National Landing." At the very least, it will take a little while for residents to get used to it -- and many are already taking to social media to poke fun at it.
  7. ↑ Poon, Linda (November 2018). "Can Amazon Really Rename a Neighborhood?". City Lab. Retrieved November 21, 2018. Northern Virginia's National Landing—a neighborhood that basically nobody in the Washington area had ever heard of before. That part, at least, raised some eyebrows.
  8. ↑ Miranda, Leticia (November 13, 2018). "Amazon Said Its New HQ Will Be In "National Landing." Locals Say That's Not A Real Place". Buzzfeed News. Retrieved November 21, 2018. Amazon will call the Washington, DC, metro area neighborhood of National Landing its new home next year. The thing is, no one seems to have heard of National Landing before today.
  9. ↑ Swalec, Andrea. "National Landing? Amazon Announcement Spurs Jokes, Confusion in DC Area". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved November 21, 2018. National Landing is not a place name in wide use in the D.C. area, as Twitter users were quick to point out
  10. ↑ Feldman, Kate (November 13, 2018). "Amazon seems to be changing Crystal City's name to 'National Landing' after announcing headquarter locations". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 21, 2018. The name came from the Arlington Economic Development and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership "in an attempt to create a sense of community amid a maze of neighborhoods across two counties," according to WJLA.
  11. ↑ Strupp, Julie (November 13, 2018). "Forget Crystal City, Amazon is coming to 'National Landing'". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved November 21, 2018. Reporting from Washingtonian indicates that local jurisdictions, not Amazon, are responsible for the new name: ... The Washington Business Journal confirms that the name came from jurisdictions and refers to the regional partnership, not existing neighborhoods. ... National Landing officially includes the Crystal City and Pentagon City neighborhoods in Arlington and Potomac Yard in Alexandria. It was proposed as part of the joint bid between the two jurisdictions, according to Arlington County spokeswoman Cara O'Donnell.... Rep. Don Beyer's office confirmed it is not an official name change but a new brand for a region that encompassed several existing areas.
  12. 1 2 Poon, Linda (November 2018). "Can Amazon Really Rename a Neighborhood?". City Lab. Retrieved November 21, 2018. National Landing, in essence, represents an aggressive rebranding campaign from Amazon and its new partners in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia. ... To complicate things more, the "National Landing" brand is intended to encompass those three neighborhoods, but they'll each retain their distinct names, too. So Amazon will be in both National Landing and Crystal City.
  13. 1 2 Barakat, Matthew (November 16, 2018). "Amazon's Virginia HQ2 going to 'National Landing' — a place that doesn't, technically, exist". Chicago Tribune/ Associated Press. Retrieved November 21, 2018. Those neighborhoods — Crystal City and Pentagon City in Arlington County, and Potomac Yard in the city of Alexandria — span multiple jurisdictions, so the name allowed Alexandria and Arlington to work cooperatively without marketing one locality over another. ... Winn said there's no intention to supplant or override the name of Crystal City, which draws its name from a big chandelier in one of the first apartment buildings to go up in the area in the 1960s.
  14. ↑ Maties, Adrian. "First Potomac to Sell Industrial Properties for $259M as Part of Strategic Plan". Commercial Property Executive. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Alexandria Planning Commission Public Hearing on Oakville Triangle". Port City Wire. January 5, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  16. ↑ wtop Staff (April 28, 2014). "Makeover for Potomac Yard's ugly stepsister". WTOP News. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  17. ↑ Neibauer, Michael (February 10, 2016). "StonebridgeCarras to transform industrial park opposite Potomac Yard" . Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Oakville Triangle (schematics)". Cooper Carry. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  19. ↑ Arcieri, Katie (March 5, 2018). "Status check: Don't hold your breath for Oakville Triangle to get underway". Washington Business Journal.
  20. ↑ Demmitt, Jacob (November 18, 2018). "Inside Project Cooper: How Virginia Tech helped land Amazon without the biggest incentive check". Roanoke Times. Retrieved November 19, 2018. By early spring, university officials were ready to meet with the company and present their thoughts. "I remember talking to the Amazon folks and they said we don't really need a campus, per se. We need a neighborhood, kind of an innovation neighborhood," Sands said. "We said, 'That's what we've been planning to do, so it's perfect.'"
  21. ↑ "North Potomac Yard Small Area Plan 2017 Update". City of Alexandria Virginia. Retrieved November 19, 2018. In 2015, the North Potomac Yard developer representative, JBG Companies, indicated a desire to begin the process for Phase I redevelopment of North Potomac Yard, which would necessitate amendments to the 2010 Plan.
  22. ↑ Dillow, Frank (August 1, 2016). "Railroad Switching Yard on Banks of the Potomac: Re-emerging as 'Gateway to Alexandria'". Northern Virginia Realtors. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  23. ↑ Stewart, Kathy (October 15, 2017). "Alexandria council approves amended plan for Potomac Yard condos". WTOP news. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Keeping the Big Idea Alive: North Potomac Yard - Alexandria". American Planning Association (Capitol Area chapter). Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  25. ↑ "North Potomac Yard Small Area Plan 2017 Update". City of Alexandria, VA. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  26. ↑ Lazo, Luz (June 14, 2016). "After delays, plan to build Potomac Yard Metro station project moves forward". The Washington Post . Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  27. ↑ Warfield, Marcel; Nuyen, Suzanne (November 13, 2018). "What is the new National Landing neighborhood for Amazon's HQ2?" . Retrieved November 14, 2018. Commonwealth investing $195 million in infrastructure in the neighborhood, including improvements to the Crystal City and the Potomac Yard Metro stations; a pedestrian bridge connecting National Landing and Reagan National Airport;
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