Amazon Details HQ2 Plans in Crystal City

Rendering of Amazon’s HQ2 campus. Image via Amazon

Amazon’s HQ2 is another step closer to reality. The tech giant announced it has filed development plans for its HQ2 campus in Arlington, Va., releasing details of the first phase of construction at the much-touted site, which will eventually house 25,000 employees.

The first phase of the campus will entail the transformation of a full block of vacant warehouses into two LEED Gold-certified office properties. The facilities will total 2.1 million square feet, 50,000 square feet of retail space for local businesses and 1.1 acres of open public space. The public space is intended to be used for a dog park, recreation area and a farmers market, among other things.

Also included in the first construction phase will be a daycare center for residents in the area as well as Amazon employees. The site will offer 600 spaces for bike parking, with plans to build a new bike path on South Eads Street. The campus will be located on the existing Metropolitan Park site, an urban renewal and development project in National Landing. The site is located near two metro stations, multiple bus lines and a VRE station. It also offers easy access to interstates 295, 395 and 495 and is a short commute to downtown Washington, D.C.

Building for the future

It’s been a whirlwind several months for the e-commerce giant. Six months ago, Amazon made its much-anticipated decision on where to build an HQ2, choosing Arlington, Va., and Long Island City, N.Y. Three months later, on Valentine’s Day, Amazon announced it was pulling out of its New York plans but sticking with Virginia.

Since then, it’s been full steam ahead with the Crystal City campus plans. Since March, Amazon has signed deals to lease more than 500,000 square feet of space with JBG Smith and received approval for all government incentives and investment packages from the state of Virginia.