Amazon HQ2 Design: Banana Stand, Gardens, Public Art In NoVA

ARLINGTON, VA — Amazon.com officials held an invitation-only meeting this week to show Arlington area officials, business leaders, detractors and others what the first HQ2 building in Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Potomac Yard — or, "National Landing," as they're calling it — will look like, according to a report.

The online retail giant has already leased hundreds of thousands of square feet of space in south Arlington, and company officials say they expect to fill over 400 positions by the end of 2019 with a goal of 25,000 high-paying jobs over the next decade-plus. Amazon announced last November that Arlington had been chosen as the location of its second headquarters — a second site in New York was abandoned after local protests.

Pentagon City's Metropolitan Park will be the home of the first new Amazon HQ2 building. Slides of the area's design and amenities were presented July 10 by the company’s top real estate executive, John Schoettler, reports the Washington Business Journal. In the audience were representatives from Arlington, as well as critic Danny Cendejas of For Us, Not Amazon.

Several meetings are coming in the site plan approval process for the building. Schoettler said Amazon representatives have reached out to Arlington business forums, nonprofits and civic associations, the Business Journal reported.

Two 22-story towers with roof gardens will be built first, with green space that could host community vegetable gardens, a day-care center, public art, and even a community banana stand modeled after a Seattle program that gives free fruit to everyone.

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The selection of northern Virginia to host Amazon's HQ2 means billions of dollars in investment and 25,000 workers moving into the neighborhood, Amazon says, however critics note that Virginia offered more than $800 million in incentives and skyrocketing rents in the area could get significantly worse.

The Washington Post reported hundreds of workers would probably be moved into 1851 S. Bell Street or 1770 Crystal Drive.

"We are proud that Amazon has selected National Landing for a major new headquarters," said Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol in a statement at the time of the announcement.

National Landing refers to a neighborhood that includes both Crystal City as well as Pentagon City and neighboring Potomac Yard in Alexandria.

Northern Virginia was one of 20 areas on the e-commerce giant's short list when it was released. But experts had long focused specifically on Crystal City as a likely landing spot due to its proximity to Reagan National Airport, its highly educated and diverse workforce, the fact that most of it is owned by one developer (JBG), and other factors. The fact that Virginia is considered a business-friendly state reportedly also weighed into the decision.