Arlington Board approves 1 Roslyn towers after lengthy debate over bridge, sustainability and community benefits

The Arlington County Board on July 22 unanimously approved a multi-phased redevelopment at 1901 and 1911 North Fort Myer Drive, authorizing a rezoning to C-O Roslyn, a phased-development amendment and a site-plan amendment to build three residential towers totaling about 845 units and roughly 9.92 FAR.

The vote followed a full evening of public testimony, commission recommendations and detailed staff analysis of the project’s compliance with the 2015 Rosslyn Sector Plan. Adam Watson, the county planner for the project, said the proposal “advances a number of key County goals” including ground-level retail, widened sidewalks, buffered bike lanes and a base contribution to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund. The manager’s recommendation that the board adopted ties the developer’s bonus density to $11.2 million in affordable-housing and public-space/transportation contributions, LEED Gold certification and a 20% energy-optimization target.

John Kosteras, speaking for the applicant, described the plan as “a housing success story,” saying the team sought to deliver infill housing without displacing existing residents while activating the site’s street edges with retail, trees and pedestrian improvements. The developer also committed to on-site green roofs, consolidated loading and a shared garage designed to limit curb cuts.

Environmental and climate advocates urged stronger commitments. Liliana Diaz of the Climate Change, Energy & Environment Commission said the project scored 56% against the county’s energy goals and recommended revisions, citing gas-fired backup systems and the developer’s decision not to deliver on-site or off-site renewables. John Bloom of the Sierra Club and other speakers called for higher energy-efficiency thresholds, more EV-ready parking and bird-friendly glass. County staff and the applicant said they will continue iterative design and post-occupancy performance verification and noted that many baseline sustainability measures required by county site-plan conditions are being met.

Pedestrian safety around Gateway Park was the other focal point. Neighbors and safety advocates urged the board to preserve or rebuild the poor-condition pedestrian “sky bridge” across Langston Boulevard; applicants and staff countered that the scheme substitutes a consolidated at-grade streetscape and capital improvements, along with coordination with VDOT and the county’s STARS (safety) study, to improve crossings and reduce vehicle speeds. County staff noted an implemented “protected pedestrian phase” at the eastbound Langston/Fort Myer crossing and said further refinements (scramble signals, red-light camera evaluation, curb-management and lane narrowing) will be pursued with VDOT and ACPD as part of implementation.

The board approved the manager’s recommendation with a unanimous 5–0 vote and directed staff and the applicant to continue coordination on safety, VDOT approvals and sustainability performance during the pre-construction and permitting stages. The board and the applicant also acknowledged that final technical details — including distribution of EV infrastructure, exact energy-system selections and final LEED documentation — will be refined as design advances.

The county expects demolition and site preparation to begin after required approvals and to target construction start in late 2026, with build-out over roughly a 40–42 month timeline. The project’s vacations of public easements and purchase of certain county-held right-of-way (a part of the financing package for the redevelopment) are subject to deed execution and form review by the county attorney.

What’s next: staff said they will continue public outreach on traffic-safety measures while the applicant advances detailed design and performance targets for energy and EV infrastructure; the record will also reflect negotiations over how the $11.2 million will be allocated to affordable housing and nearby public-space improvements.