Arlington Unveils New $50M Rosslyn Metro Station Entrance

Arlington County unveiled a new entrance to the Rosslyn Metro Station on Monday, a near-$50 million transit improvement that will be incorporated into the planned Central Place development.

The entrance, at 1811 N. Moore St., is designed to make Virginia's busiest Metro station safer and more accessible.

The new facility includes three high-speed, high capacity elevators — compared to the single elevator previously used — along with an additional mezzanine and connecting passageway to help keep people moving. The project also includes a new station manager kiosk, pay stations and emergency evacuation stairwell, according to a news release.

“This … underscore Arlington’s commitment to safe, convenient transit improvements and the redevelopment of Rosslyn — one of our most critical transit and business hubs,” Arlington County Board Chairman Walter Tejada said in a statement. “It is a symbol of this community’s and our partners’ hard work, and another amenity for one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.”

The Rosslyn Metro sees about 30,000 people enter each day, which is expected to increase with the advent of the new Silver Line.

The new entrance replaces the old elevator entrance, which is now out of service, said Phillip Ellis with the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services. The change took place Sunday, with Monday being the first day an opening ceremony could be held.

The Ode Street Tribune declared that the entrance design "brilliantly reflects Rosslyn's functionality, sex appeal, and history."

The new entrance will be incorporated into a public plaza in the future Central Place development, which will add a new office tower and a new residential tower between Lynn and Moore streets.

The plaza between the planned 490-foot towers will also include an outdoor cafe.

Arlington County is currently in the midst of a year-long planning effort called Realize Rosslyn. To learn more about that effort, click here.

Arlington paid about 42 percent of the cost of the new entrance, with some of that money coming from the Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Tax. This is the county's largest capital transit project so far, according to a news release.

The county delivered the project on-time and on-budget, the release states, and worked with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Federal Transit Administration, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the JBG Cos., Monday Properties, Clark Construction Group and STV Inc.

The new entrance will be owned and operated by Metro.