County Board OKs Mixed-Use Building, Black Box Theater for Virginia Square

The Arlington County Board has approved a plan to redevelop the former site of the Arlington Funeral Home, which recently relocated from 3901 Fairfax Drive to 4510 Wilson Blvd. The board voted unanimously this weekend to approve an amendment to a site plan that was originally approved July 13, 2004 and amended Nov. 27, 2007. 

The new plan, by developer BDC Crimson LLC, includes a public plaza and a nine-story mixed-use commercial building that will include offices, ground-floor retail and a black box theater. The previously approved development included a multi-family residential building with ground floor retail space, a black box theater and a new funeral home building. 

The developer will seek LEED Gold certification from the U.S Green Building Council for the commercial building. 

“This project brings us closer to realizing the community-crafted sector plan’s vision of Virginia Square as a center for arts, culture and education,” said Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes in a release. “The public plaza will enliven Virginia Square, and the Black Box Theater will add a significant cultural destination to this part of the Metro corridor.”

The black box theater will be built at an estimated cost of $3.7 million, and leased to Arlington County at $1 per year for 30 years. The county will have the option to extend the lease for three consecutive five-year terms.

The plan includes 250 parking spaces for the office building, with public use of parking on evenings and weekends. Plus, six spaces will be designated for retail parking, and 17 parking spaces for the theater.

In addition to the public plaza, the developer will contribute $1 million to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund and $1 million to Quincy Park or other open space improvements and park amenities.