Much has been written about Amazon's decision to open a second headquarters or HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia. Less clear is what it would it look like.
That picture is starting to come into focus with the opening of Metropolitan Park, phase one of the ecommerce giant's sprawling redevelopment, and the real estate professionals who know the market like what they see so far, awarding the project a CoStar Impact Award.
Metropolitan Park comprises two 22-story office towers framing a public park and new retail space, part of Amazon's self-described mission to create a place that not only serves its workers but the broader community. Anyone can bring their pet to the dog park, grab a coffee at Good Company Doughnuts or enjoy one of the open-air art installations.
The company also went to lengths to construct the buildings in a way that would help Amazon live up to its climate pledge commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040 and 100% renewable energy use by 2030. That meant pushing contractors to experiment with new carbon-reducing cement mixes and sourcing power from a Virginia solar energy farm, among other strategies.
"This project creates 2.1 million square feet of a mixed-use development of office, retail and public park space. This project is truly transformational and exemplifies a unique opportunity of collaboration between both the public and private sectors," wrote Bill Stevens, an Impact Awards judge and regional vice president for The RMR Group.
About the Property: Recognizing that HQ2's location along the Potomac River is a major bird migratory corridor, developers used a non-reflective glazing throughout the building and added special glass with a baked-in ceramic coating or frit on lower levels that is designed to deter bird strikes.
What the Judges Said: "The Amazon HQ2 development has so many positive high-impact influences on not just the Arlington community, but the greater Washington, D.C. area as a whole. The cutting-edge architecture, revitalization of a sleepy business district, addition of numerous meaningful jobs and the creation for high-quality amenities for the community, make this a development that will be revered and respected for generations to come," wrote Caulley Deringer, managing director at Stream Realty.
They Made it Happen: Amazon Inc. owns the property and is represented by Seneca Group, a real estate advisory firm specializing in development management. JBG Smith served as the developer. Clark Construction served as general contractor and ZGF Architects was the architecture firm. Field Operations handled landscape design and NBBJ and Gensler oversaw interior design.
Senior Market Manager Nina Thilert contributed.