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Arlington is a high-performing, innovation-ready economic hub that keeps landing major corporate wins while actively managing the next phase of its growth. The county has achieved transformational wins in the last decade, including the relocations of Amazon, CoStar, and Mastercard, as well as their continued investment in Arlington. These projects have reshaped demand, talent concentration, and placemaking in their commercial corridors.
At the same time, Arlington is navigating a commercial market shift: office vacancy is elevated compared with historical norms, creating both a near-term challenge and a long-term opportunity for reinvention.
County leaders have responded with innovative policy tools, most notably an adaptive reuse initiative and zoning updates that streamline conversions of older office stock into mixed-use, residential, lodging, and creative workspaces. Those policies are designed to streamline developments, strengthen Arlington’s economic competitiveness, and address new uses that keep Arlington’s commercial corridors vibrant.
This panel will convene the leaders of Arlington’s major commercial districts to discuss the State of Economic Development in Arlington – how these major economic development wins have shaped their commercial corridors, what’s at stake for landlords and tenants, what’s the future for retail and restaurants, and how adaptive reuse and public-private partnerships can convert vacancy into community value.
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