Amazon will begin transforming an undeveloped swath of Arlington County into the largest piece of its second corporate headquarters, capping off a year of negotiations in this Northern Virginia suburb among lawmakers, residents and developers over how exactly the complex should look, feel and operate — and how the company should engage with its new neighbors.
County lawmakers on Saturday unanimously endorsed the expansion of Amazon’s footprint at the 10.4 acre site in Pentagon City, known as PenPlace. Plans include three corporate office buildings, retail pavilions, a futuristic glass Helix, a child-care facility and about 2.75 acres of open space. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
In an exhaustive, year-long series of reviews leading up to the vote, some residents voiced concerns that the site may assume the feel of a closed-off corporate campus. Others said the tech giant must provide additional community resources for its neighbors, such as greater support to preserve affordable housing, or space for a library or community center.
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