Arlington County purchases Buckingham apartment complex

Applause and cheers broke out from the usually decorous Arlington County Board room when the board approved plans for redevelopment at two Buckingham apartment complexes and purchased a third complex.

About two years ago, Buckingham tenants feared their homes would be torn down and redeveloped into townhouses they couldn’t afford. But in a deal struck in March, the developer agreed to sell the county one apartment complex and include some below-market-rate apartments in its new buildings.