The Arlington County Board voted unanimously last night to approve the construction of Boeing’s new regional headquarters in Crystal City, ignoring the recommendations of the county’s planning and transportation commissions. It’s a move that’s set to bring another defense contractor to an area where Arlington officials want to increase residential occupancy. But even though the planning commission told the board that the developer’s site plan wasn’t in line with the county’s urban vision for Crystal City, board members decided that the benefits of keeping one of Arlington’s major employers in the county outweighed the planning commission’s qualms.
The defense giant, which has been a presence in Arlington for some time, will move 500 employees to the new headquarters. Construction is expected to start next month on a site originally slated for an 352-unit apartment complex and an office building with retail space on the ground floor.
