In March 2015, a total of 19 demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. Fifteen (15) were for single-family homes. In addition, two were duplicates for a commercial property; one was for a garage and one was a duplicate single-family permit.

North Arlington accounted for all 15 of the residential permits while South Arlington accounted for the commercial permit. Four of the properties are in National Register Historic Districts: two in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District (1817 North Monroe Street and 1529 North Randolph Street); one in the Lyon Park National Register Historic District (703 North Fillmore Street); and one in the Ashton Heights National Register Historic District (525 North Piedmont Street). At least 9 of the 15 single-family demolition permits were for speculative developments.

Totals for 2015

Homes: 53
– 12 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 33 are speculative developments (owned by developers)

Commercial buildings: 1

The looming demolition of these houses and buildings represents an incredible loss of history, architecture, time, energy, and materials. Many had the potential for renovation and additions or, at a bare minimum, reclamation/reuse of building materials. These buildings are often replaced with new construction that is out of scale and proportion to the community. Preservation Arlington urges citizens to adopt Local Historic District designations for their communities, with standards for design, height, and placement that could be customized to reflect community needs while still allowing reinvestment to occur.

Similarly, if you are a property owner and are contemplating a change to your property, Preservation Arlington encourages you to work with your architect or builder to consider how some or all of your house or building could be incorporated into a renovation, or the materials reused.