In October 2015, a total of eleven (11) demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. All ten (one was a duplicate) were for single-family homes in North Arlington. Two of these homes were located in National Register Historic District with one in the Lyon Park National Register Historic District (727 North Cleveland Street) and one in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District (1908 North Monroe Street). At least half (five) of the single-family demolition permits were for speculative developments.

Totals for 2015
Homes: 171
– 38 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 97 are speculative developments (owned by developers)

Commercial buildings: 9
Garden Apartments: 9

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.