In September 2016, a total of seventeen (17) demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. Sixteen were for single-family homes. Two of the properties are in South Arlington. At least seven of the projects are speculative developments. Four of the demolitions are located in a National Register Historic Districts:

• 640 19th Street South, Aurora Highlands National Register Historic District
• 213 North Edgewood Street, Lyon Park National Register Historic District
• 909 North Danville Street, Lyon Park National Register Historic District
• 3512 18th Street North, Cherrydale National Register Historic District

The one commercial demolition was for a building on Columbia Pike. This building had a number of uses over the years. It used to be one of Arlington’s Tops Restaurants which featured carside food ordering and delivery. It also was a second location of Bob Edith’s Diner for several years. The site is being redeveloped.

Totals for 2016
Homes: 135
– 24 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 66 are speculative developments (owned by developers)
Garden Apartments: 7
Commercial Buildings: 4

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.