In October 2018, a total of nineteen (19) demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. The last gasp before winter weather impacts construction schedules and homebuyer trends, October is historically a high demo permit count: October 2017 was 24; October 2016 was 12; October 2015 was 10; October 2014 was 18 and October 2013 was 27

Single Family: Eighteen (18) of the permits were for single-family homes. Three were in South Arlington and 15 were in North Arlington. At least eleven of the permits were for speculative developments. Five of the homes are located in a National Register Historic Districts:

• 1912 North Oakland Street is in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District
• 1601 North Stafford Street is in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District
• 1420 North Johnson Street is in the Lyon Village National Register Historic District
• 1222 26th Road South is in the Aurora Highlands National Register Historic District

Commercial: One of the demolition permits was for the Taco Bell on Lee Highway which is being replaced by a new Taco Bell concept design.

Totals for 2018
Homes: 136
– 37 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 83 are speculative developments (owned by developers)
Garden Apartments: 2
Commercial Buildings: 6
Other Structures: 8
Civic Buildings: 1

The pending demolition of these homes and buildings represents a 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.