In December 2018, a total of twelve (12) demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. December is often a slow month. Over the last several years, December 2017 9; December 2016 was 10; December 2015 was 10; December 2014 was 15; and December 2013 was 11.

Single Family: Ten (10) of the permits were for single-family homes. All but one were in North Arlington. 80% (8) of the permits were for speculative developments. Three of the homes are located in a National Register Historic Districts:

• 2914 1st Road North is in the Lyon Park National Register Historic District
• 4319 17th Street North is in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District
• 1215 North Abingdon Street is in the Woodlawn WaycroftNational Register Historic District

Civic: One of the demolition permits is for an church building on Lee Highway which is being replaced by a larger sanctuary.

Totals for 2018
Homes: 146
– 42 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 94 are speculative developments (owned by developers)
Garden Apartments: 2
Commercial Buildings: 7
Other Structures: 9
Civic Buildings: 4

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.