In November 2015, a total of seventeen (17) demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. All were for single-family homes with all but one being located in North Arlington. Four of these homes were located in National Register Historic District with two in the Lyon Village National Register Historic District (1500 North Hancock Street and 1811 North Hancock Street); one in the Lyon Park National Register Historic District (2917 2nd Street North); and, one in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District (4014 18th Street North). At least six of the single-family demolition permits were for speculative developments.

Totals for 2015
Homes: 188
– 42 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 103 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.