Amazon has submitted plans for the final piece of its future home in Arlington County.
The newly proposed centerpiece of the second and largest Amazon HQ2 footprint in Arlington County looks like the type of construction you can find at the end of the yellow brick road. Futuristic and jaw-dropping, the glass and green spiral building is called “The Helix” and will be the focal point of the new PenPlace development on the corner of 12th Street South and South Eads Street.
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Amazon is presenting plans for four new buildings and spaces near the county on Tuesday and expects approval by the end of the year.
In a statement, Amazon states that The Helix “will include a hill climb that allows people to walk the entire height of the building and a variety of spaces for individual and team work or relaxation. Designed to reflect a form commonly found in nature , The Helix will be open to the public on selected weekends every month. “
If approved, the Helix will be the tallest building in HQ2, 350 feet tall.
Photos: Amazon presents plans for the new 350-foot HQ2 centerpiece in Arlington County
There are plans for three 22-story buildings with 2.8 million square feet of office space to surround Helix.
“We designed a workspace for our employees that will prioritize areas of collaboration, natural light and constant interaction with nature,” said Amazon about the office space.
While the look of the proposed buildings is impressive, Amazon emphasized that the project must reflect a sense of community, which they say is expressed in flow and ground-level characteristics.
Arlington hopes to start a full community review process … where neighbors and stakeholders will have an opportunity to review design concepts in more detail and several opportunities to provide information
Matt de Ferranti, chairman of the Arlington County Board of Supervisors
PenPlace plans to include open spaces at ground level covering more than 2.5 acres, accessible for public use. This includes an amphitheater facing a central green area to accommodate outdoor shows, producer fairs and films in the park. There is also a woodland area and space for walking.
Retail pavilions and restaurants, a nursery, a dog race track and a food truck area with a terrace in all buildings are planned.
One thing you won’t see on PenPlace: parking.
Amazon is proposing underground garages and underground access for transport trucks, which hopes to limit traffic in an area that many people in Arlington County say need to be more pedestrian friendly.
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“Receiving the presentation of today’s site plan is the start of the public review of the next phase of Amazon’s HQ2. Arlington hopes to begin a full community review process – as we do with all proposed site plan developments – where neighbors and stakeholders will have an opportunity to review design concepts in more detail and various opportunities to provide information “Matt de Ferranti, the chairman of the Arlington County Board of Supervisors, said.” We hope that the process will be completed with the proposal submitted to the County Planning Commission and the county council by the end of the year. ”
Amazon said its new buildings “were designed to be LEED Platinum, the highest certification for sustainable development issued by the US Green Building Council. The project also includes a fully electric central heating and cooling system that will run on 100% renewable energy. of a solar farm located in Pittsylvania County, southern Virginia, acquired in collaboration with Arlington County. This will align with Amazon’s climate commitment to be liquid zero carbon by 2040 and promote Arlington’s and Amazon’s shared commitment to to be leaders in the fight against climate change. “
Amazon expects Arlington County to approve PenPlace’s development plans later this year. Construction would start immediately and is projected to end in 2025.