►
From YouTube: Community Facilities Study #7 Part 2 of 4: Case Study #2
Description
The second of three public facility siting and programming case studies. No. 2: Arlington Mill Community Center. Presentation by Jennifer Smith, Columbia Pike Initiative Coordinator, Dept. of Community Planning, Housing & Development. Recorded May 13 2015 at Washington-Lee High School, Arlington VA.
A
B
Okay
thanks
everyone
again
I'm
here
to
talk
about
the
arlington
mill
community
center
project
and
just
to
give
you
some
perspective
on
why
we
had
selected
this
one,
because
it's
a
little
less
about
a
sighting
process
and
more
about
building
a
new
facility
and
introducing
an
additional
use
of
portable
housing.
We
did
use
some
innovative
tools.
We
wanted
to
walk
you
through
that
history.
This
is
a
mixed-use
project,
community
center,
affordable
housing
and
retail,
and
we
had
a
joint
development
partnership
between
the
county
and
private
developers.
B
So,
as
you
can
see
here
from
the
timeline
above,
the
process
to
achieve
the
new
center
took
many
years
to
accomplish,
and
while
we
would
say
that
it
demonstrates
success
and
innovation
because
it
ventured
into
new
territory
with
the
partnership
and
using
a
new
zoning
tool
form
based
code.
There
were
many
learning
opportunities
over
time
and
so
that
added
time
to
the
the
project
schedule
going
to
walk
you
through
the
history
chronologically
and
try
to
give
you
some
additional
context
of
what
was
happening
during
that
time.
B
Before
the
county
acquired
the
site,
it
was
occupied
by
a
grocer.
The
1.9
acre
site
is
located
just
at
the
intersection
of
Dinwiddie
and
Columbia
Pike.
Just
west
of
four
mile
run
drive,
as
you
can
see
in
the
photo
it's
represented
was
at
that
time
is
a
typical
commercially
zoned
property,
single-story
development
at
large
surface
parking
area,
and
although
the
county
didn't
have
a
definite
long-term
plan,
it
did
see
the
benefit
of
looking
to
acquire
the
property
when
it
became
available
once
it
was
acquired.
B
B
B
Once
it
was
acquired,
the
county
in
schools
were
both
in
alignment
and
discussed
a
joint
facility
with
approximately
fifty
percent
of
the
space
for
each
of
the
main
tenants.
The
site
was
Ruiz
owned
from
commercial
zoning
to
s3a,
and
it
was
changed
to
public
on
our
land
use
plan.
There
were
use
permits,
approvals
established
for
Adult
Ed
preschool
after
school
and
those
ran
until
the
mid
2000s
when
the
new
center
was
in
place.
B
During
this
time,
the
Columbia
Pike
community
was,
in
the
midst
of
planning
process,
developed
the
Columbia
Pike
initiative.
Sure
many
of
you
are
aware
of
the
history
of
that
the
plan
was
calling
for
a
revitalization
of
the
corridor,
describing
a
vision
that
would
bring
new
opportunities
for
private
development
and
bringing
new
county
services.
So
it
was
a
complete
community
and
people
wouldn't
have
to
travel
outside
of
the
Columbia
Pike
corridor
to
kind
of
meet
your
everyday
needs.
B
The
site
this
particular
site,
was
called
for
in
the
Columbia
Pike
initiative
plan
as
a
focal
point,
because
at
that
point
again
we
owned
the
site
and
we
were
really
looking
as
this
was
a
central
place
where
the
community
could
come
together
around
this
time.
The
county
and
aps
staff
were
discussing
different
programs
how
those
pieces
could
be
occupying
the
space
and
how
different
service
providers
could
come
in
and
use
the
facility
as
well.
B
So
based
on
that
body
of
work,
the
board,
then
by
2004,
established
a
more
formal
working
group
with
arlington
mill
steering
committee
and
that
group
had
representatives
from
the
pike
community
seapro,
which
is
the
Columbia
Pike,
revitalization
organization,
school
facilities,
staff
and
others,
and
the
local
chair,
Linda
leduc
was
working
closely
with
staff.
The
board
had
set
up
a
charge
for
this
group
to
develop
schematic
designs,
working
with
a
professional
architect,
looking
at
the
programming
work
that
had
been
done
earlier
and
then
give
input
in
terms
of
the
finishes
on
the
building
etc.
B
However,
at
that
a
little
bit
later,
though,
there
was
a
decision
that
we
really
hadn't
gotten
far
enough
along
and
the
school's
decided
that
they
were
no
longer
going
to
be
part
of
a
joint
development.
So
the
county
was
left
with
face
faced
with
a
decision
of
whether
to
proceed
and
if
so,
how?
So
it's
important
to
not
note
at
around
this
time.
Public-Private
partnerships
were
enabled
at
the
state
level,
and
the
county
was
already
working
on
another
arrangement
at
the
shirlington
library
and
parking
garage
with
a
private
developer.
B
So
that
would
take
us
really
to
sort
of
the
next
phase.
Then
I'm
going
to
talk
about
this
mixed-use
development
proposal,
where
the
county
would
pursue
design
and
construction
for
the
community
center
without
school
uses
again
at
this
time,
keep
in
mind
the
form
based
code,
the
zoning
to
love
our
preference
for
Columbia
Pike
was
already
being
used.
Some
new
development
projects
were
getting
approved
and
this
really
could
drove
the
notion
that
you
could
achieve
more
on
the
land
than
just
solely
a
community
center.
B
Affordable
housing
was
front
and
center
for
the
county.
At
this
time
there
was
little
to
no
committed,
affordable.
You
affordable
housing
on
the
pike,
and
so
this
was
identified
as
a
possible
additional
use,
creating
a
mixed-use
building
that
led
to
developer
being
interested
in
submitting
a
proposal
to
show
how
they
could
actually
develop
the
site,
bring
the
new
community
center
and
housing.
B
But
all
of
the
proposals
came
back
in
indicating
that
the
county
was
going
to
need
to
make
the
funds
available
to
help
build
the
community
center.
So
by
mid-2007,
the
county
had
funding
in
place
already
and
had
selected
public-private
alliances
as
a
de
partner
who
was
a
subsidiary
of
Clark
and
that
really
kicked
off
what
I
would
say,
a
pretty
intensive
effort
to
sort
out
not
only
the
project
design
but
also
the
deal
and
how
the
the
use
of
county
land
would
be
an
integral
piece
of
the
project.
B
We
were
working
closely
with
the
steering
committee,
but
also
with
others,
including
the
forum
based
code
working
group,
to
use
that
tool
to
help
shape
the
building,
since
that
tool
was
going
to,
in
theory,
allow
for
a
streamline
review
process,
and
so
many
standards
were
in
place.
However,
this
was
the
first
Civic
building
to
be
built
down
on
columbia,
pike,
and
so
there
was
some
things
that
had
to
be
tested
and,
of
course,
that
led
to
a
longer
duration.
B
So,
ultimately,
at
that
time
the
project
was
approved.
That's
in
2008
was
a
six-story
facility,
we're
talking
about
40,000
square
feet
of
community
center,
including
the
gymnasium,
a
public
plaza
and
a
small
amount
of
retail
on
the
Columbia
Pike
frontage,
and
that
building
had
three
stories
of
residential.
Above
then,
there
was
a
second
building
to
the
back
five-story
residential
building
with
a
mix
of
market
rate
and
affordable
unit
61,
affordable
units
that
would
be
available
at
sixty
percent
am
I
and
below.
B
Unfortunately,
the
downturn
of
the
market
occurred
at
this
time
after
we
had
approved
the
project
and
the
private
developer
was
going
after
public
finance
or
going
after
financing,
and
the
project
was
really
not
able
to
be
funded
and
had
to
be
abandoned.
So
the
county
dissolved
the
ground
lease
with
this
entity,
but
then
didn't
want
to
lose
the
opportunity
to
build
what
it
had
committed
to
for
so
many
years.
B
So
this
is
going
to
take
us
to
the
the
third
phase
of
this
process
whereby,
in
December
of
2009
again
the
board
remain
committed
to
the
project
and
decided
to
fund
building
the
community
center
first,
as
phase
1
and
later
when
the
housing
could
be
determined
that
could
be
provided
on
the
balance
of
the
site.
The
county
went
through
a
process
to
redesign
the
community
center
and
removed,
obviously
the
residential
from
the
upper
floors.
The
center
square
footage
was
increased,
but
overall
the
building
its
total
mass
was
decreased.
B
The
plaza
remained
virtually
the
same
in
the
midst
of
changing
this
building
design.
The
county
ask
the
question:
are
there
or
is
there
another
use
other
uses
that
should
be
considered
before
we?
He
finalized
these
details
and
one
idea
was
to
move
the
Columbia
Pike
library,
but
this
idea
was
really
fraught
with
neighborhood
concerns
about
shifting
it
several
blocks
from
its
location
on
walter
reed,
dr
and
the
idea
was
abandoned
so
by
jun
2010,
the
county
is
issuing
an
rfp
to
get
a
new
housing
partner.
B
In
the
meantime,
the
county's
reviewing
the
revised
community
centered
design
and
the
community
center
grew
at
its
approval
and
now
what's
built,
grew
from
about
40,000
square
feet
to
a
approximately
63
south,
sixty
three
thousand
square
feet.
It
changed
in
height
from
six
stories
to
five
stories
and
the
retail
was
about
the
same.
The
plaza
was
about
the
same.
The
project
follows
the
forum
based
code,
the
two
frontage
types
that
are
called
for
there
and
provides
parking
underneath
actually
both
the
community
center
and
the
housing
piece.
B
The
second
phase
of
this
app'
arlington
partnership
for
affordable
housing
had
reached
the
successful
selection
process
for
the
county's
RFP
for
their
proposal
to
build
the
arlington
mill
residences
and
that
would
deliver
about
a
90
or
would
deliver
a
ninety-nine
percent,
affordable
housing
project
with
a
hundred
and
twenty
two
units,
the
building
design
changed,
but
it
remained
as
a
form-based
code
compliant
project
which
enabled
a
streamlined
review
process.
The
building
changed
from
159
units
to
122
and
from
five
stories
to
four
stories.
B
It's
important
to
note
that
the
county's
contribution
to
this
phase
of
the
project
was
the
land
value
which
allowed
the
project
to
move
forward
without
requiring
any
of
the
a
half
dollars.
The
affordable
housing
investment
fund
and
Apple
was,
of
course,
using
low
income,
housing
tax
credits
to
help
fund
the
project.
So
this
this
notion
of
the
using
the
ground
lease
and
also
the
joint
the
collocation
with
the
community
center
and
building
over
a
parking
garage,
really
enabled
some
cost
savings,
which
in
turn
went
towards
the
affordable
housing
units.
B
B
The
project
was
supported
over
a
long
duration
by
the
steering
committee.
They
remade
committed
to
the
project
and
pushed
the
county
over
that
history.
Time
and
time
again,
we
need
to
get
this
project
completed.
It's
good
for
the
community,
it's
necessary.
They
were
there
to
compliment
the
staff
resources
and
helped
as
a
sounding
board
at
key
junctures,
and
they
remained
intact
even
through
the
permitting,
and
the
construction
phase
is
to
provide
input
on
final
design.
Elements.
B
B
Another
key
piece:
when
the
community
center
was
redesigned,
the
board
felt
it
was
important
to
go
ahead
and
build
a
building
almost
under
its
full
potential
under
the
form
based
code
allowed
Heights,
so
they
funded
a
building
that
had
space
for
future
expansion.
So,
if
anybody's
been
in
the
building-
and
you
bypassed
one
of
the
floors-
there's
opportunity
to
expand
into
an
additional
level
on
columbia,
pike
and
once
fundings
in
place
we'll
be
able
to
fully
use
the
building.
B
Even
though
the
housing
would
be
phased
in
over
time,
I
talked
a
little
bit
about
this
before,
but
to
achieve
a
single
parking
garage.
That
was
certainly
a
benefit
to
the
apt
to
the
residences
project.
It
also
gave
some
efficiencies
and
ease
of
layout
for
anybody
coming
to
the
parking
to
the
parking
area,
whether
for
the
community,
center
or
residences.
B
B
So,
while
these
partnerships
yield
successful
outcomes,
it's
critical
to
understand
that
they're
very
complex
and
they
take
time
they
need
sufficient
time
to
work
out
the
project
details
and
to
work
out
the
deal
such
as
how
to
use
the
value
and
the
in
the
ground
lease.
You
need
a
good
development
partner
and
in
some
cases,
it's
going
to
take
more
density
than
what
we
could
offer
on
Columbia
Pike
for
the
county
to
significantly
reduce
its
funding
responsibilities.
And,
lastly,
you
certainly
need
community
support
for
the
vision
and
to
be
there
with
you
through
the
process.