Creating the New Crystal City

Crystal City is one of the most dynamic and high-vitality business environments in the Washington area. To find out how to make the area even more attractive to businesses, Charles E. Smith Commercial Realty asked members of the commercial broker community what they would like to see to make the location even better for business. The following article outlines how these ideas are being translated into a comprehensive repositioning and education program that will make Crystal City an ideal choice for 21st century businesses.

The upcoming relocation of the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) in 2004-2005 gave Charles E. Smith Commercial Realty the unique opportunity to enhance Crystal City, making it a complete, truly dynamic, high-vitality business environment. Crystal City has all the right basic ingredients of a great place for business, including:

A Fantastic Location - Crystal City is right across the 14th Street Bridge and five minutes from downtown Washington.  It is adjacent to Reagan National Airport, right next to the Pentagon. It is also only a 5-minute trip to Old Town and Ballston.

The Confluence of Virtually all Transportation Systems  Crystal City has its own Metro stop, which is the 12th busiest in the system, its own VRE stop, several shuttle bus services, and quick direct access to all major highways.

Lots of parking - There are more than 12,000 parking spaces in Crystal City, mostly in garages.

Amenities - Crystal City has hundreds of shops and restaurants-plus the largest concentration of hotel rooms in the Washington area, with more than 5,000 rooms.

Quality Office Space -The Crystal Park complex, which offers spectacular views of the monuments, the Airport and the Potomac River, is only one of the high quality office parks in the area. 

Beautiful parks and plazas - There are more than ten landscaped courtyards with serene seating areas and fountains right in the heart of Crystal City.

A great fit with the national "Urban Living" trend - All across the country, active vibrant cities are making a strong comeback. The trend is led by young educated professionals who want to avoid long commutes and be "where the action is". They want to be able to get to and from work quickly - preferably by walking or by Metro. They also want to be near cafes, shops, and entertainment. They are the driving force of the new "urban lifestyle" neighborhoods, like the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, Pentagon Row, and now, Crystal City. Crystal City is a perfect match for this phenomenon as it already had urban critical mass, with more than 70,000 people living, working and shopping in Crystal City.

Even with all of these advantages, Smith knew Crystal City had more potential.   So they went to the experts - Washington's commercial real estate brokers to understand perceptions and misperceptions. Smith asked brokers what works? What doesn't work? What can Smith do better?  And what would make Crystal City better?

Here's what commercial brokers had to say about what they would like to see in Crystal City.

Make it easy to get in and out - Smith received approval on October 13, 2001 from the Arlington County Board for a master transportation plan amendment that will allow Crystal Drive to be redesigned to accommodate two-way traffic. Crystal Drive is a main thoroughfare in Crystal City and supports traffic traveling parallel to Jefferson Davis Highway.  It currently carries vehicles only one way - northbound. Under the transportation plan amendment, traffic on Crystal Drive will flow in both directions between 15th and 23rd Streets. 23rd Street is already a two-way street, and 15th and 18th Streets will be redesigned as two-way streets allowing for an overall easier flow of traffic in and around Crystal City.   Plans to allow 20th Street to carry two-way traffic are also being considered.  And new planned way-finding signage will also make getting around Crystal City much easier.

Make it Appealing - "Underground" retail and amenities worked for the 70's-but today's businesses people want to be outdoors. With a redevelopment plan that focuses on a brand new dynamic pedestrian-focused streetscape, Crystal City will be alive with shoppers, visitors, residents and businesspeople, strolling, dining, and shopping-daytime and well into the evening.

Make it Irresistible for our Tenants - Crystal City will include new high-visibility signage in ideally located, high-quality space, perfect for a wide range of corporate tenants - at a significant value relative to downtown DC's office space.

And Educate, Educate, Educate - Smith learned that many people don't know much more about Crystal City than what they could see from Route 1. For example, many people don’t know that there are more than ten parks in Crystal City complete with fountains and sculptures. There is also an enclosed climate controlled concourse connecting all of Crystal City to the Metro. And many people are surprised to learn that the Mount Vernon Bike Trail has an entrance in Crystal City.  Crystal City has other benefits, such as one of the busiest Virginia Rail Express (VRE) Stops and two state-of-the-art Sport and Health Clubs. There's a story here waiting to be told.

Making it Happen

Charles E. Smith has zoning approval in place for the new retail enhancements, and a unique "Best of the Locals" restaurant /retail marketing program is underway. Smith has a dedicated office leasing team focused on Crystal City, and is just beginning to tell the story.

Already, there's a transformation along 23rd Street - the "gateway" to Crystal City. At The Buchanan apartment building, there's a pleasant sidewalk strolling area looking in on some exciting new restaurants - Legal Sea Foods, Chili's, and Charlie Chiang's. Last spring, at the corner of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive, Chipotle Grille and Quizno's joined Starbucks, offering a lunch-time destination for office workers. Beginning in 2002, you'll see more changes in Crystal City-including a new Morton's Steak House. And, initial traffic improvements will begin at the same time as groundbreaking on the next 150,000 square feet of new retail and dining space that will be developed along Crystal Drive.

Fast-forward 24 Months

It's 2003 and Crystal Drive has become a vibrant, high-energy destination lined with cafes, shops, restaurants, and lush parks. Stroll into a bookshop, grab a cappuccino at an outdoor cafe, drop off your cleaning, and hop onto the Metro. This is the new Crystal City.