On July 10, 2004 , the Arlington County Board approved a plan to spark the revitalization of the Nauck community, one of Arlington 's oldest historically African-American neighborhoods.

Design Concept for an open air structure on the Town Square

The Nauck Village Center Action Plan, is the first phase of a two-part study process for the larger Nauck, Shirlington Road, Four Mile Run area.  This plan will guide public and private investment to revitalize the neighborhood's commercial core. It also recommends guidelines and incentives in the areas of land use and zoning, housing, transportation and open space, among others, to help implement this vision.

The Nauck Village Center will be anchored by a Town Square. This Square will serve as the anchor for the revitalization district and a Public space for community gatherings and events.

Design Concept for a public multi purpose facility on the Town Square

The Nauck Town Square Charrette process comprised a series of design workshops intended to continue an ongoing community dialogue concerning the development of a Town Square as a community focal point. This Town Square will be located on the block bounded by Shirlington Road, Kenmore Street, 24th Road South, and 24th Street South. The Town Square site is located at the intersections of Shirlington Road, South Kenmore Street, 24th Street south and 24th Road south. These discussions come at a crucial moment for the Nauck community as it experiences the kinds of development pressures evident throughout Arlington County, and as it faces the challenge of guiding future change while preserving its rich historic and cultural identity. The Charrette process was intended to assist the Nauck community in developing a conceptual plan that would define the scale, overall design, and use of the Town Square. The Designs included the development of a public plaza, with outdoor seating, landscaped areas with a water feature, decorative lighting, public art, and displays featuring the history of the community. These features yielded two (2) concepts: a public multi purpose facility and an open air pavilion. Either concept would allow for the Town Square to function as a community focal point for activities and events. The Charrette also focused on the area immediately around the Town Square Site in terms of an assessment of the transportation and retail capacity of the area while providing a recommendation on the types of businesses that could complement the development of the Town Square. Discussions were centered on the public space comprising the Town Square as well as the area around the Town Square in terms of transportation and economic development issues.

• Nauck Town Square Report
• Nauck Town Square Report Photos
• Nauck Village Center Transportation Report
• Nauck Retail Assessment

Project and Activities:

• The Townes at Shirlington
  • The $8 million residential and retail project, The Townes of Shirlington, the first project since the adoption of the Nauck Center Plan, consists of 12 luxury townhomes and 5,800 square feet of retail.
• The Shelton

  • The project, in the 2300 block of Shirlington Road, involves the new construction of a 94-unit apartment building over a 108-space underground parking garage.  All the apartments will be affordable to residents earning 60%, 50% and 40% of the area median income.

    The current Fairview Manor building was originally called Shelton Apartments and was built by a local family in the Nauck Community of Arlington.  AHC has renamed the new building "The Shelton" to honor its historic place in the community.  Project is scheduled to be completed in late 2008 / early 2009 

    This project will also include approximately 1,400 sq. ft. of retail space. 

• Traffic Signal Shirlington at 24th Road
  • Pedestal signals on each of the four (4) corners, intersection improvement and curb improvement for better pedestrian access. This project will be developed in concert with the development of the “interim use” as part of the Town Square site development and is scheduled to commence by the fall of 2007.
• Nauck Design Initiative
  • Technical Assistance to property owners of key project locations in the Nauck Village Center.  These "mini" Charettes are offered in an effort to encourage property owners to explore redevelopment options for their property.

• Nauck Town Square
  • This public plaza is being developed as the anchor for the Nauck Village Center (Shirlington Road Special Revitalization District). Once completed, this Square will encompass the entire block and host a variety of community events both formal and informal.  Additionally, it will provide an outdoor location for public art, Nauck interpretative historical elements, and outdoor entertainment. The first parcel of this project site has been acquired and will be converted into a passive greenspace as an “interim use” until the remaining adjacent properties can be acquired. The completion of this greenspace is scheduled for fall of 2007.
• Nauck Community Heritage Project (Oral History)
  • This project is being designed to compile information on Nauck’s spoken/oral history as a creative expression of the community’s past. This history as told by is current residents will recount first hand experiences as can be easily recalled, retold, and preserved for future generations. This process is being used as a mechanism to obtain the shared knowledge and appreciate for people and places that have and continue to shape this community. The information collected during this process will be preserved and displayed in a manner that will be representative of the community. Some of the results of this process will used to develop public art for the Nauck Town Square.

Nauck Revitalization Organization (NRO)

• Staff Notes
• Agendas

Please contact Chikwe Njoku (CPHD) at 703-228-7472, if you have any questions concerning this planning study.