Crystal House Apartments
In the future, the Crystal House Apartments site in Pentagon City’s Aurora Highlands neighborhood will feature 655 new affordable housing units as part of additional master-planned infill development. There are 828 apartment units already existing on the approximately 16-acre site, in the CH1 and 2 buildings, independently-owned by Washington Housing Conservancy (WHC) and managed by Cushman & Wakefield (additional information below). The site is located at 1900 South Eads Street on two blocks (referred to as the Crystal Houses block and the Restaurant Row block, respectively).
Related Site Plan: SP #451, approved 12/14/2019
About the Project
The developer team of True Ground Housing Partners (TGHP), formerly known as Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) and EYA (EYA) was selected in 2022, after a lengthy and competitive process and subsequently entered into a Land Disposition and Development Agreement (LDDA) with the County. The LDDA outlines the broad development program, including affordable housing The following table provides a high-level overview of the anticipated program and affordability mix of the infill parcels. WHC will continue to own and operate CH 1 & 2 as mixed-income buildings.
| Infill Parcel |
Developer |
Program |
| CH3 |
TGHP |
432-unit family affordable rental building, with units affordable at 30% - 60% AMI |
| CH4 |
EYA |
222-unit primarily market-rate building, with 168 market-rate units & 54 units affordable at 80% AMI |
| CH5 |
TGHP |
89-unit affordable building with AMI levels TBD (project is on hold until units on infill parcels conveyed by Amazon are completed) |
| CH6 |
TGHP |
80-unit senior affordable building, with units affordable at 30% - 60% AMI |
| CH7/8 |
EYA |
42 for-sale market rate townhomes |
Status: Pre-development in process
TGHP has begun early site work on the CH3 infill parcel including site and utility work (corner of 18th St. S and S. Eads St), to precede full building development, and the EYA team has progressed development plans and entitlements to precede development of the CH7/8 townhome parcels.
Background
In December 2019, the County Board approved Site Plan #451, which entitled the five infill development parcels on the CH site (CH3, CH4, CH5, CH6, and CH7/8) for 820 net new units, in addition to the 828 existing units on the site that will remain. The Crystal Houses 5 site (CH5), totaling 81 units, was conveyed in fee to the County to meet the overall site’s affordable housing goal and is now owned by the County.
Washington Housing Conservancy (WHC) acquired the Crystal House Apartments site in December 2020. Amazon participated as a lender and investor to help finance the acquisition. WHC owns the acquired CH site, and Cushman and Wakefield is serving as the property manager for the existing units located within the CH1 and 2 buildings. The existing 828 apartments across CH1 and 2 are a mix of studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom units. Current market rents are generally affordable between 60-80% of the area median income (AMI) for studios, 1-bedrooms, and 2-bedrooms, whereas 3-bedroom rents are above 80% AMI. Per a 99-year covenant applicable to the entirety of the site, excluding the CH5 site in County ownership, 75% of the existing market-rate affordable units will be committed as affordable between 50%-80% of the AMI.
Affordable Housing Infill Development
An Amazon-affiliate, Acorn Development LLC, acquired the rights to develop the infill parcels on the Crystal House Apartments site when the WHC acquired the property in 2020. Acorn Development LLC assigned its rights and responsibilities under its Option via an Assignment and Assumption Agreement with Arlington County for purposes of developing new affordable housing. This Agreement stipulates that at least 75% of the 738 unbuilt units, or 554 units, be committed as affordable, with a portion affordable at or below 50% of the AMI. The Agreement also requires that all affordable units be delivered by January 1, 2028.
The new residential development program for the site, including the new affordable housing, will be guided primarily by Amazon’s requirements. These plans will be further informed by Arlington County’s Affordable Housing Master Plan, Virginia Housing’s QAP, and other industry best practices in design, mixed-income development, community engagement, and resident services.
Public Process
The public is being informed of the proposed affordable housing infill development. The development team has taken several site plan amendments through the County Board approval process, including for CH3, CH6, and CH7/8, and these have included standard and normal public engagement including community meetings and presentations.
FAQs
What is the envisioned affordability mix of the infill development?
The Agreement stipulates that at least 75% of the 738 unbuilt units, or 554 units, be committed as affordable. The Agreement further states that of the 554 units:
- A minimum of 148 residential units must be committed to households earning 50% or less of the area median income (AMI).
- A minimum of 406 residential units must be committed to households earning 80% or less of the AMI.
How can I apply for one of the new affordable units?
We anticipate the first new construction of affordable units on this site to be completed in approximately 2027, as this is a complex, multi-phased project that takes considerable time and resources to come together. If you’re looking for affordable housing in the Crystal City area more immediately, you may wish to do the following:
Do you have questions for County staff?
Submit them here.
Documents and Related Links