Amazon unveils plans for new 350-foot HQ2 core piece in Arlington County – NBC4 Washington

Amazon has submitted plans for the final piece of its future home in Arlington County.

The new central proposal for Amazon HQ2’s second and smallest footprint in Arlington County looks like the kind of building you might find at the end of the yellow brick road. The glass and vegetation spiral building, futuristic and cheeky, is called “The Helix”, and will be the focal point of PenPlace’s new development at the corner of 12th Street South Street and South Eads Street.

Amazon on Tuesday unveiled plans in the county for four new buildings and nearby spaces and hopes to get approval by the end of the year.

In a statement, Amazon says The Helix “will include a climb up the hill that allows people to walk the entire height of the building and a variety of spaces to work or relax individually and as a team. Designed to reflect a form commonly found in nature, The Helix will be open to the public every selected weekend. “

If approved, The Helix will be the tallest building on HQ2, with a height of 350 feet.

Photos: Amazon unveils plans for HQ2’s new 350-foot centerpiece in Arlington County

There are plans for three 22-story buildings with 2.8 million square feet of office space to surround The Helix.

“We’ve designed a workspace for our employees that will prioritize areas of collaboration, natural light, and constant interaction with nature,” Amazon said of the office space.

While the display of the proposed buildings is striking, Amazon stressed that the design wants to reflect a sense of community, which they say is expressed in the flow and features at ground level.

PenPlace plans to include open spaces at ground level that cover more than 2.5 acres, accessible for public use. It includes an amphitheater overlooking a central green area to host outdoor concerts, agricultural markets and movies in the park. There is also a wooded area and a walking area.

There are plans for pavilions and retail restaurants, a daycare center, a dog race and a foodtruck area with outdoor seating in all buildings.

Something you won’t see on PenPlace: parking lots.

Amazon is proposing underground garages and underground accesses for shipping trucks, which it hopes will limit traffic in an area that many people in Arlington County have said they need to be more pedestrian-friendly.

Erika González of News4 takes a look at the cost of living near Amazon HQ2.

“Receiving the submission of the site plan today is the start of the public review of the next phase of Amazon’s HQ2. Arlington hopes to begin a comprehensive community review process – as we do with all proposed site plan developments – where residents and stakeholders will have the opportunity to review design concepts in more detail and multiple opportunities for make contributions, “Matt de Ferranti, chairman of the Arlington County Board of Supervisors, said:” We hope the process concludes with the proposal that will reach the County Planning Commission and the County Board in late December. ‘year”.

Amazon said its new buildings “are designed to be LEED Platinum, the highest certification for sustainable development issued by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project also includes a fully electric central heating and cooling system that will work with 100% renewable energy from a solar farm located in Pittsylvania County in southern Virginia, acquired in collaboration with Arlington County.This will live up to Amazon’s climate promise of being a zero carbon for in 2040 and will advance the shared commitment of Arlington and Amazon to be leaders in the fight against climate change. “

Amazon expects Arlington County to approve PenPlace development plans later this year. Construction would begin immediately and is expected to be completed in 2025.