Release Date: Oct 28, 2021

National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) and JBG SMITH Partner to Enhance Commuter Experience at Crystal City Metro Station Plaza

Refreshed streetscape and transit facility will welcome visitors and commuters to a vibrant downtown National Landing

ARLINGTON, VA – [October 28, 2021] –– The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID), in collaboration with JBG SMITH, is spearheading a series of enhancements to the transit experience and public spaces surrounding the Crystal City Metro Station Plaza. The improvements are intended to welcome residents, workers, and visitors "back to transit” as offices and businesses throughout National Landing safely reopen their doors.

“As more workers and visitors return to National Landing, we want them to be greeted with an inviting experience that shows the public just how excited we are to welcome them back to the neighborhood,” said Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, President and Executive Director of the National Landing BID. “We are thrilled to partner with JBG SMITH on this initiative that illustrates our organization’s ongoing work to position the area as a vibrant destination with strong transit access.”

To kick off the enhancement project, the National Landing BID has welcomed an iconic new mural by DC-based artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer called “Harmony” that adorns the metro plaza’s expansive west wall. The artwork, which measures approximately 115 feet in length and 20 feet in height, will act as a vibrant new front door to the Crystal City Metro entrance. Featuring the artist’s signature usage of the harmonious color spectrum, the design was selected unanimously through a competitive process that was sponsored by the BID.

JBG SMITH, with the National Landing BID as its funding partner, is carrying out a concurrent public space improvement project intended to refresh the plaza outside the Crystal City Metro to create a more inviting arrival experience. The planned updates will include a more open layout, expanded seating options, additional landscaping, festive lighting, new trees and a biophilic design. JBG SMITH is also improving other open spaces and amenities along 18th Street. Completion is anticipated for winter 2022.

“At JBG SMITH, placemaking is core to our DNA, and this project serves as a golden opportunity to convert mobility infrastructure into truly compelling public spaces that contribute significantly to the quality of life for the whole community,” said Jay Corbalis, Vice President of Public Affairs for JBG SMITH.

As described in the BID’s Mobility Next report, eight major transportation projects, with a combined estimated cost of $4 billion, are currently in the pipeline and expected to deliver in phases over the next decade across National Landing. This includes a second Metro entrance in Crystal City, which JBG SMITH is designing under a public-private partnership agreement with Arlington County. The additional entrance, which is anticipated to open by the end of 2023, is intended to alleviate platform congestion and deliver riders directly to Crystal City’s retail main street, Crystal Drive.

Combined with the myriad private development projects that are helping reshape the neighborhood streetscape, National Landing has an incredible opportunity to enhance walkability and deliver human-scale mobility.

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About National Landing Business Improvement District

The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) is a public-private partnership established to promote and activate the area’s business, retail, restaurant and residential community through placemaking, public art, transportation, economic development, events, marketing and promotion. This dynamic, mixed-use urban center encompasses the vibrant Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard-Arlington neighborhoods, and includes more than 26,000 residents, nearly 12 million square feet of office space, approximately 5,500 hotel rooms and over 450 restaurants and shops. Already Virginia’s largest walkable downtown, National Landing is in the midst of an exciting transformation driven by billions of dollars in public and private investment that will deliver new and enhanced housing, offices, parks, transportation and infrastructure in the coming years. The National Landing BID is helping to steer this growth in ways that are sustainable and enhance the area’s diversity and livability. For more information, visit NationalLanding.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.