Arlington Hotel Could Go Through Major Overhaul: Report

ARLINGTON, VA — Big changes could be in store for the DoubleTree by Hilton in Crystal City thanks to the arrival of Amazon, according to a report.

The Washington Business Journal reports that the owner of the 627-room hotel is eyeing a major redevelopment due to the hotel's proximity to Amazon's second headquarters which will be setting up largely in Crystal City.

The hotel, which is situated at 300 Army Navy Drive, is right next door to the Metropolitan Park development that will be a big part of the HQ2.

Amazon has plans to build two new office towers at Metropolitan Park that will be nearly 60 feet taller than nearby apartment building The Bartlett, according to WBJ, which reported that the retail behemoth plans to build the 22-story, 322.5-foot towers as part of its second headquarters development in Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Potomac Yard.

The online retail giant has already leased hundreds of thousands of square feet of space in south Arlington, and company officials say they expect to fill over 400 positions by the end of 2019 with a goal of 25,000 high-paying jobs over the next decade-plus. Amazon announced last November that Arlington had been chosen as the location of its second headquarters — a second site in New York was abandoned after local protests.

The selection of northern Virginia to host Amazon's HQ2 means billions of dollars in investment and 25,000 workers moving into the neighborhood, Amazon says, however critics note that Virginia offered more than $800 million in incentives and skyrocketing rents in the area could get significantly worse. Also, there is no guarantee the promised jobs will come to fruition.

The Washington Post reported hundreds of workers would probably be moved into 1851 S. Bell Street or 1770 Crystal Drive.

"We are proud that Amazon has selected National Landing for a major new headquarters," said Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol in a statement at the time of the announcement.

National Landing refers to a neighborhood that includes both Crystal City as well as Pentagon City and neighboring Potomac Yard in Alexandria.

Northern Virginia was one of 20 areas on the e-commerce giant's short list when it was released. But experts had long focused specifically on Crystal City as a likely landing spot due to its proximity to Reagan National Airport, its highly educated and diverse workforce, the fact that most of it is owned by one developer (JBG), and other factors. The fact that Virginia is considered a business-friendly state reportedly also weighed into the decision.

Additional reporting by Deb Belt/Patch