The Pike, as it's affectionately known, is on a roll. Those who haven't visited lately will delight in what's new and relish what's familiar in this changing corridor.

In the past four years, developers have added nearly 1,000 residential units and 200,000 square feet of commercial space to the area. The Columbia Pike Initiative (CPI), an Arlington County planning effort completed in 2005, can be credited for initiating the activity. Four CPI-related projects have been built since 2008 and more projects are getting ready to go.

Investment is also occurring in existing spaces, where new businesses have been setting up shop. Restaurants like Sauca and Café Sazon recently opened on the west end and Sangam just arrived in the town center. Healthcare options have expanded as well. The Simplicity Urgent Care center is a new addition to in the Westmont Shopping Center and the Arlington Free Clinic has been operating since 2008 in the ground floor of the Halstead development.

More improvements are on the way. Arlington County is working on a plan for the multi-family residential areas to preserve their affordability and historic character. The current planning process, known as the Land Use and Housing Study, envisions joining the revitalization-driven CPI plan with a strategy to strengthen the affordable multi-family inventory found between the commercial nodes. Upon completion, the County will have a Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Plan to guide development in the identified areas.

Four Successful Years

The Halstead

Siena Park

In a time of national recession, the Pike delivered and filled a series of large mixed-use projects. The Halstead was completed in 2008, bringing 269 residential units and 40,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space. In addition to the Arlington Free Clinic, the project is home to the popular Lost Dog Café and P. Brennan's Irish Pub. The historic façade at the corner of Walter Reed Drive was preserved and ample public parking is available in the underground garage.

The Siena Park and Fifty-Five Hundred projects followed in 2009, bringing 188 and 235 units, respectively. While both projects have retail, Siena also has 15,000 square-feet of mezzanine-level office space. The public was recently invited in for a tour, when Arlington County planners and consultants used Siena for an open house during the Land Use and Housing Study.

Earlier this year, doors opened at the 299-unit Penrose Square development, celebrated for the new Giant grocery and a public square to be built over a former surface parking lot. Construction of the square begins this year, while the apartments and the grocery are currently open for business. The square will be large enough to accommodate performances and community events.

What’s Next

Development may not match the pace set over the past four years, but some interesting projects are in the near-term queue. The Penrose Property Company has submitted plans for a five-story Form-Based Code development at the Rosenthal car dealership site. The project would have 259 units and 15,000 square feet of retail, with an additional 44 townhome units behind the main development.

On the west end of Columbia Pike, Arlington County has broken ground on the Arlington Mill Community Center. Scheduled to open in 2013, the center will have five floors totaling 55,000 square feet, featuring a full-size gymnasium and fitness center, a community learning center and an outdoor public plaza and playground. Next year, the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing will begin constructing 121 affordable rental units on the site.

In transportation, construction will begin this fall on the first of twenty-four Super Stop bus shelters, which will support the Pike Ride bus service and serve as future streetcar stations. The Super Stops will have improved amenities, such as real-time arrival information and protection from wind and weather for waiting passengers.

The Land Use and Housing Study is scheduled for completion in 2012. Staff, consultants and community members are busy refining development concepts put forth in a public charette held over the summer and discussion of implementation strategies is underway. A two-part community meeting is scheduled for October 19th and 20th. Please visit the project Web site, www.pikeneighborhoodsplan.com for details.