A Tale of Two Cities

Another reason he bought was that he sensed a revolution coming.

Since the early 1990s, there has been an exodus of federal agencies from the area. The community's trademark high-rise office buildings have many vacancies. Future vacancies of 2.4 million square feet are expected as a result of the military's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

Norris and many in the community see the losses as a great opportunity. As a member of the BRAC Transition Task Force and the new Crystal City Planning Task Force, he is helping Arlington County determine how to fill the voids and continue to revitalize Crystal City. There has been talk of using the empty spaces for new condo units, entertainment venues and even a conference center.

Charles E. Smith Commercial Realty has filed a site plan with the county to convert Crystal Plaza 2, along the Crystal City Streetscape, into a 256-unit residential tower. Under this proposal, Crystal Plaza 2 would be gutted and converted from a 13-story office building into a 19-story residence with mod architectural flourishes. The company has not decided whether the building will hold rental apartments or condominiums; completion is expected in spring 2008.

One more driver of change may be the reconstruction of some of Crystal City's aging office buildings, some of which are more than 20 years old. A few buildings may be demolished and replaced with new complexes. Others may be renovated. No decisions have been made yet.

The transformation will be gradual and take many years. Crystal City will not be leveled -- nor will it ever resemble a ghost town during the process, said planners. Over the next nine months, a Crystal City redevelopment blueprint will take shape, offering answers to the questions left by BRAC and the worn buildings.

While this reshuffling may alter the area's framework, Norris does not expect any significant changes will come to Crystal City's 23rd Street dining mecca, which locals know as Restaurant Row. "The county is very concerned about how the BRAC will affect the small businesses in Crystal City," he said.

Arlington County has just approved the Crystal City Business Improvement District to permit property owners, business owners and residents to spruce up and market the area, including the 23rd Street restaurants, which include down-home spots like Freddie's Beach Bar and Cafe Italia.

For now, Norris is enjoying Crystal City's renaissance. Last month, he attended Crystal City Rocks, a block party headlined by pop artists Vertical Horizon. Families feasted on fare from local restaurants, which included steak on a bun grilled by Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and a traditional Spanish paella stirred up by the chefs of popular tapas restaurant Jaleo.

Despite the expanding dining, shopping and living options, there are still naysayers who insist that Crystal City and Pentagon City lack soul. For culture and entertainment, many residents and visitors zip away to D.C.'s museums and theaters or to Clarendon's hip restaurants and clubs.

"This area is dramatically missing nightlife," said Seekford. "It's missing a place where they might have live jazz, where you can go out and have a good time." He sees a chance for entrepreneurs to bring in after-hours spots and music venues.

Officials at Arlington Economic Development, a division of the County, said Crystal City's history proves that innovation is possible. Karen Vasquez, public relations manager for AED, explained that when the community was first developed in the late 1960s, at the same time as Rosslyn, the trend in urban design was to build retail and restaurants below ground.