Visions for Vacancies: Empty Lot Next to Whole Foods

By most measures, business is booming in Arlington.

As County Board Chairman Mary Hynes said last month at the , "If cranes are any measure of economic wealth…we’re doing pretty darn well."

Here and there, though, there are a few empty spaces — maybe old parking lot that is undeveloped, a closed business that didn't quite make it. So what should be done?

That's where you (and this new column) come in.

Let's call this a modern spin on community planning—Patch's version of a charette, a digital drawing board where all ideas are on the table.

Each week we'll present a new vacant building or an empty lot and ask you to tell us what you think would be the best use for it.

Forget what zone it's in, ignore setback regulations, dump lot coverage rules and all the other zoning jargon. If you had your way, what would you like to see there? What would be the best use for the community?

This week, we're turning out attention to an overgrown parking lot at the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and North Danville Street, just east of the in Clarendon.

What would you like to see on this lot? More parking? Maybe another condo building? A bookstore? How about a doctor's office or a day spa?

Be sure to weigh in with your ideas in the comments section.