Board OKs $765K Contract for Clarendon Metro Plaza Upgrades

The Arlington County Board on Tuesday authorized spending up to $765,000 for renovations to the Clarendon Metro plaza.

The upgrades will include additional paving to the park area in between Clarendon and Wilson boulevards adjacent to the Metro entrance, along with landscaping, irrigation, seating and lighting.

Some residents expressed concern Tuesday about the loss of green space — a net loss of about 2,700 square feet of turf is anticipated. County board members listed their own pros and cons with the design that's being pursued.

The differences among board members reflect differences of opinion in the community about how to best handle the park, Board member Chris Zimmerman said.

"It's certainly an improvement over what we have," Zimmerman said. "It's not a nature preserve. This is an area of intense activity."

Board Chairwoman Mary Hynes said the upgraded plaza should better accommodate the farmers market that sets up there. A county staff report sells the renovations as making the area more suitable for a range of outdoor activities, including music events.

The board voted unanimously to award the renovation contract to the Washington-based Fort Myer Construction Corp.

Plans call for the eventual installation of two bike shelters at the park. Those structures will be paid for by a federal grant and procured through a separate bidding process, according to the staff report.