EYA LLC received unanimous Arlington County Board approval for its innovative townhome re-entitlement at Crystal House, further advancing the five-phase infill redevelopment of the property. A public-private partnership between Arlington County and joint venture EYA-True Ground Housing Partners, the Crystal House mixed-income redevelopment will expand the existing 828-unit Crystal House campus with an additional 865 new housing units, including 655 affordable units, bringing much needed affordable housing to Arlington County.
At a recent Arlington County Board Meeting, EYA received approval and praise for its re-entitlement of a parcel of to-be-built townhomes on the property, doubling density from 21 to 42 with a unique back-to-back townhome design while navigating challenging site constraints. This approval plays a critical role in the larger development’s success by securing a higher land value that will be used as a source of permanent financing for the first phase of the project – True Ground’s 432-unit affordable multifamily building already under construction.
EYA's back-to-back townhomes to be built at Crystal House
During the public hearing, Planning Commissioner Peter Robertson underscored the Commission’s support of the project, sharing a widespread sentiment that these amendments will add even more benefits to the original 2019 approved project, furthering the success of the redevelopment. Arlington County Board Chair, Libby Garvey, added: "I also want to compliment you [EYA] for the great support you got from the commissions [Transportation Commission and the Climate Change, Energy and Environment Commission] and Planning Commission. I remember days when the Planning Commission was never so effusive about projects, so that's just great - thank you."
In 2021, months after announcing it financed DC non-profit Washington Housing Conservancy’s acquisition of the Crystal House apartment community through its Housing Equity Fund, Amazon donated $40 million in vacant land within the property to the County. In December 2022, the County government selected the EYA-True Ground joint venture, both leaders in mixed-income housing and public-private partnerships, to build new housing on surface parking lots and other undeveloped land around Crystal House’s two 1960s-era residential towers.
This new infill development, together with the existing Crystal House, will provide high-quality housing options for a broad range of incomes and create a new mixed-income neighborhood with incredible access to transit, retail, Amazon HQ2, and a host of public and private sector job opportunities.
Senthil Sankaran, Managing Principal of Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund, stated: “Amazon is excited to see another critical component of this mixed-income development receive approvals, exceeding its original goal by bringing over 650 affordable housing units to this property.”
The back-to-back townhomes, built over a podium garage, will be fee simple – the first housing type of its kind in the County – providing the community with more attainably priced housing. Each townhome will have two dedicated parking spaces within the footprint of the home. The back-to-back design makes efficient use of the limited land area and provides attractive facades. Each home will be approximately 2,000 internal square feet with three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
EYA’s Executive Vice President of Acquisition and Development, Jack Lester, said: “We are grateful for the hard work and creativity of the Planning Staff and the input from community members. Their input made this project better ultimately earning the full support of the Planning Commission and County Council. This home ownership portion of the larger redevelopment is critical to creating a vibrant mixed-income neighborhood and supporting the much-needed affordable housing components.”
EYA’s parcel featuring 42 new back-to-back townhomes is expected to break ground in early 2026.
For over 30 years, EYA has been a market leader in the development of large-scale, urban infill residential projects with expertise in sourcing, entitling and developing walkable communities. Click here to learn more about EYA's development capabilities.