The View in Rosslyn. Enjoy it while it lasts.  View from the observation deck by BeyondDC licensed under Creative Commons.

When Arlington County approved the construction of Central Place a few years ago, it became the tallest building in Arlington, and with it came the promise of a new public space at the top offering fantastic views of the region. Alas, “The View” observation deck in Rosslyn was only around a year before shutting down. What gives?

Located on the 31st floor, developers promised that The View would provide Arlingtonians and others in the region a unique public space. It would be the second-tallest destination open to all inside the Beltway (after the Washington monument), and many had hoped it would draw tourists to the area. But now the deck is mostly closed off, and reportedly may be converted into a private events venue.

In July, the View stopped booking appointments. While it appears to be adhering to a narrow reading of the agreement with the county to allow Arlingtonians access, there’s no information about the schedule on its website.

From The View you can see the Washington Monument, the only publicly-accessible spot inside the Beltway that's taller. Image by BeyondDC licensed under Creative Commons.

So what happened?

Rosslyn has soared in recent years by taking advantage of close proximity to downtown DC without the heavy restrictions on building height. There’s been a spate of high rise construction, culminating in Central Place.

The two towers built across from the Rosslyn Metro Entrance added a new plaza and pedestrian connection between Metro and North Moore Street, a new elevator entrance down to the Metro Station, and a special bus tunnel to help buses navigate through the area more quickly. The View was another amenity that came along with the construction of the tower.

Arlingtonians were promised a number of free admission days. Others had to pay $22 to keep up with operating costs, a steep price in a region known for its large number of free attractions. That price was much higher than the $3 admission envisioned in the site plan.

So from the beginning, things didn’t work out as planned. The free days promised to Arlington County residents weren’t consistent, and the extra $19 tacked on to the admission is a huge departure from what was expected. While the area is still inside a privately owned the building, the idea was to provide a public gathering spot like a park or plaza and to serve as a shortcut between Lynn and Moore streets.

Downtown DC as seen from The View.  Image by BeyondDC licensed under Creative Commons.

I reached out to the Arlington County Board of Supervisors to ask about what they knew about the abrupt changes, and future plans to convert it to an events space. Board Chair Christian Dorsey told me that under the current interim plan, any Arlington resident (and four guests) can visit at any time during operating hours. (If you don’t have an Arlingtonian to escort you, the space is already closed to you.)

That may change next year when Central Place proposes a new business plan to the County Board. It may recommend closing the public deck. While that may make financial sense, it also means area residents will lose out on a valuble amenity promised to them after only a few months of operation.

Before taking in any of the recommendations, the County Board ought to ask what changed so drastically between the vision in the area’s site plan and the reality. What costs really needed to be covered by a $22 admission fee?

Rosslyn needs public spaces

This is not the first time planned amenities in Rosslyn have failed to pan out. In 2010, Arlington County opened the Artisphere, a publicly-supported performing arts venue. Unfortunately, the promised financial returns never materialized, and the site eventually closed in 2015. Now the building houses a coworking company called Spaces.

Civic spaces and other areas where people can simply gather outside of the home, office, or a restaurant are an important part of any neighborhood. It’s a good sign that there are plans to create more such spaces in Rosslyn, which is slowly transforming from a collection of office towers where the sidewalks roll up at 5 pm into a neighborhood and a destination worth visiting.

However, the loss of public spaces like The View makes that transformation much harder. It’s especially unfortunate in Rosslyn, where a lot of the existing park space is cut off by highways that cut through and converge in the area.

For now though, if you live in Arlington and have been meaning to check out The View, make sure you get on the schedule. And why not bring some of your friends who live in DC or Fairfax along for the fun?

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Tagged: arlington, central place, public spaces, rosslyn, virginia

Canaan Merchant was born and raised in Powhatan, Virginia and attended George Mason University where he studied English. He became interested in urban design and transportation issues when listening to a presentation by Jeff Speck while attending GMU. He lives in Reston.