It’s time to make Shirlington even better, both as a place to live and a destination for visitors. 

More art, more outdoor cafe space. Relaid walking surfaces. New awnings, seating, street lights, signage, trash receptacles. Removal of the broken art fountain in front of the library. All this and more is finally coming. 

On June 14, we expect the County Board to review a long anticipated plan for improvements in the Village at Shirlington. If approved, Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT), the owner of the mixed retail core of our urban area, expects construction in the first half of 2026. 

Please share this news and our notice for an in-person SCA meeting at the public library on Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 pm where we’ll host a presentation on this project. 

The plan is essentially the same as the one we saw in mid 2022. The community loved it but there were last minute objections from the Arlington Fire Marshal. The SCA has advocated and consulted actively to get this back on track. Very frustrating since, as we all know, these improvements were needed even before the pandemic threw off all such work. 

So, fingers crossed, it looks like this is happening. 

For more details, click here [PDF, 9,1 MiB].