“Where in Arlington do you live?” This question is often a difficult one for folks to answer – do you use a subdivision name? A civic association name? Or maybe you provide a geographic reference? I get stuck in my old patterns when answering an offshoot of that question: Where did you live when you first moved to Arlington? I was accustomed to saying “…in a garden apartment behind Bergman’s Cleaners.” Now I must remember to refer to Mom’s Organic Market instead.

I have a similar challenge in trying to describe a specific area within Arlington when I write this column. Last month I wrote about the location of the tallest building in Arlington, which is in Rosslyn. It was not easy, within the confines of a short column, to explain the boundaries of the area known as Rosslyn. I won’t even try here, but I do think it helps to identify landmarks within the region, which might assist readers unfamiliar with the geography of Rosslyn.

So let me follow up on that June 19 column and highlight another landmark within Rosslyn: Gateway Park. In that column on the tallest building, I described some of the history of community benefits that get negotiated between the County Board and a developer who wants to build a project that exceeds zoning code limitations. This process, which often occurs within a site plan application, has given a boost to the anticipated renovation of a 40-year-old park in Rosslyn.

The creation of Gateway Park is a remarkable story, connected with the complicated history of the creation of Interstate 66. It took decades to get I-66 built in Arlington. Planning for the highway began in the 1950s, but the Arlington portion was not completed and opened until 1982. The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration agreed to build an urban park over the top of I-66 as it curves from Theodore Roosevelt Bridge into Arlington (hence, the “gateway” to Virginia). The concrete structure for the park was built by 1984, with landscaping, various park facilities and pedestrian bridges. Gateway Park has a rectangular shape, located between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Langston Boulevard, and bracketed by Lynn Street to the east and Nash Street to the west.

The county and VDOT began negotiations in the 1980s to enter into a 99-year lease providing for maintenance and repair obligations for the park. Inexplicably, no lease was ever signed. The county maintained Gateway Park, and it was not until 2021 that an agreement was reached on maintenance responsibilities and renovation rights. Due to legal implications, including a 2015 attorney general opinion, VDOT and the county agreed to a use permit (not a lease) for a period of 50 years. Renovation plans for Gateway Park were contemplated in 2021, though funding was not available for a complete overhaul. And that is where the community benefits of development fit in.

The tallest building in Arlington, known as Central Place Tower, was approved in 2018 with an observation deck that was required to be open to the public. Known as The View of DC, the deck had seen considerably less use than originally anticipated. When a new owner, CoStar Group, purchased the building in 2024, the County Board and the new owner agreed to a site plan amendment to close public access to the observation deck. In return, the owner agreed to pay the county $13,951,900 to assist in a significant renovation of the entire park.

In December 2024, the County Board adopted a master plan and design guidelines for the 3.7-acre Gateway Park. The plan includes features such as expanded dog parks, more trees, a new pedestrian bridge and various social and recreational spaces. The design process involved community input, with a focus on creating an inviting park for everyday use and special events.

It is hoped that the vision turns into a resounding success. Perhaps someday people will answer that question of “Where do you live in Arlington?” with the descriptive response: “Near Gateway Park.”