Public Outreach for Arlington Boulevard Property
The JBG Companies
Challenge
The JBG Companies purchased Arlington Boulevard property in Seven Corners that included two 13-story office buildings and an adjacent vacant lot. While the lot was approved for another office building, JBG sought to amend the final development plan to allow for a mixed-use plan including apartments, townhomes, restaurants and shops.
JBG retained Chesapeake Public Strategies to engage the adjacent Hillwood community in a dialogue about the project and enlist their engaged support.
Solution
The Chesapeake team created an outreach plan to establish a constructive relationship with the community by providing ongoing open lines of communication. A combination of one-on-one meetings with community leaders, small group meetings with facing homeowners and large open houses for the neighborhood enabled residents to express their concerns and recommend adjustments to JBG’s proposal.
Chesapeake maintained communications with engaged residents through email updates, frequently updated one-pagers and personal conversations.
Results
While initial opposition was strong and vocal, Chesapeake and JBG’s consistent outreach to the community resulted in strong support for the mixed-use proposal. The Fairfax Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors both voted unanimously to approve JBG’s Arlington Boulevard development plans.