Amazon signs lease on PBS HQ space in Arlington

Amazon is moving into the space by the end of 2020.

Published February 26, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Amazon.com Inc. has signed a lease with its HQ2 landlord and developer JBG Smith Properties for a 272,000-square-feet building in Arlington that has served as the headquarters for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) since 2006. 

The e-commerce giant expects to move into the space at 2100 Crystal Drive by the end of 2020. PBS will be moving into a 120,00-square-foot space at 1225 S. Clark St. by mid-2020, according to a news release.

“We are thrilled that PBS will remain in Crystal City, especially during such a transformative and exciting time for this community,” PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement released Tuesday.

Amazon plans to lease a total of approximately 857,000 square feet for its HQ2 East Coast headquarters in Arlington from JBG Smith, which is also constructing Amazon HQ2’s twin office towers. Amazon began its physical expansion beyond its HQ2 base camp offices in December, moving into 191,000 square feet of renovated leased space at nearby 1800 S. Bell St. owned by JBG Smith. JBG Smith began construction on the first 2.15 million square feet of space for HQ2 in January. Amazon anticipates hiring approximately 25,000 people to fill a total of 8 million square feet of development in Arlington.

JBG Smith also sold Metropolitan Park — which is less than a mile from 2100 Crystal Drive — to Amazon in January for approximately $155 million. The real estate company says in its Q4 investor package that the sale price was $11 million above the estimated contract value due to development density in the area.

JBG Smith, which owns a total of 6.2 million square feet of space in Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard areas in Arlington, has been rebranding the HQ2 area as “National Landing.”

“We are also focused on completing design and entitlements for the next tranche of multifamily development opportunities in National Landing including, 2000 and 2001 South Bell Street, 222 23rd Street, and 2525 Crystal Drive, all of which are within a ½ mile of Amazon’s new headquarters,” the investor package reads.