Amazon Pauses Construction on Four-Tower HQ2 Project

Amazon is pausing construction on the large HQ2 campus it has planned for Arlington, Virginia, the company recently confirmed to News4. The first phase of HQ2 construction, Metropolitan Park, is almost done, but the company will wait to start the second phase, PenPlace, which was expected to include the Helix building. Construction on PenPlace was set to begin in the first quarter of this year. Metropolitan Park, which is planned to open in June, consists of two 22-story office towers and is expected to include more than 50,000 ft² of retail space for small local businesses, as well as a 700-person meeting center that will be available to community groups. PenPlace would bring three more 22-story office buildings, a 700-person meeting center and the Helix — a 350-ft helix-shaped tower that was approved for construction last April. The groundbreaking for this phase is on hold indefinitely, according to the source. Amazon says it now has more than 8,000 workers in the D.C. area. The pause on PenPlace does not mean any additional roles are being eliminated, Amazon told the source. According to Bloomberg, the company has committed to spending US$2.5 billion and hiring some 25,000 workers in Arlington by 2030.