WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Arlington County has given developer Saul Centers Inc. the official go-ahead to demolish two city blocks in central Clarendon to make way for the new Clarendon Center mixed-use project.

Clarendon Center, bounded by Wilson Boulevard, North Highland Street, 11th Street North and North Garfield Street, will sit adjacent to the Clarendon Metro Center and was approved as part of Arlington’s transit-oriented development vision.

The southern half of the project — which will undergo construction before the northern half — is slated to hold a 244-unit, 12-story residential tower, a nine-story office tower, 38,000 square feet of retail and a landscaped second-level courtyard. The developer will preserve the Art Deco-style Old Dominion Building that houses the Leadership Institute.

On the project’s northern half, Saul Centers will preserve the Underwood building and add a six-story office building and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

The center also will include crosswalks and curb extensions at the six intersections surrounding the project and a new plaza with outdoor seating and a water feature at the southwest corner of Clarendon Boulevard and North Highland Street.

Arlington County had eyed the two-block area for redevelopment for some time but denied Saul Centers’ initial proposal in 2003 because it lacked enough commercial space and did not preserve the Dominion Building, a county spokesman said.

Saul Centers Vice President Mary Beth Avedesian said the demolition of the buildings on the south side of the project should take about 45 days.

“Because it’s so close to the [Metro] tunnel, we can’t do any of the traditional wrecking balls or explosions — that’s too much vibration,” Avedesian said. “They’re using what they call a high-reach demolition unit that has a hydraulic crusher — it basically takes bites out of the building by crushing it down bit by bit.”

Saul has not received the building permits it needs to begin construction once the demolition is finished. The center is scheduled to complete construction in 2010.

Shaping up

The Clarendon Center would bring:

» Retail: about 53,000 square feet

» Office: about 170,000 square feet

» Residential: 244 units

tluntz@dcexaminer.com