Arlington wants to remake Crystal City

Arlington County officials are preparing to spend millions of dollars on Crystal City during the next five years as the Army's plan to relocate thousands of area workers has threatened to sap the life from the neighborhood, The Washington Examiner reports.

Roughly 13,000 workers are expected to vacate Crystal City offices and workplaces during the next half decade as part of the military's "Base Realignment and Closure" plan.

Those lost jobs, coupled with the neighborhood's aging buildings and automobile-centric layout, have spurred county plans to allocate roughly $90 million over the next five years to revamp Crystal City's roads and parks.

The county established a tax force in 2006 to create a long-range plan for Crystal City. That plan is scheduled for approval in the summer.