"We rediscovered our inner social animal," says Geoff Sharpe, vice president of creative planning and development at Federal Realty Investment Trust, explaining why the company is in the middle of rebuilding the public spaces at the center of Shirlington. Construction started in January. It's due to wrap this November. The 1986 Beaux Arts fountain that has sat on the Campbell Avenue median for decades is moving into a new North Courtyard. The promenades are getting wider. There will be more art, more lighting, and easier walk-in access from both parking garages.
Meanwhile, Corso Italian, a Village at Shirlington restaurant of fifteen years, closed for good on September 17, nine days ago, before the work is finished.
Both stories belong to the same fall on Campbell Avenue, with a long-planned upgrade nearing its finish and one longtime tenant no longer part of it.
A Plaza Federal Realty Hadn't Touched in Seventeen Years
Federal Realty has owned the Village at Shirlington since 1995. The property draws about 3.7 million visits a year, and by the company's own account, it hadn't seen a real physical update in roughly seventeen years. Mike Ennes, the firm's senior vice president of asset management, called it one of the more productive centers in Federal Realty's broader mixed-use portfolio, which also includes Westpost in Arlington and Chesterbrook in McLean. That's the business case for reinvesting now rather than later.
The stated goal isn't just cosmetic. Sharpe has talked about leaning into "people's desires to spend time and gather in well-designed outdoor places," and the specific changes back that up: a relocated fountain becomes the centerpiece of a new courtyard instead of a median strip cars circle past, and wider promenades are meant to turn a walk from the garage into something closer to a stroll. Ennes has framed the goal in blunter terms too, saying the company wants people coming back to Shirlington three times a week, whether for coffee, work, or dinner, not just once for a special occasion.
What Actually Changes By November
Here's the plain version of what's different when the scaffolding comes down.
| Feature | Before this renovation | After (expected November) |
|---|---|---|
| Fountain | 1986 Beaux Arts fountain on the Campbell Avenue median | Relocated centerpiece of the new North Courtyard |
| Promenades | Existing walkways | Widened, with new lighting and art installations |
| Garage access | Existing north and south garage entries | Reworked for easier walk-in access from both garages |
The work has run from January to a November finish, which makes it a project of most of a year on a property that stays open throughout.
Fifteen Years, Then a Flood, Then a Lease That Ended
Corso Italian occupied its Campbell Avenue storefront for fifteen years before closing for good on September 17. It had already been shut for several weeks after construction-related flooding hit the space, and owner Jill Erber had hoped that closure would be temporary. It wasn't. In a post explaining the decision, Erber wrote that "flood remediation and repairs could not be completed on a schedule" that would let the restaurant reopen in time, and that she and the landlord ultimately agreed to end the lease rather than wait it out.
Arlington Magazine's reporting describes the flooding as construction-related and does not say which construction work was responsible, so the cause remains unstated. What the record does show is that Corso's storefront is inside the Village at Shirlington, where the renovation has been underway since January, and that the restaurant and its landlord chose to end the lease once repairs could not be scheduled in time. For anyone who ate at Corso regularly, the closing is a real loss, and it is part of what this fall looks like on Campbell Avenue.
A New Local Tenant Is Coming to Campbell Avenue
In July, Federal Realty announced a new arrival. The Roasted Vine, a locally owned coffee and wine house from Jody Hessler and Mackenzie Ryan, has signed for 4150 Campbell Ave., next to Bearded Goat Barber, with an opening planned for late 2026. The 2,234-square-foot space will roast its own organic coffee, serve food and wine and beer, and host community events, according to Federal Realty's own description of the lease.
The owners have existing ties to Shirlington and to the Arlington restaurant community, and the café is planned to open as the renovation nears completion. Federal Realty has said larger patios and more inviting gathering spaces are part of the reason a morning-to-evening concept suits the center.
What Doesn't Change This Fall
For everyone who already treats Shirlington as home base rather than a destination to research, the anchors that made the Village what it is are staying put through all of this:
- Signature Theatre and WETA remain the neighborhood's arts and entertainment core
- Busboys & Poets and Carlyle Grand Café are still open, still serving the same crowd they always have
- AMC Shirlington 7 on South Randolph Street is running its regular schedule, construction or not
- Shirlington Park's 11.5 acres along the Four Mile Run Trail, including the dog park next door, sit outside the renovation footprint entirely
The renovation is happening around those fixtures, not to them. That's a meaningful distinction if you're trying to figure out whether this fall's plaza is a reason to change your routine or just a reason to expect a few more orange cones on the way to dinner.
By November, the fountain is due to have a new home and the promenades are due to be wider, with The Roasted Vine slated to open before the year ends.
Caitlin Platt keeps a close eye on what's changing block by block across North Arlington and the neighborhoods around it, Shirlington included. If you're curious what a shifting corridor like this one means for property values or timing nearby, Caitlin Platt is happy to talk it through. Schedule a consultation whenever you're ready.
