Lincoln Square Is Changing. Here’s What’s Coming Next.

by Amanda Ryan

For nearly 40 years, Lincoln Square has been one of those Arlington places that you don't really have to think about. You know where it is. You know what's there. You drive past it, maybe stop for something, and keep going.

Now it's being rebuilt.

The property officially broke ground on August 3 under a new name, Anthem, and the project is significant. Trademark Property Company and Harrison Street Asset Management are putting more than $135 million into the redevelopment of the 43-acre site, with plans for about 404,000 square feet of retail, food and beverage, entertainment, and public space. The target is early 2028.

What caught my attention is that the plan isn't simply to replace an old shopping center with a newer one. Arlington and the developers have been talking about the property as a gathering place, and you can see that in the details: more walkable connections, outdoor seating, public art, a green space, bike racks, and room for events. The property is also getting new facades, signage, and additional surface parking.

That sounds simple enough, but it changes how you'd use the place.

Instead of driving in because you need to grab something from one store, the idea is that you might meet someone there for dinner, spend some time outside, catch an event, or stop in before or after heading to the Entertainment District. It's a small distinction on paper. In practice, it's a pretty different kind of shopping center.

And we don't know all the businesses yet.

More than 35,000 square feet of retail and food-and-beverage space is currently in final lease negotiations, with several tenants expected to be new to the Arlington market. So there's still plenty we don't know about what Anthem will actually look like once people start moving in.

The location gives it a head start, though.

Lincoln Square sits just off I-30, close to AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, and the National Medal of Honor Museum. That part of Arlington has changed dramatically over the last several years, and Anthem is being built right in the middle of it. The city has described the project as a new gateway to North Arlington and part of the Entertainment District's continued growth.

There's also an interesting little connection to the old Lincoln Square.

The horse statue is staying.

The original statue will be incorporated into Anthem along with new public art, so one of the most recognizable pieces of the old property won't disappear when everything else changes.

That may not be the detail people talk about when they hear “$135 million redevelopment,” but it's probably the one longtime Arlington residents will notice.

Anthem is still a couple of years from being finished, and there will undoubtedly be more announcements between now and then. For now, though, one of North Arlington's longtime landmarks is officially in the middle of its next chapter. It'll be interesting to see what the finished version feels like once the construction fences finally come down.