ARLINGTON, VA—While the cost of the redevelopment of Arlington Courthouse Square will not be known for some time, Arlington County has proposed to spend $50 million to make preparations for the project in the next 10 years.

In Arlington County's 2015-2024 capital improvement program released last week by Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan a total of $50 million has been allocated for the planning and preparation work necessary for the Courthouse Square's improvement.

Included in the proposed appropriation allocates $5.5 million to determine whether the Arlington County government should remain in its headquarters at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. or relocate to a new, “state-of-the-art government center and signature public space” in Courthouse, on the site of an existing surface parking lot, according to the Washington Business Journal.

The capital improvement program also proposes nearly $17 million for the conversion of the second and third floors of The Thomas Building into a year-round Homeless Services Center, major infrastructure upgrades, and renovations of the upper floors to house government employees relocated from other Courthouse buildings.

Arlington County acquired the Thomas Building at 2020 14th St. N from Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. for $25.5 million in 2012. See story in the Washington Business Journal.