UPDATED, March 23: From the site, once a Dairy Queen dished up many delights to Arlington residents.

Demolition at 117 Broadway at Everett Street.

After that, long the Broadway Diner served many, including a Saturday group of female Democrats. Then Food Link and Food Pantry used the building.

At last, the mixed-use plan for retail and affordable housing at 117 Broadway, approved in 2016, is heading toward reality, as existing structures have been demolished.

"The new four-story building has significant benefits to the community," commented Pamela Hallett, executive director of the Housing Corporation of Arlington (HCA), which is behind the project. "Let's Eat Market, formerly the Arlington Food Pantry, will have a brand-new functional space with walk-in freezer, interior waiting area, offices for the staff and potentially community space for meeting."

The building, shown in the drawing, will be highly efficient and "green," she wrote Saturday, March 21, including 14 new, affordable units on floors two through four, serviced by an elevator. The units will have individual high-efficiency, electric air-conditioning, heat and hot water plus 17 parking spaces. 

Looking ahead, she said construction is expected to be completed in May 2021.

There will be a lottery for units, for which people can sign up. The best way, she said, is to get on HCA's current wait list and look for future notices about the lottery.

See the application here >> 

This HCA project and another still to move forward at Downing Square secured $19 million in funding for both.

As to the Downing Square project, Hallett wrote March 23: "We are still finishing up the remediation at 19 R Park Ave., expecting to be done Friday if all lab tests [for environmental issues] come back clean.

"We hope to start next week with the ground work."

The Heights plan, which drew an estimated 45 people in 2016, spurred many more questions than the one aiming for Broadway. 

March 5, 2019: Affordable housing at Downing Square, Broadway gets funding

Oct. 31, 2016: 2nd of 2 affordable-housing plans draw fewer questions

This news summary was published Sunday, March 22, and updated March 23, based on information from Hallett.