Believe it or not, this run-down building at 3600 South Four Mile Run Drive has only been vacant for a couple of weeks.
Alberici Constructors, which recently wrapped up its work on the expansion of Arlington’s Water Pollution Control Plant, had occupied the building and the surrounding lot and the for nearly four years. Although the property is now vacant, it’s still leased through early next year, when the plant’s final construction phase is expected to conclude.
The new Jimmy’s John’s sandwich shop in Crystal City quietly opened its doors to customers for the first time today.
In fact, the opening was so quiet that the Jimmy John’s web site doesn’t even list Arlington as one of the chain’s locations yet (a listing should be added tomorrow, we’re told). Nonetheless, a steady stream of excited customers streamed into the store around lunchtime today.
The Quarterdeck Restaurant is closing after 31 years of serving seafood, beer and American cuisine in the Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, according to an email distributed to the Radnor / Ft. Myer Heights Civic Association.
Last week, it was reported that the restaurant had agreed to a 15-year lease renewal. But now owner Lou Gatti says that has fallen through.
A bicyclist was reportedly struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and North Randolph Street in Ballston around noon today.
Initial reports suggest the cyclist is conscious and will be okay.
To help meet demand, Dominion is planning a major project to run a 3.7 mile underground transmission line from Pentagon City to the power substation at 3245 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon. The project also proposes to construct a new Radnor Heights power substation on the grounds of Ft. Myer.
The project “will support growth in Arlington County,” says Dominion spokesperson Le-Ha Anderson. But progress will come at a cost — burying the line will be an intensive 18 month process that will result in open-cut trenching and street closures along the proposed route.
If you want to give back on Thanksgiving, there are a number of ways to do so.
Volunteer Arlington has numerous volunteer opportunities listed on its web site, from spending part of a day with residents at a local nursing home to delivering Thanksgiving food baskets to families affected by HIV/AIDS to helping out with the annual Lyon Park/Ashton Heights Turkey Trot 5K.
Virginia’s transportation chief is gently nudging the federal government for road money while tweaking Arlington’s HOT Lanes lawsuit.
In an interview with WTOP, Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton said that the planned shift of 6,400 Department of Defense jobs to Alexandria’s Mark Center is turning I-395 into a “military corridor.” He quickly added that the state does not have money for any major improvements to the highway, despite dire predictions of heavy congestion as a result of the Mark Center move.
That’s a 11 percent increase over least year and the highest number of area residents heading out for Thanksgiving since 2007.
“The Washington metro area has one of the strongest economies in the nation, and as evidence of this, we will likely see a double digit up-tick in the number of area residents traveling 50 miles or more from home for the holiday,” AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson John B. Townsend II said in a statement.
Bayou Bakery Opens, Officially — “Come and get it,” the press release says — Bayou Bakery is “officially” open today, albeit with (unspecified) limited hours and a limited menu. The cafe/restaurant/bakery, in the old Camille’s space at 1515 North Courthouse Road, was unofficially open on Friday and Saturday.
Tejada Expresses Frustration Over Secure Communities Doublespeak — County board member Walter Tejada, who led the charge to opt out of the federal Secure Communities immigration initiative, is not happy about the mixed signals coming out of the Department of Homeland Security. At first the department signaled that localities could opt out of the program, only to later clarify that it was next to impossible to do so. “If that had been the case why didn’t they tell us in May?” Tejada asked. More from the Washington Post.
