Rosslyn Building Could Earn LEED Platinum Certification
A building under construction in Rosslyn could earn the first LEED Platinum certification in Arlington.
International developer and construction company Skanska is working on the five story building at 1776 Wilson Blvd, which will contain both retail and office space.
To earn LEED certification, a developer must earn credits in six categories called Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation in Design & Regionalization. The rating system has a total of 110 points, and 80 are necessary to receive platinum certification.
Some of the green features included in the new building are ultra-efficient plumbing fixtures that offer a 40 percent reduction in the typical amount of water used, and water efficient landscaping that doesn’t require a regular irrigation system. Solar panels will be part of the effort to reduce the building’s annual energy costs by 24 percent, and high performance glass will prevent heat gain in the building.
There will also be a green roof terrace on the fourth floor. The garage will feature preferred parking for fuel efficient vehicles, and will be outfitted with power outlets to accommodate electric cars.
The building is scheduled to be mostly completed by August, and the hope is that tenants can move in this fall. Already, the building is 50 percent pre-leased.
UPDATED: Bomb Threat at Mental Health Facility
Update at 5:20 p.m. — The building has been cleared by the bomb squad. George Mason Drive has reopened.
Earlier: The Drewry Mental Health and Substance Abuse Center at 1725 N. George Mason Drive has been evacuated due to a bomb threat.
The bomb threat was phoned in by an adult female caller around 12:30 this afternoon, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. A total of five bomb-sniffing dogs — two from Arlington and three Alexandria — were brought in to sweep the building for any possible explosives. Two of the dogs got a “hit” on a spot within the center, according to scanner traffic, prompting the evacuation.
Arlington bomb squad units are currently on the scene investigating.
Police have shut down George Mason Drive in both directions between 16th Street and 20th Street. Buses are being rerouted as a result.
In addition to clients and staff of the Drewry Center, children have been evacuated from the NVFS Head Start Child Development Center on the premises. The Drewry Center is adjacent to Virginia Hospital Center, but the hospital is still open for normal business, according to Arlington County.
Artisphere to Host U.S.-French Hip-Hop Dance Battle
Dance crews are revving up for a transatlantic battle set to take place at Artisphere. French dancers will be flying in to join the locals in a dance competition on May 25.
The “Battle of the Dance Crews” show ends a week of events in the D.C. area for a transatlantic hip-hop festival. The Urban Corps Festival will feature dancers from the United States, France and Senegal, who are trained in a variety of techniques such as contemporary dance, Brazilian capoeira, karate and gymnastics.
Performances will highlight the dancers’ interpretations of hip-hop culture through urban dance. The festival website says this type of artistic event “serves as proof that urban issues are not only local, but mutually influenced on both sides of the Atlantic and across the globe.”
The festival is presented in collaboration with Alliance Française, a French cultural organization.
Tickets for the event are $5. Music, drinks and mingling with the dancers will begin at 9:00 p.m., and the performance runs from 10:00-11:00 p.m. After that, the dance floor will be open until midnight to anyone who wants to bust a move.
Two Rosslyn Improvement Organizations to Merge
Two organizations designed to improve Rosslyn have decided to merge.
After 21 years in business, Rosslyn Renaissance (RR) will cease to exist and its urban design work will be taken over by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID).
RR was created by the Arlington County Board in 1991, and lists its mission as “to work with residential, commercial, cultural, and government communities to realize Rosslyn’s potential as a distinctive urban environment through a focus on urban design and development.”
“Rosslyn Renaissance has helped to lay the foundation for Rosslyn’s future growth,” said Board President Jeffrey L. Kovach in a press release. “The BID will build upon and continue RR’s work, planning for Rosslyn today and in the future.”
RR’s work has helped with accomplishments such as securing a donated space for Artisphere, adding 98 additional affordable housing units and installing a pedestrian esplanade to Key Bridge.
“RR board members were the drivers to create the BID in 2003, and that is among the greatest of RR’s accomplishments,” said BID Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy. “The new organizational structure will bring us full circle. It is a graduation of sorts for the two groups – to Rosslyn’s benefit.”
The BID board has created an Urban Design Committee, which will incorporate all members of the Rosslyn Renaissance committee.
The two organizations will host a tribute event tonight in the main ballroom of the Key Bridge Marriott. The event is scheduled to include remarks from Rep. Jim Moran, Del. Patrick Hope and County Board Chair Mary Hynes. Board members and founders of Rosslyn Renaissance will also be recognized during the tribute.
Events Planned for Neighborhood Day on Saturday
Residents are being encouraged to go out to celebrate Neighborhood Day on Saturday.
The goal of the annual event is to get people out into their communities to have some fun and connect with their neighbors. Events are planned throughout the county, some aimed at local communities and others for all Arlington residents.
A full list of activities can be found on the Neighborhood Day website, which is updated as new entries come in. Here are a few of the events:
- Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive — Residents can leave a bag of non-perishable food at their mailboxes for letter carriers to collect. The food will be donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Email volunteer4afac@afac.org or call (703) 845-8486 for details.
- Ashton Heights Yard Sale — From 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Dozens of homes will be participating in this year’s sale, which will feature household goods, collectibles, baby clothes, toys, books, and more. There is a Yard Sale Map showing the participating homes.
- Dominion Hills Neighborhood Day Festival and Potluck Supper — From 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Dominion Hills Park (1060 N. Liberty Street). Kids can enjoy a moon bounce, face painting, games, prizes and free snow cones. A concert band and a deejay will provide music. Free burgers and hot dogs are provided, but guests are invited to bring a salad, favorite dish or dessert to share.
- Fairlington Great American Cookie Bake Sale — From 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Fairlington Community Center (3308 S. Stafford Street). Residents will donate home baked cookies to sell to benefit Share Our Strength, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating childhood hunger.
- ‘Arlington Kids Read’ Community Read-a-Thon Kickoff — From 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street). There will be continuous read-alouds, crafts and treats. Kids can pick up their Read-a-Thon log books and get more information about how to track their time spent reading. More information about the Community Read-a-Thon will be provided at the event, and can also be found online.
- Teen Night at TJ Café — From 9:00-11:00 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 2nd Street S). For $2, middle and high school students get access to basketball, soccer, ping pong and pool tables. For $3, guests can purchase an activity card to access the rock wall, inflatables, giant human hamster balls and roller skating. Food will be available for purchase. Contact Kevin Clements for details at (703) 228-4729 or kcleme@arlingtonva.us.
- “Among Women” Expo — From 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Gates of Ballston Community Center (4108 4th Street N). Arlington’s Community Outreach Program hosts the event, which will include a range of programs such as a self-defense class, arts and crafts projects, and sessions on how to maintain healthy relationships. Marga Fripp, founder and president of Empowered Women International will be the featured speaker. Call (703) 228-1317 for details.
Construction Imminent on Pentagon City Development
(Updated at 10:05 a.m.) After several years of delays, construction is finally about to get underway on the third phase of the Metropolitan Park development in Pentagon City.
Three Metropolitan Park will be an 18-story, 411-unit apartment building near the intersection of S. Fern Street and 12th Street S. It’s part of the same development that includes the luxury Millennium and the Gramercy apartment buildings, on the site of the former Cafritz warehouses across from the Costco parking lot on Fern Street.
County officials expect construction on Three Metropolitan Park to begin “very soon” and to take about three years to complete.
As part of the project, the developer — McLean-based Kettler — will be building an extension of 12th Street S. to connect S. Eads Street and S. Fern Street. While crews have already done what looks to be some preliminary grading for the street, the area is expected to be used as a construction staging area and parking lot until the completion of the project. After the project wraps up, perhaps by mid-2015, Kettler will build the road for public use.
The new road is expected to bring some additional retail activation to Pentagon City. The plans for Three Metropolitan Park include ground floor retail spaces facing the future 12th Street S.
Pedestrian access from S. Fern Street to S. Eads Street — a key cut-through for commuters heading to the Pentagon City Metro station — will be maintained during the course of the construction project, according to county officials. Kettler has said it will provide a new, lighted pedestrian path along the construction site prior to excavation work.
Morning Notes
Arlington Mill Student Gets Scholarship — Arlington Mill High School Continuation Program student Marleny Giron has been awarded a $10,000 “Founders Scholarship” from Comcast. The scholarship is intended to recognize students for their leadership, academic achievement and community service. It was created in honor of Comcast founder Ralph Roberts.
New Art on the ART Bus — A new “Art on the ART Bus” exhibit is up. The exhibit, by local artist Jenny Sidhu Mullins, explores the idea of national identity. [Facebook]
Flickr pool photo by Alex
