Arlington Mill Demolition Underway
Demolition work is underway at the Arlington Mill Community Center site on Columbia Pike.
Heavy equipment was brought in to tear down the old building and chain link fences have been set up around the building’s perimeter. Already, the front of the structure has been demolished.
The demolition is expected to take 30-45 days. There are no road or sidewalk closures planned as a result of the work.
Once the demolition is complete work will begin on the new Arlington Mill Community Center, which is expected to open in 2013.
Morning Notes
Power Expected to Be Restored This Afternoon — As of 1:00 a.m., Dominion was reporting that about 16,700 customers in Arlington — nearly 20 percent of all customers in the county — were without power. That number is now down to 13,350. Throughout Northern Virginia, 138,000 Dominion customers lost power after the storm. The company expects to have power restored to most locations in Arlington between 4:00 and 6:00 this afternoon.
Pike Gym Opens at Last — The World Gym at Columbia Pike and South Walter Reed Drive has opened after a three-week delay in construction and permits. [Pike Wire]
Lee Center is No More — The Lee Center shopping center, at Pershing Drive and Route 50, has been torn down. [TBD]
Photo courtesy Steve Buttry
Demolition Work Well Underway on Wilson Blvd Office Project
The buildings that used to house Arlington Motorcar Service, Medical Service Corporation International and the Fashion Dreams tailor between Rosslyn and Courthouse are no more.
Demolition work has reduced the three small buildings on the 1700 block of Wilson Boulevard to rubble. A large, empty lot and a pile of debris is all that remains. (See the before and after photos below.)
A new office building is expected to spring up by mid-2012.
Arlington Mill Demolition Set for January
Arlington is preparing to demolish the old Arlington Mill Community Center to make way for a brand new community center in 2013.
Due to some expected minor disruptions, Arlington County staff will be presenting information about the demolition plan at a public meeting next week. Update at 1/3 — The meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 4 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Greenbrier Baptist Church (5401 7th Road South).
In case you can’t make it, here’s an executive summary:
- No explosives will be used in the demolition, which will begin in January
- No road closures are expected
- Traffic and transit on Columbia Pike will not be affected
- Pedestrian access will be maintained on surrounding streets
- The demolition will take 30 to 45 days, weather permitting
- Debris from the site will be hauled from South Dinwiddie Street to Columbia Pike to South Four Mile Run Drive
- Construction on the new Arlington Mill Center is expected to begin in the spring
- Another informational meeting will be held regarding the construction plan
Demolition Rubble Makes Yorktown High Look Like a War Zone
Construction crews have been working feverishly over the summer to get the new Yorktown High School ready for students, while tearing down remnants of the old Yorktown High building. With one week left until students return and with a field full of rubble left to clear, it looks like the work may be coming down to the wire.
Check out the photos below, which show heavy equipment picking through huge piles of debris as well as a worker hosing down the rubble, apparently to keep dust down. Also below: a photo of the old high school, just before the demolition.
Old Westover Library Bites the Dust
The old Westover library on 1800 North Lexington Street was torn down yesterday. The 67-year-old building was closed in October after the library moved to a new building at 1644 North McKinley Street.
The land occupied by the old library will now be turned into a green space.
More from the Library News blog.
Photo courtesy Arlington Public Library.
