The Arlington School Board has announced its intention to sell the Wilson School property, at 1601 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, to a developer.

By a unanimous vote Tuesday, the School Board instructed Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy to sign a non-binding letter of intent to sell the aging building to developer Penzance.

The School Board said the property could not sufficiently accommodate a new elementary school, and thus it would best serve the school system to sell the property and use the proceeds to fund its ongoing school building projects. Those projects are intended to help APS keep up with rising enrollment, expected to surge to nearly 30,000 students by 2021.

The potential sale price has not been disclosed, but Penzance bought a nearby office building, 1555 Wilson Blvd, for $67 million in 2011.

Penzance plans to use both properties for a large-scale mixed-use development. The development plan also calls for Penzance to acquire Arlington’s Fire Station #10 and the 39-unit Queens Court Apartments, owned by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing.

Today (Wednesday), Arlington County announced that it is beginning a formal planning process for the redevelopment. Dubbed the Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study, the process will include the formation of a County Board-appointed working group, outreach to local community groups, a charrette, and numerous other public meetings.

As detailed in a press release, the county seeks to use the redevelopment as an opportunity to create 1.5 acres of new open park space, to build a new fire station that better meets the fire department’s needs, and to add more committed affordable housing units, among other objectives.

The goal of the study is to develop a Conceptual Plan and related policy recommendations that will guide future development and achieve the following County goals that have been identified for the study area:

• County park, recreation and open space that is at least 60,000 square feet in size;
• New fire station;
• Affordable housing;
• Energy efficiency / sustainability; and
• Mix of uses and compatible heights and densities.

“This is a rare opportunity to meet community goals in a dense part of the County with little available land,” said Donnellan. “I am excited about the prospects of the possibilities of future public/private development and look forward to working with the community over the next year.”

The working group is expected to be appointed in July and to deliver a conceptual plan to the County Board in early 2014. The County Board is expected to vote on the plan in the second quarter of 2014, paving the way for any future development on the site.

Staff said the redevelopment study will consider things like building height, density and retail spaces.

The sale and subsequent demolition of the Wilson School is likely to draw protests from local preservationists. Last month the group Preservation Arlington identified the Wilson School, built in 1910, as one of the most “endangered historic places” in the county. This 11-minute video, created in 2007, features numerous community members calling for the school to be preserved.

The Arlington School Board has resisted efforts to designate the Wilson School a historic district. The school served as an elementary school up until 1968, when Key Elementary was constructed. Most recently, the building served as space for the Mongolian School of the National Capital Area.

So far, public feedback gathered by county staff includes a request that the new development provide at least 200 affordable housing units, that it creates “significant” open space and that it preserves the Wilson School. The latter seems unlikely, and staff said that it has yet to assign a “numeric target” for affordable housing.

The School Board says the Wilson Schools site could not accommodate an elementary school with at least 600 students, and thus does not fit into its current Capital Improvement Plan.

“The Wilson Property represents significant value in the APS capital inventory. Because the Wilson Property comprises a large portion of the Western Rosslyn Study Area, making it available for inclusion as part of the County’s Planning Study will provide a substantial benefit in meeting the County’s goals for this area,” the School Board said.

“Therefore, to meet the goals of APS, County Government, and Arlington residents, the School Board has informed the County Board that it does not intend to locate an elementary school at the Wilson site and that it intends to sell its property to Penzance.”

Penzance, which has not responded to a request for comment, is the developer behind the 3001 and 3003 Washington Blvd office project in Clarendon.

Photo via Preservation Arlington

County Invests in Supportive Housing — Arlington County has matched a $500,000 grant from the Arlington Community Foundation to convert 10 units at the Marbella Apartments in Rosslyn to Permanent Supportive Housing. The apartments will be offered to the county’s most vulnerable homeless residents at a rate affordable to those making about $22,500 per year. [Arlington County]

Spring Athletic Achievements — Sportswriter Dave Facinoli recounts some of the most notable achievements of Arlington teams and athletes this spring. [Sun Gazette]

Advertising Firm Moves to Rosslyn — Local ad agency LM&O Advertising is moving to Rosslyn. The 94-person company signed a 10-year lease for the top floor of the new office building at 1776 Wilson Blvd, which will also soon be home to Pier 1 Imports and 100 Montaditos. LM&O plans to move from its current office in Courthouse in December.

Ribbon Cutting for New Apartment Complex — A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 9:30 this morning for the new Sedona and Slate apartment complex at 1510 Clarendon Blvd in Rosslyn at 9:30. According to developer JBG: “Sedona is 271 units, and is about 70 percent leased. Slate is 203 units and will begin leasing soon; delivery is expected in July.”

Flickr pool photo by Ddimick

The restaurant, at 1515 Wilson Blvd, will open on Thursday, June 27, according to PR rep Danielle Tergis. It will offer “a menu featuring customizable, made-to-order rice and noodle bowls rooted in authentic and traditional Thai flavors that are served in a modern way.”

“We have been working on this concept for more than two years,” co-owner Aulie Bunyarataphan told ARLnow.com in February. “It’s the first Thai restaurant around in this format.”

From a press release:

Guests will choose from 4 bases, 4 grilled proteins, 5 sauces, and 10 toppings designed to be mixed and matched to create countless menu combinations. Highlights of the menu include their signature Tom Yum chili paste as well as other house made marinades and sauces including their exclusive green Sriracha sauce. The open design of the kitchen will allow guests to see their meal being cooked in a traditional stir-fry wok or on a plancha (flat top grill), which cooks proteins faster and more evenly than an open flame grill creating a perfectly moist meal. A specially curated beverage menu includes roasted coconut juice typically found exclusively in Asian markets, toasted rice-flavored green tea, as well as Thai tea in bottles, Thai beers as well as fountain drinks. Prices for the bowls range from $6.75 – $7.95.

“Bases” include white and brown jasmine rice, pad thai rice noodles and Asian mixed salad. “Proteins” include grilled beef, chicken, shrimp and organic tofu.

The restaurant will be open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Bunyarataphan owns Tom Yum District with her husband, Mel Oursinsiri. The couple also owns two established local restaurants: Bangkok Joe’s in Georgetown and T.H.A.I in Shirlington.

The intoxicated man was sitting on a wall and fell backwards, according to Arlington County Fire Battalion Chief Daniel Fitch. He became wedged between the platform wall and the station wall.

About a dozen firefighters and medics are attempting to render assistance to the man. Due to his large size, however, the man has thus far been unable to get back up to the platform, Fitch said.

So far, no disruptions to Metro service have been reported as a result of the incident.

A small section of fence is prompting a big stink at the River Place condominium complex (1011 Arlington Blvd) in Rosslyn.

The fence was put in place at some point this spring to block a paved pathway that served as a shortcut for those walking to and from the complex. The pathway leads to a parking lot used by TV station WJLA, which residents use to access a marked crosswalk that leads to the complex.

According to a Facebook page set up by a resident who opposes it, the fence was erected — or, more precisely, an opening in an existing fence was closed — by property owner Monday Properties due to safety concerns.

“An individual listening with headphones was allegedly ‘almost backed over’ by a WJLA news van,” a Facebook post said. “Monday Properties (MP) owns the lot and leases it to WJLA-TV. Obviously with liability in mind, MP closed the opening in the fence and chained the side entrance to the lot.”

Even though residents could just walk five yards out of their way to get around the fence altogether, Omar Baddar, who is helping to organize opposition to the fence, argues that that’s not a viable option.

“It’s not an acceptable alternative because there is no walkway there,” Baddar said in an email. “We’re forced to walk over mulch and then directly in between parked cars, which is an inconvenience, particularly to people with baby strollers or carts of any kind.”

“It is… obviously inconsiderate to block a pedestrian path and tell the hundreds of people who use it ‘why don’t you just walk over the mulch?’” Baddar continued. “Blocking a pedestrian entrance that has existed for decades without consultation with the residents who use it is simply not defensible.”

Baddar says he has collected more than 200 signatures — more than 10 percent of the River Place population — for an anti-fence petition.

Another option for pedestrian access to the apartment complex is walking down the N. Lynn Street sidewalk to the vehicle entrance for River Place. That adds travel time and another resident we talked to said it’s potentially dangerous at night due to poor lighting.

Tim Helmig, Executive Vice President at Monday Properties, says the fence was necessary to keep pedestrians from accessing the parking lot.

“What we have to focus on is keeping pedestrians safe,” he said. “What we noticed is that that parking lot is used by vehicles to pull in and out. It’s just not a safe place for pedestrians to walk.”

Helmig continued: “What we’ve encouraged pedestrians to do is utilize the sidewalk to access River Place. The sidewalk is there to provide a safe passageway, as opposed to cutting through that parking lot, which has a lot of traffic and has the potential to create a dangerous condition.”

No changes to the fence are planned, Helmig said.

Opponents, meanwhile, are not done fighting. Last week, a message on the River Place North building email listserv encouraged residents to call Monday Properties and sign the petition. It also called for those with legal backgrounds to help out with a pending legal challenge to the fence.

Pier 1 Imports and Spanish sandwich chain 100 Montaditos will be moving into the ground floor retail bays at 1776 Wilson Blvd, a new office building that opened last year. Pier 1 will take the retail space at the corner of Clarendon Blvd and N. Quinn Street, while 100 Montaditos will be on the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Quinn Street.

Pier 1 Imports sells home furnishings, decor and furniture. The chain has more than 1,000 stores, including a location at Potomac Yard. The Rosslyn location will be more than 11,000 square feet.

100 Montaditos is a Spanish sandwich chain that is planning to open its first U.S. location outside of Florida in Bethesda this summer. The restaurant uses Mediterranean ingredients like Serrano ham, Spanish tortilla, chorizo sausage and Manchego cheese, and offers 100 varieties of fillings. It also sells Spanish wine, beer and sangria.

100 Montaditos will occupy nearly 3,000 square feet, and will have space for 140 diners inside and 50 on an outdoor patio.

Both Pier 1 Imports and 100 Montaditos plan to open this fall, Washington Business Journal reported.

Skanska USA, the building’s owner, just issued the following press release about the new retail tenants.

Skanska USA Commercial Development Inc. announced today that it has secured two more leases at its project 1776 Wilson Boulevard with 100 Montaditos and Pier 1 Imports.

100 Montaditos, a Spanish franchise restaurant known for serving 100 different tapa-sized rolls, a typical element of the Spanish culture and gastronomy, will occupy 2,940 square feet of ground floor corner retail space at the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and North Quinn Street. The restaurant will be able to serve approximately 140 customers inside and an additional 50 diners on the patio.

Pier 1 Imports, the original global importer of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts, will lease approximately 11,083 square feet of ground floor space on the Clarendon Boulevard side of the building.

“We are excited to be welcoming two very popular and rapidly expanding retail establishments to our building,” said Rob Ward, executive vice president of Skanska USA Commercial Development. “The opening of Pier 1 Imports and 100 Montaditos will undoubtedly bring a renewed energy and refreshing vibrancy to Rosslyn.”

Skanska acquired the site in May 2010, and self-financed 100 percent of the development costs for the five-story, Class A project, which recently celebrated its completion in November 2012. The building features 134,750 square feet of highly sustainable office and retail space.

Current office tenants in the building include CRDF Global, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Evermay Wealth Management and Skanska USA. Currently, there are 11,750 square feet of retail and 27,660 square feet of office space available.

The 14-story, 280,000 square foot office building at 1777 N. Kent Street, on the easternmost end of Rosslyn, will be undergoing a full-scale renovation. Building owners Vornado and Gould Property Company announced late last week that they had secured $53.5 million in debt financing from Wells Fargo to help pay for the renovations, which will include “new lobby and common areas and upgrades to the building’s mechanical systems.”

The building, which was built in 1980, is also known as Rosslyn Plaza North.

The Corporate Executive Board has already pre-leased more than 100,000 square feet in the renovated building. That’s in addition to their existing 625,000 square foot lease at the Waterview building at 1919 N. Lynn Street, the Washington Business Journal previously reported.

Jones Lang LaSalle, which helped arrange the financing, described Rosslyn as “one of the strongest office markets in the United States.”

“Situated in Rosslyn, Virginia, 1777 N. Kent Street offers an irreplaceable location including stunning, unobstructed and monumental views of the Washington, D.C. skyline,” the company said in a press release. “The submarket, one of the top performing in the DC metropolitan area offers an urban setting providing abundant amenities and direct access to Metrorail’s Blue and Orange lines, the area’s critical roadways and major international airports including Washington Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.”

Photo via Vornado

Funeral for Arlington Firefighter Injured on 9/11 — A funeral will be held today for an Arlington firefighter who was a first responder on 9/11. Phillip McKee III suffered a severe leg injury while battling fires at the Pentagon following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack. He also inhaled toxic dust and later suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. His family says McKee, 41, died from complications from those injuries. McKee, who held degrees from Yale and Harvard, was openly gay and is survived by his husband and partner of 15 years. [Washington Blade]

County Officials: No Subsidies for Gov’t Agencies — With the county still reeling from the impending loss of the National Science Foundation, Arlington officials are sticking to their guns and saying that offering tax breaks and other financial incentives to lure federal agencies is bad policy. Arlington Economic Development Director Terry Holzheimer is pushing for the General Services Administration to disclose additional information related to the decision to move the NSF to Alexandria by 2017. “None of it makes any sense,” Holzheimer said of the decision and its impact to other government tenants in Ballston. [Washington Business Journal]

Bluemont Trail Improvements – Arlington County crews will be widening a section of the Bluemont Trail between Buchanan Street and the Ballston Holiday Inn this month. Crews will also be removing obstructions and landscaping around the trail. [Bike Arlington]

SUPERNOVA Photos — Dozens of artists invaded public spaces in Rosslyn over the weekend for the SUPERNOVA Performance Art Festival. Some of the artists and their performances can be seen in a series of photos published the the Ode Street Tribune blog.

Democratic Primary Today — Democrats will go to the polls today in Virginia to vote in the primary for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Among the candidates is Arlington resident Aneesh Chopra, who’s running for lieutenant governor. Polls will remain open in Arlington from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. [Arlington County]

Although the announcement of the shop’s arrival in the old “News and Necessities” space at 1735 N. Lynn Street came in April of last year and it hoped to open last summer, Fro.Zen.Yo will now open on Wednesday, June 12.

Co-owner Gary Bobcek became involved with this franchise location about six months ago and said although things haven’t always gone as expected, he is excited to finally be able to serve the public.

“It posed a few challenges but thanks to the great team we have we were able to work around those to get our store open,” he said.

Bobcek, who lives in Alexandria, said he used to work in Georgetown and has spent a lot of time in Rosslyn.

“It’s a great environment to have a business. I had the opportunity to have a business here and it’s something I took advantage of,” he said. “We’re very pleased to be here in the area and to be able to offer a great product. We look forward to becoming a part of the community.”

We’re told Bobcek just informed members of the Rosslyn Business Improvement District of the opening date, and the BID is “very excited” about the self-serve frozen yogurt shop’s arrival.

The Rosslyn Fro.Zen.Yo will be offering customers free samples during its grand opening on Wednesday.

Disclosure: Rosslyn BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

The SUPERNOVA Performance Art Festival, sponsored by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District and produced by Pink Line Project, will take place from Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9. Events range from an “art sports competition” to a large-scale grass painting project to an “outrageous” dance party.

“SUPERNOVA is a multi-site, multi-day, transdisciplinary, anti-conventional festival that will include and not be limited to: performance art, live art, body art, relational art, action art, happenings, actions, interventions, works-as-yet-undefined, and those never-to-be defined. Or whatever you want, or refuse, to call it,” according to the festival website.

More than 75 local, national and international artists will take part in the festival.

Performance schedules for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are posted online. Tickets to Saturday’s “Big Bang Dance Party,” which is being held from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd), are $15 and available online.

With the exception of the dance party, all events are free and open to the public.

Disclosure: Rosslyn BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser