Spring is when birds build their nests and find new places to call home. It’s also a great time for you to find your new home.

But as in nature, the best places to nest always go fast — especially in Washington, D.C. and especially in Ballston. Ballston takes all the best parts of the big city and mixes it with a unique style that makes Ballston such a gem in North Arlington.

The townhomes of Trenton Square at Ballston provide the perfect balance to the cosmopolitan cadence, and it’s not going unnoticed. This elegant 19-home community is almost sold out.

These townhomes have four levels of luxury and elegance with the space and comfort to stretch your legs, take a deep breath and bathe in the light pouring through all the large windows.

The main level of the townhomes of Trenton Square is all about productivity. A two-car garage protects your vehicles and gives you some extra flex space. A dedicated office space lets you easily work from home without taking over the dining room or cramming uncomfortably into a corner of your bedroom.

The next two levels provide fuel, fun and recharging. Find a designer kitchen with microbe-resistant quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a large island that will inspire many delicious meals. A spacious dining and family room fill out the floor, providing all the room you need to entertain.

Above that, on the third floor, is your owner’s suite. Decadent. Refreshing. A sanctuary within a sanctuary.

The fourth floor is special because that’s where a large and airy loft space leads out onto your private outdoor terrace. Dine under the stars, dance with the rising sun, or share a glass of wine and a good book with the fresh air. Your private terrace provides the ultimate natural recharge.

It’s no wonder most of our homes are already sold!

Then, just down the road in the heart of Ballston, all the best dining, shopping and entertainment await you. Over 80 restaurants, boutique shops and essential services are within five blocks. You’re also close to parks, movie theaters, immersive virtual experiences, and even an ice rink (home of the Washington Capitals) — can’t get much cooler than that!

When your adventures take you farther than Ballston, just around the corner you’ll find access to all the major roads and Metro to take you deeper into Arlington, D.C. and beyond. At Trenton Square, you’re only 10 minutes to Tysons and 4 minutes to Washington, D.C.

Trenton Square at Ballston combines the peaceful calm of a luxury townhome, the electricity of Ballston, and the excitement of D.C. But don’t delay: The townhomes of Trenton Square are selling and selling out fast. Contact us today and come home to Trenton Square.

4 levels, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2-car garage — from just over $1 million.

The third time may be the charm for a residential development slated to be built in Ballston where a vacated church stands.

McLean-based Jefferson Apartment Group is taking over plans to build apartments and townhomes at the intersection of N. Vermont Street and 11th Street N. The site used to house Portico Church Arlington, which, according to its website, is now found at 800 N. Illinois Street.

The project at 1031 N. Vermont Street has changed hands three times since the County Board first approved a redevelopment plan in 2018. It has also drawn some backlash from neighbors who said the plan added density to an already congested Ballston neighborhood.

The first developer, NVR, proposed to replace the two-story church and its parking lot with a 72-unit condo building and 12 townhouses. Arlington-based BCN Homes took over the development in 2019 and in June 2020, was granted an additional 4,300 square feet to develop.

With the County Board’s approval, BCN proposed a new plan: a 7-story apartment building with 98 units and 10 townhouses across the street. JAG indicates it will not be making major changes to this configuration.

“We plan to move forward with substantially the same plans that the Board approved last June,” the developer tells ARLnow. “We may pursue a few, minor changes related to the interior programming and unit mix but the project will look largely the same.”

The boutique apartment building will have a rooftop terrace, 120 underground parking spaces and 40 bicycle parking spaces, according to JAG.

Meanwhile, the 10 luxury townhomes across 11th Street N. will each have about 2,000 square feet of space, with three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a private rooftop terrace and a private, two-car garage.

“Ballston is one of the most desired submarkets in the Washington, D.C. region,” noted Greg Van Wie, Senior Vice President and Development Partner at Jefferson Apartment Group, in a press release.

The development, he said, “underscores [JAG’s] commitment to create a contemporary, sophisticated boutique apartment building with top-of-the line finishes and luxe amenities and underscores the strength of the housing market here in Northern Virginia.”

A private, Chile-based real estate company, STARS REI, has invested in the property.

“We are thrilled to be working with Jefferson Apartment Group again on this boutique apartment project in this amazing neighborhood,” said Joaquin Canessa, Vice President at STARS REI in the press release.

Construction is slated to begin this winter and is expected to be done in summer 2023.

Photos (1-2) courtesy Jefferson Apartment Group

Address: 2312 N. Richmond Street
Neighborhood: Lee Heights
Listed: $1,475,000
Open: Sunday, April 18, 2-4 p.m.

This elegant 4 BD/4.5 BA colonial in sought-after Lee Heights is on a quiet dead-end street on a rare quarter-acre lot just two blocks from Taylor Elementary School and 5 minutes to the Metro.

Offering 4,200 square feet of ready-to-move-in living space, the home shines with brand-new paint and refinished hardwood floors on all three levels.

The main level features an open kitchen/family room floor plan, gleaming kitchen with granite counters, breakfast bar and brand-new stainless appliances, family room with gas fireplace, separate living and dining rooms, and a powder room.

The second level features a luxurious master suite with vaulted ceiling and a  huge walk-in closet, three more bedrooms, two additional full baths, and laundry center with a new washer and dryer.

The lower level has a great rec room, loads of storage, full bath, and a separate room with French doors to use for a home office, gym or studio.

A fully fenced, flat backyard surrounded by mature trees and a brand-new patio makes a great space for outdoor entertaining.

All this is just a short walk to Cafe Colline, Arrowine & Cheese, Starbucks, Pastries By Randolph and more at Lee Heights Shops.

For a video tour, 3D virtual tour, interactive floor plan and more photos visit
www.2312NRichmondSt.com.

Listed by:
Meg Ross
Keller Williams Realty
703-447-0970
[email protected]
MegRoss.com

The Penrose Square Starbucks was officially dedicated as the company’s 77th “Military Family Store” yesterday (April 14).

The coffee chain’s Military Family Stores are located across the country and are placed near military bases; in this case the store is only about a mile from Joint Base Myer-Henderson and the Pentagon. The Starbucks at 2413 Columbia Pike is currently the only such store in Arlington, though there’s another one in Fairfax County near Fort Belvoir.

Starbucks Military Family Stores emphasize helping military families with connections and support by holding events and programs. They also play a larger role in the company’s commitment of hiring 5,000 veterans and military spouses annually.

A Starbucks representative tells ARLnow that three of the employees at the Penrose Square store are veterans or military spouses.

As part of the dedication, Starbucks, in partnership with Operation Gratitude, hosted a service project outside the cafe to assemble 500 care packages for military families in Arlington and at other local bases. The care package included handwritten letters of support, handmade paracord bracelets, snacks, candy, and personal care items.

“Military service members and their families across Arlington County can look at this store right here in their own community and know that they are better understood and appreciated,” said Paul Cucinotta, Chief Operating Officer of Operation Gratitude, in the press release.

Arlington police officers and firefighters were among those volunteering to assemble the care packages.

“The Arlington County Police Department has previously been the recipient of Operation Gratitude and are honored to now have the opportunity to pay it forward through service that supports veterans and military families,” ACPD spokesperson Ashley Savage told ARLnow. “By filling these care packages, we hope to show our appreciation for the men and women who bravely served our country and the sacrifices of military families.”

ACPD has previously been the recipient of @OpGratitude and were honored to have the opportunity to pay it forward through service that supports veterans and military families. https://t.co/dQDtiyfLcC

— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) April 15, 2021

Photo courtesy of Starbucks

This sponsored column is by James Montana, Esq., Doran Shemin, Esq. and Laura Lorenzo, Esq., practicing attorneys at Steelyard LLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Arlington, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact James for an appointment.

In one of our recent columns (A cry for help if there ever was one. – Ed.), we suggested that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ days were numbered. So far, Secretary Mayorkas has kept his post. We want to explain why we think he has rough sailing ahead, and, in the course of doing so, offer some information about what’s going on at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mayorkas is an old immigration hand. When he became DHS Secretary, wise observers described his elevation as a signal that the Biden Administration intended to return to normalcy.

Returning to normalcy only works, as a policy, in normal times. Unfortunately for Mayorkas, these are not normal times at the U.S.-Mexico border. The number of unaccompanied minors apprehended at the border (typically from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras) is setting new records, and the numbers are expected to increase over the next six months.

So, it’s a crisis. Crises force people — even bureaucratic infighters — to take a position. Mayorkas has accordingly found a position, and it is much more dovish on irregular migration than we would have expected. His recent statement to Congress lays out his position in a straightforward way:

1. DHS is set to encounter more irregular migration at the U.S. border this year than it has for at least twenty years.
2. DHS is receiving so many unaccompanied minors that it cannot always transfer them to the care of the Department of Health and Human Services.
3. DHS continues to use its Title 42 pandemic authority to expel single adult asylum seekers. (Title 42 empowers the President to take actions to protect public health, and, under color of Title 42, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expelling immigrants on the basis of the COVID-19 pandemic.)
4. The Trump Administration released one — no, several — live ferrets into the immigration machinery, and it’s taking time to sort that out.
5. Root causes of migration in Central America need to be addressed.

That’s all well and good, but the effectiveness of these arguments will diminish over time. The use of Title 42, in particular, is going to become increasingly untenable as the coronavirus pandemic recedes; and if the Administration does not stop using Title 42, we predict with confidence that a sympathetic federal judge will, at some point, force it to do so.

If Mayorkas’ approach fails, and unaccompanied minors continue to strain federal resources at the border, what will the Biden Administration do? Our prediction is that the Administration will do what past Presidential administrations have done, right and left: shoot the messenger. James predicts by September.

We don’t envy Mayorkas’ problems, and we wish him every success in administering U.S. law fairly and humanely. But he has a tough job. There’s only one tougher job at DHS right now: ICE Director. No one, it seems, wants the position.

As always, we would love to hear your thoughts and we will do our best to respond.

Clarendon mainstay The Liberty Tavern was vandalized overnight.

Someone apparently fired a BB gun at the front door and windows of the restaurant, on both the Wilson Blvd and N. Irving Street sides, cracking the glass. Police are investigating.

“At approximately 1:22 a.m. on April 15, police were dispatched to the report of a destruction of property,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the front door and windows of a restaurant were cracked with what appeared consistent with damage from a BB gun. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.”

It’s unclear why Liberty Tavern was singled out by the vandal or vandals. Savage noted that “no similar incidents have been reported” today.

Liberty Tavern was famously visited by President Obama in 2011, and by now-President Biden in 2013 for a taping of MSNBC’s Morning Joe. It was among the top vote-getters for Best Restaurant for Takeout and Delivery in the winter 2021 edition of ARLnow’s Arlies awards.

Work could begin soon on the 65-year-old W. Glebe Road Bridge, which Arlington County says is “structurally deficient.”

This Saturday, the Arlington County Board is set to approve a $9.9 million contract that would kickstart the project. Improvements include replacing the top of the bridge, repairing its supports and making it more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly.

According to the county, the bridge is in poor condition and requires attention soon. The bridge has been restricted to vehicles weighing fewer than five tons since a routine inspection in November 2018 uncovered structural problems.

The bridge “needs immediate superstructure replacement as further deterioration of the beams may result in bridge closure for [an] extended period,” a staff report said.

W. Glebe Road Bridge will remain open to vehicles and pedestrians during construction, which is expected to last 18 months, the county said, adding that extra time is needed to move underground utilities.

“The project includes removing the existing prestressed concrete superstructure and constructing a new superstructure with steel girders and a concrete deck,” the report said. “The project also includes repairing the existing substructures, and installing new,
wider sidewalks, bike lanes, architectural features and enhanced lighting.”

This bridge is the first to be rebuilt as part of an agreement between Arlington and Alexandria to share the costs of rehabilitating and maintaining five bridges across Four Mile Run which connect the two jurisdictions. Once the repairs are complete, Arlington will be fully responsible for inspecting and maintaining the W. Glebe Road Bridge.

The next bridge slated for attention is Arlington Ridge Road, which needs to be repaired in two to five years, according to the county. Other bridges in the agreement are at Shirlington Road, Route 1 and Potomac Avenue.

The county said it has received community feedback in favor of replacing the bridge, adding separate areas for pedestrian and bicycle traffic and incorporating art.

Such art elements would “connect the design of the bridge to Four Mile Run and the communities that live in the area,” the report said.

According to the county, some people voiced concerns about the length of the project. A shorter build time would require closing the bridge, staff said.

“The public prefers the bridge remain open during the construction period,” the county said.

Photo (1) via Google Maps, (2-3) via Arlington County

A pair of Arlington projects recently received national recognition for their unique design and use of steel.

The Top Steel Design Awards recognize — as the name might suggest — building architecture that incorporates steel in interesting and distinct ways.

The Merit Award went to the Ballston Quarter Pedestrian Walkway, which opened in 2019 after the original bridge was torn down in 2017. A judge in the Top Steel Design Awards credited the choice of frame and the walkway’s “visually captivating” quality.

“The crossover segment at mid-span creatively addresses the offset entrances of the connected buildings, and the steel HSS frame is an ideal choice to resist the complex forces of this innovative bridge design,” Stephanie Hautzinger, associate vice president of  CannonDesign in Chicago, said in a press release. “The resulting structure has a sculptural quality that is visually captivating from both the exterior and interior.”

The project was designed by studioTECHNE architects in Cleveland.

A new Arlington Public School building was also among the ten winning projects from across the U.S., which were categorized by overall cost. The Heights, the new home to H-B Woodlawn and the Stratford Program at 1601 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, won the top award for the $75-200 million category.

The school was designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group in Brooklyn and Leo A Daly in D.C.

Judges praised the unique structure of the building.

“The ambiguity of how this building is supported is one of the most fascinating features of the structure, and it is all due to the structural steel trusses behind the scene,” said Maysa Kantner, a structural steel specialist, in the press release. “Coordination and communication are required on every project but I imagine for this level of uniqueness, those two things had to be stepped up in a big way. It is so great to see what can be done with project teams when they all work together and think outside the typical box-shaped buildings!”