Good morning, Arlington. Dana here. It’s Tuesday, September 7: National Grateful Patient Day and Leslie Jones’ 54th birthday.

Morning Status

• Today’s Weather: ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 86.
• Tomorrow’s Weather: ☀️ A slight chance of showers in the afternoon and thunderstorms later on after 3 p.m. Otherwise sunny, with a high near 87.
• Sunrise:  6:36 a.m.
• Sunset:  7:29 p.m.

What We’re Covering Today

Morning Notes

• Apartment Rents Bounce Back — “It took a little while, but average rents for Arlington apartments have now shot past pre-pandemic levels, according to new data. With median rent prices of $2,013 for a one-bedroom unit and $2,437 for two bedrooms, Arlington is among 92 of the nation’s 100 largest urban communities that has seen rents return to, or exceed, levels of March 2020, when the pandemic hit.” [Sun Gazette]
• Ballston Resident Creates Bourbon Brand — “I Bourbon is one Arlingtonian’s ode to this classic American whiskey. Now, if he could just get it on store shelves.” [Washington Business Journal]
• Reston to Crystal City Bus Proposed — “One of two projects proposed by Fairfax County, the new express bus service would connect Fairfax Connector’s Reston South Park and Ride lot with key employment destinations in Arlington County, including the Pentagon and Pentagon City and ending in Crystal City. The county is seeking $5.1 million to cover two years of operating costs for the service as well as the purchase of six buses.” [Reston Now]
• AWLA Takes in Louisiana Pets — “A special delivery arrived Wednesday afternoon at Manassas Regional Airport: a plane carrying more than 100 pets that were evacuated from the Louisiana hurricane zone ahead of Ida’s arrival earlier this week. As the plane landed, rescue organizations from throughout the D.C. area were standing by to take the animals in. ‘There were mostly dogs, but also a few cats in the mix,’ said Samantha Snow with the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.” [WJLA]
• Student Housing May Becoming Hotel — “Marymount University is moving to convert some of its recently acquired student housing in Ballston into hotel rooms, giving its hospitality program a boost in the process. The Arlington university filed documents with county planners Tuesday seeking permission to convert as much as half of the 267-unit residential building at 1008 N. Glebe Road into a hotel. Marymount has operated the building, dubbed The Rixey, as housing for students, faculty and staff since buying it back in 2019.” [Washington Business Journal]

The following are preview of stories we’re planning to cover later today. Note that some stories may be pushed back, depending on the day’s news. 

Food Scrap Collection: Arlington County started collecting food scraps on Monday as part of a new initiative to turn leftover bits of food into compost. Folks who receive municipal trash collection service can put their food scraps, bagged in compostable bags, into their green yard waste bins on collection day. Eventually, some of the compost will come back and can be purchased from the county like mulch.

Dunkin’ Nears Opening: Work is nearly complete to convert a dilapidated former restaurant space near Clarendon to a “next gen” Dunkin’ store. Signs are up at the renovated storefront at 3300 Wilson Blvd, which will feature a drive-thru window for those who want their coffee and donuts on the go. The store is expected to open this month, according to a company spokesman.

Tree Registration Starts: Arlington County will be giving away 500 young native trees to Arlington residents this fall as a way of expanding Arlington’s urban tree canopy. There will likely be more than a dozen tree varieties to choose from, from cedar and birch to magnolia and maple trees. Registration opens today (Tuesday).

Skanska Breaks Ground: Construction will begin later this month at a parking lot near Quincy Park, in the Virginia Square area, that will one day be a nine-story office building. The developer, Skanska, is also adding ground floor retail and a public plaza. The building is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

And in case you missed it, here’s what we covered Friday but didn’t plan in advance: 

Driver Struck by Vehicle: Last week, a driver struck an overpass wall and pulled over. The person was then struck by an oncoming vehicle. The crash and a subsequent police investigation closed eastbound Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) at the Glebe Road overpass for several hours. Police say the victim suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive.