A large Arlington County police and fire department response was once again on scene of the Key Bridge Marriott this morning.
In connection to the response, the county said it would prove to the media “an update on the ongoing operation to secure the property located at 1401 Langston Blvd.” A press conference was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in nearby Gateway Park.
A similar scene played out the morning of March 24, 2023, when public safety personnel removed squatters from the large, vacant hotel in Rosslyn. This past November a shooting by a security guard drew a police response, followed by a large fire response to a blaze inside the hotel in February.
Two weeks ago Arlington said it will be taking steps to unilaterally secure and demolish the hotel, which is at the center of a stalled development plan. The county declared the property a “public nuisance” and said that it will “employ a ‘whole of government’ approach to return the property to a safe and secure status.”
“Arlington County has assumed the responsibility to immediately secure the building against entry,” the county said. “If the timelines specified in the Notice of Violations are not met, Arlington will also assume responsibility to raze the property.”
A spokeswoman for Arlington’s emergency management office told ARLnow that the county wanted to make sure there was no one still inside the building before taking measures to further secure it.
“Today’s operation involved going floor by floor to ensure the building was empty and secured so that we can begin to board up open windows and doors, add fencing, exterior lighting, cameras and additional security guards to prevent further trespassing,” said Jessica Baxter.
“The property owner has not complied with obligations for bringing the building into compliance, so Arlington assumed responsibility to immediately secure the building,” Baxter noted.
