Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.
This past week saw 54 homes sold in Arlington.
The least expensive condo, single-family home or townhouse sale over the past seven days was $239,000 while the most expensive was $1,900,000.
An Arlington County Police Department report released today puts on paper what we reported in March: crime was generally up in Arlington last year.
“The overall crime rate in Arlington County, reported as Group A Offenses (defined on page 18 of the Annual Report), increased 17.8% in 2022 as compared to the previous year,” the police department noted in a press release. “The total number of offenses (offenses per 100,000 persons) remains below the 2022 Virginia average.”
On March 11, 2020, Covid was declared a global pandemic. More than three years later, the knock-on effects of Covid are still being felt, including when it comes to television and internet service in Arlington.
The Arlington County Board on Saturday is expected to extend the franchise agreement with Verizon to provide its Fios service to county residents for another year. The relatively short-term extension is being proposed because negotiations over a longer-term extension were “significantly impacted” by the pandemic, county staff say.
The air quality in Arlington has reached the worst level on the scale — “hazardous.”
As of 9 a.m. the federal government website AirNow says Arlington’s AQI, or air quality index, is 313. That puts the county in “Code Maroon” territory, two levels above the more commonly known Code Red.
Forecast: Home Prices to Keep Soaring — “An already constrained inventory coupled with developers circling the community in search of lots viable for Missing Middle-type housing could continue pushing the price of single-family homes higher in Arlington. That’s the conclusion of a new report from the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors and Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, which predicts 2023 will end with Arlington single-family-home prices up an average of 9.2 percent from the year before.” [Gazette Leader]
APS Examining Renovation Needs — “Arlington School Board members on June 8 are slated to approve a contract to finish up an ongoing analysis of existing facilities in preparation for future renovation. The second-stage contract of $832,273 will go to Arlington-based MTFA Architecture, which in coming months will develop an analysis that focuses on the conditions of: 25 elementary schools. Six middle schools. Six high schools and high-school programs.” [Gazette Leader]
Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 13308 times… so far.
The following are the most-read articles for today — Jun 7, 2023.
Update at 9:30 a.m. — The air quality has worsened and entered the “Code Maroon” — or “hazardous” — category.
Update at 8:50 a.m. — Air quality in Arlington has reached well into the Code Purple “Very Unhealthy” category, with an AQI of 276. All locals should avoid spending time outside if possible or wear an N95 or similar mask.
Noteworthy: Exquisite renovation and thoughtful design only 2 blocks to Ballston Metro!
Welcome to Randolph Square — an intimate condominium community nestled among the bustling Ballston corridor! This exquisite renovation and thoughtful design unfold the very moment you step into the Foyer!
Arlington’s preeminent youth soccer league is nixing white shorts.
The Arlington Soccer Association announced yesterday that it would replace white shorts with blue shorts, starting in the fall. The move will create the “best possible environment for [female athletes] to feel comfortable and perform at their highest level.”
Update at 6:20 p.m. — Arlington County police just announced that a 21-year-old suspect has been arrested and charged in the incident. A shot was fired, police confirmed, in close proximity to a preschool and Drew Elementary School.
From an ACPD press release:
(Updated at noon) Air quality measurements have exceeded Code Red levels in the D.C. area, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
It’s no surprise to anyone who can see and smell the smoke outside. The thick haze has been wafting into the region from the north, amid severe wildfires in Canada.
County Board May Up Contract Threshold — “A measure up for a vote at the June 10 County Board hearing would quadruple – from $250,000 to $1 million – the threshold of any new contracts being inked by the local government to go before the board (and therefore public). The proposal likely will add more fuel to the fire among critics of the government like the Arlington County Civic Federation, which has contended that the government is failing the public on the transparency front.” [Gazette Leader]
Auction for Columbia Pike Office Building — “The second property, an eight-story, 63,000-square-foot office built in 1970 at 2300 S. 9th St. in Arlington, was acquired in 2020 for $6.5 million. BoundTrain planned a major renovation to capture tenants ‘fleeing to quality.’ But BoundTrain recently having defaulted on its debt, the noteholder has foreclosed on the property, directing the acting trustee Joseph Corish, an attorney with Bean Kinney & Korman PC, to sell BoundTrain’s asset at auction Wednesday morning.” [Washington Business Journal]
