Author: ARLnow.com

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.

Around Town

Top 30 Arlington Stories of 2020: #26-30

By ARLnow.com
Black Lives Matter chalk art created in front of the home where county workers washed away a girl's earlier art

(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) Between now and New Year’s Eve, as in years past, ARLnow will be counting down the most-read articles on the site in 2020.

Needless to say it was a year to both remember and forget, with the pandemic dominating local headlines. But there are plenty of other local news stories that will appear in our countdown, which serve as a reminder that life went on, despite the deadly virus that largely defined the year.

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Opinion

Morning Poll: Does More Flexibility Make You More Likely to Bike to Work?

By ARLnow.com

During the pandemic, many who formerly commuted to work are now working from home.

Some are eager to go back to the office full time when it’s safe to do so, while others may be contemplating a switch to either working from home permanently or at least a couple of days per week.

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News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Customers line up outside the Shirlington Post Office to send out packages (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Ranked Choice Voting Faces Hurdles — “The biggest current challenge? Election software used by the county allows for ranked-choice voting, but only in elections with three or fewer candidates. A pending software upgrade would bring that to five candidates, but ‘I don’t think legally we can limit the number of candidates that can run,’ Reinemeyer said.” [InsideNova]

Levine Running for Lt. Gov. — “Virginia Del. Mark Levine on Monday announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor, joining a roster of nearly a dozen candidates vying for the position. Levine, a 54-year-old Democrat from Alexandria, has served in the state’s House of Delegates since 2016 and represents parts of Arlington County, Fairfax County, and the city of Alexandria.” [DCist]

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News

Americana Hotel Bought, May Be Redeveloped as Apartments

By ARLnow.com
Crystal City's Americana Hotel

JBG Smith announced today that it has acquired the Americana Hotel in Crystal City and intends to redevelop the property as an apartment building.

The family-owned hotel at 1400 Richmond Highway closed earlier this month after nearly 50 years in business and at least one appearance in a major motion picture.

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News

Former Ruby Tuesday Space in Rosslyn May Become Office

By ARLnow.com
Ruby Tuesday in Rosslyn, after it closed in December 2018

What was once a watering hole and lunch spot for Rosslyn office workers may itself become an office.

The Arlington County Board last weekend approved a Site Plan Amendment for Commonwealth Tower, at 1300 Wilson Blvd, that will allow the building’s street-level restaurant space to instead be used as an office or a “retail-equivalent use,” like a doctor’s office.

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News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Lovings Might Not Want Name Used for Road — “The problem with these efforts [to rename Lee Highway as “Loving Avenue”] is that the surviving family has strong feelings about these efforts, statues, renaming of roads etc. They do not want this and the attention it brings. We in Caroline [County] try to be sensitive to their wishes and how they view these efforts and the Loving story. I would like nothing better than to see her remembered in this way, but must defer to the wishes of the family.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Barcroft Field Getting Video Screen — “Tucker Field at Barcroft Park will have an enhanced look for the 2021 season, as it was announced on Friday, Dec. 16 that construction has begun on a new videoboard to be used by the GW Baseball program. The project, entirely privately funded, was made possible due to a lead gift from Joe and Leslie Barmakian, parents of current GW student-athlete and baseball team member, Steve Barmakian.” [GW Sports]

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News

Local Coronavirus Cases Down from Previous Highs, But Hospitalizations Rise

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) After peaking last week at just under 100 cases per day, the average rate of new coronavirus cases in Arlington has dropped by 25%.

The seven-day trailing average currently stands at 72 cases per day. Forty-nine new cases were reported Friday, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the county over the course of the pandemic to 7,710.

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News

Construction Wraps Up on Crystal City Building That Will House Amazon Offices

By ARLnow.com
1770 Crystal Drive (photo courtesy JBG Smith)

Construction has wrapped up on one of Amazon’s new, temporary office buildings in Crystal City.

The renovation project, part of developer JBG Smith’s extensive development plan for the area, helped to modernize the office building’s 273,000 square feet of space while giving the exterior a shiny new glass-and-steel look.

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