Alex Koma | ARLnow

Arlington’s Top Prosecutor Draws Primary Challenger, Kicking Off Battle Over Criminal Justice Reforms

Published December 12, 2018 at 10:45AM | Updated May 7, 2019 at 10:11AM

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, left, is challenging Commonwealth's Attorney Theo Stamos

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Now that Arlington’s top prosecutor has drawn a primary challenger, the stage is set for a battle next year over many of the criminal justice issues that have electrified traditionally sleepy races across the country.

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti announced Monday (Dec. 10) that she plans to challenge Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos (D) in 2019, arguing that she’d rely on her background as a defense attorney to bring a series of reforms to the office. Stamos was first elected in 2011 and has served as a prosecutor in the county since 1987, experience that Dehghani-Tafti claims has blinded Stamos to the criminal justice system’s flaws.

News

Rosslyn High Rise Owner Rolls Out ‘Flexible’ Leasing Options to Lure Government Contractors

By Alex Koma

Published December 12, 2018 at 9:45AM

Renderings of the 'Space+" offerings in Rosslyn (courtesy of Washington REIT)

The owner of a Rosslyn office building is changing up how it leases out some of its space, in a bid to be more flexible and responsive to the needs of government contractors.

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust announced today (Wednesday) that it’s rebranding some of its space at the Arlington Tower (1300 17th Street N.) as “Space+.” The firm acquired the property, located just across the street from Dark Star Park, back in January for about $250 million.

News

UPDATED: Police Drag Man Out of Home After Alleged Drunken Conduct Around Child

By Alex Koma

Published December 11, 2018 at 4:45PM | Updated December 12, 2018 at 5:16PM

Arlington police car (file photo)

Arlington Police believe 45-year-old Stuart Behrens was “highly intoxicated” as he walked in the road along the 3600 block of 12th Street S. around 9 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 9).

Witnesses told police that he was walking with a child, before heading to a home in the Douglas Park neighborhood.

Around Town

Construction on Ballston Quarter Pedestrian Bridge Ramps Up Ahead of Spring 2019 Opening

By Alex Koma

Published December 11, 2018 at 2:45PM | Updated December 11, 2018 at 4:19PM

Workers assemble the Ballston Quarter pedestrian bridge in Mosaic Park in December, 2018 (Staff Photo)

The construction of a new pedestrian bridge linking Ballston Quarter to the area’s Metro station is picking up steam.

Workers recently began installing supports for the bridge near the development’s entrances along Wilson Blvd, as well as near the “Ballston Exchange” development at 4201 Wilson Blvd, where the walkway will ultimately connect.

News

After Amazon, Arlington’s Top Business Booster Pitches A ‘Silicon Valley on the Potomac’

By Alex Koma

Published December 11, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated July 8, 2019 at 4:20PM

After helping convince Amazon to bring 25,000 jobs to Arlington, Victor Hoskins could probably be forgiven for looking for his next challenge.

The county’s top economic development official has already bounced around the Washington region a bit over the course of his career, serving in similar roles in D.C., Prince George’s County and even Maryland’s state government. But few of the deals Hoskins struck in those jobs could hope to rival the agreement he worked to forge with Amazon, in terms of both size and controversy.

News

Favola Hopes Lawmakers Could Finally Grant Arlington School Calendar Control Next Year

By Alex Koma

Published December 11, 2018 at 12:45PM | Updated December 11, 2018 at 3:35PM

Sen. Barbara Favola is challenged by Nicole Merlene in this year's Democratic primary

(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) In Arlington’s long fight to regain control of its school calendar, one of the county’s representatives in Richmond finally sees some reason for optimism.

School leaders have hoped for years now to wrest control of the calendar from state officials, giving Arlington Public Schools the chance to start classes before Labor Day each year. State law generally bars school systems from starting any earlier unless officials can demonstrate a compelling reason to push up the calendar, like the threat of winter weather, in what has long been referred to as the “King’s Dominion Rule.”

News

County Readies Update of Cycling Infrastructure Plans, Sketching Out Dozens of Potential Improvements

By Alex Koma

Published December 11, 2018 at 10:45AM

Arlington transportation planners are weighing major revisions to the guiding document for the future of the county’s bike infrastructure, sketching out a wish list of new trails and bike lanes they want to see over the coming years.

County officials have recently begun circulating a draft version of an updated “bicycle element” to Arlington’s “Master Transportation Plan.” The document was last updated a decade ago, and a working group has spent more than a year crafting potential changes for the plan.

News

WhyHotel Plans Hundreds of Temporary Hotel Rooms for Ballston Quarter, Centro Arlington Buildings

By Alex Koma

Published December 11, 2018 at 9:45AM

WhyHotel rooms in Ballston Quarter's residential development (courtesy of WhyHotel)

A startup offering temporary hotel rooms in new apartment complexes is now planning to expand to two Arlington developments.

WhyHotel announced today (Tuesday) that it will soon offer 175 rooms for rent in the residential tower attached to the Ballston Quarter development, and another 150 rooms in the “Centro Arlington” project, which is taking the place of the Food Star grocery store off Columbia Pike. The company recently scored $10 million in venture funding to power the new projects, in addition to a similar “pop up” hotel in “The Boro” development in Tysons.

Events

Arlington Agenda: December 10-16

By Alex Koma

Published December 10, 2018 at 3:45PM

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

News

County Calls Off Plans to Buy Springfield Property for New Bus Maintenance Facility, Saving Millions

By Alex Koma

Published December 10, 2018 at 2:45PM

Arlington officials are calling off plans to buy a two-acre site in Fairfax County for a new bus maintenance facility, a move they expect will save the county millions over the years.

The County Board voted unanimously Friday (Dec. 7) to cancel its contract to spend $4.65 million on a site along the 6700 block of Electronic Drive in Springfield, originally designated as the future home of a “heavy maintenance facility” for Arlington Transit buses.

News

State Lawmakers Fear Amazon’s Arrival Won’t Be Enough to Spur Jefferson Davis Hwy Name Change

By Alex Koma

Published December 10, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated December 11, 2018 at 10:58AM

With Amazon coming to town, Arlington leaders believe the time is ripe to finally change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway — and some of their allies in Richmond are ready to hit the gas on that effort, even as others look to pump the brakes.

Once again, the County Board plans to ask the General Assembly for the authority to remove the former Confederate president’s name from its section of the state-owned Route 1. Alexandria leaders have already taken a similar step, but state lawmakers have repeatedly refused to grant Arlington the permission to make such a change over the years.

Opinion

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By Alex Koma

Published December 7, 2018 at 6:00PM

The D.C. region probably won’t see the worst of the snow storm shaping up to our south, but this weekend could still see a few flurries.

It’s set to be sunny yet freezing for most of the weekend, so it’ll certainly feel like winter: with or without the precipitation.