Alex Koma | ARLnow

County Expects Amazon’s Arrival Will Spark a Transformation of Crystal City Office Buildings

Published November 27, 2018 at 3:45PM

Crystal City’s bevy of aging office buildings have long been in need of a makeover, and Arlington officials hope Amazon’s arrival will spur some big development changes in the neighborhood.

The tech giant itself will be responsible for a major transformation of the newly christened “National Landing” all on its own, of course. Amazon will start off by leasing space from property owner JBG Smith in Crystal City, with plans to fully renovate those office buildings, and even construct its own facilities on various plots of land in Pentagon City.

Events

Arlington Agenda: November 27-December 2

By Alex Koma

Published November 27, 2018 at 2:45PM

Parking zone sign (via Arlington County)

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

With Budget Gap Looming, County Board Set to Ask for Proposals on Tax Increases and Staff Layoffs

By Alex Koma

Published November 27, 2018 at 1:45PM

Arlington leaders now say they’re ready to start studying unpleasant budget measures from tax increases to staff layoffs, as they gear up to confront next year’s hefty budget gap.

The County Board is set to sign off today (Tuesday) on new budget guidance for County Manager Mark Schwartz, as he gets to work on a new spending plan for fiscal year 2020. The memo directs Schwartz to develop a range of possible options for the Board to evaluate next year, including “a range of potential tax increases” and “proposals for program and personnel reductions or eliminations” if Schwartz can’t develop a balanced budget while relying on the existing tax rates.

Traffic

Memorial Bridge Set for Second Full Shutdown Next Weekend, With More Closures On the Way

By Alex Koma

Published November 27, 2018 at 10:45AM

The new Memorial Bridge traffic pattern (Photo via Twitter/@NPSjennyas)

The Arlington Memorial Bridge is now set for a second full shutdown next weekend, as the lengthy rehab work on the aging structure inches forward.

The National Park Service announced today (Tuesday) that the bridge will be completely closed to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians starting at 9 p.m. next Friday (Dec. 7) through 5 a.m. the following Monday (Dec. 10). The NPS commissioned a similar shutdown in late September, and says another could be on the way in January.

News

Deer Killed in Unusual Circumstances Near Shirlington Neighborhood, Police Say

By Alex Koma

Published November 27, 2018 at 9:45AM

Young buck (deer) in backyard (Flickr pool photo by Lisa Novak)

Arlington police are investigating after a deer was killed in some unusual circumstances near Shirlington.

Officers discovered the deceased deer around 4:45 p.m. last Saturday (Nov. 17) in a wooded area along the 2600 block of S. Walter Reed Drive, according to Arlington County Police spokeswoman Kirby Clark. The area is home to some woods backing up to residential neighborhoods — Fairlington is on one side, Claremont is on another — as well as a trail along Lucky Run.

Schools

APS Weighs Giving Staff Columbus Day Off Next Year, Adding Vacation Day for Students

By Alex Koma

Published November 26, 2018 at 3:45PM

Arlington school officials are weighing a new proposal to give all staff Columbus Day off next year, a move that would end up giving students another day home from school in the process.

The county school system is currently accepting feedback on two options for the 2019-2020 year. One would maintain Columbus Day, which will fall on Oct. 14 next year, as a holiday for students and a “professional learning day” for all year-round employees, with those same workers getting Dec. 26 as a day off.

Around Town

New Wells Fargo Branch Set to Open in Courthouse Office Building

By Alex Koma

Published November 26, 2018 at 2:45PM

A new Wells Fargo bank branch set to come to Courthouse.

A new Wells Fargo bank is set to open soon in Courthouse.

Signs posted at a space at the base of an office building at 2319 Wilson Blvd advertise that the new branch is “coming soon.”

Around Town

Catholic Gifts Store in Cherrydale Set to Close By Year’s End

By Alex Koma

Published November 26, 2018 at 1:45PM

The Joyful Spirits Gifts Catholic store in Cherrydale is now set to close by the end of the year.

Owner Meg Rydzewski wrote in a Facebook post that the shop, located at 3315 Lee Highway in the Lee Centre strip mall, will shutter permanently sometime in late December.

News

With Design Tweaks Made, Virginia Hospital Center Expansion Could Move Ahead This Week

By Alex Koma

Published November 26, 2018 at 10:15AM

A new rendering of the Virginia Hospital Center expansion, as seen from 19th Street N. (via Arlington County)

Virginia Hospital Center executives believe they’ve satisfied all the demands of Arlington officials in drawing up revised plans for the facility’s $250 million expansion, setting the stage for the project to move ahead as soon as this week.

The County Board is set to consider the matter once again tomorrow (Tuesday), after delaying a decision on the hospital’s expansion back in September. The Board laid out a series of specific changes it hoped to see from the hospital as it embarks on the project, which is designed to add 101 hospital beds and a new outpatient facility to match rising demand in the county, and urged VHC leaders to smooth over its rocky relationship with some people living near the existing campus at 1701 N. George Mason Drive.

Opinion

ARLnow Holiday Weekend Discussion

By Alex Koma

Published November 21, 2018 at 10:00PM

If you’re sticking around town for Thanksgiving this year, you might want to dig out that winter parka.

The forecast is calling for some absolutely frigid temperatures for Turkey Day and Black Friday alike, so be sure to bundle up if you’re planning to swing by a turkey trot or do some holiday shopping.

News

Crime Report: Man Arrested for Allegedly Groping Woman in Rosslyn Elevator

By Alex Koma

Published November 21, 2018 at 7:45PM | Updated February 28, 2020 at 10:46AM

File photo

Arlington police say 29-year-old Walter Alexander Guillen of Gaithersburg, another man and a woman boarded an elevator in a building along the 1300 block of Wilson Blvd around 2 a.m. Sunday.

The trio struck up a brief conversation, but eventually “exited the elevator and went separate ways,” police said.

News

New Commuter Bus Route Set to Provide First Direct Link Between Haymarket, R-B Corridor

By Alex Koma

Published November 21, 2018 at 11:00AM | Updated November 21, 2018 at 11:37AM

A Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission commuter bus (via PRTC)

Commuters to, and through, Arlington from Northern Virginia’s western suburbs will soon have a new bus option.

The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, commonly known as PRTC, is starting up a new bus route to connect Haymarket to stops along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. Starting Dec. 17, buses will stop at four locations in Haymarket, including a soon-to-be-completed commuter parking lot, and five stops in Arlington.