Dan Egitto | ARLnow

Rosslyn Tunnel upgrades on track to finish by mid-2025

Published December 5, 2024 at 11:15AM | Updated December 6, 2024 at 11:33AM

Rosslyn Tunnel construction (via VDOT)

Improvements to the Rosslyn Tunnel carrying I-66 under the neighborhood are expected to wrap up next year.

The rehabilitation project by the Virginia Department of Transportation, which began construction in fall 2022, is bringing the following upgrades.

News

New Crystal City apartment building begins leasing 420 units

By Dan Egitto

Published December 4, 2024 at 8:15AM

The Zoe at 2051 S. Bell Street (courtesy of JBG Smith)

A new 420-unit apartment building in Crystal City has begun leasing.

The Zoe, a 19-story tower at 2051 S. Bell Street, is one of two buildings replacing the former Crystal Plaza One office building at 2001 Richmond Highway.

Around Town

Former Whitlow’s building declared unsafe over nonfunctional fire alarms

By Dan Egitto

Published December 3, 2024 at 3:45PM

Coco B's at 2854 Wilson Blvd (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A Clarendon nightlife spot has been declared unfit for occupancy over safety issues.

Notices prohibiting activity at Coco B’s and the B Live site — formerly home to the longtime local bar Whitlow’s — were posted last week at 2854 Wilson Blvd.

News

Permits approved for 104 new apartments and townhouses near Columbia Pike

By Dan Egitto

Published December 2, 2024 at 9:00AM

Renderings of a proposed apartment building at 2801 Columbia Pike (via Arlington County)

Plans to build a new apartment building and townhouse development near Columbia Pike have taken a significant step forward.

The Arlington County Board last month approved use permits for two projects, just a few blocks away from each other, with a total of 104 proposed housing units.

News

New traffic light expected to come soon to N. George Mason Drive

By Dan Egitto

Published November 26, 2024 at 9:45AM | Updated November 26, 2024 at 11:33AM

N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A new traffic signal near Barrett Elementary School is on track to be installed early next year.

A work crew was at the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive yesterday afternoon (Monday) as the county replaces the crossing’s rapid flashing beacon with a four-way traffic light.

News

Proposed traffic light on S. Glebe Road takes another step forward

By Dan Egitto

Published November 25, 2024 at 9:00AM

The intersection of S. Glebe Road and 9th Street S. (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Plans to add a traffic signal to a crash-prone intersection north of Columbia Pike are taking another step forward.

Proposed improvements to S. Glebe Road and 9th Street S. will be the topic of a county open house on Thursday, Dec. 5.

News

Gondola dreams persist in Arlington as plans gain ground elsewhere in U.S.

By Dan Egitto

Published November 21, 2024 at 3:45PM | Updated November 22, 2024 at 2:37PM

A rendering of a possible Swyft Cities gondola system (courtesy of Whoosh Hold LP)

Though proposals for gondola-style transit projects have yet to take off in Arlington, they aren’t completely dead.

No plans for “gondola or gondola-like studies” are currently in the works here, Transportation Principal Planner Dan Malouff told ARLnow.

News

NEW: Arlington firefighter union holds vote of no confidence against fire chief

By Dan Egitto

Published November 20, 2024 at 3:45PM | Updated November 20, 2024 at 4:18PM

Fire Chief David Povlitz addresses the Arlington County Board (via Arlington County/YouTube)

Arlington County’s firefighter union has taken a vote of no confidence against Fire Chief David Povlitz.

The vote passed by wide margins today (Wednesday), with about 81% of voting members calling for the chief to resign, IAFF Local 2800 announced. About 71% of the union participated.

News

County Board votes to appeal Missing Middle ruling

By Dan Egitto

Published November 20, 2024 at 10:30AM | Updated November 20, 2024 at 10:58AM

Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey speaks about an appeal of a ruling on the Expanded Housing Option (via Arlington County/YouTube)

The Arlington County Board has unanimously voted to appeal a judge’s ruling on Missing Middle zoning changes.

The county’s lawyers had previously said they planned to contest the circuit court decision, which prevents the county from issuing any more permits under the much-debated Expanded Housing Option. However, the Arlington County Board had not held a public vote on an appeal until yesterday (Tuesday).

News

Dehghani-Tafti presses for new strategies in resisting Trump, Republicans

By Scott McCaffrey and Dan Egitto

Published November 19, 2024 at 9:45AM

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at her election watch party in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Go-along-to-get-along will not be the strategy of Arlington’s top prosecutor as the nation heads into the second Donald Trump era.

Instead, she is asking those on her side of the political aisle to embrace new ways of fighting back.

News

Clarendon 7-Eleven shutters as company plans hundreds of closures

By Dan Egitto

Published November 19, 2024 at 8:15AM

The 7-Eleven at 3137 Wilson Blvd (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A 7-Eleven has closed for good in Clarendon.

A sign indicating the convenience store’s closure was on display at 3137 Wilson Blvd last Friday, an observer noted on Bluesky. The sign directs would-be patrons to another 7-Eleven a few blocks away.

News

ACPD protocol on contacting ICE tightens as County Board clashes with activists

By Dan Egitto

Published November 18, 2024 at 1:15PM

Immigration attorney Amber Qureshi calls for tighter restrictions on when ACPD can contact federal immigration enforcement (via Arlington County/YouTube)

Tighter restrictions on when Arlington police can contact federal authorities about undocumented immigrants are going into effect.

Following a 4-1 Arlington County Board vote, local police can only initiate contact with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in contexts involving identified gang members and certain serious crimes.