There’s a new wrinkle in the quest for a foundation to support Arlington County’s parks.
As Arlington’s Park and Recreation Commission considers the possibility of creating a nonprofit foundation for Arlington parks, Paul Gilbert, executive director of NOVA Parks, urged members to consider his organization’s experiences.
A new program at the Arlington County jail is attempting to bridge divides between people in custody and the general public.
An event hosted through the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice last week was the first of its kind in Virginia, attempting to give community members a glimpse of “the common humanity of incarcerated people” at the Arlington County Detention Facility.
Another Residential Conversion — “JBG Smith Properties has pitched two new office-to-residential conversions in National Landing, replacing an earlier plan to build new office. The Bethesda developer filed an adaptive reuse site plan application Monday with Arlington County, outlining a proposal to transform the 11- to 12-story office towers at 1800 and 1901 S. Bell St. into multifamily over retail buildings comprising a total of 315 units.” [WBJ]
Big Raise for Defense Firm — “Rune Technologies, an Arlington-based developer of AI predictive software used for military logistics, said on Monday it has raised $24 million in a round of funding, led by Human Capital.” [Potomac Tech Wire, WBJ]
More Tech Tenants for GMU — “Three more tenants have moved into George Mason University’s state-of-the-art Fuse building at Mason Square in the Rosslyn-Ballston Innovation Corridor of Arlington, Virginia. JSI, Corvex, and Oasis Hill strengthen Fuse as a center for collaboration between industry leaders, government, university researchers, and students.” [GMU]
First Pitch for Fudd — “UConn Huskies women’s basketball star Azzi Fudd is having herself an excellent couple of days. Last week, she announced her new podcast Fudd Around And Find Out, co-produced with Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media. And on Monday, the Arlington, Virginia, native threw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals’ game vs. the Cincinnati Reds.” [Sports Illustrated]
Assault on Officer in P.C. — “An officer inside the Pentagon City Metro Station stopped the male suspect for fare evasion. The suspect began to act disorderly, ignore the officer’s commands and struck the officer. With the assistance of additional officers in the area, the suspect was taken into custody. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]
VRE’s Vision for 2050 — The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission approved the VRE System Plan 2050, aiming for $1.4 billion in capital improvements, including potential expansions, though challenges remain. The plan is flexible and will adapt to economic and demographic shifts, with funding discussions set to follow. [FFXnow]
Bikeshare Costs Rising — Price increases to some Capital Bikeshare services, including a 26% hike on annual memberships, go into effect next Friday, Aug. 1. Thirty-day passes are increasing from $20 to $25 and low-income members’ free e-bike rides will now cost 10 cents per minute, among other changes. The hikes are intended to “ensure Capital Bikeshare remains an affordable transportation option” as the service experiences record-high ridership. –-Katie Taranto
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 87 degrees, accompanied by a calm wind that will shift to the southeast at 5 to 7 mph in the morning. On Wednesday night, the skies will be mostly clear as the temperature drops to around 69 degrees, with a south wind of 5 to 8 mph. [NWS]
The site plan to redevelop Rosslyn’s former Key Bridge Marriott has expired, raising even more questions for the future of the Langston Blvd property.
Plans for a renovated hotel and two 16-story residential buildings at 1401 Langston Blvd expired on July 1, county spokesperson Rachel LaPiana told ARLnow.
New data showing a continued increase in Virginia’s unemployment claims is providing ammunition to Arlington’s Democratic leaders at both the state and national level.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) pounced on figures that the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Friday, which showed that Virginia was the only state to record a statistically significant increase in its jobless rate from May to June.
A County Board member has pledged that neither elected officials nor staff will try an end-around to raze the existing Melwood site for redevelopment until the historic-preservation process plays itself out.
“We have already implemented measures to ensure that no [demolition or use] permits are issued” before any decision by the County Board takes place, County Board member Julius “JD” Spain, Sr., said at the July 16 meeting of the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB).
Virginia State Police are looking for the driver of a Porsche bearing Montana tags, after a crash that injured a trooper.
The crash happened early this morning, shortly after midnight, on southbound I-395 near Pentagon City. Video (below) showing the Porsche crossing multiple lanes and colliding with the VSP cruiser was posted to social media by local public safety watcher Dave Statter.
An Arlington nonprofit is launching a new program that invites underserved local residents to enjoy a three-course meal planned by guest chefs.
Kitchen of Purpose (KOP) is repurposing its former cafe space at 918 S. Lincoln Street to host “Meals with Dignity,” a monthly three-course meal “prepared with love” by chefs from local restaurants and the bilingual culinary school’s students, CEO Brian MacNair told ARLnow.
Arlington officials see the decision to phase out assisted living facilities at Culpepper Garden as part of a larger, nationwide problem with no easy fixes.
At a Saturday meeting, county leaders faced pressure to address the planned changes at the senior housing community, which are scheduled to go into effect next summer and impact more than 70 residents. However, they said that their ability to influence such issues is limited.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is considering various ideas to keep cars from blocking Arlington’s designated bus lanes.
Nearly a decade after the county and Alexandria inaugurated the region’s first dedicated bus-only travel lanes, ticketing motorists who get in the way remains decidedly low-tech.
Arlington officials say they’re aware of deficiencies affecting pedestrians and bicyclists along stretches of N. Glebe Road between I-66 and Langston Blvd.
“The sidewalks belong to a different era — terrible and definitely not adequate,” County Board Chair Takis Karantonis said on Saturday.
Ballston Development Approved — “Penzance, a leading owner, operator and developer in the Mid-Atlantic region for over two decades, has received approval from Arlington County for its proposed redevelopment of Ballston One at 4601 N. Fairfax Drive. The approved plan will convert the existing office building into a vibrant new residential community.” [Press Release, WBJ]
More on Crystal City Conversion — “JBG SMITH… has received approval from Arlington County to transform more than 550,000 square feet of vacant office space across two out-of-service National Landing office buildings into a 195-unit apartment building and a 344-room, dual-branded hotel.” [Press Release]
Food Hall Replacing Brown’s — “The oldest business in Falls Church will be replaced by the hottest new thing in food halls. Wonder, the food hall concept featuring recreated recipes from celebrity chefs and nationally known restaurants, has filed paperwork to open at 100 W. Broad St., replacing Brown’s Hardware, which closed earlier this year.” [WBJ]
Business Sustainability Partnership — “The Arlington County Board voted to approve a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Arlington County and Ceres, formalizing a strategic partnership for the development and implementation of the Arlington Corporate Climate Leaders (ACCL) program to be launched later this year.” [Arlington County]
Crash at Tricky Intersection — “A driver running a red signal appeared to have caused a crash yesterday at the newly revamped intersection of Army Navy Drive & S. Hayes Street in Pentagon City… In the view from my driver’s seat, you can see how that right turn signal lines up with my car. I was in the same lane as the driver in the video.” [Dave Statter/X]
New Certification at MU — “Marymount University has launched its new Workday Pro Platform Administrator Certification, becoming one of only two higher education institutions in the nation to partner with global cloud-based software leader Workday to offer certification programs to the public.” [Press Release]
Economic Diversification Plans — The Northern Virginia Chamber has released a plan to diversify the region’s economy away from federal jobs, attracting investment and creating jobs in key industries like AI and biotech. The initiative aims to address economic challenges from recent federal workforce cuts and will advocate for strategies such as affordable housing and child care. [WBJ]
PSL Date Announced — “The unofficial start of fall has a date: Tuesday, August 26, when Starbucks will bring back the Pumpkin Spice Latte… the latte’s actual launch date is four days later than last year’s, and marks the latest release since 2022.” [Axios]
Smoke Today, Heat Later — “We could have just a bit of haze in the sky… courtesy of wildfire smoke from Canada. But it shouldn’t be enough smoke to greatly impact air quality… Enjoy this less hot and humid weather while it lasts. Sweltering heat is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.” [CWG]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high of around 85 with a gentle northeast wind at 6 mph. Tonight the sky will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 68. [NWS]
