New plans have been filed to redevelop two hotels in Green Valley with apartments.
The project would replace Hotel Pentagon — previously a Best Western that saw some prostitution-related run-ins with law enforcement — and the Comfort Inn Pentagon with a 521-unit, 602,000-square-foot apartment complex.
All was not quiet in Arlington this past Christmas weekend.
Arlington County police responded to several notable incidents, including a man who allegedly ate at a Courthouse area restaurant, left without paying, and then flashed a gun at an employee.
Amazon HQ2 Employment Update — “Five years and a month after choosing Arlington County as the home of its second headquarters, Amazon.com Inc. has secured its place as the county’s top private employer, leapfrogging a pair of mainstays… HQ2’s headcount continues to stand at 8,000, an Amazon spokesperson said Tuesday. It has not changed since June, when the ribbon was officially cut on Metropolitan Park’s two, 22-story high-rises.” [Washington Business Journal]
Bethesda Woman Brings Gun to DCA — “Bethesda woman was prevented from bringing a loaded 9mm handgun onto her flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Christmas Eve, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The 9mm gun was loaded with six bullets when TSA officers detected the weapon among the woman’s carry-on items. The gun was the 39th that TSA officers at Reagan National Airport have detected at the airport’s checkpoints so far this year.” [Patch]
Arlington County will be setting aside $1.6 million for improvement projects on national parkland in the crosshairs of a future pedestrian bridge between Crystal City and National Airport.
Crash Closes George Mason — “Arlington County Fire and EMS said North George Mason Drive at North Buchanan Street was shut down in both directions after a car crashed into a utility pole. Fire officials shared photos of the aftermath on the X platform on Friday, Dec. 22. The photos showed a black car with its back end crumpled and the utility pole shooting through the trunk.” [DC News Now]
Free Arts Workshops — “The Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA) is proud to present seven free workshops for artists and arts organizations, covering topics such as gallery representation, cultural intelligence, arts marketing insights, creating content in a digital world, and more.” [Arlington County]
Arlington County has selected a contractor to oversee work to build a new second entrance to the Crystal City Metro station.
Over the weekend, the Arlington County Board approved a nearly $8 million contract, plus a contingency of $197,497, with Gannett Fleming, Inc. to provide construction management and quality assurance services for the project.
Outdoor Fire in Courthouse — “Traffic is closed on N Courthouse Rd from 12th Ct N to Fairfax dr… This is reportedly due to a sizable outdoor fire. ACFD on scene… A second fire along Langston Blvd at N. Adams Street was also reported. Per an ACFD spokesperson, investigators are trying to determine if the fires are related and/or intentionally set.” [Twitter]
N. Va.’s Economic Power — “Were Northern Virginia its own independent country – and let’s not give regional leaders any ideas – it would have the world’s 48th largest economy… That would rank Northern Virginia just below the Czech Republic and Finland and just above Iraq, Portugal and New Zealand.” [Gazette Leader]
Still reeling from recent shootings, a Green Valley resident took the dais during Saturday’s Arlington County Board meeting to ask the county and police for a plan to address public safety concerns.
Yordanos Woldai, co-founder of Green Valley Matters, a new resident group focused on public safety, says this plan should include regular police patrols and stepped up enforcement of illegal activities.
Metro is planning a major closure of two Arlington Metro stations next month.
The Rosslyn and Courthouse stations will be closed the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day — from Friday, Jan. 12 to Monday, Jan. 15. The four-day closure is for repairs and maintenance.
The National Park Service is warning commuters of potential shutdowns of the GW Parkway in the event of winter weather
The northern portion of the George Washington Memorial Parkway will close in advance of storms forecasting two or more inches of snow and any amount of freezing rain or ice, NPS said in a press release Wednesday. The road will close four hours before the forecasted start of the storm and drivers will need to seek alternate routes.
Shots Fired Arrests — “The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing two arrests in the shots fired incident that occurred on December 2, 2023, at S. Kenmore Street and 23rd Street S.” [ACPD]
Another Gun Seized at DCA — “A Maryland man was stopped by security at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Monday with a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The gun was the 38th detected by TSA officers at Reagan National Airport in 2023, far surpassing the previous record of 30 guns confiscated at the airport in 2021.” [Patch]
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(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) In the half-decade leading up to 2017, ridership on Arlington Transit, or ART, had risen 34%, or nearly 1 million rides.
