Arlington County’s tourism arm has a new look and a new slogan.
On Thursday, the county unveiled a new marketing campaign, which officials hope will boost tourism. While Arlington remains a top destination in Virginia, it has seen a significant drop in visitors due to the pandemic.
More on Ped Struck in Ballston — From Dave Statter: “UPDATE: @ArlingtonVaPD reports the person struck Friday outside Harris Teeter on N. Glebe was seriously hurt. The driver ‘was cited.'” [Twitter]
Evictions Rising — “Eviction filings have been on the rise across parts of Virginia and, in some areas, have surpassed pre-pandemic levels… Eviction filings have soared even more in Arlington County, increasing by nearly 13% during the first quarter of 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels.” [WTOP]
(Updated at 8:45 a.m. on 7/4/23) Arlington County says it is enforcing some wayward fencing and gates in a public alley abutting Advanced Towing and American Service Center.
It all started because of complaints about tow trucks for the Ballston company parking in front of “the most famous fire hydrant in Arlington County,” so named by public safety watchdog Dave Statter.
A proposal to redevelop the Red Lion Hotel near Rosslyn is beginning its journey through the Arlington County approval process.
Local development group Orr Partners took over previously approved plans from 2019 to replace the hotel and the Ellis Arms Apartments in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood with a 10-story condo building and 12-story hotel.
The impacts from Saturday’s severe storms were so widespread that Arlington County is still assessing damage.
Power has since been restored to the more than 34,000 Dominion customers in the dark after the storms, and the GW Parkway completed its reopening yesterday after crews removed hundreds of fallen and potentially hazardous trees. But other damage to both private and county property is still being addressed in Arlington.
Arlington is not exactly the Hollywood of the East, pivotal West Wing episodes aside, but the strikes rocking tinseltown have a new local front here.
The Writers Guild of America and performers union SAG-AFTRA are both on strike this summer, demanding better compensation — particularly from streaming services — as well as protections from the use of artificial intelligence in TV and film production. While most of the picket lines you see on the news are in New York or Los Angeles, strikers are out in Arlington today.
GW Parkway Back Open — “It took four days of work, but all trees have finally been cleared from the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The parkway’s northern section between the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean and Spout Run Parkway in Arlington reopened at 9:45 a.m. [Wednesday].” [FFXnow]
Street Sweeping Starts Soon — “Street sweeping removes accumulated debris and pollutants such as sand, salt, metals, petroleum products and bacteria before they wash into streams, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Neighborhoods in Arlington are swept four times a year in August, October, April and June.” [Press Release]
A girl was sexually assaulted by a man who broke into her home in the Ashton Heights neighborhood early this morning, according to police.
The incident happened around 1 a.m. on the 300 block of N. Glebe Road.
(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) One pocket of Arlington County has the most office space on the market and seeking tenants in the D.C. area, according to a new report.
A submarket made up of Courthouse, Clarendon and Virginia Square tops the charts for its “availability rate” — which includes any offices that can be leased now or in the next year — because of its high concentration of older office buildings.
(Updated at 5 p.m. on 7/3/23) Arlington Independent Media is Arlington’s public access TV channel, its community radio station, and a media training provider.
Under its current leadership, AIM — which was founded in 1982 — is trying to broaden its reach and uplift diverse residents. Reaching this goal, however, is hampered by messy finances: audit reports from 2018-19 show it has been losing money, while its 990s are behind schedule and staff are not getting paid on time.
Reevesland Plan Advances — “The nearly quarter-century effort to find an appropriate use for the Reevesland farmhouse in the Boulevard Manor community seems to be over. Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) members on July 17 approved a certificate of appropriateness allowing Habitat for Humanity to renovate the circa-1900 main building and add two wings.” [Gazette Leader]
Cyclist Struck Near Courthouse — From Tuesday afternoon: “ACPD on scene of a reported hit-and-run involving a cyclist at 10th Street N. and N. Wayne Street. The cyclist lost consciousness in the crash and is unable to provide a description of the striking vehicle, per scanner.” [Twitter]
(Updated at 8:30 p.m.) The Virginia Dept. of Transportation is exploring potential upgrades for sections of Route 50 and Washington Blvd in Arlington in response to concerns about safety and congestion.
The department is urging residents and road users to share their feedback – via an online survey through Aug. 15. Possible improvements identified by VDOT include better bike and pedestrian access, improved safety at intersections, and traffic congestion management.
