News | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published January 15, 2019 at 8:45AM

Gymboree Expected to Close — “Children’s clothing retailer Gymboree Group Inc. is expected to seek bankruptcy protection this week, with plans to close all 900 of its stores, according to people familiar with the matter.” The company has a Gymboree location at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall. [Wall Street Journal]

A First for the Local Real Estate Market — “The Arlington real estate market for 2018 was essentially flat compared to a year before – while, for the first time, the average sales price of single-family homes topped the $1 million mark.” [InsideNova]

Lopez Refuses Campaign Cash from Amazon, As Company Prepares to Move into His District

By Alex Koma

Published January 14, 2019 at 4:45PM

Del. Alfonso Lopez

As Amazon moves into Arlington, it seems the company is ready to start spreading some of the wealth around to local lawmakers — but, so far, one has already turned down the tech giant’s cash.

Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49th District) told ARLnow that Amazon sent him $1,000 in late October to back his re-election effort this year, just before announcing that it plans to set up a new headquarters in Pentagon City and Crystal City. In fact, Lopez’s South Arlington district covers some of the locations that the tech firm eventually plans to call home.

State Lawmakers Kick Off Process to Hand Over Up to $750 Million in Incentives to Finalize Amazon Deal

By Alex Koma

Published January 14, 2019 at 1:45PM | Updated January 14, 2019 at 2:35PM

State lawmakers are now setting the wheels in motion to approve at least $550 million in grant money to Amazon, a process that should help seal the deal to bring the tech giant to Arlington.

Legislators in both chambers of the General Assembly have now introduced bills to make good on the deal that Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration helped strike with Jeff Bezos’ firm, promising hundreds of millions in incentive cash if Amazon comes through on its promise to bring 25,000 jobs to Pentagon City and Crystal City between now and 2030.

As Shutdown Drags On, County Offers More Assistance for Furloughed Workers

By Alex Koma

Published January 14, 2019 at 10:45AM

The county already announced plans last week to arrange payment plans for utility bills, should any of Arlington’s thousands of federal employees need help keeping afloat while the shutdown continues. Now, it also plans to offer tax relief and waive some fees as well, per a press release.

Anyone with concerns about meeting a tax deadline can call the county treasurer’s office at 703-228-4000 to work out a payment deal through the county’s “Taxpayer Assistance Program.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 14, 2019 at 8:45AM | Updated May 7, 2019 at 10:10AM

Free Pet Food for Furloughed Feds — Kriser’s Natural Pet, which has stores in the Courthouse area and the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center, is giving a free bag of food for anyone affected by the shutdown who shows a government ID. [Tysons Reporter]

County Clears Trash from TR Island Lot — With National Park Service maintenance workers furloughed, Arlington County crews helped clear overflowing trash from the Theodore Roosevelt Island parking lot last week. [Twitter]

Podcast: Del. Patrick Hope

By ARLnow.com

Published January 11, 2019 at 5:45PM

The state legislature is now in session and among those representing Arlington in Richmond is Del. Patrick Hope (D).

In an interview over the phone from his office at the state capital, Hope discussed his decision to refuse donations from Dominion, the state incentives offered to Amazon, his bill to limit solitary confinement in state prisons, why the effort to rename Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington is stalled, and more.

UPDATED: Arlington Preps for Snow as Winter Storm Warning Issued

By ARLnow.com

Published January 11, 2019 at 4:55PM | Updated January 12, 2019 at 9:46AM

Update on 1/12/19 — Arlington is now under a Winter Storm Warning.

Winter Storm Warnings & Advisories are in effect for today into Sunday as snow overspreads from west to east. See images for details on start time, most likely snow amounts, & current advisories/warnings. For more, including probabilistic information, see https://t.co/t54l4ELo2o. pic.twitter.com/fQ6x1pW0BF

Driver Flips Car in Yorktown Neighborhood, Lands in Front of Home

By Alex Koma

Published January 11, 2019 at 1:45PM

A car flipped over in front of a home on N. Harrison Street in Yorktown (courtesy of Campbell M.)

A driver ran off the road in a Yorktown neighborhood last night (Thursday), flipped the car over and landed directly in front of someone’s home.

The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. along the 2600 block of N. Harrison Street, according to county police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 11, 2019 at 9:35AM

Large sheet blows in the wind (file photo)

H-B’s Rosslyn Home Has New Name — The new Rosslyn home for the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program has a new name, after a School Board vote last night. The under-construction structure’s new name: The Heights Building. The vote came after the School Board voted to change the name of Washington-Lee to Washington-Liberty. [Twitter, Arlington Public Schools]

CPRO Gets New Interim Leader — “The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) has named Karen Vasquez as its Interim Executive Director. Karen has spent the last fifteen years working in the field of economic development, creating compelling stories to help recruit and retain Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, hotels and more to Arlington, Virginia.” [CPRO]

After Backing Vihstadt, Stamos Looks to Mend Fences with County Democrats Ahead of Primary Contest

By Alex Koma

Published January 10, 2019 at 5:45PM | Updated May 7, 2019 at 10:10AM

Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos has officially kicked off her bid for re-election, looking to rebuild bridges among her fellow Democrats after repeatedly endorsing independent John Vihstadt and drawing a primary challenger from her left flank.

Stamos emphasized that she’s “been a Democrat since I was holding up signs for Hubert Humphrey on the south side of Chicago” in a speech announcing her run for re-election last night (Wednesday) at the county Democratic committee’s monthly meeting.

Firefighters Battle Overnight House Fire on Washington Blvd

By Alex Koma

Published January 10, 2019 at 3:00PM | Updated January 10, 2019 at 3:39PM

A house fire along the 6200 block of Washington Blvd (via @ArlingtonVaFD)

Arlington firefighters doused a blaze in a Northwest Arlington home early this morning (Thursday).

The fire broke out at a home along the 6200 block of Washington Blvd, in the Highland Park-Overlee Knolls neighborhood, around 1 a.m.

Arlington NAACP President Launches Primary Bid Against Lopez

By Alex Koma

Published January 10, 2019 at 12:45PM | Updated May 7, 2019 at 10:10AM

Delegate candidate J. D. Spain, Sr. is challenging incumbent Alfonso Lopez

The head of Arlington’s chapter of the NAACP is launching a primary challenge to Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49th District), a powerful member of Democratic leadership in Richmond who has attracted criticism from within his own party in recent months.

Julius “J.D.” Spain told ARLnow that he’s filed to run as a Democrat in the South Arlington district, in the hopes of providing people there “with an alternative to the status quo.”