News | ARLnow.com

With Amazon Looming, Developers Increasingly Link Crystal City to Potomac Yard

Published August 9, 2018 at 1:45PM

Though they may not share the same zip code, Arlington’s Crystal City and Alexandria’s Potomac Yard are bound together in the pursuit for Amazon’s second headquarters — and, win or lose on HQ2, the area’s business community is looking to strengthen those ties in the future.

Four Mile Run may separate the two neighborhoods, but real estate giant JBG Smith controls vast swaths of property in both neighborhoods, helping the company pitch Amazon on the area’s potential. With Potomac Yard becoming a development hub for the city, and Crystal City’s commercial office space emptying out a bit, the combination could be enticing enough to win out over the region’s other offerings.

Custis Trail Work Hits New Stage, More Detours Planned

By Alex Koma

Published August 9, 2018 at 10:45AM

The Custis Trail at N. Scott Street

Arlington is kicking off a new phase of construction along the Custis Trail near Rosslyn, as workers add a bevy of safety improvements to the area.

The county’s contractor plans to kick off work at the intersection of N. Scott Street and Lee Highway on Monday (Aug. 13), so long as the weather cooperates.

Metro Warns Silver, Orange, Blue Line Riders: Stay Away, Starting Saturday

By Alex Koma

Published August 9, 2018 at 9:45AM

Metro officials are sending an unusual, and perhaps alarming, message to commuters ahead of two weeks of major construction on the Silver, Orange and Blue lines: stay away, if you can.

Morning Notes

By Alex Koma

Published August 9, 2018 at 8:30AM

Georgetown Condo Development Could Further Stymie Gondola Push — Work seems to be moving ahead on an effort to redevelop a former Exxon station in Georgetown into 21 condos, which planners have long eyed as a key property in the development of a Rosslyn-Georgetown gondola. The development could further imperil a project already broadly viewed as a non-starter among Arlington’s leaders. [Urban Turf]

Rosslyn “Pop Up” Store Opens for Business — “The Alcove,” backed by the Rosslyn BID and a variety of other community partners, held a grand opening yesterday (Wednesday). Located at the corner of 19th Street N. and N. Moore Street in Rosslyn’s Central Place Plaza, the store will be open through end of September. [Twitter]

Arlington Ranked Among Country’s Most Sustainably Powered Places

By Alex Koma

Published August 8, 2018 at 4:45PM

The LEED Gold certification plaque

Arlington ranks as one of the most sustainably powered localities in the country, according to a new study, thanks to its large share of energy-efficient buildings and bevy of electric vehicle options.

Commercial Cafe, a blog tracking commercial real estate trends, ranked Arlington 15th in the country in a new study of America’s greenest cities.

Crime Report: Police Investigating Bike Robbery Near Boulevard Manor

By Alex Koma

Published August 8, 2018 at 3:45PM | Updated March 3, 2020 at 2:39PM

County police say a man was riding his bike near the intersection of Patrick Henry Drive and Wilson Blvd last Wednesday night (Aug. 1), when he stopped briefly and was approached by a man brandishing a knife.

The man demanded that the bicyclist hand over his belongings and his bike. Once he did so, the man rode off on the bike before police arrived. Police say their investigation is still ongoing.

Virginia Tech, Transurban Plan New Research Effort to Make Highways Safer for Motorcyclists

By Alex Koma

Published August 8, 2018 at 1:45PM

VTTI researchers and Transurban executives announce the "MotoTEC" program in Ballston.

Motorcycle riders represent just a small portion of traffic on the roads, but they’re consistently involved in more fatal accidents than anyone else — some researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute are looking to change that.

VTTI is teaming up with Transurban, the company building and operating toll lanes on Northern Virginia’s busiest highways, to try and spur the development of new technology to make the roads safer for motorcyclists.

Morning Notes

By Alex Koma

Published August 8, 2018 at 8:30AM

Virginia Lawmakers Will Have Final Say on Any Amazon HQ2 Incentives — Should Arlington or anywhere else in Northern Virginia win Amazon’s second headquarters, a panel of administration officials and General Assembly members on the Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission would have the final chance to review the state’s incentive package for HQ2. The commission’s chair says the group has already approved the broad strokes of what Virginia offered Amazon, but would have to approve any changes. [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Public Schools ‘On Track’ in Teacher Hiring — Superintendent Patrick Murphy says the school system has already managed to hire 300 teachers, who will report to orientation in the coming weeks as the start of classes inches ever closer. [InsideNova]

Washington Blvd Bike Trail Work Moves Ahead, Late Fall Opening Planned

By Alex Koma

Published August 7, 2018 at 3:45PM

Work on the Washington Blvd bike trail continues (via Arlington County)

Work is speeding ahead on a new bike trail running alongside Washington Blvd as it meets I-395, with construction set to wrap up this fall.

The county has spent close to a year constructing a new 10-foot-wide trail as the road runs between Towers Park (801 S. Scott Street) and 2nd Street S. in Penrose, in a bid to provide more seamless access for cyclists and pedestrians to a previously constructed trail between Arlington Blvd and Walter Reed Drive.

Report: Arlington Boasts One of the ‘Healthiest’ Housing Markets in the Country

By Alex Koma

Published August 7, 2018 at 2:45PM

Arlington has one of the “healthiest” housing markets in the country thanks to a stable supply of affordable homes, according to a new study.

The financial research firm SmartAsset ranked the county first in Virginia and 24th in the nation in a new evaluation of the country’s largest housing markets.

County Plans to Pilot New Bike, Pedestrian Features on N. Pershing Drive

By Alex Koma

Published August 7, 2018 at 9:45AM

A rendering of changes along N. Pershing Drive as it runs up to N. Barton Street (via Arlington County)

Arlington is gearing up to test some protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety features along a heavily trafficked stretch of N. Pershing Drive in Lyon Park.

The county plans to install the new “safety and accessibility improvements” on the road between Washington Blvd and N. Barton Street in the coming weeks, as part of some previously scheduled summer paving work in the area. Mainly, the construction will focus on adding protected bike lanes alongside some new landscaping designed to better separate cars from pedestrians.

Morning Notes

By Alex Koma

Published August 7, 2018 at 8:35AM | Updated August 7, 2018 at 9:00AM

Rosslyn Metro station (Flickr pool photo via Wolfkann)

Arlington Has Some of the Oldest First-Time Mothers Nationwide — A new analysis suggests that the average Arlingtonian mother has her first child at 31, putting the county sixth in the nation in terms of the oldest average age. Falls Church ranks fourth. [New York Times]

School Board Approves Final Reed School Design — After reviewing plans last month, school leaders have signed off on new schematics for an elementary school in Westover. [InsideNova]