Demolition prep work underway at the former Macy’s in Ballston (staff photo)
RIP Roberta Flack — “Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recordings artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday. She was 88.” Flack grew up in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood. [Associated Press, NPR]
Office to Apartment Proposal — “Gilbane Development Co. plans to convert a vacant office building it recently acquired in Virginia Square to apartments-over-retail. The proposal is among the first to utilize Arlington County’s recently approved adaptive reuse policy… A Gilbane affiliate owns the 1990s-era office building known as One Virginia Square, located at 3601 Wilson Blvd.” [WBJ]
GOP: Elon Posters Aren’t Ours — “This Committee does not advertise by vandalizing public spaces, and we do not stylize our committee name this way. This is a fake ad.” [Arlington GOP/X]
Beyer Blasts U.S. Attorney — “Washingtonians deserve federal law enforcement who will protect their rights without violating the Constitution, and focus on fighting crime rather than trying to censor the free press and political opponents. Basic understanding of punctuation would be nice, also.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
New Arlington Judge — Local defense attorney Adam M. Krischer will be the newest judge in Arlington’s General District Court. The 50-year-old, unanimously elected by Virginia’s General Assembly last week, will replace the Honorable Romaine Frances O’Brien starting on July 1. —Jared Serre
Queen City Remembered — “In the early 1900s, there was a once-thriving Black neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, on land that was first owned by the Mount Olive Baptist Church. You wouldn’t know that by taking a look around the county today. But at the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, the memory of the Queen City community is being kept alive.” [WTOP]
Stars Added to Crash Tribute — “Nathan Chen, Nancy Kerrigan and Peggy Fleming are among a bevy of figure skaters added to the cast of a benefit event this weekend in Washington, D.C., for victims of the midair collision and crash outside Ronald Reagan International Airport.” [Associated Press]
Exhaust Noise Bill Passes — “A last-minute compromise in Richmond has kept alive one of the Fairfax County government’s key transportation initiatives of 2025. Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly approved language on Saturday (Feb. 22) allowing Fairfax and other Northern Virginia localities to host a pilot program focused on reducing vehicle-exhaust noise.” [FFXnow]
Dulles is Most Expensive Airport — “Washington Dulles International is the costliest U.S. airport to fly out of domestically on average, per the latest Transportation Department data. Add on a rideshare from D.C. and travel costs are about double what they are from Ft. Lauderdale (pro tip: take the Silver line).” [Axios]
Youngkin Unveils Job Portal — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin had a message this week for federal workers in Virginia affected by the Trump administration’s mass layoffs: there are job openings in the Commonwealth. Speaking at Capital One headquarters in Tysons today (Monday), Youngkin announced the launch of VirginiaHasJobs.com, a new website aimed at connecting job seekers with employment opportunities.” [FFXnow]
It’s Tuesday — Expect partly sunny skies with highs reaching 61 degrees and light, variable winds strengthening to a northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. For Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear as temperatures drop to a low of 37 degrees. [NWS]
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Question: Why would anybody waste thousands of dollars each year on condo fees?
Answer: Most people associate paying condo fees with throwing money down the drain, but most people do not look at condo fees the right way.
In this June 20 article, the Wall Street Journal reported a study by Angi (formerly Angie’s List) that home maintenance and emergency repairs have increased by 85% and 175%, respectively, from 2019 to 2025.
By comparison, condo fees in Arlington increased by an average of just 32% from 2019 to 2025, making them a steep bargain for condo owners compared to other homeowners.
What Do Condo Fees Pay For?
For those who haven’t spent time studying condo budgets, some of the main expenses in a condo budget include:
Maintenance, Emergency Repairs, and Utilities: general upkeep and operations of the building
Reserves: a building’s savings account for major repairs or replacement of things like the roof, elevators, carpet, etc
Property Management/Staff: contracts for a property manager, front desk, janitorial services, and engineer
Master Insurance: this policy usually protects everything except your personal items and improvements within each unit
Expect partly sunny skies with highs reaching 61 degrees and light, variable winds strengthening to a northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. For Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear as temperatures drop to a low of 37 degrees and a northwest wind maintains a speed of around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee
Pre-K students attending Arlington’s Integration Station program could be moved to neighborhood-based classrooms next year.
Last week, parents were informed that Arlington Public Schools’ new budget proposal will include moving students currently attending Integration Station — at 4770 Langston Blvd — “closer to their home schools” within the district.
Join us for a special Movie Night on the Pike as we transform Arlington Mill into an outdoor World Cup watch party!
Watch the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals on a giant screen alongside neighbors from around the globe while enjoying the excitement, energy, and community spirit that make Columbia Pike one of the most diverse places in the region.
Amazon HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Facing job cuts and wide-ranging uncertainty at the federal level, Arlington Economic Development has launched a new program to attract more tech companies.
Arlington Tech Launchpad formally kicked off on Jan. 29, the day after President Donald Trump’s “deferred resignation” emails cast federal workplaces around the country into turmoil.
A crew moving items out of Rosa Mexicano in Pentagon City (staff photo by Madisson Weyrich)
An expanding D.C.-area sushi restaurant is planning to open in Pentagon City later this year.
Takumi hopes to open this summer at 11oo S. Hayes Street, in the retail bay where Rosa Mexicano closed last year. The Columbia, Md.-based restaurant is planning four new locations this year, including another outpost in Tysons Corner.
By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia legislature ended its 45-day session Saturday with a slew of budget amendments ranging from tax cuts to child care, but some lawmakers said they would likely return to the Capitol later this year to address a mounting threat: massive federal government layoffs planned by the Trump administration.
The 4-0 vote, with one abstention, allows for plans to build a five-story building with 105 committed-affordable units to move forward. It came after nearly five hours of public comment and Board discussion.