Amid community pressure, Arlington County is taking a closer look at ways to improve safety in Green Valley.
Some residents are pushing for more action from the county on two fronts: dealing with nuisances and more actively policing criminal activity. In response to the mounting concerns, an internal county workgroup is beginning to meet this week to find ways to do just that.
Redevelopment Plan for Goodwill — “An all-affordable residential development has been pitched for the site of a Goodwill store in Arlington. Goodwill and AHC, Inc. have filed plans with Arlington County for a 128-unit development at the site of the Goodwill retail store and donation center at the intersection of South Glebe Road and Arlington Boulevard.” [UrbanTurf]
Gov. Visits Local Legion Post — From Gov. Glenn Youngkin: “During the opening of American Legion Post 139 in Arlington, we rolled out the Gold-Standard Digital Hub which will improve connectivity and access to resources and benefits for veterans, transitioning service members, and their families.” [Twitter]
Arlington’s small business community is strong and resilient. However, local businesses continue to face challenges from economic uncertainty, drops in consumer confidence, losses in access to capital, and disruptions from artificial intelligence. BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development, continues to rise to the challenge by supporting over 6,000 small businesses in Arlington with one-on-one counseling, innovative programming and robust marketing to encourage consumers to shop locally.
During a recent presentation to the Small Business Coordinating Council, BizLaunch Director Tara Palacios highlighted fiscal year 2026 results that underscore both the impact of Arlington’s business support programs and the pressures ahead.
BizLaunch provided technical assistance to entrepreneurs at a level 56% above its annual goal, reflecting sustained demand for one-on-one advising and business guidance. The division also served a diverse business community, including 52% women-owned businesses and 45% minority-owned enterprises. Nearly a quarter — 24% — of clients were in food and retail, industries that continue to face heightened economic pressure.
Major marketing and PR campaigns drove engagement across Arlington. Small Business Saturday, one of BizLaunch’s signature programs, prompted more than 4,141 transactions and $211,862 in consumer spending through the Open Rewards incentive, supported by a $10,625 investment of County funds. A coordinated marketing campaign with the BIDs and Partnerships further amplified the effort, generating more than 56,000 organic social media impressions, 44,000 video views and 1,619 engagements, along with nearly 2,000 paid ad clicks.
Support for business development through programming has also expanded. The BizLaunch Transformational Challenge and Pitchfest drew 40 participants for a five-week training program covering strategic planning, marketing, artificial intelligence and financial management. Participants developed pitch decks and presented to a panel of private lenders and business leaders. In all $25,000 was awarded to local businesses through the pitch event which came from private donations and contributions from the Industrial Development Authority. (more…)
Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 7099 times… so far.
The following are the most-read articles for today — May 17, 2023.
Thomas Peters and his wife Natalie found the perfect home in Arlington — one that already had an elevator that Thomas would need to get around in his wheelchair.
It did have one downside, however. The trees on his neighbor’s property, which is at a higher elevation, block natural light from reaching his backyard.
We’re ending Movie Nights on the Pike with a scream.
Join us at Penrose Square for a special outdoor screening of I Know What You Did Last Summer, the iconic summer slasher that became a defining horror film of the late 1990s.
A 23-year-old Minnesota woman is facing a pair of charges after police say she drunkenly threw a bottle at a passing car.
The incident happened around 5:45 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday) in Pentagon City, at the intersection of 12th Street S. and S. Hayes Street, near the Metro station entrances.
The well-regarded Lao chef behind Padaek in Falls Church is bringing her food to Arlington Ridge.
Chef Seng Luangrath, who also helms the renowned Thip Khao in Columbia Heights, is opening a restaurant in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center, according to construction permits and a leasing map.
Arlington Independent Media hopes to open its first satellite studio by early fall.
The non-profit video and audio production studio has begun the build-out at 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive in Green Valley, Arlington Independent Media (AIM) CEO Whytni Kernodle told ARLnow. They are looking to modernize three underused audio-production studios inside Arlington Arts’ Cultural Affairs Division office, with a focus on providing podcasting space.
Arlington County has converted two intersections near Nottingham Elementary to four-way stops, in the wake of last year’s fatal crash on Little Falls Road.
In October, a driver struck and killed a woman at the intersection of Little Falls and John Marshall Drive. She was the third pedestrian killed along a two-block stretch of Little Falls Road near the school over the past eight years.
Prosecutor-Police Relationship Debated — “‘To wear animosity towards the police department almost as a badge of honor makes no sense,’ said Josh Katcher, who is seeking to knock off first-term prosecutor Parisa Dehghani-Tafti in the primary and clearly aimed that remark in her direction. Dehghani-Tafti shot back that she has a ‘healthy’ relationship with the police rank-and-file and its leadership, suggesting that Katcher (who long served in the prosecutor’s office) has had a ‘too cozy’ relationship with them.” [Gazette Leader]
New Taxiway for DCA — “The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $5 million to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for the construction of a new taxiway, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced Tuesday. The funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s fiscal year 2023 Airport Improvement Program.” [Patch]
