(Updated at 3 p.m.) Amazon is putting the second phase of its second headquarters in Arlington on pause, Bloomberg and various other business news outlets are reporting.
“The construction moratorium will delay the online retailer’s full arrival at its biggest real estate project, and could create headaches for local developers, as well as construction and service workers banking on Amazon’s rapid expansion,” Bloomberg first reported.
(Updated at 11 a.m.) Arlington County is suing three residents and the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association over their attempt to stop buses from being parked near their homes.
The county charges that they used the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) process improperly to prevent the approval of a special use permit to allow 29 Arlington Transit (ART) buses to park on a county lot across the street from Washington-Liberty High School while a new ART bus facility is built in Green Valley.
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…)
No School Board Candidate Kickoffs — “Voters hoping to get a jump-start on evaluating the three Democrats vying for Arlington School Board will have to wait a month. None of the three – Angelo Cocchiaro, Erin Freas-Smith and Miranda Turner – delivered kickoff remarks at the March 1 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. Cocchiaro had planned to, but contracted COVID, party chair Steve Baker told the assembled rank-and-file. Kickoffs can be expected at the April meeting, sending the race into a five-week sprint before voting in the Democratic caucus takes place.” [Gazette Leader]
County Mulls Future of Libraries — “With its newly renovated Courthouse library branch scheduled to open later this month and firm plans in place for a new full-service library to open in Crystal City in 2025, Arlington County now wants to take a look at the overall direction and vision of the county library system that could guide the library’s growth over the next few decades.” [Patch]
Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 6750 times… so far.
The following are the most-read articles for today — Mar 2, 2023.
Due to the extended period of extreme heat forecasted for the next several days in our area, the Civic Jam event originally scheduled for Friday, July 3, 2026, has been postponed to Friday, July 24, 2026.
Commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary of the United States of America at Civic Jam! Celebrate the City of Falls Church’s diverse community, civic engagement, and classic summer fun. Jam out to live, local music, sip on local brews, enjoy tasty treats and eats, and a full evening of festivities for all ages on Friday, July 3, 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m.
This past week saw 42 homes sold in Arlington.
The least expensive condo, single-family home or townhouse sale over the past seven days was $190,000 while the most expensive was $2,625,000.
A driver ran off the road and into the woods along the ramp from N. Glebe Road to Military Road during this evening’s commute.
The crash was reported shortly after 5:15 p.m., just up the hill from Chain Bridge. The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle, which ended up on its side, was reportedly able to crawl out.
One person’s weed is another’s protected native species.
Arlington naturalists argue that local ordinances do not distinguish the two, leaving neighbors who have certain native species that can be mistaken for weeds in their gardens prone to visits from the county’s code enforcement division.
The northbound lanes of the GW Parkway will be closed this Sunday between Spout Run in Arlington and Chain Bridge Road in McLean.
The closure, from about 6 a.m.-4 p.m., is for the removal of “an abandoned vehicle that is below the road near the Potomac River.”
(Updated at 4 p.m.) There seems to be bipartisan agreement among state lawmakers about at least one issue: something must be done about the popping and roaring of noisy mufflers.
On Saturday (Feb. 25), the Virginia General Assembly adjourned its 2023 winter legislative session, which some say has been too short to get vital work done. These bills will now head to Gov. Glenn Youngkin to review before March 27.
