Construction of an approved residential development at the Rappahannock Coffee site on Columbia Pike is on hold for now.
The approved six-story, 120-unit building with ground-floor retail and underground parking would replace three one-story retail buildings and a surface parking lot on the southeast corner of the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Barton Street, at 2400 Columbia Pike.
Work on an apartment complex on the border of Clarendon and Virginia Square could be completed in the spring.
Mill Creek Residential broke ground on a 270-unit apartment building at 3415 Washington Blvd, dubbed Modera Clarendon, in December 2020.
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…)
Closed Cafe’s Investment Intrigue — “Former Rāko Coffee partners and even the co-founders are owed significant sums of money by the investors, who are based in Dubai… Murtha and Jain had a national vision for Rāko and wanted to aggressively expand the business, according to former leaders of the company who spoke with Huddle. They ousted Gerban, who co-founded the brand with her sister, from leadership and cut her out of discussions of the business expansion.” [Politico]
Copious Christmas Decor No More — “Calvin and Elinor Marcey have been decorating their home at 1610 North Abingdon Street, in Arlington, Virginia, since 1969. It’s one of those houses that people talk about and want to see every Christmas… Visitors learned things were changing from a framed letter the Marcey couple left on a table on their porch next to a train set and a red stocking. In it, Calvin Marcey explains this will be the last year for their renowned display because he needs to focus his attention on his wife’s care.” [WTOP]
The ARLnow team wishes you and yours a Merry Christmas.
On this cold morning we hope you’re enjoying the warmth of family and other loved ones, whether they’re there with you or at a distance. And whether your celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or none of the above, we hope you’re enjoying the spirit of the season.
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.
Good Friday evening, Arlington. Today we published 3 articles that were read a total of 10256 times… so far.
The following are the most-read articles for today — Dec 23, 2022.
(Updated on 12/24/22) A serious crash blocked Langston Blvd at the intersection with N. Harrison Street.
Dispatchers received numerous calls about a head-on crash at the intersection around 2:15 p.m., according to scanner traffic. One driver was reported to be unconscious and in critical condition, though it was not immediately clear whether that was from the crash itself or a medical emergency.
Update at 3:05 p.m. — Numerous small, scattered outages have been reported around Arlington. The number of Dominion customers in the dark is now down to just over 800, with the larger earlier outage since largely resolved.
Earlier: Today’s frigid wind storm is just getting underway — complete with a recent bout of snow flurries — but many are already without power in Arlington.
There are plenty of places to celebrate locally as the calendar flips to 2023.
After two years of subdued New Year’s Eve parties due to the pandemic, a number of Arlington restaurants are roaring back with events.
Car Thefts in East Falls Church — “The reporting party had returned to their vehicle and found the door ajar, the vehicle rummaged through and personal items stolen. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered eight additional vehicles had been rummaged through with no items reported stolen, one vehicle had a window damaged and one vehicle was reported stolen.” [ACPD]
Reflecting on Arlington’s HQ Wins — “Both moves have a symbolic feel given no large staff changes or office expansions coincided with either, but the cachet it delivers for the region as the premier place for contractors can have a ‘broader multiplier effect,’ luring more employers in the defense industry supply chain, according to Jack McDougle, CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. McDougle said at the time he sees the Raytheon and Boeing moves as a sign the D.C. region is ‘starting to really come into our own’ as a tech startup region.” [Washington Business Journal]
