Amazon | ARLnow.com

EXCLUSIVE: You May Be Able to Take Your Drink to Go Near HQ2

Published September 11, 2019 at 3:35PM | Updated September 12, 2019 at 9:38AM

Rendering of retail building at 18th Street S. and Crystal Drive in JBG Smith's plans for a Crystal Center (Image via Arlington County)

Developer JBG Smith may be planning to let people sip alcohol as they browse shops and sit outdoors in shopping areas near Amazon’s future headquarters in Pentagon City and Crystal City.

State records with the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Authority Control Authority indicate that the developer applied for a “Commercial Lifestyle Center” license this week. The special license is part of a 2018 law allowing shoppers to bring alcoholic beverages into shops or outdoor plazas to encourage consumers to stay longer and attend outdoor events.

News

Urban Agriculture Group Seeking Farm at Amazon’s HQ2

By Kalina Newman

Published September 11, 2019 at 10:00AM

Concept rendering for Metropolitan Park Amazon HQ2 (Image via ZGF Architects)

An urban agriculture group wants in on one of the most elusive spaces in town: Amazon’s new headquarters in Pentagon City.

The Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA) have formally submitted a request for less than 2% (or 1,000 square feet) of the upcoming HQ2 campus to become a urban farm space.

News

Independents on the Attack Over Housing and Amazon Incentives in County Board Debate

By Vernon Miles

Published September 10, 2019 at 3:30PM

Arlington County Board candidates, from left to right: Christian Dorsey, Katie Cristol, Audrey Clement, and Arron O'Dell

Arlington County Board incumbents fought to hold their ground against independents over Amazon incentives and housing topics at a debate Monday evening.

At the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s candidate forum at U.Group in Crystal City (2231 Crystal Drive), Democratic incumbents Christian Dorsey and Katie Cristol faced off against independent challengers Audrey Clement and Arron O’Dell.

Events

Amazon Holding ‘Career Day’ in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Published September 9, 2019 at 10:00AM

Arlington is one of six locations where Amazon is holding an “Amazon Career Day” next week.

The tech and retail giant is seeking to fill some 30,000 open positions — including around 75 at Amazon’s growing second headquarters in Arlington.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 6, 2019 at 7:30AM

Road Closures for 9/11 5K — “The 18th annual Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff Memorial 9/11 5K race will take place on the evening of Saturday, September 7, 2019. The Arlington County Police Department will close several roadways around the Pentagon and in Crystal City to accommodate the event.” [Arlington County]

Pentagon, Rosslyn Rank Among Busiest Stations — “In Virginia, the Pentagon [Metro] station averages around 14,000 entries and exits each weekday, ranking it and Rosslyn ahead of Pentagon City, Crystal City, Ballston, Vienna and Wiehle-Reston East.” [WTOP]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 30, 2019 at 8:00AM | Updated August 30, 2019 at 8:43AM

Shooting Suspect Served Time for Murder — Updated at 8:40 a.m. — Crystal City shooting suspect Mumeet Ali Muhammad was released from prison two years ago after being convicted of a 1991 murder in Arlington. And he had recently been arrested but then released after allegedly threatening to shoot a man in D.C. and possessing a gun as a felon. [WTOP, NBC 4]

Witness Recounts Hiding in Office During Shooting — “An association employee described the scene to InsideNoVa on Thursday, saying recent active-shooter training helped employees get through the terrifying episode. ‘Everybody did precisely what they should have done,’ said the employee, who asked that his name not be published… ‘I got right up next to door, crouched down and made myself as small as possible,’ he said. ‘I heard screaming, him yelling at her, her pleading with him.'” [InsideNova]

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 29, 2019 at 7:30AM

Metro’s Fire Hydrant Problem — “A fire safety advocate and a D.C. firefighter took to social media Tuesday to criticize the transit agency after a Metrobus was spotted parked in front of a hydrant in Pentagon City for about 10 minutes. They also said it’s a chronic problem.” [Washington Post]

Va. Was Amazon Oasis After NYC Debacle — “In late January, Holly Sullivan, the head of world-wide development at Amazon, returned to Washington, D.C., where she and some colleagues dined with executives from JBG Smith, the real-estate firm managing the Arlington County site.. A JBG Smith official remarked that Amazon’s team looked like it had come from a war zone. ‘How much more space can we get in Virginia?’ one of the Amazon executives joked.” [Wall Street Journal, Twitter]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 27, 2019 at 7:30AM | Updated August 28, 2019 at 3:04PM

Bronson Opening on Friday — “The owners of A-Town Bar and Grill are opening a new German beer hall this week that will replace the popular gathering place for hard-partying bros in Ballston. Bronson is scheduled to open ~~Thursday, August 29~~ Friday, August 30 in the 6,000-square-foot space at 4100 Fairfax Drive in Arlington.” [Eater]

Rising Home Prices Not Caused By HQ2 Workers — “The first Amazon employees have barely arrived in Northern Virginia, but the housing market close to the company’s new headquarters in Arlington County is behaving as if all 25,000 workers are moving in next week… The lightning speed of sales, the shortage of homes on the market and the elevated prices for available stock are all being driven by those who already call the Washington region home, real estate agents say.” [Washington Post]

News

Local Leaders Urge Regional Housing Plan and Transit Investments

By Airey

Published August 26, 2019 at 4:45PM

Local leaders discussed affordable housing, transit, and other issues during the annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit

The majority of local leaders agree that Northern Virginia needs more affordable housing and bus transit — though they differ on the details.

Local leaders discussed issues ranging from housing to the area’s overall economic health during the Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit co-hosted by several local chambers of commerce at George Mason University’s Arlington campus earlier today (Monday).

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 26, 2019 at 6:00AM

Arlington Companies in Inc. 5000 — “Inc. Magazine named 34 Arlington companies to its annual list of the nation’s 5,000 fastest-growing companies, the Inc. 5000, while five were part of the exclusive Inc. 500.” [Arlington Economic Development, InsideNova]

Predator or Victim of Injustice? — “On Monday, the Circuit Court in liberal Arlington County will be the scene of a heavy-handed morality play, with prosecutors seeking lifelong incarceration for a young gay man who has already paid an extraordinary price for youthful, nonviolent sexual indiscretions.” [Washington Post]

News

University of Maryland Opening Space Near Amazon HQ2 Next Year

By Airey

Published August 22, 2019 at 10:15AM

The office building at 241 18th Street S. that Amazon plans to occupy in Crystal City.

The University of Maryland is expected to open a research and event space in Crystal City next fall in an effort to cozy up to Amazon.

Called the “Discovery Center,” the campus will occupy a 8,000-square-foot space in a building Amazon has leased from JBG Smith and plans to begin temporarily occupying this year. University officials say that the center is designed to connect students and staff with companies like Amazon for research and job recruitment, as first reported by the Washington Business Journal.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 20, 2019 at 8:05AM

Four Mile Run (Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley)

Arlington: Most Competitive Housing Market in U.S. — “The most competitive U.S. housing markets are the two that are closest to Crystal City, home of Amazon’s upcoming second headquarters (HQ2) in Virginia: Alexandria and Arlington. This is according to the latest ranking of cities by Redfin Compete Score.” [Redfin]

County Hits Record Low Tax Delinquency — “Treasurer Carla de la Pava announced that the delinquency rate for real estate and personal property had fallen to 0.177 percent, down from 0.21 percent a year before and the lowest not just in county history, but perhaps the lowest ever among any jurisdiction in Virginia history.” [InsideNova]