Ballston Quarter | ARLnow.com

Published August 26, 2013 at 10:30AM

Mall owner Forest City Enterprises is “close to finalizing a deal with Macy’s” to allow the process to move forward and the company to begin applying for permits from the county, according to Forest City spokesman Gary McManus. Securing a deal with Macy’s, one of the mall’s “anchor tenants,” was one of the last impediments to the long-awaited redevelopment.

Forest City is planning to recast the mall as Ballston Center, building more than 300 apartments on top of a renovated shopping center and adding office space. As part of the redevelopment, Forest City is negotiating with Macy’s to take over some of the department store’s space. The negotiations were initially expected to take a few weeks after the announcement of the proposed renovations, in February.

News

Police Arrest Peeper, Seek Additional Victims

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 2, 2013 at 3:45PM

Police have arrested a man accused of several recent peeping incidents, and they’re asking other potential victims to come forward.

On Sunday afternoon, 48-year-old Michael Tomlin allegedly hid in a stall of a women’s restroom in a movie theater and was caught looking over the stall at a juvenile victim. Tomlin reportedly fled when the girl’s father confronted him. The father immediately contacted authorities with a description of the suspect, and the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit found Tomlin yesterday in the 4300 block of N. Carlin Springs Road.

Around Town

Union Jack’s Reopening, Only to Close

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 27, 2013 at 3:30PM | Updated October 2, 2013 at 12:24AM

According to a Union Jack’s employee, the pub’s last day in business will be on Monday, July 1. It has been in the Ballston Common Mall for about four and a half years.

The employee said a series of events led to the owners deciding to close the pub, including several pieces of equipment breaking down. The overall issue, however, is that the restaurant “just hasn’t been doing as well” as the chain’s other locations. All of the other locations will remain open, we’re told.

News

Crime Report: Peeping Tom at Ballston Common Mall

By ARLnow.com

Published June 12, 2013 at 11:30AM | Updated January 9, 2018 at 3:41PM

Police are on the lookout for a man seen peeking under a women’s bathroom stall at Ballston Common Mall.

The incident happened just before 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The crime and the suspect description is strikingly similar to that of another peeping tom incident at the Clarendon Barnes and Noble bookstore on May 24.

Around Town

Store Owner is a Hidden Treasure at Ballston Common Mall

By Orrin Konheim

Published May 30, 2013 at 11:30AM | Updated June 12, 2019 at 10:40PM

If the store looks familiar to passersby, it’s because the Bazaar is one of Ballston’s inaugural stores when the mall was opened in 1986. While the store boasts artifacts from around the world with interesting back stories, it is possible that none of them have a story as interesting as the store’s owner, Vinod Goel.

Since emigrating to the United States in 1961 from India, Goel has worn many hats in his five decades: founding president of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, media mogul, international marketing professor, and an unofficial advisor to the India desk of the Peace Corps.

Events

Chick-fil-A to Host Medieval Mother-Son Date Night

By ARLnow.com

Published April 24, 2013 at 3:00PM

If so, Chick-fil-A has just the event for you.

Chick-fil-A’s Ballston mall and Crystal City locations, along with the chain’s 49 other D.C. area restaurants, are hosting a “Date Knight” for mothers and sons from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, May 6.

Around Town

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Adding Ballston Mall Location

By Katie Pyzyk

Published March 21, 2013 at 11:00AM | Updated March 21, 2013 at 12:42PM

“We wanted to branch off and we were tipped off about the upcoming mall renovations,” said Barnett. “An opportunity presented itself and we wanted to be a part of that.”

The mall location will be in the food court and won’t yet feature the full menu offered at the Virginia Square location. The focus will be on smoothies, salads, breakfast and energy bars, but wraps and sandwiches will not yet be offered. Barnett said the plan is to eventually expand to a full menu, probably after the mall renovations are completed.

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published February 26, 2013 at 8:50AM | Updated February 26, 2013 at 10:18AM

Pentagon City Mall Renovations — Coming on the heels of the news that Ballston Common Mall will be getting a revamp, the owners of Fashion Centre at Pentagon City announced plans to renovate that mall as well. Although no formal plan has been revealed, changes could include adding office space or apartments. Renovations for the 24-year-old mall would be paid for out of a pot of about $1 billion that Simon Property Group Inc. has set aside for updating its properties. [Washington Business Journal]

Fire Hydrant Color Meaning — Arlington doesn’t have one standard color for fire hydrants; instead, the county adopted a coloring system in the 1990s indicating the flow of water at each particular hydrant. Blue hydrants have water flow above 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm), green is between 1,000 and 1,500 gpm, orange is 500 to 1,000 gpm and red is below 500 gpm. The color scheme allows firefighters to quickly determine if one hydrant will be enough to fight a fire, or if a water relay system is necessary. [Washington Post]

News

Ballston BID ‘Very Excited’ About Ballston Common Mall Redevelopment

By ARLnow.com

Published February 20, 2013 at 5:45PM

Mall owner Forest City Enterprises has been in the planning stages for major renovations to the 26-year-old, 580,000 square foot facility since at least 2010. Today (Wednesday) the Washington Business Journal reported that that the company revealed preliminary plans and renderings for the renovations at an industry conference in National Harbor.

“The rebranded Ballston Center at 4238 Wilson Blvd. would include more than 300 apartment units, three levels of office space and a significantly reconfigured retail space,” WBJ reported.

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published February 20, 2013 at 8:55AM | Updated February 20, 2013 at 9:47AM

More Car Window Shooting Arrests — Fairfax County Police arrested two suspects accused of shooting out car windows with BB guns. Both suspects — 19-year-old Alexander Chase and 18-year-old Herbert Reyes-Cartagena — are from Arlington. Chase was arrested last month by the Arlington County Police Department and charged with similar crimes. The suspects are accused of more than 30 window shooting incidents in Fairfax County, and Chase is accused of involvement in 250 cases throughout Northern Virginia. [Washington Post]

Summer Camp Registration Begins — Registration began this morning for the summer camps offered through Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Registration can be done via mail, online or by faxing an application to 703-228-4765. Registration by phone or walk-in will begin on February 27.

News

Police Respond to Ballston Mall for Fighting Security Guards

By ARLnow.com

Published February 7, 2013 at 2:40PM

The incident happened just before 4:00 p.m. The security guards, who were employed by the mall itself, both suffered facial lacerations in the fight but no serious injuries, according to police radio traffic.

Though bruised and bloodied, there are no reports of the men being transported to the hospital or being arrested. No police report was filed, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

News

Ballston Rebranding: ‘Where Minds Meet’

By ARLnow.com

Published January 7, 2013 at 1:45PM | Updated January 7, 2013 at 3:41PM

The BID, formed last year after the Arlington County Board approved its creation in December 2010, is busy shaping Ballston’s identity around the area’s strength in the science and technology sector. It’s emphasizing entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity as part of its new branding campaign.

“Ballston is home to an impressive roster of influential, innovative organizations including DARPA [Defense Advanced Research Project Agency], NSF [National Science Foundation], Accenture and Virginia Tech,” the BID said in a press release. “Ballston is the place where innovation and entrepreneurship converge. Where the best ideas are discovered and thrive with the support they need to flourish.”