(Updated at 3 p.m.) The passenger in a car that was pulled over for a traffic stop apparently shot himself, prompting a large police presence in the Clarendon area.
The shooting happened just after 9:20 p.m.
According to initial reports, police pulled over the car near 10th Street N. and N. Edgewood Street and, after it stopped, an officer told dispatchers that the passenger shot himself in the head. The driver then exited the vehicle, per scanner traffic.
The passenger was rushed to the hospital after police safely retrieved the gun. All lanes of 10th Street N. are currently closed due to the investigation into what happened
Arlington County police said later Wednesday night that the person who shot himself had earlier fled from Virginia State Police and was in a rideshare vehicle at the time of the shooting.
“Just after 8 p.m., Arlington County Police were notified of a Virginia State Police pursuit into Arlington County,” ACPD said in a statement. “An individual ran from the pursued vehicle on foot and a lookout was broadcast. An Arlington County Police officer observed the individual enter a rideshare vehicle and officers conducted a traffic stop at 10th Street N. and N. Edgewood Street.”
“The individual discharged a firearm inside the vehicle, resulting in a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the police statement continued. “He has been transported to an area hospital. Arlington County Police and Virginia State Police remain on scene investigating. Arlington County Police were not involved in the pursuit.”
As of Thursday afternoon, ACPD announced in a press release (below) that the man had died.
The Arlington County Police Department is conducting a death investigation following a shooting that took place on the evening of March 22, 2023.
Just after 8 p.m., Arlington County Police were notified of a Virginia State Police pursuit into Arlington County. A lookout was broadcast after a passenger ran from the suspect vehicle into the Clarendon neighborhood. An Arlington County Police officer patrolling the area observed the individual enter the backseat of a rideshare vehicle. Officers conducted a traffic stop at 10th Street N. and N. Edgewood Street during which the individual discharged a firearm inside the vehicle, resulting in a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers immediately began performing emergency medical assistance before the individual, an adult male in his 20’s, was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
Arlington County Police were not involved in the pursuit. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.
This remains an active death investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm, call 911. You can also call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, Arlington Dept. of Human Services’ emergency services line at 703-228-5160, or CrisisLink at 703-527-4077.
Hat tip to Alan Henney
Work is underway on the new Wagamama in Clarendon, which is currently expected to open around mid-year.
The opening estimate was reported last month by Restaurant Business, an industry publication.
One year after the British restaurant chain focusing on Japanese cuisine first announced it would be coming to Clarendon, to the former Oz location at 2950 Clarendon Blvd, the exterior of the building still seems in virtually the same condition it was after the Australian restaurant closed in 2019. That is, except for the removal of the signs and most of the loud yellow paint.
Brown paper now covers the windows, however, hiding the interior construction that’s well underway inside, according to a tipster.
Restaurant Business reported that the Arlington location and a new location in Dallas are expected to open “before summer.” Overall, the chain has over 200 locations across 27 countries. It is in the midst of a renewed U.S. expansion push, focused primarily on the Southeast.
The restaurant features dishes like ramen and donburi — a bowl of steamed rice with stir-fried protein and mixed vegetables — along with more pan-Asian dishes like curry. Plans for the Clarendon location include “an expansive patio,” according to a press release.
Just one month after both Loyal Companion stores in Arlington closed amid the chain’s bankruptcy, both locations are back as new pet stores.
In the Lee Harrison Shopping Center, Loyal Companion is still the sign above the storefront, but inside it has been converted into Wag N’ Wash, a pet store with a focus on pet hygiene.
Wag N’ Wash is a national chain with a few locations in the region, including one in Vienna.
As far as conversions go, the changes inside are fairly minor. Staff at the store, located at 2501A N. Harrison Street, said “it’s mostly the same stuff” with the same dog washing services Loyal Companion offered, just under a new name.
One of the few notable changes, staff said, is that eventually Wags N’ Wash will have a self-serve dog wash.
Meanwhile, a store manager at Dogma Bakery & Boutique said the new location near Clarendon — at 2509 Franklin Road — will have a soft opening later this week, perhaps on Wednesday, March 15, depending on when the shelves get set up. The store expects to be fully open next week.
After more than 10 years in business, Oby Lee Winery and Coffee Shop has closed in Clarendon.
When it opened in 2012, we described the eatery at 3000 Washington Blvd as the “inland version of the small chain of eponymous coffee shops owner Oby Lee once ran along the Delaware Shore.” Its website says it specializes in crepes, wine, coffee and Polish food.
A sign on the door suggests that the business was purchased — it appeared to be for sale this past fall — and that a Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon Bistro, will be taking its place.
This will be a bit of a trend reversal from previous decades. Clarendon was once known as Little Saigon for all of the Vietnamese restaurants and businesses that opened after mass migration during the Vietnam war. Many of those eateries and shops closed after Metro opened in 1979 and the neighborhood redeveloped.
Asked about the closure, Oby Lee sent the following statement to ARLnow.
Our Clarendon location is our 7th successful business location of our small chain which commenced in 1989, and like the others, we have been so fortunate to garner a loyal community following over our eleven years at The Reserve At Clarendon Centre.
For as much as we have loved this space, we were approached with an offer that we simply could not refuse, to sell this location!
We wish to thank the wonderful community for welcoming us into their lives. We’re really going to miss seeing everyone each week, or everyday for many! It’s not going to be the same for awhile, without the daily Gluten Free crepes for Michael, the Matt & Ilona signature Latte’, Chai Tea for Lee, seeing John reading his books, enjoying long conversations with Sandy & Douglas, and preparing VeryBerry for Lauren & Ed, jokes with Gearred and Pietro, Alan never missing a Wednesday Prix Fixe, Brunch with the McCabe family and solving all the worlds problems with Ginny & Ted, in addition to the many, many honored patrons we will always keep close to heart. Over the years we’ve witnessed many of you getting married, sending your kids to college, getting a new puppy, buying a house, or moving across the states. We feel we have become much more than just a restaurant, but a part of the Arlington family. We thank our committed staff, namely our manager Mr. Bo Smulskyi, from Ukraine, who opts to stick with us as forever family to follow his dreams and build his life in the USA.
The next chapter begins…
We don’t say goodbye~ but see you later friends!
The Oby Lee Team
Hat tip to Ray Caputo
(Updated at 8:45 a.m.) The Clarendon Metro station filled with smoke during this morning’s commute, prompting a large fire department and police response.
The initial dispatch went out around 8:15 a.m., for smoke in the station. The station was evacuated and trains were halted in the area.
Metro described the issue as “a track problem.” As of 8:30 a.m., reports suggest that the smoke is dissipating, no fire has been found so far, and the response is about to be scaled back.
Metro riders were told to expect significant delays in both directions of the Orange and Silver lines. As of 8:45 a.m., nothing hazardous had been found and trains were starting to resume normal operations. It’s still unclear what caused the smoke.
Orange/Silver Line Delay: Expect delays in both directions due to a track problem at Clarendon.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) March 7, 2023
UPDATED: Orange/Silver Line Delay: Train service suspended between Ballston & Rosslyn due to fire department activity at Clarendon. Buses requested.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) March 7, 2023
@ARLnowDOTcom something going on at Clarendon metro. Tons of fire and rescue
— HawkeyeKevin (@HawkeyeKevin) March 7, 2023
#WMATA investigating smoke reported in the Metro tunnel near Clarendon Metro station in the direction of Courthouse station. @ARLnowDOTcom pic.twitter.com/Nl6HLt4DuV
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) March 7, 2023
A man has been arrested after allegedly robbing a gun store in Clarendon.
Police say the 22-year-old man, of an unknown address, stole a gun and ammunition from the store on the 2600 block of Wilson Blvd, which corresponds with the address of Nova Armory.
From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ROBBERY, 2023-03020128, 2600 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 1:34 p.m. on March 2, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect entered the business wearing a ski mask and was asked by store employees to remove it but did not comply with their requests. The suspect then allegedly selected a firearm and ammunition and began to exit the store. Employees tried to stop him, during which the suspect attempted to strike one of the employees before fleeing the scene with the stolen items. The suspect boarded a Metro Transit bus and responding officers stopped the bus, located the suspect on board and took him into custody. During a search of his belongings, officers recovered the stolen firearm and ammunition. [The suspect], 22, of an unknown address was arrested and charged with Robbery and Prohibition of Wearing of Masks in Certain Places. He has held without bond.
The robbery suspect has the same name as a man who charged the suspect in the shooting death of his twin brother in a Pittsburgh courtroom last year.
In December, a man in his early 20s tried unsuccessfully to steal a gun from Nova Armory. The gun was recovered after the store manager chased him down, but the suspect managed to get away.
The Lot is here for a good time, not a long time — and now it’s time to begin saying farewell to the beer garden in Clarendon.
The last season for the outdoor space at 3217 10th Street N. is set to begin next Friday, March 10, weather pending. Before the drinking establishment’s namesake vacant lot is redeveloped in the near future, The Lot will be going out with a bang, with lower prices, more games and events all season long.
“The Lot will always hold a special place in our hearts,” owner Mike Bramson tells ARLnow. “We’ve met a lot of great staff and guests, some of whom have become our closest friends.”
The first major event, the ShamRock n Roll Fest, is set for Saturday, March 25. Bramson is also throwing a St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl on Saturday, March 11.
The Lot’s long goodbye will continue with the return of other events Bramson said were favorites over the years. This includes the Memorial Weekend Jam Session, The Lot Luau and “Lotoberfest,” to name a few, all without cover charges.
“We only expected The Lot to be open for two years, but we ended up with four fun years,” said Bramson, who operates a number of nightlife ventures in Arlington.
It opened in 2019, a few years behind schedule due to permitting issues. The spot remained popular throughout the pandemic, with people flocking there to drink outside as trepidation over indoor gatherings persisted.
Now, in honor of the last season, there will be no cover charges, drink prices are being lowered, and there will be a new lineup of beer and frozen drinks. The Lot is adding more games, as well, and hosting what Bramson calls the “happiest of hours” during the week. Pets will be welcome at all times now.
Food truck Rebel Taco, meanwhile, will return to serve tacos, quesadillas and nachos to the gathered crowds.
“Our goal this year is simple: for our guests and friends to reminisce on the good times at the Lot and create new memories,” Bramson said.
The Lot is part of a property cluster comprised of two small office buildings, the now-closed Silver Diner restaurant, an auto repair facility and surface parking, bordered by 10th Street N., Wilson Blvd and N. Irving Street.
This whole site, dubbed the Bingham Center site, is set to be razed and redeveloped. Applicants The Donohoe Cos. and TCS Realty Associates propose constructing an 11-story, 290-unit apartment building with 16,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a 10-story, 229-room hotel.
Their proposal is winding through the county’s site plan process. The Site Plan Review Committee is set to review it for the second time on Thursday, March 16. Initial comments thus far include some concerns from neighbors about the height and setbacks for the buildings, as well as the amount of parking.
Arlington County anticipates the project will be reviewed by the Transportation and Planning Commissions, followed by a vote by the Arlington County Board, in the spring.
After a five-year hiatus, there will again be a bar crawl in Clarendon in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
The last such bar crawl happened in 2018. The next year, more stringent county regulations were blamed for a dearth of bar crawls. Then, of course, the pandemic struck. But now, crawls are making a comeback.
“The infamous Leprechaun Lap is making its way to Clarendon on Saturday, March 11th!” says the registration page for the St. Paddy’s-themed event. “Join the shenanigans to Clarendon’s best bars, patios and rooftops, featuring all day drink specials, DJs, bands, signature party favors, and giveaways.”
Early bird ticket pricing of $10 ends later today, after which the price goes to $20 plus fees.
The crawl is being organized by B Social Events, from Clarendon nightlife power couple Christal and Mike Bramson. The bars listed as crawl destinations — including Clarendon Ballroom, B Live and Pamplona — are all Bramson owned. (Their company also has a crawl in D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood planned for the same day.)
The event listing promises more bars being added to the crawl in the near future.
More on the Clarendon crawl, below.
Don your green and get ready for your St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl adventure!
What do you get:
- Access to Clarendon’s Best Bars, Patios, and Rooftops
- Drink Specials ($3 beers, $4 shamrock shots, $5 mixed drinks, $8 car bombs)
- St. Patrick’s Day Swag & Free Giveaways
- Entertainment and DJs
Your Favorite DC Bars Are Going Green:
- Clarendon Ballroom + Rooftop
- The Lot
- B Live
- Underground
- Pamplona
- And more bars are coming soon…
*Registration is from 3-6pm. If you can not make it on time, have a friend pick up your wristband.
Tickets are non refundable, however, they are transferable.
This is a 21+ event. Please drink responsibly.
Over the weekend, the Arlington County Board approved two redevelopment proposals, one in Clarendon and one on Columbia Pike.
It greenlit an apartment complex for the Joyce Motors site at 3201 10th Street N. in Clarendon and one for the Bank of America office building at 3401 Columbia Pike.
The Clarendon proposal includes a site plan to construct an 11-story apartment building with ground-floor retail. It includes nine on-site committed affordable units, including five “family-sized units” as well as the relocation and preservation of the historic Joyce Motors façade and the full building preservation of the Clarendon Barbershop building several blocks away.
“For historic preservation purposes, the Board also approved transferring developmental rights from the Clarendon Barbershop Building to the Joyce Motors site, allowing unused density to be used toward the proposed 11-story [mixed-use] building,” per a County Board press release.
The developer committed to installing new sidewalk, building portions of 10th Road N. and a new alley, as well as LEED Gold certification and nearly $1 million in cash contributions for transportation and public spaces.
“It’s really a big win for staff, the community, the project development team, I’m really thrilled to see it manifest this way,” said Board Chair Christian Dorsey. “It’s a testament to the fact that, I know developers are often considered the enemies in society, they are also the conduit to the implementation of the plans that the community wants to create.”
“It’s not going to happen if we don’t have people who are willing to put together and take on all kinds of risks to get things done,” Dorsey continued. “The beauty of that is we can have win-wins, where you have a development team that hopefully has a successful project but the community, for generations, has something that reflects the plans they come up with.”
On the Pike, the Board approved the construction of a six-story, 250-unit apartment building and about 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and commercial space, at the busy corner of S. Glebe Road and the Pike.
Normally, these kinds of projects are supposed to receive administrative approvals via the Columbia Pike Form-Based Code. This project, however, required County Board approval in part because the developer, Marcus Partners, requested relief from height restrictions on a portion of the property.
“This is a strong project, I do… appreciate a little bit of architectural diversity coming forward, I think it will add a lot to the neighborhood,” said Board Member Katie Cristol. “I appreciate our staff’s efforts to make sure compliance with the code is a floor in terms of fulfilling the vision of the neighborhood as well as thorough, additional work to mitigate impacts that may be happening and maximizing the positives.”
Dogma Bakery & Boutique is expanding and taking over the Clarendon space that Loyal Companion is moving out of next week.
The Shirlington-based local pet store announced on Saturday that it was opening its third Northern Virginia location at 2509 Franklin Road in the Clarendon area. It’s taking over the space that Loyal Companion is leaving at the end of February.
Earlier in the month, Loyal Companion announced it was closing many of its pet stores across the country, including the two in Arlington, due to its parent company declaring bankruptcy. Both locations, in Clarendon and at Lee Harrison Shopping Center, were planning to close on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Within weeks, though, Dogma committed to taking over the space.
While it’s taking over the space at the beginning of next month, Dogma owner Sheila Raebel told ARLnow the plan is to reopen by Tuesday, March 7. She said one of the biggest reasons to move in was the desire to keep Loyal Companion’s staff employed.
“The decision was made when I met the staff there and saw how hard they were taking the closure of their store,” said Raebel. “I couldn’t let that happen.”
Dogma opened more than two decades ago in Shirlington and expanded to Reston in 2017, with the new location focused on grooming. The Reston outpost closed during the pandemic and then was open for appointments only.
Separately, Raebel also announced the Reston location will be fully reopening next month.
A park in Clarendon is slated to get a series of improvements identified by neighbors almost four years ago.
11th Street Park, located on the corner of 11th Street N. and N. Danville Street at 2751 11th Street N., will receive paving and accessibility upgrades as well as new landscaping, lighting and furnishing.
“Existing gravel walkways will be replaced in approximately the same location and will be concrete” and accessible to people with disabilities, a county webpage says. “Other features include new site furnishings, renovation of the existing lawn areas, additional trees and new native pollinator plantings, signage, natural boulders and path lighting.”
The overall project budget for the park improvements in 11th Street Park totals $492,338, which includes “design, soft costs and construction,” the report says.
Construction is set to begin before spring and end before October, per the website.
The Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Association flagged the need for upgrades to the green space near The Crossing Clarendon retail center back in 2019, when it submitted requests to the Arlington Neighborhoods Program (formerly known as the Arlington Neighborhood Conservation Program).
This kicked off a community process that resulted in the Arlington County Board approving the scope of the project in April 2021.
“This plan received the support of the Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Association through a collaborative community process with staff from Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation,” a county report notes. “Several meetings were held to prepare a refined concept plan and develop the final design.”
Design meetings were also held in 2021 and, as part of the project, the open space was renamed 11th Street Park in 2022.
The park’s old name was a longer but equally literal descriptor: 11th Street North and North Danville Street Park. Community members considered other names, including one to honor Nguyen Ngoc Bich, a Vietnamese refugee and Arlington resident who advocated for immigrants and shared Vietnamese culture.
Bich, who died six years ago, could instead be remembered with a historical marker. It would also pay tribute to Clarendon’s historical monicker, Little Saigon, as many refugees settled and built businesses there. Many have since relocated due to rising rents.
