An elderly woman was reportedly struck by an SUV at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Jefferson Street around 8:00 this morning.
The woman’s injuries were said to be non-life threatening. At least one lane of eastbound Columbia Pike was closed as a result of the accident.
The report, commissioned by the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, examined three major corridors where redevelopment is underway: Alexandria’s Beauregard corridor, Fairfax County’s Baileys Crossroads area and Arlington’s Columbia Pike corridor.
All three areas, the report says, are affordable thanks to a “lack of private investment, along with poor transportation options and infrastructure” — attributes that have made the areas undesirable to more affluent residents. Now that the Arlington County is actively encouraging economic development and planning a new streetcar line along Columbia Pike, however, the “type of households” seeking to live on the Pike will likely change, leading to “opportunities” for the owners of existing affordable apartment complexes to “reposition their properties… to attract higher-income residents.”
Construction Planned for New Penrose Square Park — Construction is set to begin on a new public park in front of the Penrose Square apartment building on Columbia Pike. Included in the park will be a 50-ton granite sculpture of a “concave elliptical parabola.” [Pike Wire]
Free Pizza Offer — For some reason, Papa John’s and the Washington Post are giving away thousands of free pizzas over the next three days. Papa John’s has three Arlington locations. [The Capitol Deal]
A mystery on Columbia Pike, from yesterday’s crime report:
UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 07/14/11, 4300 block of Columbia Pike. On July 14 between 8:45 am and 10:30 am, an unknown subject entered an apartment and let the resident’s dog out. No items were taken and there is no suspect description.
It’s not every day that a significant collision happens in a crowded lunchtime drive-thru line, but it happened today at the Wendy’s at 3431 Columbia Pike.
A white work van was rear-ended by a red Honda Accord as the van waited for its order at the pick-up window. The Accord’s tires squealed as it rounded the tight drive-thru corner at a relatively high speed, slamming into the back of the van. Neither the van driver nor the elderly female Accord driver were injured.
New Restaurant Coming to Penrose Square — Restauranteur Cathal Armstrong is reportedly planning to open a new fish-and-chips restaurant on Columbia Pike, in the new Penrose Square development. The restaurant will be the second location for Old Town Alexandria staple Eamonn’s: A Dublin Chipper. In addition to Eamonn’s, Armstrong owns Alexandria eateries The Majestic, Restaurant Eve and Virtue Feed and Grain. [Eater, Pike Wire]
Galaxy Hut Expanding to Falls Church — The owner of Clarendon’s Galaxy Hut is planning on opening a new location on W. Broad Street in Falls Church. Much like the Clarendon location, the new Galaxy Hut will be a music and entertainment venue, in addition to a bar. [Washington Post]
McLaughlin, a security analyst, advanced to the finals thanks to a humorous contest entry video that showcased his willingness to do the dishes, clean the bathroom, pay for pizza, make dessert and perform other feats of roommate courtesy. The video, entitled “Roommating MVP,” is narrated by a faux-British sports announcer.
McLaughlin will win free rent for a year and $10,000 cash if he can gather the most votes online by July 31. The contest is sponsored by Apartments.com.
“This colossal, unjustified waste of tax dollars has been deliberately concealed from the public,” the Examiner alleges. However, the plan to convert the transitway into a streetcar line has been discussed in public meetings.
The Examiner editorial also alleges that the planned streetcar line along Columbia Pike will hinder traffic, especially during rush hour. The paper says the county should release the results of a simulation that attempted to find out how much vehicle travel times would be affected by the streetcar.
Storm Damage Caused by ‘Macroburst’ — The National Weather Service says the extensive damaged caused by Sunday night’s storm was caused by a “macroburst” — a larger version of a microburst. The macroburst brought winds of 60-70 miles per hour to some North Arlington neighborhoods, causing trees and power poles to snap in half. [MyFoxDC]
RV Catches Fire on GW Parkway — Traffic was brought to a standstill on the GW Parkway Monday morning when an RV burst into flames. Dark, billowing smoke from the fire could be seen across the river in D.C. The driver got out safely, but the RV was a total loss. [NBC Washington]
Tonight county representatives will present the results of a week-long public planning and design process intended to help plan the future of Columbia Pike.
The “Work in Progress Presentation” will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 tonight at the Sheraton National Hotel (900 S. Orme Street). Planners will reveal the work that has been completed through a neighborhood planning day — or “charrette” — last weekend and a series of “open design studios” during the week.
A car somehow ended up on its roof in a parking lot near Columbia Pike this morning.
The car flipped over in the parking lot of the BB&T Bank at 1100 Walter Reed Drive around 11:30 a.m. It’s not clear how the accident happened, but no other vehicles in the parking lot appeared to have any accident-related damage.
Shirlington Oktoberfest Returns — A date has been set for this year’s Oktoberfest event in Shirlington. The annual celebration of all things German and beer-related will take place on Saturday, Oct. 8. Tickets are $25. [Shirlington Village Blog]
Pike Library, Career Center Renovations — A series of improvements is planned for the building on S. Walter Reed Drive that houses the Columbia Pike Branch Library and the Arlington Career Center. Over the next 9 months crews will replace the building’s windows and front doors, roof and drainage system and the entire heating and air conditioning system.
