Columbia Pike | ARLnow.com

Published September 9, 2014 at 1:30PM

To celebrate the dwindling days of the season, the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization and Trinity Episcopal Church are hosting “Beach on the Pike” on Saturday (Sept. 13), a day-and-night-long, beach-themed event around Penrose Square, at the intersection of S. Barton Street and the Pike.

The festivities kick off at 8:30 a.m., with registration for Bike to the Beach, which starts at 9:30 and takes cyclists throughout the Penrose and Arlington Heights neighborhoods. Events then continue on until well after midnight.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Should the Streetcar Be Free?

By ARLnow.com

Published August 27, 2014 at 11:10AM | Updated February 13, 2024 at 11:25AM

To try to reverse falling ridership, some are suggesting that the three-year-old Tide light rail line in Norfolk eliminate its $1.50 one-way fare.

Making the seven-mile Tide line free, say advocates, would help boost ridership and achieve the system’s true goal: encouraging more transit-oriented development around its 11 stops. The line simply isn’t long enough to attract ridership sufficient to offset its $8 million in annual operating costs, they say.

News

Governor to Sign Bill in Arlington Next Week

By ARLnow.com

Published August 21, 2014 at 11:15AM | Updated August 21, 2014 at 12:05PM

The bill addresses “the growing problem of notaries who practice law without a license” in immigrant communities. It does so by prohibiting notaries who are not attorneys or otherwise accredited from offering legal and immigration advice.

“In many Latin American countries ‘notario publicos’ (notary publics) provide legal advice, but U.S. notaries who are not also attorneys are not authorized to share this role,” explains a media advisory about the bill signing. “In Virginia, there have been cases of notaries fraudulently charging thousands of dollars for misleading advice.”

News

UPDATED: Apartment Fire on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Published August 15, 2014 at 9:40AM | Updated August 15, 2014 at 10:36AM

(Updated at 10:30 a.m.) The Arlington County Fire Department responded to an apartment fire on Columbia Pike this morning.

The fire was reported around 9:30 a.m. in the rear mechanical room of an apartment building at 2008 Columbia Pike. Firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control and douse the flames.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 5, 2014 at 9:00AM | Updated August 5, 2014 at 10:57AM

County Quietly Chooses Auditor — The Arlington County government hired an internal auditor to improve transparency in finances and operations. County officials say specifics about the hire will be released in September. [InsideNova]

CEB Deal Questioned — Last month, the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) announced it would anchor The JBG Cos.’ planned Central Place office tower in Rosslyn. But the head of Boston Properties believes that’s not a win. He says Rosslyn’s vacancy rate will grow because of the huge space CEB will leave behind at 1919 N. Lynn Street. [Washington Business Journal]

News

Arlington Hires Lobbying Firm for Navy Annex Land Swap

By ARLnow.com

Published July 25, 2014 at 5:05PM

Arlington County has hired a lobbying firm to help facilitate a planned land swap between the county, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Department of Defense.

As outlined in a memorandum of understanding last year, the county is planning to hand over the right-of-way for Southgate Road, near the Air Force Memorial, to the DoD, which plans to use the land — along with the former Navy Annex grounds and part of the state’s current Columbia Pike right-of-way — for an expansion of Arlington National Cemetery’s burial grounds.

News

County May Construct Bike Park on Columbia Pike

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 14, 2014 at 4:45PM

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board is scheduled to vote on an agreement with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to construct a bike park on the northern side of Columbia Pike near Arlington Mill Community Center. Dominion Power, which has an easement for its power lines, is also party to the agreement.

“The focus of the project is to install a bike park with a learning loop for beginning riders,” the county’s staff report states. “The park improvements will include site furnishings, sand play area, water bottle filler, bike repair station, plaza space and a paved bicycle path.”

Around Town

New Farmers Market Planned for Arlington Mill

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 14, 2014 at 2:00PM

The Arlington County Board is expected to approve a proposal to create an open air market in the plaza of the Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street) at its meeting this Saturday.

The market, if approved, would take place from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and be run by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization. The Arlington Mill plaza, in the middle of its first summer since the community center opened last fall, is already hosting half of CPRO’s outdoor summer movies, including showing several Spanish-language films.

News

UPDATED: Virginia Kicks in Add’l $65 Million for Pike Streetcar

By ARLnow.com

Published July 11, 2014 at 11:45AM | Updated July 13, 2014 at 11:47PM

Original Columbia Pike streetcar rendering

The county says the new funding will enable to Arlington and Fairfax to proceed with the streetcar project more rapidly — accelerating the construction timetable by at least a year — partially thanks to eliminating the need to obtain federal funding.

“The Commonwealth is committed to supporting the Columbia Pike project as a funding partner,” Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne said, in a letter to Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Streetcar Crystal Ball

By ARLnow.com

Published July 11, 2014 at 10:55AM

Rendering of a streetcar along Columbia Pike (file photo)

This week we reported — followed by other local TV, print and online outlets — that the county had produced more television spots that try to explain “why streetcar.”

Among the expected benefits along Columbia Pike are more development, increased county tax revenue, increased transit ridership, and the preservation of affordable housing.

Around Town

Pedro and Vinny’s Shut Down By Health Dept.

By ARLnow.com

Published June 26, 2014 at 10:45AM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 1:50PM

Pedro and Vinny’s, the popular burrito stand in the CVS parking lot at 2599 Columbia Pike, is closed indefinitely after having its health license revoked.

The restaurant opened in 2011 in what was once an Ollie’s Trolley. It has since served hungry Pike residents, Pentagon employees, and even members of Congress. Earlier this month it was included in the prestigious Five Thirty Eight Burrito Bracket.

Events

Movie Nights on Columbia Pike Begin Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Published June 19, 2014 at 12:00PM | Updated June 19, 2014 at 12:59PM

The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) is bringing back outdoor movies in Penrose Square every Saturday from this week (June 21) through August 30. This year, CPRO also will offer movies every other Thursday in the plaza of the new Arlington Mill Community Center, starting tonight and running through September 11.

CPRO is trying out something different at Arlington Mill by offering a couple of Spanish movies subtitled in English, and vice versa. The push for diversity in the movie selection isn’t just for Spanish-speaking cultures. CPRO Executive Director Takis Karantonis notes the movie “The Visitor” deals with issue of immigrating to the United States from Africa and the Middle East.