construction | ARLnow.com

Dog Park Reopening Delayed Until Summer

Published May 22, 2013 at 11:45AM

Construction issues will delay the anticipated “late spring” reopening of Clarendon’s James Hunter Park until summer.

According to Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish, a number of unforeseen conditions turned up during construction at the dog park site on the corner of N. Herndon Street and N. 13th Street. Some of the problems include difficult soils, grading issues and the discovery of “buried structures.” Kalish said although such issues are not unheard of, they will push the expected park completion date into July.

News

New Columbarium Opens at Arlington National Cemetery

By ARLnow.com

Published May 20, 2013 at 12:55PM | Updated May 20, 2013 at 1:38PM

A new columbarium has opened at Arlington National Cemetery, just in time for Memorial Day.

Columbarium Court No. 9, as it’s called, has more than 20,000 niches for U.S. military veterans and their families. Each niche in the two-acre columbarium has space for 3-4 urns. The project cost $15.6 million and began in January 2012.

News

New Boundaries Approved as County Board Considers Ashlawn Addition

By ARLnow.com

Published May 17, 2013 at 4:05PM | Updated May 17, 2013 at 5:00PM

The School Board unanimously adopted “Variation B” of Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy’s recommended boundaries (left). The new boundaries will help distribute students to a new elementary school on the Williamsburg Middle School campus (see below) as well as to additions at Ashlawn and McKinley elementary schools.

The new schools and additions (there will also be a new choice elementary school near Kenmore Middle School and an addition to Arlington Traditional School) are being undertaken to provide an additional 1,875 seats of capacity by 2017 for Arlington burgeoning student population.

News

Coming Soon: Two New Pentagon City Metro Entrances

By ARLnow.com

Published May 17, 2013 at 10:25AM

Entrance to pedestrian tunnel at the Pentagon City Metro station (2013 photo)

In September, the county is expected to award a design/build contract for a new elevator that will run directly into the station from the southwestern corner of S. Hayes Street and 12th Street, near the Pentagon City mall.

The elevator will complement an existing elevator on the southeast corner of the intersection.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 16, 2013 at 9:30AM

Bike to Work Day Tomorrow — More than 12,000 bicyclists around the Washington region are expected to participate in Bike to Work Day tomorrow (Friday). Arlington will host four Bike to Work Day pit stops — in Rosslyn (6:30 to 9:00 a.m.), Ballston (6:30 to 9:00 a.m.), Crystal City (7:00 to 9:00 a.m.) and East Falls Church (4:00 to 7:00 p.m.). The annual event is free but attendees are encouraged to register.

Rosslyn Metro Project 85 Percent Complete — The new Rosslyn Metro entrance is over 85 percent complete, Arlington County announced this morning. The $32.6 million project will add a new entrance to the Rosslyn Metro station, featuring three high-speed elevators and an emergency staircase, but no escalators. With the elevator shaft and the emergency stairwell complete, the next step is installing the high-speed elevators.

Schools

New W-L Softball Field to Open Monday

By ARLnow.com

Published May 3, 2013 at 4:30PM

The new Washington-Lee High School softball field will open for its first game on Monday.

The $1 million field, under construction since last summer, is located on the corner of Washington Blvd and N. Quincy Street. It was built after parents of softball players threatened to file a Title IX complaint if the school system did not upgrade the no-frills field they were using at the time to include the same amenities of the boys baseball field.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 29, 2013 at 8:35AM | Updated April 29, 2013 at 9:25AM

Central Library Renovations — Updated at 9:25 a.m. — A number of renovations are in progress at Arlington Central Library. The changes include new carpeting, structural maintenance and a new Digital Projects Lab. The library will remain open during the renovations, but certain parts will be closed, including the parking garage, which is expected to be closed from May 6-10. [Arlington Public Library]

Term Limits for County Board? — In a letter to the editor, one resident argues that term limits for Arlington County Board members may “change Arlington’s oligarchy for the better.” The resident suggests implementing term limits via referendum. [Sun Gazette]

Around Town

Bike Shelters Installed Outside Clarendon Metro Station

By ARLnow.com

Published April 23, 2013 at 11:25AM

The county’s BikeArlington program posted the following photo of one of the shelters on Facebook.

“The temporary rack assembly shown here will be replaced this week with 12 permanent racks,” BikeArlington said. “The two bike shelters are designed to accommodate 12 racks each, which together will provide cover for up to 48 bikes.”

Around Town

Construction Underway at Pentagon Row

By ARLnow.com

Published April 22, 2013 at 2:35PM

A plywood perimeter has been erected around the plaza at Pentagon Row as heavy construction has gotten underway on a major renovation project

A backhoe and other construction equipment being used to excavate the center of the plaza. So far outdoor restaurant seating has remained open at the plaza, but instead of overlooking the center courtyard, the view from the outdoor patios is blocked by plywood boards around the construction. Today, those board were being painted black.

News

Route 50/Courthouse Road Project Delayed

By ARLnow.com

Published March 27, 2013 at 4:25PM

The $39 million Route 50/Courthouse Road/10th Street interchange project is apparently running behind schedule.

News

Clarendon Dog Park to Reopen in Late Spring

By Katie Pyzyk

Published March 26, 2013 at 1:40PM

Although at one time the project was slated to be finished last month, the Clarendon dog park renovations are still ongoing. Now we’re hearing that the revamp of James Hunter Park could take another couple of months.

According to Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish, the new goal is for a late spring reopening. The current delay is on top of setbacks during the planning process, which prevented the renovations from being finished last summer as originally planned.

News

County: Pike Super Stop Project on Track

By ARLnow.com

Published March 20, 2013 at 5:20PM

The project will ultimately construct a network of 24 enhanced “Super Stop” bus stops along Columbia Pike, featuring real-time bus arrival screens, lighting, heating and a modern design. Arlington County officials briefed the County Board on the status of the project at its meeting yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, following a minor public outcry about the over $1 million construction cost of the first stop.

(The county funded just over $200,000 of the construction budget, with the rest coming from state and federal sources.)