Courthouse | ARLnow.com

Renovated Rocky Run Park Re-Opens

Published April 7, 2014 at 2:30PM | Updated April 7, 2014 at 6:05PM

(Updated at 6:05 p.m.) The $3 million renovation to Rocky Run Park in the Courthouse area are complete and the park is now open to the public.

The renovations, which were approved by the County Board in November 2012, include two lighted basketball courts, a lighted synthetic turf for drop-in play, a new playground area with equipment for 5-12 year-olds, a picnic shelter and bathrooms. The park, at 1109 N. Barton Street, had its mature trees preserved while the equipment and facilities were reorganized around them.

News

UPDATED: Police Respond to Barricade Situation in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

Published March 28, 2014 at 4:30PM | Updated March 28, 2014 at 5:07PM

Update at 5:05 p.m. — The barricade situation has ended peacefully.

Earlier: A man who may be suicidal has barricaded himself in his Courthouse townhouse, leading to a standoff with police.

News

Office Building Planned to Replace Courthouse Wendy’s

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 27, 2014 at 1:30PM | Updated March 27, 2014 at 1:59PM

(Updated at 2:00 p.m) The Wendy’s fast food restaurant at the intersection of N. Courthouse Road, Wilson Blvd and Clarendon Blvd appears likely to be replaced by a 12-story office building in the coming years.

Carr Properties submitted a preliminary site plan to the county’s zoning division yesterday outlining its plans for the 12-story building with about 6,800 square feet of ground story retail. The building — called 2025 Clarendon Blvd — will replace the Wendy’s at 2038 Wilson Blvd and the Wells Fargo bank at 2026 Wilson Blvd. The plan calls for the Wells Fargo to occupy some of the ground floor retail space in the new building.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 26, 2014 at 8:35AM

Car Crashes Into Construction Equipment — A vehicle crashed into some parked construction equipment in Courthouse during the evening rush hour yesterday. The crash happened on Wilson Blvd, just down the hill from the Wendy’s. Wilson Blvd was closed for a short period of time as a result. [Twitter]

Five Achieve Eagle Scout Status — Five members of the local Boy Scout Troup 106 achieved Eagle Scout status during a recent ceremony in north Arlington. [InsideNoVa]

News

County Asks Residents to ‘Envision Courthouse Square’

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 19, 2014 at 10:30AM

The first community planning workshop for “Envision Courthouse Square” will be held at Key Elementary School (2300 Key Blvd) in the cafeteria on Wednesday, March 26.

The county has dubbed a 9-acre area around the county’s large surface parking lot “Courthouse Square.” A mix of county- and privately-owned land and buildings, Courthouse Square could potentially be transformed into a mix of new developments, roads and open space.

News

Board Approves Hotel in Wilson Tavern Space

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 17, 2014 at 1:45PM

The hotel construction will displace Wilson Tavern and Northern Virginia Mixed Martial Arts on the 2400 block of Wilson Blvd.

The construction will also include four single-family homes behind the hotel on 16th Street N., acting as a buffer between the new building and Lyon Village’s existing single-family homes. The houses standing now, which are occupied by renters, according to the county, will be torn down and replaced.

News

Wilson Tavern To Be Replaced by Hotel

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 11, 2014 at 2:30PM

Schupp Companies owns the property and is hoping to build a 161-room Hyatt Place hotel at 2401-2407 Wilson Blvd, at the intersection with N. Adams Street. The proposed site plan also includes four single family detached houses to be built along 16th Street N. to provide a buffer between the hotel and the existing Lyon Village neighborhood.

When Wilson Tavern opened in 2011, replacing Kitty O’Shea’s, Schupp Companies owner Ray Schupp already was planning a hotel for the space. Wilson Tavern isn’t expected to close, but rather move to a separate location and then perhaps into a planned 1,300-square-foot restaurant space next to the new hotel’s entrance. The Washington Business Journal reports that Wilson Tavern’s temporary space could be somewhere in Ballston.

Around Town

Retail Experts Say R-B Corridor Set for Future Success

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 6, 2014 at 2:30PM | Updated March 6, 2014 at 3:58PM

Those in and around the retail industry say the recent trends toward mixed-use, urbanized development and the growth of “milennials” among consumers in the post-recession years add up nicely for Arlington.

Bruce Leonard, a managing principal at Streetsense, a real estate, retail and marketing firm, gave a lecture at George Mason University’s Arlington campus last month called “the changing face of retail.” He contended that the retail market is catching up to the real estate market in seeking urban, walkable centers.

Events

Bayou Block Party Still On for Mardi Gras

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 4, 2014 at 3:30PM | Updated March 4, 2014 at 3:46PM

Bayou Bakery (1515 N. Courthouse Road), the Cajun-themed coffee shop and restaurant by New Orleans-native chef David Guas, is hosting its Bayou Gras Block Party this evening, starting at 5:00 p.m. in front of the store.

Northbound N. Courthouse Road is shut down to make room for a large heated tent between Clarendon Blvd and 15th Street N., and is expected to remain closed until the party ends at 10:00 p.m.

Events

Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade Returns Next Week

By ARLnow.com

Published February 25, 2014 at 10:15AM | Updated March 3, 2014 at 4:10PM

The annual Clarendon-Courthouse Mardi Gras Parade will take place next Tuesday, March 4.

The free, family-friendly parade will start at 8:00 p.m. at N. Barton Street and will make its way up Wilson Blvd to N. Irving Street in Clarendon. The parade features decorated vehicles, marching bands, parade floats, groups with animals, historic fire trucks, school groups and more.

Around Town

‘DC Sliders’ Food Truck Debuts in Arlington

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 20, 2014 at 10:00AM

A new food truck, DC Sliders, has come to serve lunch to customers in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.

The truck’s first day in Arlington was Feb. 6. It serves an array of mini-burgers, including the “Elvis” slider, featuring the King’s favorite sandwich ingredients: peanut butter, banana and bacon. Currently, it has regular stops in Courthouse and Rosslyn, as well as Reston and Tysons Corner, but it has also stopped in Ballston in the last two weeks.

News

Homeless Shelter Bids Arrive On-Budget

By ARLnow.com

Published February 5, 2014 at 7:15PM

Arlington County received two bids on the construction of a new “Homeless Services Center” at 2020 14th Street N., across from Arlington police headquarters. KBE Building Corporation bid $5.7 million and Miller Brothers Inc. bid $5.2 million for the project, which will involve interior alterations on two floors of the county-owned office building and the enclosure of an open parking area on the ground floor. The figures do not include project contingencies and some material costs.

“The total amount is within budget,” Arlington County spokeswoman Mary Curtius told ARLnow.com on Monday. The Arlington County Board is expected to award a construction contract at its meeting later this month.