At its meeting next Saturday (November 17), the Board will examine the purchase contract for the building (2020 14th St. N.), which has an expected purchase price of $27.1 million. County staff estimates the total project cost at approximately $42 million over five years, factoring in additional costs for design, renovation, and tenant relocation.
The building purchase has been controversial since it was proposed nearly a year ago, both due to the cost and resident complaints about safety.
(Updated at 12:20 p.m. on 12/23/21) Last Thursday, a knife-wielding man in a wheelchair robbed the CVS Pharmacy in Courthouse, according to this week’s Arlington County, Va. crime report.
Police say the man attempted to shoplift an electric razor and several bottles of wine. After initially leaving the store, a CVS employee reportedly wheeled him back in and asked him to replace the stolen goods. The employee backed off and let him leave again after the man brandished a knife, according to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
Election Board Calms Election Fraud Fears — Don’t worry about election shenanigans in Arlington, says the Arlington Electoral Board. The board is made up of two Republicans and one Democrat. At the Arlington County Republican Committee meeting on Oct. 24, Republican board member Scott McGeary said the county’s election staff will “make certain we have the utmost ballot integrity.” Local Republicans have been fearful of a “stolen election” in recent days, given the release of a video depicting Rep. Jim Moran’s son discussing ways to fraudulently cast ballots. [Sun Gazette]
Proposed Courthouse Office Building Still in Limbo — The ‘Clean Technology Center‘ — a new office building proposed for the 2300 block of Wilson Boulevard in Courthouse — had a vote on its site plan postponed by the Arlington County Board on Tuesday. The Board and local residents have been critical of the building’s design and its purported lack of public benefits. [Arlington Mercury]
The renovations have been underway for at least two months. The lower level theaters have already been remodeled and now feature power adjustable leather recliners with footrests, as well as terraced rows of seating that make it easier to see the screen over the person sitting in front of you. With the lower theaters complete, renovations to the upper theaters are now underway.
Meanwhile, improvements to the lobby include updated decor, a new snack counter and new Coke freestyle machines. The theater’s restrooms have also been renovated, according to AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan.
Hikaru Sushi, at 2200 Wilson Blvd, closed its doors over the weekend, we’re told. The restaurant’s sign has been taken down, the phone lines have been disconnected, and workers could be seen removing kitchen equipment on Saturday.
One resident reported via Twitter that the owner of the Hikaru told customers that he was moving and thus decided to close the restaurant. We were unable to reach the owner for comment.
We’re told the accident involved two vehicles. No injuries were reported.
One of the vehicles involved, a dark-colored sedan, wound up on a sidewalk adjacent to the drive-through lane of the Wendy’s restaurant at 2038 Wilson Blvd.
But if Katrina proved anything, it’s this: regardless of Isaac’s impact, New Orleans’ unique culture will remain as vibrant as ever. And part of that culture will be coming to Arlington next week.
Bayou Bakery in Courthouse (1515 N. Courthouse Road) will be hosting a “one night only” concert by a lineup of notable New Orleans jazz artists from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8.
The highest on the list, at #80, is Innotion Enterprises, which has 43 employees, $35.8 million in revenue (as of 2011) and a 3-year growth rate of 3,500 percent. The company, based in Ballston, offers information technology services to the federal government and asset management services to real estate firms.
Another Ballston-based real estate management firm, Matt Martin Real Estate Management, ranked #116. The company had $31.4 million in 2011 revenue, a 3-year growth rate of 2,669 percent and has 110 employees across the country. It provides services to the real estate industry, and to the General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Man Saves Life of Granddaughter — A grandfather saved the life of his granddaughter on Sunday, after the little girl started choking on fruit inside her family’s Arlington home. The grandfather, Rick Corbett, used his CPR training from the Boy Scouts in order to help save her life. [WUSA 9]
County Still Trying to Buy Courthouse Building — Arlington County is in negotiations to purchase the 1960s-era office building at 2020 14th Street N. The potential purchase sparked controversy among neighbors, largely due to the plan to place a year-round homeless shelter on the building’s lower floors. [Sun Gazette]
The attack happened on the 2400 block of N. Custis Road, just past 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, as the woman was walking home alone from the Courthouse Metro station. Police say a man came up from behind, grabbed her, forced her to the ground, and placed his hand over the woman’s mouth while he attempted to use his other hand to sexually assault her.
Before he could do so, however, the woman bit him on the hand and screamed for help. The man ran off as three people who heard the scream ran over to assist the victim.
A burglar broke into a store in the Courthouse area this past weekend and made off with a pair of laptops. But it’s the other item that he or she took that seems to suggest a level of trickiness beyond the capabilities of your run-of-the-mill criminal.
BURGLARY (COMMERCIAL), 08/12/12, 2400 block of Wilson Boulevard. Between 2 and 9:30 am on August 12, an unknown subject(s) kicked in the front door of a business and stole two laptops and the store surveillance equipment. There is no suspect(s) description.
Drivers who use the rough stretch of Clarendon Boulevard between Courthouse and Rosslyn will get some relief in the next few weeks.
The developer behind a new residential complex that’s being built on the old Hollywood Video site is planning to smooth out some rough patches of road on Clarendon Boulevard in the area of N. Scott Street, according to Arlington County Department of Environmental Services (DES) spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel. The work is expected to be performed in about three weeks.
