At 24 stories and 719,704 square feet, the building — 1900 Crystal Drive — will be second only to the Pentagon in Arlington in terms of floor space.
(Alhough 1900 Crystal Drive will be the tallest in Crystal City, the 580,000 square foot, 35-story office building currently under construction at 1812 N. Moore Street in Rosslyn is still expected to be the tallest countywide.)
The Crystal City Diamond Derby will take place on Saturday, September 29 from 4:00-10:00 pm. The venue is the underground parking garage at 2345 Crystal Drive, which will be transformed into an urban cycling course.
Riders of all abilities can try out the courses, some casual and others competitive. The Kids’ Derby and D&Q River Ride are free, but there are fees to enter the Open Course Challenge, Team Competition and 4X Comps. Registration for the various events is available online. All participants must have their own bikes and helmets.
Police are investigating a possible rape at a restaurant in Crystal City.
A woman told police she was raped by an acquaintance early on the morning of Friday, Sept. 7. Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck would not name the establishment where the alleged rape took place, but described it as a “bar/restaurant” on the 500 block of 23rd Street S.
Update at 12:05 p.m. — The line is capped and streets will reopen once emergency equipment is cleared from the roadway.
Earlier: Crews are on the scene of a gas leak in Crystal City, where several blocks are being closed to traffic.
The board is being advised by county staff to adopt four provisions in the development proposal for the office building, dubbed 1900 Crystal Drive. That structure’s site proposal is the first in Crystal City to be considered under the Crystal City Sector Plan, which was adopted in 2010.
Part of the proposal involves rezoning about 1.7 acres of the property from “C-O” to the “C-O-Crystal City” zoning district. Another measure requests approval for construction of the new 24-story office building, which would require demolishing the existing 11-story Crystal Mall III structure (1851 S. Bell Street).
The up-and-back loop along Crystal Drive has been eliminated for Miles 22-25. This year, as runners enter Crystal City from the 14th Street Bridge, they will continue along Army Navy Drive and turn onto 12th Street South. Then, the new route will take participants along Clark Street and 23rd Street before reaching Crystal Drive.
The changes were necessary due to construction on Crystal Drive.
Policy Prompts Parents to Walk, Drive to School — A controversial new busing policy that has resulted in more students walking to school prompted many parents to walk with or drive their kids to school yesterday (Tuesday). A number of parents talked to the TV news crews who were camped outside schools to report on parents’ discontent with the policy. [WJLA, MyFoxDC]
More Troubles for Crystal City Head Shop — Now it’s not just Arlington County that’s telling the owner of a new head shop in Crystal City to take down a colorful mural outside the store. The shop’s landlord has told the store’s owner to take down the mural. A lawyer for the landlord also says the store owes back rent. [WUSA]
(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) A major water main break has shut down a number of roads in Crystal City.
For at least an hour, water was spraying about 5 feet in the air out from buckled pavement at the intersection of 12th Street and S. Clark Street. Arlington County crews managed to shut off several valves, which reduced but did not stop the water flow for several hours. As of now, the water flow has been stopped, but not before it created a large pond in and around the intersection.
Man Busted for Meth Lab Worked for USA Today — One of the men arrested in connection with a suspected meth lab in a Virginia Square apartment building used to be a journalist who was regularly published in USA Today. Leonard Fischer, 44, was formerly a technology reporter for Gannett News Service. [Jim Romenesko, Kenneth in the 212]
Arlington Unemployment Rate Declines — Arlington still has the lowest unemployment rate in Virginia. Arlington’s jobless rate dipped from 3.7 percent in June to 3.5 percent in July, according to newly-released data. The average in Virginia is 6 percent, and the national unemployment rate is 8.6 percent. [Sun Gazette]
The project’s groundbreaking ceremony will take place next Tuesday, September 4, and construction is expected to last six weeks. The overhaul includes upgrading lighting, landscaping, pedestrian walkways, seating and a visitor information kiosk.
“We’re really excited about this, about the transformation coming to Crystal City,” said Crystal City BID President Angela Fox.
DC Social Sports Club games are scheduled to be played at the sand courts at 2451 Crystal Drive, starting the week of September 10. During registration, teams choose to play on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays or Sundays. All teams are co-ed.
The league fee includes seven games, all equipment, DC Social t-shirts, a site supervisor and access to DC Social parties. Online registration is still open for teams or individuals searching for a team.
The restaurant is challenging customers to see if their politics line up with their taste buds by unveiling two new burger offerings: a James Carville burger and a Mary Matalin burger.
The famous political couple, who live in Alexandria, have lent their likenesses to what the restaurant is calling the “Great Burger Debate.” Starting today until Election Day (Nov. 6), Good Stuff will be offering the two burgers at its Crystal City and Capitol Hill locations. Each day, the eatery will tally how many of each burger have been ordered so far.
