development | ARLnow.com

Board Passes Sweeping Plan to Redevelop Crystal City

Published September 29, 2010 at 7:00AM

Then, with five “ayes,” the board set in motion a 40-year development process that will transform the dated, hodgepodge apartments and office buildings in Crystal City into a gleaming, high-density, pedestrian-friendly urban district.

Initially conceived as a response to Crystal City’s impending loss of thousands of jobs as a result of BRAC, the Crystal City Sector Plan is meant to ensure a bright future for the oft-maligned but economically-crucial neighborhood. On numerous occasions last night, speakers pointed out that Crystal City currently produces the lion’s share of commercial tax revenues for Arlington County.

News

Crystal City Development Plan Faces Vote Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2010 at 3:09PM

The board is scheduled to vote on the Crystal City Sector Plan at its 6:30 p.m. meeting tonight. But Aurora Highlands urban planning committee chairman Ted Saks says the county was unable to deliver an updated version of the plan to the association’s emergency meeting last night, prompting the call for a delay.

Saks says a meeting with County Manager Michael Brown two weeks ago has produced positive changes, including pledges of a traffic monitoring plan, a citizen advisory board, and a study of ways to smooth the transition from the high-density development that will surround Route 1 and the single-family home neighborhood to the west.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Columbia Pike Redevelopment

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2010 at 8:59AM

The smart growth-oriented county board is thus stuck in a bit of a paradox. While it funds redevelopment and a new streetcar line, it’s also talking about spending to preserve affordable housing on the Pike.

The Pike certainly has its flaws — crime, lack of bike access, some undesirable land use — but it also has unique qualities that make it a great place to live — diversity, character-filled restaurants and shops, a strong sense of local identity.

News

Artist’s Rendering of the New Rosslyn Metro Station Entrance

By ARLnow.com

Published September 24, 2010 at 2:29PM

Two months ago the county board approved funding for construction of a second entrance to the heavily-used Rosslyn Metro Station. The new entrance will be built between North Moore Street and Lynn Street, across the street from the existing Metro entrance.

This week, the county released artist’s renderings of what the entrance will look like.

Around Town

Board to Hear Grocery Store-Related Proposal for Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Published September 22, 2010 at 12:38PM | Updated September 22, 2010 at 12:56PM

The firm that operates the underground shops at 2100 Crystal Drive wants to take 5,661 square feet of open retail space and convert it to office and storage use. But that would come at the expense of a vacant 17,919 square foot space that, until 2005, housed a Safeway store. The landlord has been trying to find another grocery tenant, but has been fighting a strong headwind caused by the weak national economy and the imminent departure of 13,000 jobs from the Crystal City area.

Essentially, the request to convert vacant space to an office use is a white flag — an admission that after five years of trying to market the space to grocery stores, leasing agents have come to the conclusion that no one wants to run a 17,919 square foot grocery store in the Crystal City underground at this time. While keeping open the possibility of a smaller, Trader Joe’s-sized market, the landlord is trying to find a way — any way — to productively fill some of the excess space.

Around Town

Development at 1716 Wilson Blvd Moving Forward

By ARLnow.com

Published September 17, 2010 at 10:20AM

Last week Skanska USA applied for a demolition permit at the site. Barring any major obstacles, the buildings are expected to be gone by the end of the year.

In its place, Skanska, the American division of the Swedish construction conglomerate, is building a five-story office building that will include ground-level retail and 230 underground parking spaces. The project will also include the construction of a new road — an extension of Quinn Street that will break up the long block and connect Wilson Blvd with Clarendon Blvd.

Around Town

Clarendon Center Construction Coming Along

By ARLnow.com

Published September 10, 2010 at 10:39AM

Construction crews seem to be making fast progress at the Clarendon Center properties. What were just hollow stacks of floors earlier this year now have bricks, windows and architectural accents.

The two structures — the regal-looking south building and the art deco-y north building — are expected to take on retail tenants as soon as December, and that seems very much possible given the pace of construction.

Around Town

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 10, 2010 at 5:45AM

Brooks Visits Pacers — Shoemaker Brooks visited the Pacers Running Store in Clarendon yesterday. The company brought along prizes and a double-decker bus.

Arlington PD Officially Announces Project Lifesaver Program — As we first reported in June, Arlington will be joining the Project Lifesaver program, which provides electronic tracking devices to help locate individuals who tend to wander due to cognitive problems. The department made the official announcement in a press release last night. Families interested in enrolling their loved ones into the service should call 877-434-6384.

Around Town

Ground-Level Retail Enlivening Fern Street in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Published September 3, 2010 at 1:18PM

The block’s main attractions at this point are the Costco on the north side of the street and the Gramercy and Millennium at Metropolitan Park luxury apartment buildings on the south side. The relatively recent addition of a Dunkin’ Donuts has helped the block attract some more lunch and breakfast foot traffic — adding to the brave souls who patronize an old greasy spoon called Nell’s Carry Out, which resides in a trailer across from the old DHL warehouse.

Slowly but surely, though, more retail is arriving. A dry cleaner and a bank moved into retail bays at the Gramercy around the same time as Dunkin’ Donuts. A UPS Store is under construction down the block. And the U.S. Post Office that’s currently on Eads Street will eventually be moving to the ground floor of the Millennium.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 3, 2010 at 6:58AM | Updated September 3, 2010 at 3:58PM

Unemployment Steady in Va., Down in Arlington — Arlington has kept its crown as the locality with the lowest unemployment in Virginia. The unemployment rate in Arlington fell slightly in July, from 4.3 percent to 4.2 percent. Unemployment remained steady statewide, while rising in 8 out of 14 of the state’s metro areas.

Few Foreclosures For Sale in Arlington — Local Realtor Laura Rubinchuk reports that there are only 17 foreclosed homes for sale, out of the hundreds of homes on the market in Arlington. She compiled a list of the foreclosures here.

Around Town

Crystal City Trying to Attract a Grocery Store

By ARLnow.com

Published September 1, 2010 at 10:46AM | Updated September 1, 2010 at 12:56PM

Crystal City has been without a grocery store for more than five years. But now, as developer Vornado works to attract more residents to the area, it’s also working hard to attract a new grocery store.

The Safeway that had served as Crystal City’s lone grocery store closed its doors in March 2005. The store had been an anchor tenant of the Crystal City Underground for 38 years, but decided to close when surface parking was eliminated as part of the revitalization of Crystal City.

Around Town

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 26, 2010 at 5:45AM | Updated August 26, 2010 at 8:28AM

More on Bayou Bakery — On Tuesday we broke the news that David Guas finally picked out the perfect spot for his Bayou Bakery concept: the old Camille’s space in Courthouse. Now the venerable Tom Sietsema has scooped us and a half dozen other local reporters who had been waiting patiently for an interview about the Louisiana-inspired cafe. Guas tells Sietsema that the Bakery will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and will feature, among other things “muffalettas, layer cakes, root beer floats, blue plate specials,” and a beer selection.

The End of Free Parking in Clarendon? — Starting August 31, the Department of Human Services parking garage in Clarendon will no longer be free to the public between 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. With DHS moved out of the building, a private parking lot operator will be taking over. Even though garage parking rates in Clarendon are reasonable, the loss of free parking could result in even more cars coming into the Lyon Village neighborhood looking for street parking at night. More from TBD.