development | ARLnow.com

Death knell tolls for Victorian home in East Falls Church

Published November 19, 2021 at 10:10AM | Updated November 22, 2021 at 10:50AM

The Fellows-McGrath House at 6404 Washington Blvd. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated on 11/22/21) The way has been cleared for the demolition of a home built in 1889, near the East Falls Church Metro station.

The Fellows-McGrath House, located at 6404 Washington Blvd and profiled in the Falls Church News-Press earlier this year by local historian Charlie Clark, was home to Harry Andrew Fellows. Fellows was Mayor of Falls Church and in 1932 became the first chairman of the newly formed Arlington County Board. The home was later a bed and breakfast known as “Memory House,” according to a real estate listing.

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Locals look to save Crystal City’s Restaurant Row ‘soul’ amid nearby redevelopment

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 18, 2021 at 3:45PM | Updated December 7, 2021 at 2:29PM

Restaurants in Crystal City (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated on 12/7/21 at 2:30 p.m.) With a bevy of development looming, a band of residents, restaurateurs, landowners and business leaders are trying to preserve the “soul” of Crystal City: “Restaurant Row.”

For many years, a collection of small, independently owned restaurants have operated along 23rd Street S., between S. Eads and S. Fern streets, including the locally famous LGBT nightlife spot Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant.

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County seeks developer for Amazon-funded affordable housing project in Crystal City

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 5, 2021 at 11:15AM

Crystal House (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington County has started the process of finding a developer to lead the Crystal House Apartments redevelopment project in Crystal City.

The county seeks a “robust, experienced and trustworthy master development partner” to replace surface-level parking with 738 apartment units, most of which will be affordable housing, by January 2028, according to its request for qualifications.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 28, 2021 at 7:30AM | Updated October 28, 2021 at 9:33AM

Traffic flows along Langston Blvd in front of Metro 29 Diner (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Grand Opening for Big Rosslyn Development — “Real estate developer Penzance welcomed Arlington County officials to the grand opening of The Highlands, a mixed-use project in Rosslyn at the top of the hill on Wilson Boulevard. The Highlands, a 1.2-million-square-foot development, consists of three high-rise residences — named Pierce, Aubrey and Evo — with views of the D.C. area and several amenities. ‘We’re proud to be here today welcoming these 890 new residences, exciting retailers, Fire Station 10 and the beautiful Rosslyn Highlands Park.'” [Patch]

Reward Boosted in Ballston Murder Case — “The Ratigan family is announcing an increase in their reward fund from $25,000 to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for Scott Ratigan’s homicide on January 17, 2020. Detectives continue to follow-up on any and all investigative leads in this case and remind the public that any information, regardless of how small it may seem, could be the tip that leads to justice on behalf of Scott and the Ratigan family.” [ACPD]

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How Arlington is tackling its rising, pandemic-era office vacancy rate

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 27, 2021 at 11:45AM

Office buildings, including the Nestle building, in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

In late 2019, Arlington’s rate of vacant office space was at a six-year low, 15.5%, and poised to continue dropping.

But the pandemic reversed that trend, and today, the vacancy rate hovers around 20%.

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Phase two of development at Red Top Cab site could start by end of year

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 22, 2021 at 10:00AM

Clarendon West construction site (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Construction could start on the second phase of the Red Top Cab development in Clarendon within the next month or two.

“We are hoping to start the project before the end of the year. It all lies in the County’s hands as we continue to pursue our permits,” said Kelly Shooshan, CEO of Arlington-based developer Shooshan Company.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 22, 2021 at 7:30AM | Updated October 22, 2021 at 8:15AM

Tracking the Hunter Moon from Rosslyn (Flickr pool photo by Joanna Hiatt Kim)

Taller Crystal City Buildings? — “With all of the new projects proposed for the area, developers have been increasingly urging Arlington County to consider bumping up maximum building heights to allow for striking new designs to remake the Crystal City skyline. Led by the area’s dominant property owner, Amazon landlord JBG Smith Properties, this effort has the county on the precipice of allowing more structures there to reach 250 or even 300 feet tall along Richmond Highway.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Scooters on Local Roads — “Bird is rolling out its Bird Three, the world’s most eco-friendly shared scooter, in Arlington. Arlington will be one of the first cities in the DMV to have an exclusive fleet of Bird Three e-scooters. When Arlington residents choose to ride a Bird Three down to dinner at the Crossing Clarendon or to start their holiday shopping early on Rosslyn, they’ll have the safest and smartest riding experience possible.” [Press Release]

Around Town

County Resurrects Stained Glass Window to Loan to a Ballston Church

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 15, 2021 at 3:55PM

"Christ in Blessing" by Louis Comfort Tiffany (courtesy of Arlington Arts)

Tucked away in an Arlington County storage facility is a shattered Tiffany Studios stained glass window of Jesus Christ in the act of blessing those who gaze on him.

For decades, it adorned The Abbey Mausoleum that once stood near Arlington National Cemetery. Light would have pierced the 12-paneled, 9-foot by 6-foot window, casting jewel tones on the burial site of the man to whom the window was dedicated — E. St. Clair Thompson, a wealthy Mason interred there in 1933.

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Developer Breaks Ground on ‘The Commodore’ Apartments in Courthouse

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 8, 2021 at 9:30AM

Developer Greystar's newest project in Courthouse, "The Commodore" apartment building (courtesy photo)

Developer Greystar broke ground yesterday on an apartment building just a stone’s throw from the Courthouse Metro station.

The under-construction building now has a name: “The Commodore.” Work on it follows about three months of demolition of the “Landmark Block,” previously home to brick buildings that housed a handful of restaurants, including Cosi, Boston Market, Jerry’s Subs and Summers Restaurant.

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Major Redevelopments Slated for County Board Vote by July 2022

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 4, 2021 at 11:00AM | Updated March 1, 2023 at 10:34AM

The Helix, part of Amazon's HQ2 Phase Two development, as seen from the Mount Vernon Trail (courtesy Amazon)

More than a dozen major redevelopments are in the pipeline in Arlington, from the second phase of Amazon’s HQ2 to large-scale apartment buildings.

Of the 16 ongoing and anticipated major site plan reviews, the county’s planning division expects 10 of them to go before the County Board for approval over the next nine months, before the beginning of the 2022-23 fiscal year on July 1.

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Residential Redevelopment in Rosslyn Under Review

By Jo DeVoe

Published September 29, 2021 at 9:45AM | Updated September 29, 2021 at 10:08AM

A view of the proposed apartment building for the Xerox site in Rosslyn (via Arlington County)

A proposed development for the Xerox building in Rosslyn is under review by county planning staff.

Building owner and financial services company TIAA, along with its real estate management arm, propose to tear down the building at 1616 Fort Myer Drive and build a 30-story, 691-unit apartment tower in its place.

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Review Process Kicks Off For Affordable Housing Redevelopment Near Rosslyn

By Jo DeVoe

Published September 27, 2021 at 1:30PM | Updated September 27, 2021 at 1:58PM

A rendering of one of the new towers that proposed Marbella Apartments from N. Ode Street (via Arlington County)

(Updated at 2 p.m.) Plans from a local affordable housing nonprofit to redevelop apartments in the Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, near Rosslyn are ready for public review.

Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) proposes to redevelop some buildings in a housing complex consisting of a series of three-story garden apartments and a detached single-family residence. These buildings are located within a mile of the Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro stations.