development | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published December 11, 2020 at 7:30AM | Updated December 11, 2020 at 10:02AM

State Dept. Staying in Rosslyn — “The Department of State will be staying put in an aging Rosslyn office building for another two decades after the General Services Administration ruled out options elsewhere in Northern Virginia for the agency’s space needs. The General Services Administration intends to seek a succeeding lease of 20 years with the owner of 1800 N. Kent St.” [Washington Business Journal]

Va. Square Development Underway — “Mill Creek Residential has begun construction of Modera Kirkwood, a 270-unit apartment community in Arlington, Va., in the heart of the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor… at 3415 Washington Boulevard.” [Commercial Observer, Multi-Housing News]

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Crystal City Parking Lot Could Become Apartments or Interim Plaza in Five Years

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 10, 2020 at 1:30PM

A potential residential development in Crystal City is being delayed again, thus keeping an otherwise prime property as a parking lot.

Owner Gould Property Co. wants to delay construction at 2661 S. Clark Street a few more years while it waits for different market conditions. Since 1983, when the 70-space parking lot was approved, Gould has been granted extensions to keep it a parking lot. The last extension was in 2016.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 10, 2020 at 6:00AM

Modification to Red Top Development — “As currently proposed, the building would have 269 residential units instead of the previously-approved 247. The unit mix will span from studios to two bedrooms, and the ground-floor units will have private entrances, including a lone three-bedroom unit. The development will also include 134 vehicular spaces and 108 bicycle spaces on a below-grade level.” [UrbanTurf]

Spotted: First Snowflakes of the Season — The first snowflakes of the season in Arlington fell yesterday. Though the few flakes that briefly fell did not amount to any degree of accumulation, it was enough to prompt a few social media posts. [Twitter, Twitter]

News

Implosion to Fell Rosslyn Hotel Tower This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published December 7, 2020 at 11:45AM | Updated December 9, 2020 at 10:54AM

Holiday Inn set for demolition in Rosslyn (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated on 12/9/20) The former Rosslyn Holiday Inn is set to be demolished via a planned implosion this weekend.

The 18-story hotel tower at 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive is set to come down at 8 a.m. Sunday “as safety, crowd control and weather conditions permit,” an advisory obtained by ARLnow says.

News

JBG Smith Proposes a Restaurant in a Courtyard Along Crystal Drive

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 1, 2020 at 3:45PM | Updated December 2, 2020 at 9:44AM

Rendering of proposed 2121 Crystal Drive restaurant in the courtyard (photo courtesy JBG Smith)

(Updated at 9:45 a.m.) Developer JBG Smith is making changes to plans it had for two courtyard eateries on Crystal Drive.

In 2018 the County Board approved a plan for two restaurants for the green space at 2121 Crystal Drive, which currently has walking paths, trees, a field, a lighted gazebo and seating. JBG Smith is returning to the County Board with a new plan that would combine the two eateries into one larger restaurant.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 25, 2020 at 7:30AM | Updated November 25, 2020 at 8:36AM

Thanksgiving County Closures — “Arlington County Government offices, courts, libraries & facilities will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 26 & Friday, Nov. 27 for Thanksgiving. Courts will close Wednesday Nov. 26 at noon… Metered Parking: Not enforced on Thurs. Nov. 26 or Fri., Nov. 27.” [Arlington County]

Development Plan for Silver Diner Site — “The Donohoe Cos. is targeting Clarendon’s Silver Diner for a major redevelopment. The company has yet to file specific plans with Arlington County for the triangular parcel at 3200 Wilson Blvd., a block from the Clarendon Metro station, but it has outlined a mixed-use vision for the newly dubbed ‘Bingham Center’ on a project page on its website. Specifically, the developer envisions 286 apartments, a 224-room hotel, 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, a public park and ‘a new public street designed with the principals of a woonerf (a curbless pedestrian-friendly street).'” [Washington Business Journal]

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 16, 2020 at 6:00AM

Arlington trees on a clear day (file photo)

Crystal City Development Approved — “The Arlington County Board today approved JBG Smith’s plan to develop Crystal Gateway, a nine-story office building with ground-floor retail, at 101 12th Street S. in Crystal City. Community benefits associated with the project include the developer conveying 54,500 sq. ft. of land for Gateway Park, which will connect Long Bridge Park to Crystal City.” [Arlington County]

Teacher Groups Banding Together — “Representatives from teacher associations in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington and Manassas Park will host a news conference Monday urging a return to virtual-only learning. In a statement Sunday evening, the Fairfax Education Association said it ‘stands with our colleagues from the Northern Virginia region to ask the Governor to return the Commonwealth to a full Phase II of the reopening plan and to recommend that our schools return to a fully virtual method of instruction.'” [InsideNova]

News

County Board to Review Office Building Proposal in Crystal City

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 13, 2020 at 11:55AM

Plans for 101 12th Street S. in Crystal City (courtesy JBG Smith/TMRW Studios)

Developer JBG Smith is advancing plans to turn a grassy plot of land it owns in northern Crystal City into a new office building.

The project at 101 12th Street S. is one of the projects added to the company’s extensive development pipeline in the area following the arrival of Amazon’s HQ2. The County Board is slated to review the proposed development this Saturday.

News

County Board to Consider Construction Contract for Rosslyn Playground

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 13, 2020 at 10:45AM

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board is slated to award a contract to construct a playground in Rosslyn.

Construction on the Rosslyn Highlands Park Playground will begin when construction on the new Queens Court Residences affordable housing development (1801 N. Quinn Street) nears completion, in early 2021, according to the project page. The playground could open near the end of 2021.

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Columbia Pike Development May Include New Grocery Store

By ARLnow.com

Published November 12, 2020 at 1:45PM

A rendering of a new mixed-use building proposed for the Westmont Shopping Center (Image via Arlington County)

A smaller-format grocery store is now part of the plan for the redevelopment of the Westmont Shopping Center.

The strip mall, at the busy corner of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road, is set to be torn down and replaced with a six-story mixed use building with 250 housing units and 22,500 square feet of retail space. The redevelopment plan was approved by the County Board last fall.

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County Board to Review Plans for Apartment Redevelopment on Columbia Pike

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 10, 2020 at 3:35PM

Renderings of the planned Pike West apartments (Image via Arlington County)

This Saturday, the Arlington County Board is slated to review a proposal to convert garden-style apartments on Columbia Pike into a 400-unit development dubbed Pike West.

The redevelopment of what’s currently known as the Greenbrier Apartments will add affordable housing units in a diverse neighborhood of Arlington that has seen an influx of residents, where the county aims to preserve 6,200 affordable housing units.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 3, 2020 at 6:00AM

Polls Are Open — After a record-setting run-up to the 2020 presidential election, it’s Election Day and polls are now open. Polling places in Arlington are open until 7 p.m. County government is closed today so metered parking will not be enforced. There are two local races: Audrey Clement (I) challenging incumbent Libby Garvey (D) for Arlington County Board, and Cristina Diaz-Torres, David Priddy and Symone Walker vying for two open Schools Board seats. [Arlington County]

Other Races on the Ballot — Two of Arlington’s members of Congress — Democrats Rep. Don Beyer and Sen. Mark Warner — are facing Republican challengers: Jeff Jordan and, in the Senate race, Daniel Gade. Both Jordan and Gade are retired Army officers. Also on the ballot are a pair of proposed changes to the Virginia constitution, and five county bond referenda, including one facing some organized opposition. [Arlington County]