development | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published June 17, 2013 at 9:00AM

Board Approves New Hotel — On Saturday, the Arlington County Board approved a new 168-room hotel on the former Colony House furniture site at 1700 Lee Highway. As part of the site plan approval, developer B.F. Saul agreed to make a $510,000 contribution to the county’s affordable housing fund, $62,546 to the utility undergrounding fund, $75,000 to the public art fund and $70,000 to pay for a widened sidewalk on a portion of N. Quinn Street. [Arlington County]

Diener Murder Case In-Depth — Writer Kris Coronado takes an in-depth look at how Arlington County police cracked the Carl Diener murder case, including how a hunch and DNA evidence played a pivotal role, and how one of the suspects rapped about the case against him. [Arlington Magazine]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 12, 2013 at 8:30AM

Pro-Change Group Forms in Bluemont — Fed up with neighbors who shot down a potential redevelopment of the Safeway site in Bluemont, a group of residents has formed a new organization called “Bluemont Forward.” The organization says it wants to see Wilson Boulevard become a more vibrant and walkable main street, with “an improved grocery store and other amenities for neighborhood residents.” The group might be too late to save the Safeway development, however; Greater Greater Washington reports that developer Silverwood may have “quietly backed out of the project.” [Bluemont Forward, Greater Greater Washington]

Layoffs at PBS NewsHour — PBS NewsHour, which is produced in Shirlington, has laid off a number of staff members in a reorganization. The production will also save money by streamlining and digitizing its technical processes. [TV Newser]

Around Town

Pier 1 Imports, 100 Montaditos Coming to Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published June 11, 2013 at 2:50PM | Updated June 11, 2013 at 3:14PM

Pier 1 Imports and Spanish sandwich chain 100 Montaditos will be moving into the ground floor retail bays at 1776 Wilson Blvd, a new office building that opened last year. Pier 1 will take the retail space at the corner of Clarendon Blvd and N. Quinn Street, while 100 Montaditos will be on the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Quinn Street.

Pier 1 Imports sells home furnishings, decor and furniture. The chain has more than 1,000 stores, including a location at Potomac Yard. The Rosslyn location will be more than 11,000 square feet.

News

Board to Consider New Hotel on Colony House Site

By ARLnow.com

Published June 10, 2013 at 4:15PM

It will have 168 rooms on eight stories

This weekend, the Arlington County Board is expected to consider a plan to build a new hotel on the former Colony House furniture site at 1700 Lee Highway.

The hotel is slated to be branded as a Hilton Homewood Suites. Developer B.F. Saul plans for the hotel to be 8 stories tall, with 168 rooms and 102 parking spaces.

Around Town

Coming to EFC: Shreve Apartments

By ARLnow.com

Published April 26, 2013 at 2:55PM

A new apartment complex is coming to the 6800 block of Lee Highway in the East Falls Church neighborhood.

Developer Mark Silverwood is proposing to build a five-story, 180-unit apartment building on the Shreve Oil site, a 74,360 square foot lot consisting of small buildings and oil tanks on the Arlington-Falls Church line, adjacent to the W&OD Trail.

News

Bluemont Residents Reject Proposed Safeway Development

By ARLnow.com

Published April 25, 2013 at 9:45AM | Updated August 24, 2016 at 9:09AM

The development, proposed by Safeway and local developer Mark Silverwood, would replace the current, aging Safeway and its large surface parking lot with a new store, and would build a 4-story, 160-unit apartment complex directly above that store.

Between the store and the apartments, plans call for about 400 parking spaces in an underground garage. From the Bluemont Civic Association newsletter:

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 24, 2013 at 9:15AM

Bluemont to Vote on Safeway Development — Members of the Bluemont Civic Association will vote tonight on a proposed mix-use development on the current Safeway site. The development includes a new Safeway store and a 160-unit apartment complex. Many residents have expressed concerns about the height of the development, but Bluemont resident Ryan Arnold writes that “the character of a neighborhood is not defined by the height of its buildings, but by the spirit of its people.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Arlington Runner Raises Money for Boston Victims — Frank Fumich, a local runner, ran a 19 hour 38 minute triple marathon along the Mt. Vernon Trail over the weekend in order to raise money for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Fumich raised more than $33,000 with the 78.6 mile run. [Washington Post]

Feature

New Apartment Building Converted to Condos

By ARLnow.com

Published April 22, 2013 at 11:55AM

The new “Grayson Flats” rental apartment building, at 1200 N. Rolfe Street in Radnor/Fort Myer Heights, has been purchased by a local developer and is being re-positioned as a condominium building called “The Avery.”

Reston-based Silverwood Companies announced today that it has purchased the 67-unit building, which was originally planned as a condominium, before being converted to rentals. Now, the building is back to condos.

Around Town

Former Funeral Home Site Now a Parking Lot

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 19, 2013 at 3:45PM

By 2013, the site at 3901 N. Fairfax Drive had become a parking lot (Staff photo by Katie Pyzyk)

Arlington Funeral Home at 3901 N. Fairfax Drive in Virginia Square was demolished last June in anticipation of the construction of a new mixed use development. For now, the site instead serves as a temporary surface parking lot.

The County Board approved the development’s site plan at its meeting on January 21, 2012. The idea is to build a 10-story building with three levels of underground parking. The development would contain office space, ground floor retail and a black box theater.

Around Town

New Development Coming to Walter Reed Drive

By ARLnow.com

Published April 15, 2013 at 3:45PM | Updated April 15, 2013 at 5:01PM

(Updated at 5:00 p.m.) Construction is getting started on a new five-story condominium building and townhouse development on Walter Reed Drive.

The development, called Columbia Place, will consist of 14 two-bedroom, two-bath condominiums in a mid-rise building, and 8 single-family townhomes. Developer Evergreene Homes says the townhomes will be four stories, with two-car garages and rooftop terraces.

News

‘Topping Out’ Ceremony for Rosslyn Skyscraper

By ARLnow.com

Published March 18, 2013 at 5:55PM | Updated March 19, 2013 at 12:22PM

On Friday, 1812 N. Moore Street, a new skyscraper in Rosslyn that will be the tallest building in the D.C. metro area, hosted a ceremony to mark the construction of the structure’s top floor.

Executives and employees from developer Monday Properties, builder Clark Construction and designer Davis Carter Scott donned hard hats and vests to celebrate on an upper floor of the building, which is still under construction. Construction workers joined the guests in enjoying a catered buffet and speeches from company officials.

News

Board Approves New Apartment Tower in Fort Myer Heights

By ARLnow.com

Published March 12, 2013 at 12:45PM

The project will redevelop five existing garden apartment buildings that make up Pierce Queen Apartments, along 16th Street and between N. Pierce and Queen Streets. The buildings currently contain 50 market rate affordable apartments, that rent from $1,057 to $1,390. Three would be torn down to make way for the 181-unit apartment tower, and two would be renovated and reconfigured to contain 12 three-bedroom units.

Of the 193 total units in the complex, 76 would be reserved as committed affordable housing for 60 years. As a condition of approval, the tower will be built to LEED Silver sustainability specifications. Other community benefits include a $75,000 public art contribution designated exclusively for the Fort Myer Heights area, and preservation of the two garden apartment buildings, which are considered historic by the county.