economic development | ARLnow.com

Arlington Shouldn’t Fear a ‘Tsunami’ of New Residents With Amazon’s Arrival, Officials Say

Published November 14, 2018 at 9:45AM

Amazon’s new headquarters will fundamentally transform Arlington in the years to come, but county officials are hoping to reassure residents that the area won’t change in the blink of an eye.

Instead, Arlington leaders are painting the arrival of the tech giant — and the 25,000 workers set to someday occupy its new office space — as a development that will shape the county’s economic landscape over time, rather than overnight. And, they hope, that will give the county time to prepare accordingly.

News

With Amazon On Board, Leaders Look to Quell Concerns Over Incentives for the Tech Giant

By Alex Koma

Published November 13, 2018 at 3:50PM | Updated November 14, 2018 at 10:16AM

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Concerns about the wisdom of doling out millions in incentives to lure Amazon to Arlington have abounded ever since rumors first kicked up that the company could head to the county — but Tuesday’s celebration of the move in Pentagon City didn’t betray much trepidation among state and local leaders.

Instead, Gov. Ralph Northam and a cadre of others devoted the afternoon to hailing the tech giant’s decision to bring a new headquarters to Arlington as a transformative one for the region.

News

County Hands Over Half of Cash Incentives Promised to Nestle for Rosslyn Move

By Alex Koma

Published August 29, 2018 at 9:45AM

Nestle is now in line to earn half of the $4 million in local grants Arlington promised the company in exchange for moving to Rosslyn, after meeting the county’s targets to qualify for the incentives.

In all, the packaged food giant will receive $12 million in cash and infrastructure improvements after agreeing to relocate its corporate headquarters to 1812 N. Moore Street last February. But the money did come with some strings attached, forcing the company to prove that it will create 748 new jobs with an average annual salary of $127,719 in the county and lease at least 205,000 square feet of office space by the time 2020 arrives.

News

Arlington Officials Hail the Arrival of Small Business SyLearn as a Modest, Yet Meaningful, Win

By Alex Koma

Published August 23, 2018 at 4:45PM

County Board members Christian Dorsey and Libby Garvey and help SyLearn CEO Jay Chandok cut the ribbon on his new business.

While most ribbon cuttings for new businesses around Arlington tend to be full of pomp and circumstance, SyLearn’s grand opening in a modest Virginia Square office building Wednesday was a family affair.

CEO Jay Chandok, who helped found the new IT training company, busily urged guests to help themselves to a full buffet, as the daughters of Chandok and other staff members snapped pictures of new arrivals with iPhones. One made sure to introduce each visitor to one of her dolls, which she’d given a Hawaiian name: Leilani.

News

BREAKING: Gerber Moving Headquarters to Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published April 16, 2018 at 1:20PM | Updated April 16, 2018 at 3:30PM

Gov. Ralph Northam making Gerber announcement

(Updated at 2 p.m.) Baby food and products company Gerber is moving its headquarters from New Jersey to Rosslyn and creating 150 jobs, officials announced Monday afternoon (April 16).

The company, a Nestlé subsidiary acquired in 2007, will invest $5 million in the relocation.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 9, 2018 at 10:00AM | Updated April 9, 2018 at 10:26AM

First Responders Say Starting Pay Is Too Low — “Patrick Gorman was just beginning to enjoy his job as an Arlington, Va., police officer when he decided to quit. His wife was pregnant with twins, and they already had a 2-year-old. Even with both working full time, he said, they couldn’t afford to live in the area. Two months out of training, he left the department in February and moved to North Carolina.” [Washington Post]

Large Arlington Contingent for Boston Marathon — Some 77 runners from Arlington are set to compete in the prestigious Boston Marathon a week from today. [InsideNova]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 19, 2018 at 7:35AM

GGW Boosts Gondola — “While [the proposed Georgetown-Rosslyn gondola] might not be the one, most important transportation project in the whole region, it’s a worthwhile way to help people reach jobs and shops and reduce single-passenger car trips.” [Greater Greater Washington]

USB E-Cig Banned at APS — “Schools in Arlington, Virginia, have specifically banned a new type of e-cigarette that has gained popularity among local teenagers: the Juul.” [WTOP]

News

Arlington: Great for Talent, Not So Good for Permitting

By ARLnow.com

Published March 9, 2018 at 4:10PM

Arlington has a lot going for it, including a deep well of talented workers, but the county’s permitting office remains a constant source of business complaints.

Those were two of the major takeaways from the Future of Arlington County event held Thursday at Market Common Clarendon. Organized by online business publication Bisnow, the event brought together economic development officials, developers, attorneys and business owners.

News

Sources: Amazon Toured Crystal City and Rosslyn Last Week

By ARLnow.com

Published March 5, 2018 at 3:45PM | Updated March 5, 2018 at 5:44PM

Amazon officials visited Crystal City and Rosslyn last week as part of the company’s HQ2 search, multiple sources tell ARLnow.com.

Commercial real estate industry sources say the Crystal City tour happened Wednesday. The Arlington neighborhood, with its vacant office space and robust transportation options, has been mentioned as a frontrunner among D.C. area locales.

Opinion

Did Cancelling the Streetcar Hurt Arlington’s Amazon Chances?

By ARLnow.com

Published March 1, 2018 at 2:15PM

Rendering of a streetcar along Columbia Pike (file photo)

It’s a question that some have been asking themselves as Arlington has advanced to be among the most likely destinations for Amazon’s second headquarters.

Would the proposed Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcar system have helped Arlington’s chances had it been built?

News

Did You Know: Amazon Already Has an Arlington Office

By Bridget Reed Morawski

Published February 21, 2018 at 5:35PM

Hype has been building over Amazon eying Arlington as a potential destination for its second headquarters, but many may be unaware that the online giant already has offices in the county.

The D.C. region already has a number of Amazon offices and facilities, including a 50,000 square foot office at 4250 N. Fairfax Drive in Ballston.

Around Town

Podcast: Arlington Economic Development Director Victor Hoskins

By Chris Teale

Published January 26, 2018 at 3:00PM

The company announced last week that Northern Virginia — including Arlington alongside Alexandria, Loudoun and Fairfax Counties — has made its short-list of 20 finalists from 238 separate proposals from the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

And while the county is keeping details of its bid close to the vest — like many others in the running — there have been rumblings that both Crystal City and Rosslyn have been floated as good locations for Amazon’s so-called “HQ2.”