The still faint light at the end of the tunnel grows stronger week by week for Columbia Pike.
But that may be cold comfort for those facing at least 12 more months before years of construction are wrapped up.
economic development
Arlington’s visitors spent $4.5 billion in the county last year according to a new study, eclipsing a pre-pandemic record by nearly $100 million.
The county’s 7.1 million visitors in 2023 spent record-breaking sums on transportation, food and drink, hospitality, recreation and retail, according to a study conducted by economic forecaster Tourism Economics.
Arlington has ranked at the top of a list of the best places for new college grads to start their careers.
A new study by the website CoworkingCafe put Arlington at the No. 1 spot for “mid-sized cities,” just ahead of neighboring Alexandria at No. 2 and tech hub Bellevue, Washington at No. 3.
Arlington retail centers may soon be able to play movies and commercial messaging on large outdoor screens.
A proposed zoning ordinance change, unanimously recommended by Arlington’s Planning Commission on Wednesday, would affect six commercial areas in Pentagon City, Clarendon, Ballston and Shirlington. It’s part of an effort to encourage “gathering and socializing” and allow for “interesting and authentic entertainment and experiences” in Arlington’s retail centers, per a county report.
As Google plans to funnel $1 billion into Northern Virginia data centers, places such as Arlington may have renewed opportunities to attract tech investment.
Although the data center expansions announced last week are based in Loudoun County and Prince William County, they impact the entire area, said Terry Clower, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis.
Arlington has landed the headquarters of another publicly traded company.
Arlington County and Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday evening that CoStar Group will be moving its corporate headquarters from D.C. to the Central Place building in Rosslyn. The Washington Business Journal previously reported that the company was nearing a deal to buy the office tower, describing the impending move as “another blow to downtown D.C.”
As a 15-year-long project to rebuild Columbia Pike with wider sidewalks and underground utilities enters its last construction phase, county leaders say they are seeing early signs of a promising future.
On Thursday, the Columbia Pike Partnership held its third annual “State of the Pike,” during which Arlington County’s department heads delivered a comprehensive overview of the Pike’s housing market and local economy via Zoom.
Arlington County awarded $225,000 in grants to five local startups working to solve problems in their respective industries, from keeping track of freight trucks to helping veterans with disabilities.
The five winning startups are the first to receive grants — of $25,000 to $50,000 apiece — from the Arlington Innovation Fund. This new pot of money, which the county approved last year, is intended to support early-stage tech companies, particularly those owned by women, veterans and minorities, while pushing down office vacancy rates.
Several measures designed to combat Arlington’s persistently high office vacancy rate are slated for discussion next month.
On the table are expanded opportunities for shared and offsite parking, as well as more lenient parking requirements for fitness centers. Officials are also set to consider whether to allow large media screens for outdoor entertainment in some business districts.
Ballston might remain the place where the Washington Capitals practice if everything goes to plan and the hockey team begins playing games in a newly announced sports arena in Potomac Yard.
The new arena for the Caps and Washington Wizards, as well as a concert venue, could open as soon as 2028 in the Alexandria neighborhood already seeing heavy investment, including a new Metro station and Virginia Tech’s forthcoming Innovation Campus.
The outer structure of George Mason University’s $235 million expansion project in Arlington is complete.
The university celebrated the “topping out” milestone last Friday with tours of the under-construction FUSE at Mason Square structure on its Virginia Square campus.
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(Updated at 12 p.m. on 10/19/23) County leaders say Arlington is facing a grim future due to its rising office vacancy rate, which now stands at 21.5%.
Arlington is leading the region with its vacancy rate, which works out to 9 million square feet of empty space, according to Arlington Economic Development Director Ryan Touhill. He predicts the vacancy rate will continue climbing, as AED has determined about one-quarter of office buildings are at risk of sustained vacancies.