Floors 2 to 14 of the 14-story Class A office building are for rent for an asking price of between $44 and $48 per square foot, according to a real estate website. The building offers tenants “direct access to the Clarendon Metro via a below grade walkway from the lobby,” “panoramic views” and a “great signage opportunity,” according to the commercial real estate firm that’s helping to lease it.
The ground floor of the building has retail tenants like Mister Days and Mad Rose Tavern.
The restaurant had the rare privilege of catering a congressional event last week, thanks to a devoted fan: Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas). Barton has a home in Arlington Heights, not too far from Pedro and Vinny’s, and has become a regular customer since it opened last summer.
When it recently came time for Barton to arrange the catering at a weekly lunch for Republican members of congress from Texas, he asked his staffers to approach the restaurant to see if they’d be up for the task. It would be tough to appease the discerning palates of the Texas lawmakers — whose lunch is usually catered by a rotation of larger, more established restaurants like Hill Country Barbecue and Tortilla Coast — but owner Roger Coroneo said he was up for the challenge.
Arlington Office Vacancies Up — Arlington and Alexandria were the only two D.C. area markets that saw a significant increase in office vacancies in 2011, according to recently-released data. Arlington, which had the lowest office vacancy rate at the end of 2010, ended 2011 with the same vacancy rate as the District of Columbia. The loss of government office tenants as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act is said to be to blame for the rise in vacancies. [Washington Post]
Howell Tries to Insert Viagra Provision Into Abortion Bill — State Sen. Janet Howell (D), who represents part of Arlington, tried to insert a bit of “gender equity” into a bill being considered by the Virginia Senate. The bill, SB484, would require that a woman seeking an abortion be offered the opportunity to view an ultrasound image of her fetus. Howell’s amendment, which was narrowly defeated along party lines yesterdsay, would have required men to receive a “digital rectal exam and cardiac stress test” before receiving a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication. [Blue Virginia]
Artisphere Gets Exclusive Photo Exhibit — Artisphere has scored a bit of a coup by becoming the first and only venue in the United States to host an exhibit of the personal photos of famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. “These images reveal a little-known side of the artist and lifelong resident of Mexico City suburb and Arlington, Va. sister city, Coyoacán,” Artisphere said in a press release. “The collection of photographs in this exhibition reflect Kahlo’s tastes and interests, the experiences she shared with those close to her, and her complicated, but also thrilling, personal life.” [Artisphere]
General Assembly May Ban Motorcycle Checkpoints — State legislators are considering a bill that would ban police from setting up motorcycle-only safety checkpoints. Arlington is one of the jurisdictions cited as having conducted such a “discriminatory” checkpoint — during last year’s Rolling Thunder ride to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. [Virginian-Pilot]
The shuttered Brown’s Used Car Super Center (3200 Columbia Pike) is set to become a new Audi dealership.
Architectural signs in the window indicate that the Arlington Audi dealership will be owned by Rosenthal Automotive, which also owns the Jeep/Chrysler dealership across the street. The Rosenthal Jeep/Chrysler site is set to be razed and redeveloped.
The Burger King at 3627 Columbia Pike is currently one of few Burger King restaurants in the United States offering an experimental delivery service.
The Columbia Pike Burger King is offering delivery between 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. seven days a week, for a $2 delivery charge. The minimum order is $10 and tip is not included in the delivery charge. Customers in a limited delivery area around the restaurant can order burgers, fries, bottled drinks and other lunch/dinner items via a new “BK Delivers” website or by calling 855-OrderBk (855-673-3725).
Backyard Chicken Debate Rages On — Egg-laying hens aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, according to an Arlington resident whose neighbor had an illegal chicken coop. “I can tell you that I thought we had excessive flies, we had rodents; the chickens do make noise and there is a smell,” Darryl Hobbs told WUSA9 at a community discussion about backyard chicken raising last night. Chicken supporters dispute claims that their coops are unsanitary, and say that egg-laying hens produce a steady stream of healthy, tasty and sustainable food. [WUSA 9]
Shoplifting Suspect Flees Down Metro Tracks — Metro trains were temporarily shut down near the Pentagon City station Tuesday night after a shoplifting suspect jumped on the tracks in an attempt to get away. The man, who’s accused of shoplifting from the Nordstom’s in Pentagon City, was eventually caught by Metro Transit Police. [NBC Washington]
Hee Been’s nearly 80-foot-long dinner buffet features some 85 different items representing three different types of cuisine: Korean, Japanese and Thai. The buffet offerings include soups and salads, a wide selection of freshly-prepared sushi and sashimi, hot and cold noodle dishes, grilled-to-order steaks, various types of seafood and Korean specialties, plus fresh fruit and desserts (tip: try the cold cinnamon tea).
The family-owned restaurant has been off to a relatively slow start since its Christmas Day soft opening, thanks in part to its inconspicuous location. Hee Been is located at the back of the off-street cluster of eateries and shops on the ground floor of the relatively new Eclipse condominium building in the far southeast corner of Arlington County. Though in close proximity to busy Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1), the restaurant’s existence is hardly noticeable to anybody who doesn’t live in the Eclipse.
‘Bookhouse’ in Bluemont Profiled — The Washington Post profiles the Bookhouse, a rare book business in Bluemont run by Natalie Hughes, 80, and her husband Edward, 91. The couple say they plan to close the business — which features a collection of about 30,000 volumes — in a year or two. [Washington Post]
Board Declines to Appoint Tie-Breaker — The Arlington County Board, down to four members since Barbara Favola resigned on Dec. 31 to start her new career as a state Senator, has opted not to appoint a designated tie-breaker, as permitted by state law. Instead, measures that garner a 2-2 tie vote will simply fail. [Sun Gazette]
A recently-updated app called It Happened Here detects your location and tells you interesting things that happened around you. Currently the app has information on six metro areas, including Washington. Among the interesting waypoints it will tell you about in Arlington:
It Happened Here was developed by Ken Dodelin, an Arlington resident, with the help of some students in an Entrepreneurial Journalism class he teaches at Georgetown University’s Clarendon campus.
Life-Like Simulators at Arlington Nursing School — The Chamberlain College of Nursing in Arlington is using simulated humans to train its students. The life-sized, life-like simulators can sweat, breathe, talk, and even give birth — and can be treated by new students without risking life or lawsuit. [WUSA9]
Local Indie Book Store Recognized — One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland Street) in the East Falls Church area has been named one of the “Best Indie Bookstores on Twitter” by Mediabistro. The store, which specializes in books, wine and chocolate, has 857 Twitter followers. [GalleyCat]
Rehabbed Bridge to Be More Ped-Friendly — Arlington County is preparing to rehabilitate the Carlin Springs Road bridge over George Mason Drive, and the bridge’s chosen design will make it much more pedestrian-friendly. Currently, the bridge only has a pair of 5 foot sidewalks. The new bridge will have 8 foot sidewalks and 5 foot bike lanes on either side, but with narrower lanes for cars and no center divider. [Greater Greater Washington]
Arlington HQ’d Firm Gets New Name — The security contractor formerly known as Blackwater — now headquartered in Arlington — has a new name. The company’s name was changed to ‘Xe’ about three years ago, amid controversy over Blackwater’s role in civilian deaths in Iraq. On Monday the name was changed again, to ‘Academi.’ [Washington Post]
