A dedicated bus lane and new bus stops are set to come for Crystal Drive and 12th Street S. as part of an expansion of the Crystal City/Potomac Yard Transitway to Pentagon City.
But progress on the project has elicited frustration from some local transit advocates, residents and community leaders.
There are now more than 3,000 Amazon employees assigned to the company’s HQ2 in Arlington.
That’s more than double the amount of employees this time last year, according to a spokeswoman for the company.
A restaurant specializing in cuisine from across the Mediterranean is planning on bringing that seaside vision to this side of the Potomac.
Santé, a restaurant described in a press release as “Mediterranean-inspired”, is scheduled to open in The Ritz-Carlton (1250 S. Hayes Street) in Pentagon City sometime this fall.
Local Real Estate Market Slowing — “When it comes to housing prices and sales, red-hot Arlington County cooled a bit last month compared to last summer — a modest slowdown that the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors says was typical throughout the region. NVAR reports the median price of a home that sold in Arlington County last month was 9% lower than a year ago, and the average number of days on the market, or how long it took to sell a home, was up 35% compared to last July.” [WTOP]
County Board Still Opposes Gondola — “This week, all five members of the Arlington County Board confirmed to the Washington Business Journal their position hasn’t changed. Even the two new Democrats to join the board since it penned that 2017 letter — current Chair Matt de Ferranti and Takis Karantonis — said in interviews that they remain unconvinced, despite the proponents’ recent success in pushing the District to budget $10 million toward the purchase of a potential D.C. landing site near the Key Bridge.” [Washington Business Journal]
Five people were arrested after an armed robbery outside the Harris Teeter store in Pentagon City.
The robbery happened around 4 p.m. Wednesday, in a parking lot near the grocery store. Five people, including at least one who was armed with a handgun, assaulted and stole cash from victims with whom they had arranged a sale of sneakers, according to police.
(Updated at 11:55 a.m.) Arlington Transit buses will return to full service after Labor Day weekend, the county-run transit agency says.
Rush-hour-only ART buses 53, 61, 62 and 74 will run again starting Tuesday, Sept. 7, after being out of service since March 2020 due to the pandemic. Once these buses resume operation, Arlington Transit will largely be back at full service. ART 72 will continue on a modified weekday schedule, however.
(Updated at 6:15 p.m.) Police and firefighters are on scene of an overturned vehicle in Pentagon City, near the Costco and the Amazon HQ2 construction site.
The crash happened around 3:45 p.m. at the intersection of 15th Street S. and S. Elm Street. Photos from the scene show only a single vehicle: a black SUV resting on its side, with its windshield smashed. Bystanders could be seen standing around it, before police arrived.
Vax Mandade for County, APS Employees — “Arlington County Government and Arlington Public Schools (APS) will implement a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for employees. This joint action, effective August 30, is a necessary step to help keep the community safe and is consistent with COVID-19 public health guidance. This policy will also apply to interns, volunteers, substitutes, and contractors… All unvaccinated employees will be required to be tested at least weekly for COVID-19 to limit the potential spread in the workforce and in the community. Testing will be provided at no cost to the employee.” [Arlington County]
Mask Mandate for Va. Schools — “Virginia will require all students, teachers and staff in K-12 schools to wear masks indoors this fall, even if they are vaccinated, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced Thursday. The mandate, set forth in a public health emergency order, is sure to stir controversy and anger amid an already fractious debate over education in the state.” [Washington Post, Gov. Ralph Northam]
Folks wanting a weekend trip to Virginia Beach can now catch a luxury motor coach — with leather seats and hot towels — that has regular departures from Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.
Rides with the bus company, ROX, started July 1, 2020, and ended 90 days later as coronavirus cases rose in the fall. Service between Arlington and Virginia Beach started back up in July, and the company is set to bring a Charlottesville-Virginia Beach route online in September.
A new business offering high-end therapeutic and wellness treatments — including cryotherapy — is opening in Pentagon City.
Texas-based Restore Hyper Wellness started offering treatments to help people facing pain, inflammation and chronic dehydration in 2015. There are now Restore franchise locations throughout the U.S., with one set to open at Westpost, the shopping center formerly Pentagon Row.
At 8 a.m. on Sunday, a man will embark on a 42-day walk from the Pentagon to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to the World Trade Center in New York City to honor the first responders who risked their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
The journey is personal for Frank Siller, who is traversing six states and more than 500 miles in memory of his brother, New York firefighter Stephen Siller, who died responding to the terrorist attack. The surviving Siller plans to arrive in Manhattan on Sept. 11.
Police Chief’s First Community Convo — “ACPD looks forward to engaging with the community at our first Community Conversations with the Chief at @MegamartMarket on Columbia Pike” today. [Twitter]
Registration Next Week for Fall Rec Classes — “As it begins to ramp back up after more than a year of COVID-caused pullbacks, the Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation has set registration dates for its fall programming. Online registration for classes begins Aug. 4 at 7 a.m. (gymnastics) and 7:30 a.m. (all other programs) for county residents.” [Sun Gazette]
