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Streetscape improvements and apartment construction take shape in Courthouse

Published June 27, 2023 at 3:45PM

A reconfigured 15th Street N. in Courthouse along one edge of the "Landmark Block" development (staff photo)

Transportation and streetscape upgrades are making progress on several streets in Courthouse near an under-construction apartment tower.

The work is all associated with “The Commodore,” an new apartment building at 2050 Wilson Blvd. It replaces several low-slung commercial buildings, including restaurants like Summers, that were part of what Arlington County dubbed the “Landmark Block.” Today (Tuesday), fencing around the tower was festooned with banners announcing leasing would start this fall.

News

Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Buckingham to undergo $15M renovation project

By Jo DeVoe

Published June 22, 2023 at 3:30PM

Rendering of the new cathedral (courtesy Diocese of Arlington)

There is a brick, mid-century Catholic church that overlooks Arlington Blvd from a hill, adorned with three stained glass arches and a white cross.

Built to serve a parish, it was repurposed in the mid-1970s and christened the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Its exterior today belies the building’s significance as the “mother church” for nearly a half-million Catholics across Northern Virginia and the seat of their bishop, Michael Burbidge.

News

While redevelopment is paused, Columbia Pike strip mall owner steps up cleaning and security

By Jo DeVoe

Published June 20, 2023 at 10:55AM

A notice condemning the old Atilla's restaurant on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Growing community concerns and a visit from county code enforcement have prompted a local property manager to clean and secure its vacant storefronts on Columbia Pike.

Some retail bays at the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center, on the 2600 block of the Pike, have stood empty for a year as the strip mall awaited redevelopment. That includes the former spaces of Atilla’s restaurant, apparel store Legends Kicks and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.

News

Arlington Children’s Center upgrades plagued by some costly structural issues

By Jo DeVoe

Published June 16, 2023 at 10:30AM

The Arlington Children's Center at 1915 N. Uhle Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

When a contractor for Arlington County embarked on work to renovate a county-owned childcare building near Courthouse, it ran into some costly problems.

The county contracted with Landivar & Associates in December to oversee plans to update the Arlington Children’s Center (1915 N. Uhle Street), which has housed a childcare facility for county employees for several decades. It will be updating the building to meet current daycare standards, comply with the Americans with Disability Act and provide an interior refresh.

News

County Board quadruples threshold for projects needing a vote to $1M

By Jo DeVoe

Published June 14, 2023 at 4:45PM

Construction workers at Oakland Park (file photo)

Arlington County, like the rest of us, is realizing $250,000 does not get you as far as it used to.

With inflation, gone are the days that a construction contract of any significance could realistically come in under that sum, the threshold for a project that requires Arlington County Board approval. Gone too are the days that most professional services contracts, for things like engineering work, would cost under $80,000.

Schools

Arlington Career Center project approved despite some resident concerns

By Jo DeVoe

Published June 12, 2023 at 3:45PM

Design of the Grace Hopper Center, now under construction (via Arlington County)

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board approved plans to redevelop the Arlington Career Center on Columbia Pike.

Arlington Public Schools will be building a new 5-story Career Center building at 816 S. Walter Reed Drive to house students in vocational courses, such as veterinary sciences. Also set to be built: a standalone 4-story parking garage.

News

Redevelopment plans for Columbia Pike strip mall stall after grocery tenant pulls out

By Jo DeVoe

Published May 23, 2023 at 3:55PM

Rendering of The Elliott apartments on Columbia Pike (via Arlington County)

An apartment redevelopment proposed for a strip mall on Columbia Pike is stalled for the foreseeable future after the anchor tenant — a grocery store — fell through.

But some of the existing tenants, including the restaurant Atilla’s, have already moved out. And now, the Fillmore Gardens shopping center on the 2600 block of the Pike, which includes a still-operating CVS, is attracting graffiti artists and other signs of blight, according to neighbors.

News

Pike office building could be torn down this summer and turned into parking lot

By Jo DeVoe

Published May 12, 2023 at 10:45AM | Updated May 12, 2023 at 12:29PM

3108 Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) Arlington County is gearing up to raze a three-story office building on Columbia Pike this summer and turn it into a parking lot.

To get started, the Arlington County Board needs to kick off public hearings to consider the land-use changes needed for the new use. It is slated to do so on Saturday.

News

Park next to Amazon HQ2 set to get a new farmers market

By Jo DeVoe

Published May 10, 2023 at 9:30AM

The new, public Metropolitan Park in the first phase of Amazon's HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

When Amazon opens the first phase of its second headquarters in June, it is preparing to debut a new farmers market, too.

This farmers market is set to pop up four Saturdays a month starting June 24. It will be located inside the $14 million public park Amazon renovated as part of the Metropolitan Park or “Met Park” first phase of HQ2, at the corner of 13th Street S. and S. Eads Street.

News

Plans to build a bridge between Crystal City and DCA poised to take two steps forward

By Jo DeVoe

Published May 9, 2023 at 2:15PM

A rendering from October 2022 of the proposed CC2DCA bridge near a future Virginia Railway Express station at Crystal City (Arlington County)

A plan for a pedestrian bridge between Crystal City and Reagan National Airport is headed to the Arlington County Board for endorsement this weekend.

Specifically, the Board is set to bless a girder-style bridge that will connect a future southern entrance to the Virginia Railway Express station at 2011 Crystal Drive to the airport’s Terminal 2. It is also slated to approve more funding for an engineering firm to further develop designs for the bridge, dubbed the CC2DCA multimodal connection.

News

Public input drives developer to nix drive-thru ATM from Clarendon Wells Fargo redevelopment plans

By Jo DeVoe

Published May 3, 2023 at 3:30PM

Updated renderings of the Clarendon Wells Fargo redevelopment (via Arlington County)

In response to criticism from residents, citizen commissioners and county staff, a developer has removed a drive-thru ATM from its plans to redevelop the Wells Fargo in Clarendon.

One year ago, McLean-based developer Jefferson Apartment Group filed plans to replace the bank — the one someone recently attempted to rob — with a mixed-use building. It is set to consist of 238 apartments, 60,000 square feet of office space and 30,000 square feet of retail, including a new Wells Fargo branch.

News

This trio of local streets is slated to get safety and accessibility improvements

By Jo DeVoe

Published May 3, 2023 at 11:30AM | Updated March 8, 2024 at 12:23PM

14th Street N. Neighborhood Complete Streets project boundaries (via Arlington County)

Arlington County is working on plans to make safety and accessibility upgrades a trio of local streets.

Some of the changes could include adding sidewalks where there are none, removing obstructions from existing sidewalks, and extending curbs — known as a “bump-out” — to make shorter pedestrian crossings.