Rosslyn | ARLnow.com

Rosslyn’s ‘CentralSpace’ Plaza to Close This Weekend

Published August 28, 2014 at 3:50PM

The plaza at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Moore Street in Rosslyn with outdoor tables, seating and shade, is closing this weekend to make room for the construction of CEB Tower.

The tower, a 390-foot skyscraper, is part of the Central Place development that includes a matching, 390-foot residential tower already under construction where the McDonald’s used to sit at 1823 N. Moore Street. The residential tower is expected to be complete in 2017, and the office tower is planned to follow a year later.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 28, 2014 at 9:35AM

Crumbs Could Reopen — The shuttered Crumbs Bakeshop in Clarendon could reopen, after the bankrupt cupcake company was purchased by a new owner. Fischer Enterprises has yet to reveal which of Crumbs’ 48 stores will reopen. [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington’s Naturalist Blogs on the Side — Frustrated with “days filled with meetings and paperwork” after he started working as the natural resources manager for Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Alonso Abugattas founded an educational blog and Facebook group called Capital Naturalist. The blog has a loyal following among readers and respect from fellow naturalists. [Washington Post]

Around Town

Capriotti’s Opens Today, Offering Free Sandwiches

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 25, 2014 at 10:00AM

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop opens in Rosslyn at 11:00 a.m. today (Monday), and customers are already lining up to get free sandwiches.

The Delaware-founded and Las Vegas-based chain is opening its first location in Virginia, and to celebrate the occasion, it is offering free sandwiches to the first 100 people in line. The first 50 people in line will, according to a press release, receive certificates granting them free “Bobbies” for a year. The Bobbie is the shop’s most popular sandwich, a hoagie with roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayonnaise.

Events

Rosslyn Jazz Festival Returns Sept. 6

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 18, 2014 at 3:20PM

On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway), four jazz bands will take the stage while attendees can enjoy a picnic, food and fashion trucks and beer and wine.

This year, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District is hosting its 24th jazz festival, and once again it’s free to attend. Parking is available in the garage at 1911 N. Fort Myer Drive, and several streets around the park, including Lee Highway, will be closed from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Around Town

Custis Trail ‘Bikeometer’ Passes 200,000 Trips

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 18, 2014 at 1:45PM | Updated August 18, 2014 at 2:31PM

As of last night, the counter was up to 204,899 trips since it was unveiled on April 1. There were 706 trips recorded today at 12:43 this afternoon, and 24,907 trips this month. The “Bikeometer” has been getting good reviews from the community, according to county Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel.

“Many people have said that previously they had no idea how many other cyclists bike through Rosslyn,” she said. “County staff did not have a precise understanding of how many bicyclists were using the Custis Trail through the Rosslyn Circle area. With the installation of the Bikeometer counter and display we now know a lot more about the number of bicycle travelers on an average day, and how that number changes over the course of the year and by the day of the week. We’re also learning more about how factors such as weather can impact bicycle travel.”

Around Town

D.C. Removes ‘Love Locks’ from Key Bridge

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 14, 2014 at 5:00PM

Last week

The D.C. Department of Transportation has removed the dozens of “love locks” that started popping up on the Key Bridge this year.

“We have [the locks] in our storage facility,” DDOT spokesman Reggie Sanders said in an email. “The locks are in reasonably good condition. At some point [couples] will be able to make arrangements to retrieve them.”

News

Driver Pleads Guilty to DUI Manslaughter in Fatal Rosslyn Crash

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 14, 2014 at 2:30PM

Aman Singh Lail, 24, was traveling eastbound on Lee Highway when his Jeep Wrangler slammed into the car of 24-year-old Saqlain Chowdhury at 2:09 a.m. Chowdhury was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he died.

The accident happened a block away from where Lail’s friend, Sami Ullah, died after driving 90 mph over Key Bridge 10 months earlier.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 14, 2014 at 9:00AM

Traffic Impacts Due to Military Funeral — Military officials are warning of possible traffic impacts in Arlington due to a full honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Army Maj. Gen. Harold Greene will be laid to rest today beginning at 2:00 p.m. A Falls Church resident, Greene was killed on Aug. 5 in Afghanistan; he’s the highest-ranking U.S. military casualty since Vietnam. Officials say Greene’s funeral could impact traffic on Washington Blvd at the Fort Myer exit and on Route 110 at Marshall Drive.

Partisans Support Nonpartisan Redistricting — Democrat Rip Sullivan and Republican Dave Foster, candidates for the 48th District House of Delegates seat, agree on at least one thing: that Virginia’s redistricting process should be nonpartisan. While support for nonpartisan redistricting may be growing, it is unclear if it could pass the General Assembly. [InsideNova]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 13, 2014 at 9:15AM

Candidates Push for Streetcar Referendum — Both Democrat Richard “Rip” Sullivan and Republican David Foster promise to introduce legislation in Richmond to allow Arlington residents to vote on the Columbia Pike streetcar. Last month, Arlington County Board members said they do not have the authority to put such a referendum on the ballot. Even if the measure would pass through the General Assembly and were approved by Gov. McAuliffe, it likely wouldn’t take effect until July 2015. [InsideNova]

Politico Moving in Rosslyn — Politico is leaving the space it shared with WJLA and NewsChannel 8 at 1100 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, but it’s not moving far. The publication has signed a long term lease at 1000 Wilson Blvd. [Washington Business Journal]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 8, 2014 at 9:10AM

CEB to Pay $22 Million Per Year for Rent — The Corporate Executive Board filed a quarterly report on Thursday showing it plans to pay $22 million per year in rent to anchor the Central Place office tower in Rosslyn. That number is just base rent without any additional operating expenses or real estate taxes. [Washington Business Journal]

New App for Job Seekers — A free app called VAWorks launched yesterday to help residents find jobs. Users can search for jobs by occupation, location or keyword. The app is available for Apple and Android devices. [The Virginian-Pilot]

News

Efforts Resume for Arlington Boathouse Project

By ARLnow.com

Published August 6, 2014 at 2:30PM

Arlington County has worked to bring a boathouse to the area since the 1990s. It has collaborated with the National Park Service on the project because Arlington’s shoreline technically is NPS property.

NPS launched an environmental impact statement (EIS) more than two years ago per direction from Congress, but had to put it on hold. Neither the county nor NPS would comment on why the EIS stalled. NPS and county staff revived the process when they met twice this spring to discuss moving forward. NPS now is in the process of finding a contractor to complete the EIS. According to NPS Superintendent Alex Romero, the goal is to partner with the contractor who previously began the EIS.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 5, 2014 at 9:00AM | Updated August 5, 2014 at 10:57AM

County Quietly Chooses Auditor — The Arlington County government hired an internal auditor to improve transparency in finances and operations. County officials say specifics about the hire will be released in September. [InsideNova]

CEB Deal Questioned — Last month, the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) announced it would anchor The JBG Cos.’ planned Central Place office tower in Rosslyn. But the head of Boston Properties believes that’s not a win. He says Rosslyn’s vacancy rate will grow because of the huge space CEB will leave behind at 1919 N. Lynn Street. [Washington Business Journal]