(Updated at 11:40 a.m.) Firefighters are on the scene of a kitchen fire at Cafe Asia restaurant (1550 Wilson Blvd) in Rosslyn.
The fire, which reportedly started in an oven, was quickly extinguished. Nonetheless, the office building above Cafe Asia was evacuated as a precaution, sending scores of workers out onto the sidewalk.
County Board Candidates Debate — The three candidates for Arlington County Board — two incumbent Democrats and one Green Party challenger — answered questions at the Civic Federation candidates forum last night. The Democrats, Mary Hynes and Walter Tejada, spoke generally about the advantages of living in Arlington, while challenger Audrey Clement sharply criticized the County Board as being “in bed with developers.” [Sun Gazette]
Unopposed Candidate Roundup — Six Democrats who are running unopposed for local offices also spoke at last night’s candidates forum. [Sun Gazette]
Renovate, renovate, renovate.
That’s the plan announced by real estate firm Penzance earlier this week for its 17-story office tower at 1500 Wilson Boulevard. Most of the building, minus ground-level retailers like Santa Fe Cafe and a couple of lower floors, will be vacated next year thanks to the Base Realignment and Closure Act, and Penzance is planning to spruce things up.
With no formal announcement to speak of, save a modest “now open” sign outside the door, restauranteur Michael Landrum opened his latest “Ray’s” restaurant in Rosslyn last night.
“Ray’s to the Third” (1650 Wilson Blvd) is, at first blush, a casual-ified version of Ray’s the Steaks, with a bar. The menu, which is still being worked on, consisted primarily of steak and seafood items from Ray’s the Steaks (2300 Wilson Blvd) at a slightly lower price point. (The familiar Ray’s steak dishes are now all served as steak frites.)
Firefighters responded to the hotel just after 1:00 p.m. after a 911 caller reported smoke on the 9th floor. Upon arrival, they found a fire — in a 9th floor room — that had been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.
Some smoke and water damage was reported as a result of the fire. Nobody was hurt.
The restaurant will be built on the ground floor of 1735 N. Lynn Street, which is also home to Chipotle, Starbucks and Chop’t. It’s not clear where exactly Perfect Pita will be located, but one possibility is the recently-cleared space along Wilson Boulevard that was once Tomo Sushi.
Perfect Pita’s menu includes homemade hummus and homemade meat and vegetarian pitas, as well as salads, appetizers and pizzas.
The outdoor installation is Arlington’s entry into Park(ing) Day, “an annual, worldwide event that invites citizens everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good.” A sign posted on the sidewalk invites passersby to “relax, hang, be Zen.”
Despite the chilly weather, a few people have taken refuge in the space, which was designed by Apartment Zero, a “multi-disciplinary design and curatorial studio.”
The event is being held as part PARK(ing) Day, “an annual, worldwide event that invites citizens everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good.”
In addition to the lounge itself, Rosslynites will be treated to a performance by dance artist Sarah Levitt between 5:00 and 6:30 p.m. See the press release about the event, after the jump.
Arlington’s Biggest Redskins Fanatic — Charlie Clark has tracked down perhaps the biggest Redskins fan of them all. North Arlington resident Mary Holt, age 87, owns about “1,500 team knickknacks ranging from napkin holders to clocks to team photos to Redskins Wheaties cereal boxes.” The tchotchkes are displayed across “every inch of her ‘woman cave'” — where she watches the burgundy and gold every game day. [Falls Church News Press]
Lyon Village Park Ribbon Cutting — Residents and county officials will celebrate the completion of improvements to Lyon Village Park (1800 N. Highland Street) over the weekend. Park upgrades include new tennis and basketball courts, backboards and a living green picnic shelter canopy. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 11:00 Sunday morning.
The meeting is being held following a number of recent bicycle/vehicle collisions at the intersection, which serves vehicles exiting I-66 and approaching Key Bridge, as well as cyclists and pedestrians on the Custis Trail.
“Arlington County staff will be on hand to explain and discuss future plans to improve the intersection,” according to organizers.
Wild Animals Rescued During Hurricane — Given this week’s weather, Hurricane Irene is increasingly looking like a brief summer rain shower. Nonetheless, the hurricane created a dangerous situation for humans and animals alike. Animal control officers from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington rescued more than 20 wild animals during the storm, mostly baby squirrels. [Washington Post]
Defense Contractor Moving HQ to Arlington — Defense contractor ATK is moving its headquarters from Minneapolis to Rosslyn. The move will only affect the top brass at the company, however. Fewer than 10 employees, mostly executives, are expected to make the move. [DefenseNews]
TBD reported that the escalator outage lasted about an hour.
According to the Washington Post, Metro is planning to hire an outside contractor to help with preventative escalator and elevator maintenance at Orange Line stations in Virginia. One in six escalators are under repair systemwide.
