The YMCA may be ditching tennis courts when it redevelops its property in Virginia Square.
The organization plans to tear down its facility at 3400 13th Street N. and build a new recreational facility with an aquatics center, a multi-purpose gym with workout rooms, and a “diversity and inclusion center.”
There will also be a seven-story apartment building with 374 units, as well as open spaces and footpaths through the site.
Tennis players, however, have watched the eight existing courts get cut in half in the plans — and now axed — just ahead of the next project planning meeting set for today (Thursday). After this meeting, the project will head to the Arlington Planning Commission and County Board later this year.
In a letter to members sent last week, and in comments to ARLnow on Tuesday, the organization says it must change course because planning guidance prevents it from building a structure tall enough to accommodate courts.
Without support for the taller heights from Arlington County and neighbors, it says the courts will be scrapped and it plans to work with Arlington to contribute to tennis amenities elsewhere.
“Over the course of multiple reviews of the site plan with the county and the community, the Y and our development partner came to the conclusion we had to reduce the overall footprint of the building,” said Alison Risso, the communications director of YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. “Tennis courts require a substantial amount of horizontal and vertical space while only typically serving two to four players at a time on a court.”
The decision shocked some tennis players, including Janet Barsy.
“The eight Y indoor courts are the last public indoor tennis courts in Arlington,” she said. “They are well used by Arlington and other Northern [Virginia] residents for personal and organized tennis and provide a venue for many popular adult and children’s clinics.”
Barsy says she is dismayed by what she feels is a lack of meaningful engagement with players, who were not pleased by the initial plans, which proposed a reduction in courts. Early public feedback included comments from several tennis players advocating for more courts and fewer bells and whistles.
“Early and honest engagement would have been in keeping with the Y’s four stated core values: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility,” she said.
Risso, however, notes tennis membership “has continued to decline over the last decade,” perhaps replaced by pickleball fever. The proposed facility’s multi-purpose gym includes three indoor pickleball courts and convertible courts for squash, handball and racquetball.
For the county’s part, communications and engagement specialist Elise Cleva says staff flagged that the proposed site layout was “inconsistent with what was envisioned” in a planning document guiding redevelopment along Washington Blvd and N. Kirkwood Road.
The document was precipitated by plans to redevelop the YMCA facility as well as the American Legion and Mill Creek Residential sites to its south.
A Staples in Virginia Square could become a Spanish immersion daycare and preschool for more than 100 children.
The proposed change in use for the 62-year-old, one-story commercial building has area residents and civic associations on edge about hours, traffic and noise.
Two Northern Virginia businessmen have chosen the location for a franchise of Tierra Encantada, a national preschool provider offering Spanish immersion, hands-on education and from-scratch meals and snacks. It would operate Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and serve up to 150 children.
A use permit associated with their proposal is set for a discussion by the Arlington County Board for today (Tuesday), after being pulled from its consent agenda — intended for non-controversial items — on Saturday.
A county report notes that the Staples will close in the near future after a long search for a replacement tenant.
“The property owner has been searching for a new tenant for the property for some time and seeks to lease the space to the childcare center,” the report said.
An employee at Staples said he was unaware of the potential closure and an attorney handling the proposal did not return a request for a clearer closing time frame before this article’s deadline.
Ahead of the Board’s vote today, residents and nearby civic associations sent letters to the county raising their objections and requesting relief if the permit is approved.
“The hours, size, and traffic flow of Staples are an excellent fit for our residential area. We believe the current proposed number of students for Tierra Encantada will cause too much traffic and noise for the awkward location and poor access of the Staples site,” a letter from several Ashton Heights residents said.
“We would prefer to not have a daycare center at the site (especially of that size), but if the center is approved, we want to make sure that steps are taken to mitigate the potential impact on neighbors. Including: ensuring that traffic flows properly, parents cannot park on neighborhood streets, and the playground is constructed to mitigate noise,” the letter continued.
Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association members noted that they have observed speeding and “other dangerous vehicle behavior” on N. Oakland Street, related to the traffic signal at Wilson Blvd, according to joint letter from this civic association and the Ashton Heights Civic Association.
“We share these concerns that parents rushing to drop off/pick up the projected capacity of 148 children at the new child care center could well exacerbate these existing problems,” the letter said.
In response to these concerns, franchisees Mustafa Durrani and Zargham Amid have agreed to build a 6-foot fence, which will provide privacy and sound mitigation when children are playing outside.
County staff say they understand the use change will be an adjustment but argue other tenants could generate more traffic and noise.
(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) A man is in custody and a woman is dead after an early morning stabbing in Virginia Square.
The grisly incident happened around 5 a.m. at Terwilliger Place, the recently built apartment building on the American Legion Post 139 site at 3445 Washington Blvd.
Police were called for a stabbing at an apartment that had a history of domestic violence calls, according to initial reports, then arrived to find a horrific crime scene in a hallway and an unresponsive, critically injured woman.
The man was arrested by officers in the lobby, according to scanner traffic. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police were still on scene investigating as of 8 a.m. This is the second reported homicide in Arlington so far this year, after one in the Buckingham neighborhood in March.
Arlington County police issued the following press release about the homicide this afternoon.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing the arrest of a suspect following an investigation into a domestic-related homicide in Ballston-Virginia Square. Alimamy Fornah, 35, of Arlington, VA has been charged with Murder.
At approximately 4:58 a.m. on June 19, police were dispatched to the 3400 block of Washington Boulevard for the report of a stabbing. The preliminary investigation indicates the victim and suspect were inside their shared apartment when they became involved in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect stabbed the victim resulting in lacerations. Responding officers located the critically injured victim in the hallway of the residential building and immediately attempted lifesaving measures before she was pronounced deceased on scene. The suspect was located in the building and taken into custody without incident. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries considered non-life threatening.
The victim has been identified as Shontae Crawford, 37, of Arlington, VA. Cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
This is the second homicide in Arlington County in 2023. This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.
A man of the same name and approximate age as Fornah was arrested in 2013 and charged with abducting a then-26-year-old woman and her young son from a preschool in Prince William County.
CONTINUED: The preliminary investigation has not revealed an ongoing threat to the public. Police remain on scene investigating.
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) June 19, 2023
@ARLnowDOTcom lots of police activity on Washington Blvd. Sounds like a death of some sort. pic.twitter.com/kkBEyPxm3k
— Mike Pham (@logistixz) June 19, 2023
Breaking: Since 5:00 am, @ArlingtonVaPD & @ArlingtonVaFD have been handling a reported multiple stabbing in an apartment building at 3445 Washington Blvd., west of Kirkwood. Video is of first #police arriving. @ARLnowDOTcom #crime pic.twitter.com/mtJIiofohR
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) June 19, 2023
Two races, each taking place Saturday morning, will close streets in parts of Arlington this weekend.
Runners will be lining up for the 2023 Arlington Science Focus School 5K (and fun run) in Virginia Square and the 2023 Police Week 5K in Pentagon City. The latter is part of the ongoing Police Week events in the D.C. area.
More on the closures, below, from ACPD.
The Arlington County Police Department will conduct road closures in order to accommodate two upcoming events taking place on Saturday, May 13.
2023 Arlington Science Focus School 5k & 1 Mile Fun Run
The 2023 Arlington Science Focus School 5k & 1 Mile Fun Run will take place on Saturday, May 13. The following roadway will be closed from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.:
- N. Lincoln Street, from 14th Street N. to 17th Street N.
The entrance to the parking lot for Hayes Park (1500 block of N. Lincoln Street) will be temporarily closed for the duration of the event.
2023 Police Week 5k
The 2023 National Police Week 5k will take place on Saturday, May 13, and will begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. The following roadways will be closed in order to accommodate the event:
From approximately 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Army Navy Drive, from 12th Street S. to S. Eads Street
- Southbound Route 110 ramp to Army Navy Drive
From approximately 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
- Army Navy Drive, from S. Eads Street to S. Joyce Street
- S. Joyce Street, from Army Navy Drive to Columbia Pike
- Southgate Road, from S. Nash Street to Columbia Pike
- S. Hayes Street, from Army Navy Drive to 12th Street S.
- Northbound I-395 ramp to Army Navy Drive (Exit 8C)
From approximately 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- S. Eads Street, from Army Navy Drive to 12th Street S.
- 11th Street S., from S. Eads Street to Army Navy Drive
- Columbia Pike, from S. Joyce Street to the Washington Boulevard Ramp
- Southbound Washington Boulevard, from Memorial Circle to Columbia Pike
- Southbound Route 110, from I-66 East and Wilson Boulevard to Army Navy Drive / I-395 North ramp
- Ramp to Army Navy Drive from exit 8A / Arlington Ridge Road/ Washington Boulevard
Additional Information
Community members should expect to see an increased police presence in these areas, and motorists are urged to follow law enforcement direction, be mindful of closures, and remain alert for increased pedestrian traffic. Additional closures not mentioned above may be implemented at police discretion in the interest of public safety.
Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No parking” signs, as street parking in the area will be limited. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call the Emergency Communications Center 703-558-2222.
A new Korean fried chicken restaurant in Virginia Square hopes to be hot and ready by next month.
A new location of the fried chicken franchise bb.q Chicken is aiming to open in Virginia Square in late May, a restaurant spokesperson confirmed ARLnow. It’s coming to 3503 Fairfax Drive, in the former location of Cosi, which closed three years ago.
The location remains under construction, the spokesperson said. The restaurant is known for its Korean-style fried chicken and has applied for a permit to serve alcohol.
This will be the first bb.q Chicken location in Arlington, though there are currently five others in Northern Virginia including in Falls Church and Centreville. Those are run by different franchise owners than the one coming to Arlington, however. There are more than 130 locations nationwide.
ARLnow first reported bb.q Chicken was crossing the road into Arlington back in January. The original aim was to open in April, but the debut has been pushed back by at least a month.
The Virginia Square location will be run by married couple Lydia and Harrison Om. It’s their first restaurant after running a grocery store in D.C., they told ARLnow earlier this year.
Arlington County police have released photos of a man suspected of trying to break into apartments in a building where a woman was sexually assaulted.
Police stopped short of calling the man a suspect in the April 2 sexual assault in Virginia Square and the April 12 sexual battery in Courthouse. In both instances, a suspect broke into a woman’s apartment and then fled on foot.
“The investigation into the captured individual’s possible involvement in the residential burglary with sexual battery is ongoing and detectives continue to follow-up on investigative leads in the April 2 and April 12 incidents,” police said in a press release.
The accompanying photos are blurry but show a man described as “a Black male with an average build and a dark beard.”
The press release is below.
The Arlington County Police Department is releasing two images of a suspect who was captured on video attempting to gain entry into residences on April 2 in the 3900 block of Fairfax Drive. The suspect is described as a Black male with an average build and a dark beard.
The investigation into the captured individual’s possible involvement in the residential burglary with sexual battery is ongoing and detectives continue to follow-up on investigative leads in the April 2 and April 12 incidents. Anyone with information regarding ether of these investigations is asked to contact Detective C. Oesterling (703-228-4241 or [email protected]) of the Special Victims Unit. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
As we slide into brown flip flop season, some hotly-anticipated Arlington restaurants and bars are set to open in the coming months.
Below is a list of the latest updates, compiled by ARLnow.
- “Tropical glam” bar Coco B’s in Clarendon hopes to start serving drinks with little umbrellas in May, co-owner Mike Bramson told ARLnow. It was about a year ago when the owners behind the Lot and Pamplona announced they were opening a rooftop bar on top of another one of their ventures, B Live. The two bars were filling a space that was once occupied by legendary Whitlow’s, which moved to the District. Coco B’s was supposed to open this past fall, but construction work and the winter delayed it to spring 2023.
- Shirlington’s Astro Beer Hall and its donut robot is also looking at starting up in May, as the owners told ARLnow in February. The beer hall has been in the working since at least December 2021 and is moving into the space formerly occupied by Capital City Brewing Co.
- Wagamama in Clarendon is looking at potentially late spring serving date. The British chain focused on Japanese cuisine is taking over Oz’s former home.
- Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar from local chef Mike Cordero, is expecting to get cooking later this summer. It will be located at 3865 Wilson Blvd, near the Ballston/Virginia Square border. The menu, as first announced back in August 2022, is expected to include a veritable tour of Italy and its expected opening date of late summer remains pretty much in line with what was first announced last summer.
- Forest Inn fill-in Westover Taco is aiming for tacos to be served by late summer, co-owner Scott Parker said earlier this week. The margarita and taco spot is taking over what was once one of Arlington’s last dive bars.
- Kebab-centric Tawle is now aiming for a fall opening in Clarendon. The buzzy eatery from the owners of two of D.C.’s hottest restaurants first announced back in May 2022 that was it was making a new home at the former address of beloved live music venue IOTA Club. The plan was to initially to open Tawle this spring, but the opening has been pushed back to the fall, a restaurant spokesperson tells ARLnow.
Arlington’s Colonial Village neighborhood is the No. 2 “Best Place to Live in America,” according to a recent set of rankings.
Two other Arlington neighborhoods, meanwhile, ranked in the top 25.
Colonial Village is best known for its historic garden-style apartments and condos, built between 1935 and 1940. Lush, landscaped and tree-lined, the community is both verdant and urban — it’s in easy walking distance to Courthouse and the Courthouse Metro station.
From Niche, which ranked neighborhoods across the United States:
Colonial Village is a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia with a population of 2,895. Colonial Village is in Arlington County and is one of the best places to live in Virginia. In Colonial Village, most residents rent their homes. In Colonial Village there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Colonial Village and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Colonial Village are highly rated.
The website released its annual rankings late last month. It’s the same set of rankings that found Arlington to be No. 2 among the “Best Cities to Live in America.”
Other notable local findings from Niche:
- Ballston/Virginia Square is the No. 21 best place to live in America
- Radnor/Fort Myer Heights, in the Rosslyn area, is the No. 23 best place to live in America
- Arlington Public Schools is the No. 2 best school district in Virginia, after Falls Church City Public Schools
A man broke into a woman’s apartment in Virginia Square early this morning and sexually assaulted her.
That’s according to a press release just issued by the Arlington County Police Department.
The break-in happened on the 3900 block of Fairfax Drive, which corresponds with the address of the Quincy Plaza apartment tower. After sexually assaulting the resident, the man fled on foot.
The suspect remains at large and police are asking for the public’s help in identifying him. The press release, however, only included a vague description of the man and no surveillance image.
From ACPD:
The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect involved in a residential burglary with sexual assault which occurred in the Ballston-Virginia Square neighborhood.
At approximately 4:15 a.m. on April 2, police were dispatched to the report of an attempted rape in the 3900 block of Fairfax Drive. Upon arrival, it was determined the unknown male suspect gained entry into the female victim’s residence, entered her bedroom and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene on foot. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately in his mid-20’s, wearing dark clothing.
This remains an active investigation. Anyone with information regarding the identity of this individual, details surrounding the incident, and/or home surveillance that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Detective J. McGrath (703-228-4244 or [email protected]) or Detective C. Oesterling (703-228-4241 or [email protected]) of the Special Victims Unit. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
A teenage girl on an electric scooter was seriously injured after colliding with a driver near Washington-Liberty High School earlier this afternoon.
Shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, police were dispatched to Washington Blvd and N. Quincy Street, in the Virginia Square area, for the report of a crash with injury, a police spokeswoman told ARLnow.
“The preliminary investigation indicates a juvenile on an electric scooter was travelling southbound on N. Quincy Street when she proceeded through a red light and collided with a westbound travelling vehicle,” ACPD spokeswoman Alli Shorb said in a statement.
Initial reports identified the person who was hit as a 16-year-old girl. Police, firefighters and EMS personnel were all on the scene this afternoon, treating the teen and redirecting traffic away from the intersection.
Shorb said “the juvenile sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital.”
Though police said a scooter was involved, a blue e-bike could be seen lying on its side near the ambulance that carried the teen to the hospital.
The driver of the involved vehicle remained on scene and was not charged with any crime, based on the preliminary investigation, Shorb said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
In a School Talk email to families, Principal Tony Hall identified the struck teen as a W-L student. He said EMS treated the teen on scene, resulting “in an ambulance and increased police presence near the school.”
“We are in contact with the family of the student,” he said. “There is no cause for concern to the greater W-L community at this time.”
With Arlington getting some warmer weather, George Mason University is opening up the plaza of its Arlington campus to a series of free activities and events.
The weekly programs are hosted at Mason Square Plaza at 3383 Fairfax Drive, in Virginia Square. The weekly events started today (Monday) and are scheduled to continue through May 12.
In addition to the pre-scheduled events, the plaza also offers public amenities like cart of board games and a cart of art supplies available Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
The marquee event this week is Music on the Plaza. The event is basically what it says on the tin, with local cover band Collective performing at Mason Square on Friday, March 24, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Other upcoming events include:
- CreativiTEA (Every Monday from noon to 1 p.m.): A crafting workshop with weekly activities ranging from rock painting to poetry and Star Wars-themed Bingo
- Outdoor Yoga with Mind the Mat (Every Monday from 5-6 p.m. and Wednesday from 6-7 p.m.): A yoga class. Attendees must bring their own yoga mat and water bottle.
- People of Mason Square (Every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m.): A weekly interview session with “a different personality of Mason Square”
- Mason Square Market (Every Tuesday from 2-6 p.m.): A small, locally-sourced marketplace with fresh produce and other goods
- Tuesday Dance Party with Ferocity Dance (Every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m.): All levels of dance experience and all ages are invited to a weekly hour-long dance class, with types of dance ranching from merengue to swing
- Zumba Power Hour (Every Wednesday from 9-10 a.m.): A cardio dance class; all ages, fitness levels and abilities are welcome
- Tiny Stage (Every Wednesday at noon and every Thursday from 5-6 p.m.): A twice-weekly acoustic music session in the plaza, with attendees encouraged to relax and enjoy the music
- Beyond Bullet Points (Every Thursday from noon to 12:45 p.m.): A weekly gathering that invites “bright scholars, local thinkers, and change-makers to share what they are doing, researching, and dreaming”
- Barry’s Bootcamp (Every Thursday from 6-7 p.m.): A high-intensity workout. All levels are welcome, all that’s required is a yoga mat and a water bottle.
