Author: Alex Koma

Arlington Agenda: February 11-17

By Alex Koma

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Arlington Committee of 100: Exploring Arlington’s Intolerant Past
Marymount University (2807 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Hard as it may be to believe, Nazism has long and substantive roots in Arlington. Join the Arlington Committee of 100 as it explores this part of Arlington’s history and discuss implications for today with Charlie Clark, local historian and Falls Church New-Press columnist.

Thursday, Feb. 14

Celebrate Love this Valentine’s Day*
Quinns on the Corner (1776 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7 p.m.

If you’re looking for a fun, casual party that won’t break the bank this Valentine’s Day, Quinn’s is the place to be! Tickets are $10 and include: entrance for two, one bottle of champagne, festive Jell-o shots and party favors.

Anti-Valentine’s Day Party
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street)
Time: 5 p.m.-11 p.m.

If you don’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day yet, come and join for a unique anti-Valentine’s evening, with special drinks and food, games and a pinata at 8 p.m.

Forging the Way to Arlington Public School Desegregation: A Panel Discussion
Reinch Library Auditorium, Marymount University (2807 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

This panel will discuss the legal and community story behind Arlington’s struggle to desegregate APS during the mid-1950s including the difficult fight against Virginia’s policy of “Massive Resistance.”

Friday, Feb. 15

“Rock at the Rink” at Pentagon Row’s Ice Rink
Pentagon Row Ice Rink (1101 S. Joyce Street)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

Rock with the DMV’s favorite local female DJs at “Rock at the Rink.” Performers include DJ Cyd, DJ Karma, DJ KayJay and DJ Tezrah, Fridays from now through March 8.

Saturday, Feb. 16

Become a Better Communicator and Leader: Join the SALT Toastmasters Club*
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 2-4 p.m.

Learn the how-to’s of communication and leadership, hear from guest speakers, and present best practices for being an effective and efficient communicator and leader in every other capacity of life.

Valentine’s Day Couples Cocktail Classes
Fyve Restaurant Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City (1250 S. Hayes Street)
Time: 2-3:30 p.m.

This Valentine’s Day, grab your honey and elevate your bartending skills with Head Mixologist Robert Taylor’s Couples Cocktail Classes.

Sunday, Feb. 17

Presidents’ Day with the Nats’ Running Presidents!
Market Common Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Take a selfie with George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy from the Washington Nationals, and then watch them race around The Loop at 3 p.m.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

New Vape and Smoke Shop Bound for Lee Highway Shopping Center

By Alex Koma

A new shop offering up e-cigarettes and other tobacco products looks bound for a Lee Highway shopping center.

Thicker Cloudz Vape ‘N Smoke is “coming soon” to a space at 5157 Lee Highway, according to signs posted at the location.

The shop doesn’t appear to have an online presence of any kind just yet, but county permit records show that its owners first applied for permission to open up in the space back in mid-January.

The store, located in the same shopping center as Preston’s Pharmacy and several other small shops, has seen quite a bit of turnover in the past few years.

County records show that it’s been home to everything from an Indian restaurant to a cell phone store dating back to 2015.

As Richmond Scandals Drag On, Arlington Democrats Urged to ‘Keep the Faith’

By Alex Koma

(Updated Tuesday at 9:50 a.m.) The head of Arlington’s Democratic Party is urging local activists to “keep the faith” in the wake of the cascade of scandals plaguing top leaders in Richmond.

Jill Caiazzo, the chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee, penned an email to the party’s mailing list Sunday (Feb. 10), in the hopes of buoying spirits dampened by recent revelations about Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring.

While any one of the state’s top three elected Democrats could yet resign — Northam and Herring for admitting to wearing blackface as young people, Fairfax over allegations that he sexually assaulted two women — Caiazzo sought to remind party faithful that “the 2017 election was never about one or two individuals.”

She joined the growing calls for Fairfax to step down late last week, after a second woman accused him of rape, and has already demanded that Northam step aside. But, with all 140 state lawmakers and a variety of local offices on the ballot this fall, Caiazzo is urging her committee to work to “have an impact in our own community.”

Her full email to the committee is as follows:

We are all struggling to deal with the disturbing news from Richmond. I have sat down to pen this email to you multiple times over the past week, only to have my sentiments overtaken by the latest news cycle. I do not know how these controversies will end.

ARLINGTON DEMOCRATS’ ROLE IN NAVIGATING THIS CHALLENGE

But as I said at our monthly meeting on Wednesday, I do know that Arlington Democrats have a role to play in moving our community forward through these difficult times. We may not be able to affect the outcomes of the dramas happening in Richmond, but we can have an impact in our own community. We can reject hate and support sexual assault survivors. We can channel our collective anger that issues of racism and sexual assault still plague us into finding positive solutions for the manifestations of these issues in our own community.

We also can remember that the 2017 election was never about one or two individuals. It was about a movement of grassroots activists of all backgrounds and ages rising up to provide a badly needed course correction for our country. The rise of progressive activism was the central victory of the 2017 election. No subsequent controversy, however hurtful, can take that victory away from us. Only we have the power to do that — only we can decide whether we will allow this heartbreak also to break our activist spirit.

TOO MUCH TO ACCOMPLISH TO GIVE UP
To that question, Arlington Democrats, I say NO. I will not allow the failings of individual leaders to dampen my activist spirit. I cannot — there is simply too much work to be done to achieve a fairer, safer and more prosperous Commonwealth. The stakes are too high. As in early 2017, I am once again picking myself up and dusting myself off. Two steps forward, one step back: it’s time for the heart of the Democratic Party — its local activists — to keep moving forward again.

In that spirit, and mindful that Democrats must re-earn the trust of voters and volunteers that has been lost over the past few days, I respectfully invite you to join me at several upcoming events, detailed below. Some are organized by Arlington Democrats; others are community events. Now more than ever, we need both: to lead in our own right, and to meet our neighbors where they are. I hope that you will join me in the struggle to lead our Party, our community, and our Commonwealth forward.

Caiazzo is referring both to previous listening sessions held by activists on both race and sexual assault, and to some upcoming community discussions on the county’s history with Nazism and school desegregation.

Meanwhile, the situation in Richmond remains unsettled.

Arlington Del. Patrick Hope (D-47th District) made headlines this weekend for threatening to introduce articles of impeachment against Fairfax if he refused to resign, and circulated a potential resolution to start the process among his Democratic colleagues. But he backed off that threat this morning (Monday), writing in a statement that he is “open to discussions on other avenues” that would allow for a full investigation of the accusations against Fairfax.

Some reports have suggested that Hope faced resistance from within his own party for the move, particularly from members of the Legislative Black Caucus.

The lieutenant governor is still telling reporters that he does not plan to resign, and is currently looking for an FBI investigation into the claims against him — one incident is alleged to have happened in Boston in 2004, the other in North Carolina in 2000.

Northam also gave some of his first interviews since the scandal broke with the news that a racist photo appeared on his medical school yearbook, saying that he is “not going anywhere” and pledging a renewed focus to racial justice in the remainder of his term.

Herring has been silent, and criticism has been markedly more muted of his conduct, after he voluntarily admitted to wearing blackface once while in college, and apologized.

“I should additionally note that I have not called for the resignation of Attorney General Mark Herring, despite my strong disapproval of his conduct at age 19,” Del. Mark Levine (D-45th District) wrote in a Sunday email to constituents. “Herring’s voluntary admission of his blackface representation of a rapper, his lack of racist intent and his profound apology all seem sincere to me.”

However, Levine did note that he is one of just a few voices calling on Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment (R-3rd District) to step down, after reports that he edited a college yearbook that was filled with photos of students in blackface and racial slurs. Norment has denied any knowledge of the photos.

Photo via Facebook

D.C. Man Sentenced to 28 Years Behind Bars After Sexually Assaulting Woman in Rosslyn

By Alex Koma

A D.C. man will now spend nearly 30 years behind bars after he posed as a maintenance worker and then sexually assaulted a woman in Rosslyn.

Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo sentenced 25-year-old Richard Allen Lowe to 28 years in prison on Friday (Feb. 8). Lowe previously pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful wounding, abduction, burglary and sexual penetration back in August.

“The defendant preyed upon his victim’s sense of safety by posing as someone she should trust in her own home,” Police Chief Jay Farr wrote in a statement. “While nothing can completely restore her sense of security, our community is safer today because of the significant sentences imposed by the court on a violent offender.”

Prosecutors say Lowe entered an apartment building on the 1500 block of Key Boulevard around 9:45 a.m. on May 7, 2017, where he began knocking doors and claiming to be a maintenance worker.

When one woman opened her door, Lowe pushed past her into the apartment and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene. Detectives then relied on a “review of crime scene evidence, witness interviews and laboratory results” to identify Lowe as a subject, according to a news release.

Police then arrested Lowe in D.C. last February, and he pleaded guilty soon afterward.

“The sentence handed down by Judge Louise DiMatteo takes a dangerous predator off the streets and puts public safety front and center,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos wrote in a statement. “The defendant was brought to justice by the dogged work of Arlington County detectives who worked painstakingly to identity Lowe and link him to his crimes.”

Photo courtesy of Arlington Police

‘The Coop’ Carryout Window at Clarendon Whole Foods Shuts Down, For Now

By Alex Koma
1/3

The carryout window at Clarendon’s Whole Foods is now shut down: at least, for the moment.

Signs posted at “The Coop,” located near the main entrance to the grocery store at 2700 Wilson Blvd, say that the area is “temporarily closed.”

A quick glance inside the window reveals that the chicken-focused carryout counter has been completely cleared out, and the area is now littered with construction materials. A tipster told ARLnow that it’s been shut down since at least Jan. 27.

“The Coop will be closed until further notice,” the signs read. “Sorry for any inconvenience. Thank you for all your support. And stay [tuned] for things to come.”

Whole Foods did not respond to a request for comment on when, or if, the The Coop might reopen. The rest of the store remains open as normal.

Plans Taking Shape for Large New Mixed-Use Development on Amazon’s Doorstep in Crystal City

By Alex Koma
1/6

JBG Smith is starting to sketch out its plans for a major redevelopment of a Crystal City property that will drop hundreds of new apartments and thousands of square feet of retail space directly adjacent to some of Amazon’s new office space in the area.

The developer has now filed preliminary plans with the county detailing the future of a vacant office building at 1900 Crystal Drive. The company has already started some demolition work for the current structure, and previously announced plans to build two new mixed-use buildings in its place, accelerating the project now that Amazon is on the way.

The tech giant plans to lease space at two of JBG’s properties on the same block, buildings at 241 18th Street S. and 1800 S. Bell Street, so this new development could offer Amazon workers with apartments within easy walking distance of the new headquarters.

Developers throughout the area have been racing to build new housing across Pentagon City and Crystal City since the company announced its plans in mid-November, though the neighborhoods do have slightly higher than average residential vacancy rates, for now.

JBG kicked off the redevelopment process in earnest in late January, asking for a slew of county zoning changes and a “site plan amendment” to key the full redevelopment of the block. The plans call for the construction of two large towers, holding a total of 790 apartments. One will be 26 stories tall, the other 25 stories.

Each one will also have space for ground floor retail: 19,390 square feet of space in one tower and 16,800 square feet in the other, according to documents filed with the county.

The developer is envisioning a “pedestrian plaza” in between the two buildings, with room for just under 9,000 square feet of retail in the plaza. The plans even allow for a park to be built nearby, though the documents don’t specify where, exactly, it will be located on the block — but if it is built, a “grand staircase” will connect it to the pedestrian plaza.

When it comes to parking, JBG plans to partially rely on the existing underground garage on the site. The developer plans to demolish part of the garage, but leave 306 spaces unchanged. Then, it hopes to add a new section of the garage with 290 new spaces for a total of 596 available in all.

The project is a long way from being approved, however — the county’s Site Plan Review Committee will now scrutinize these plans, before they head to the Planning Commission and County Board. Vornado/Charles E. Smith previously secured permission to build a 24-story building on the property, but that approval lapsed in 2015. The company spun off its local property holdings in a merger with JBG the next year.

This is far from the last redevelopment JBG is planning in the neighborhood in the coming years. In addition to its large “Central District” project (bringing a new movie theater, grocery store and office space to the area), the company previously told its investors that it could look to redevelop properties including 2001 Jefferson Davis Highway, 223 23rd Street S., 101 12th Street S., and the RiverHouse Apartments (1400 S. Joyce Street).

Though JBG is by far the largest property owner in the area — controlling about 71 percent of the market’s office buildings — county officials hope other landlords take similar steps to refresh nearby buildings.

As for Amazon itself, the company won’t file any plans with the county until the Board signs off an incentive package to formally bring the headquarters to the area. The Board won’t take up that issue any earlier than March.

BREAKING: Hope Threatens to Work to Impeach Fairfax, After Another Woman Accuses Lt. Gov. of Sexual Assault

By Alex Koma

(Updated at 9:30 p.m.) Arlington Del. Patrick Hope (D-47th District) now says he’ll introduce articles of impeachment to remove Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax from office on Monday if he doesn’t step down, now that another woman has come forward to accuse the second-most powerful Democrat in the state of sexual assault.

Hope announced the move tonight just a few hours after Meredith Watson accused Fairfax of raping her when the pair attended school together at Duke University in 2000. She wrote in a statement that the details of her assault mirrored those laid out by Vanessa Tyson, who previously said that Fairfax assaulted her in a Boston hotel room in 2004.

Democrats had been hesitant to call for Fairfax to step down since Tyson’s statement, but pressure is now mounting for the lieutenant governor to step aside. Friday night, the state House and Senate Democratic caucuses released a joint statement, urging Fairfax to resign.

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus issued a similar statement.

The bulk of Virginia’s congressional delegation has also demanded Fairfax’s resignation, including Arlington Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th District).

“Lt. Governor Fairfax has also shown exceptionally poor judgment in his handling of these allegations,” Beyer and Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-11th District), Elaine Luria (D-2nd District), Abigail Spanberger (D-7th District) and Jennifer Wexton (D-10th District) wrote in a statement. “He repeatedly attacked his accuser, he reportedly used vile and degrading language to describe her, he mischaracterized an investigation into the encounter, and he sought to blame others for events in his own past. These actions do not meet the standard to which we hold Virginia’s highest elected officers.”

For now, it would seem Fairfax is resisting pressure to step aside.

Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has been similarly steadfast in the face of calls to resign over a racist photo on his medical school yearbook page, writing an email to state employees today saying he does not plan to step down. The fate of Attorney General Mark Herring (D) is also unclear, after he revealed he wore blackface while in college.

Earlier today, Hope posted a video on Twitter urging Northam and Herring to learn from their experiences, but stopped short of demanding their resignations. He’d previously supported calls for Northam to step down, but was silent on Herring, who he previously endorsed in Herring’s early stages of mounting a campaign for governor in 2021.

Hope said in the video that he believed Fairfax’s first accuser and thought an investigation was necessary.

Around 9 p.m. Friday, Hope held a press conference in front of Arlington Central Library in Virginia Square, laying out his case for the impeachment of Fairfax, should he refuse to resign. The press conference was attended by CNN, CBS, NBC and local D.C. stations.

Photo via Facebook

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By Alex Koma

Say goodbye to all that unseasonably warm weather we’ve had recently — it seems winter is making a comeback.

Forecasters say temperatures will plummet tonight, with plenty of gusty winds returning for both Saturday and Sunday. There’s even some chance of snow early next week.

Still, if you feel like braving the cold, you can check out our event calendar for some suggestions of things to do around Arlington this weekend.

Or stay by the fire and read up on our most popular stories of the past week:

  1. Lynn Street Closed After Explosion Heard in Rosslyn
  2. Disturbing Video Prompts Arrest of Falls Church Teen
  3. ‘Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste’: Amazon Prompts Debate Over How to Make Arlington Homes Affordable
  4. Thousands of Lottery Tickets Are Littering 10th Street Near Clarendon
  5. D.C. Bar ‘Rebellion’ Plans Expansion into Old BrickHaus Space on Columbia Pike

Head down to the comment to discuss these stories, your weekend plans, or anything else local. Have a great one!

Flickr pool photo via Jim Havard

New Nail Salon On the Way for Ballston Quarter

By Alex Koma

A nail spa is now on the way for the Ballston Quarter development.

Allure Nails Spa will soon open its doors in the former Ballston Common mall, according to signs posted at the development and a listing on its website.

The salon will sit next to the mall’s Chick-fil-A, which opened late last year, on the development’s first level. It’s also located across from the Curious Kids toy store.

There’s no exact date listed for the shop’s opening just yet — like many of the other stores at the mall, it’s listed as “coming soon.”

Still, several shops in Ballston Quarter have begun opening to customers over the last few months, though much of the development remains a work in progress.

A newly revamped food court will open later this month, according to signs posted around the mall.

The nail spa is also set to open a location in Reston in the coming years, though that development has gone through a few changes recently.

Marymount Buys Ballston Apartment Building, Converting It to Housing for Students and Staff

By Alex Koma
1/6

Marymount University is buying a Ballston apartment complex adjacent to one of its other office buildings in the area, with plans to convert the space into upscale housing for its students and staff.

The university announced today (Friday) that it’s spending $95 million to acquire “The Rixey,” located at 1008 N. Glebe Road. The building opened in October 2017, with a total of 267 apartments in the 15-floor structure.

The Rixey is located right next to the university’s Ballston Center at 1000 N. Glebe Road, which is home to several of Marymount’s undergraduate and graduate programs (in addition to a cafeteria and a Starbucks). By buying up the apartment building, the university hopes to provide “apartment-style city living” for undergrad students in addition to its on-campus residence halls, and also offer “significant housing options to Marymount University’s veterans, families, graduate and international students,” according to a news release.

“This new acquisition further cements Marymount as an anchor of the Arlington community,” Marymount staff wrote. “This multimillion-dollar facility provides walking-distance access to Marymount graduate programs at Ballston Center, shuttles to Marymount campuses and Metro access, making the building an accessible living-learning community.”

Amenities at the building also include “an expansive fitness center with Peloton bikes and a yoga room, a bike repair station, a rooftop clubroom with views of D.C. and a lounge with cabanas and TVs,” the release said.

A spokeswoman for the university did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether anyone is currently renting an apartment in the building, or what might become of current renters following this acquisition.

The university added in the release that it managed the acquisition with a combination of state funds and private financing.

Marymount also maintains space at 4040 Fairfax Drive in Ballston, in addition to its main campus at 2807 N. Glebe Road.

Marine Corps Marathon Plans New ‘Ultramarathon’ Option for Runners This Fall

By Alex Koma

The Marine Corps Marathon is offering a new option for runners hoping to kick the intensity up a notch this year.

For the first time ever, the annual race’s backers are planning to put on a 50-kilometer “ultramarathon” alongside two other distance options this fall.

The ultramarathon will be held on the same day as the 44th iteration of the traditional marathon, Oct. 27, and kick off on the National Mall in D.C.

Some of the course will include portions of both the 10K race and regular, 26.2-mile marathon offered as part of the event.

“Runners must maintain an 11:30 minute pace-per-mile through mile 14 on Rock Creek Parkway,” the event’s organizers wrote in a release. “For the remaining 17 miles, MCM50K participants may run at a 14 minute pace-per-mile. Ultimately, the MCM50K will arrive at a joint finish at the iconic U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington.”

Registration for the ultramarathon will open on Feb. 27, but will be limited to 500 participants. The fee is $200 to participate.

Runners in the new event will earn a U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial themed medal, a quarter-zip and commemorative bib, organizers said.

Registration for the traditional marathon will open in March. The event generally brings more than 30,000 runners to Arlington each year.

File photo

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