Author: Alex Koma

Chick-fil-A in Ballston Quarter Starts Serving Up Sandwiches Today

By Alex Koma
1/3

Starting today (Thursday), Chick-fil-A is back open in Ballston.

The fast food restaurant is welcoming hungry diners once more as part of the new Ballston Quarter development. The new outpost of the chain is located at 671 N. Glebe Road, on the development’s ground level and accessible via both its Glebe and Wilson Blvd entrances.

Chick-fil-A was long one of the most popular spots in the former Ballston Common mall, opening there more than 27 years ago, according to a press release.

Unlike the old location, however, the new space has a 50-seat dining area as well. The restaurant also includes a designated pickup counter for mobile orders.

Anyone swinging by the chain today can expect “a day of Chick–fil-A surprises,” the release said, including giveaways.

The restaurant will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, except Sundays, and serve breakfast until 10 p.m.

Chick-fil-A joins Punch Bowl Social among the first eateries to open in the new development, with businesses slowly starting to open to customers over the course of the last month. Ballston Quarter’s full “food hall,” an upscale food court, isn’t set to open until February.

County Gears Up to Ask for Millions for Lee Highway Changes, Including Dedicated Bus, HOV Lane

By Alex Koma

Arlington is gearing up to ask for millions in I-66 toll revenue to fund a series of changes along Lee Highway, including the creation of a dedicated bus and HOV lane along the road during rush hours.

The County Board is set to sign off this weekend on funding requests for six transportation projects, totaling $6.9 million, four of which focus on reducing traffic along Lee Highway as it runs from Rosslyn to East Falls Church.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission doles out a portion of the revenues collected through the year-old I-66 toll program to localities, in order to help afford road improvements along the corridor inside the Beltway. Accordingly, Arlington is looking for cash for the following efforts along Lee Highway, per a county staff report:

Metrobus Route 3Y Service Improvements — $520,000 per year for five years, total request $2.6 million

This project will increase morning peak hour frequency and provide running time improvements for better on-time performance on the subject Metrobus route that connects the East Falls Church Metrorail Station with the Farragut Square and McPherson Square areas in the District of Columbia via Lee Highway and a short section of I-66 from Rosslyn to the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.

Intersection Improvements at Lee Highway and Washington Boulevard — $400,000

This project will add a second left turn lane from northbound Lee Highway to westbound Washington Boulevard and provide pedestrian improvements at the intersection north of the bridge over I-66, which is 0.25 miles from the East Falls Church Metrorail Station.

Enhanced Vehicle Presence Detection on Lee Highway — $20,000 per intersection for 15 intersections, total request $300,000

This project will install forward looking infrared (FLIR) video cameras at key intersections along Lee Highway. FLIR technology uses thermographic cameras that improve the accuracy of vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle detection in all lighting and weather conditions, and in turn improve optimal signal, intersection, and corridor operations and performance.

Design and Construct Peak Period, Peak Direction HOV and Bus-Only Lane on Lee Highway from just east of N. Kenmore Street to N. Lynn Street — $1.5 million

This project would convert the outside lane of Lee Highway to an HOV and bus only lane through pavement treatment, restriping, and signage. The lane would operate eastbound during the morning peak period and westbound during the evening peak period only; at other times it will continue as a general purpose travel lane.

The final project on the list is one that the county initially considered back in 2016 as an effort to prepare for Metro’s “SafeTrack” schedule disruptions, and the new lane would’ve run from Court House to Rosslyn. However, county transportation spokesman Eric Balliet says that lane was never constructed, and the new proposal calls for it to run from Cherrydale to Rosslyn instead.

The county expects a new lane would be particularly impactful along that section of the highway because about “25 loaded buses per hour” drive along it during peak period, and they often run into heavy delays near the highway’s intersection with N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn, according to the report.

In addition to the Lee Highway changes, officials are also hoping to earn $750,000 to add a new traffic light to the Washington Blvd entrance to the East Falls Church Metro station, as well as crosswalks and other pedestrian improvements at the intersection.

Finally, the county plans to ask for a total of $1.3 million over the next three years for “enhanced transportation demand management outreach” along the corridor, educating commuters about public transit and other strategies for getting cars off the road.

The Board is set to approve these funding requests at its meeting on Saturday (Dec. 15), and the NVTC will accept applications through Jan. 16. The organization plans to hand out $20 million in funding across the region through the program next year.

Photo via Google Maps

Chase Bank Branch Set to Open in Former Clarendon Walgreens Space Next Week

By Alex Koma
1/2

Arlington’s first Chase Bank branch is set to open in Clarendon next week.

Signs posted on the storefront at 2825 Wilson Blvd say that the new bank will open up this coming Tuesday (Dec. 18).

JPMorgan Chase has been hard at work at converting the former Walgreens Pharmacy into a new branch since earning construction permits late this summer. The building has sat empty since Walgreens closed last February.

The bank bought the space, designated by the county as a historic building, for $25 million back in January. That historic protection means that the county prohibited the bank from doing any work on the building’s exterior, but interior renovations were permitted.

The new Clarendon location is one of four new branches the bank is opening around the D.C. region in the coming months.

JPMorgan Chase kicked off a new round of expansion earlier this year, adding two new branches in D.C. and one in Bethesda alongside others in Boston and Philadelphia.

Crime Report: Woman Arrested Following Weekend Brawl in Ballston

By Alex Koma

A Fairfax woman is now behind bars after police say she injured someone during a fight in Ballston this past weekend.

Arlington County Police say 46-year-old Huafang Cui started scuffling with someone around noon last Saturday (Dec. 8) along the 800 block of N. Randolph Street.

When officers arrived at the scene, they determined that Cui “threw an object at the victim, causing a laceration.” The victim was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Police then arrested Cui and charged her with malicious wounding. She now faces a hearing in Arlington General District Court on Jan. 19.

More details from a county crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2018-12080128, 800 block of N. Randolph Street. At approximately 12:20 p.m. on December 8, police were dispatched to the report of a fight in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that a verbal dispute between known individuals escalated and became physical when the suspect allegedly threw an object at the victim, causing a laceration. The victim was treated by medics on-scene for minor injuries. Huafang Cui, 46, of Fairfax, Va., was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding. She was held on no bond.

And here are other highlights from the past week of crime reports, including some we’ve previously reported:

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY, 2018-12110240, 4100 block of 3rd Road N. At approximately 8:37 p.m. on December 11, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victims were inside their residence when they observed an unknown suspect allegedly attempting to force entry to their residence, causing damage. Upon being noticed by the victims, the suspect fled prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a male wearing a baseball hat. The investigation is ongoing.

ROBBERY, 2018-12100085, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 10:45 a.m. on December 10, an officer on routine patrol was flagged down by a citizen requesting assistance. Upon arrival, it was determined that an unknown male suspect entered a business and began selecting merchandise. When an employee noticed the suspect, she approached him and said she was calling 911. The suspect yelled at the employee and grabbed her cell phone out of her hand. The suspect dropped the merchandise outside the business before fleeing on foot with the victim’s cell phone. Warrants for Robbery and Preventing an Emergency Call are pending for the suspect.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY (late), 2018-12100145, 1400 block of 12th Street N. At approximately 3:14 p.m. on December 9, police responded to the late report of breaking and entering. Upon arrival it was determined that between December 8 at 12:00 a.m. and December 10 at 2:56 p.m., an unknown suspect attempted to force entry to a building, causing damage. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2018-12090212, 3600 block of 12th Street S. At approximately 8:53 p.m. on December 9, police were dispatched to the report of a highly intoxicated male with a child allegedly stumbling in the road. Witnesses directed arriving officers to a residence, where they located the male suspect inside. The male suspect disobeyed lawful commands to open the door. Officers forced entry to the residence and took the suspect into custody. While attempting to escort the suspect out of the residence, he actively resisted and refused to walk. As the officers carried him out, he kicked one officer multiple time. The officers regained control and secured the suspect in the cruiser successfully. Stuart Behrens, 45, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Abuse and Neglect of a Child, Assault on Police, and Obstruction of Justice.

RECOVERED STOLEN VEHICLE, 2018-12070299, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 9:06 p.m. on December 7, an officer on routine patrol was alerted to a License Plate Reader hit on a stolen vehicle parked in the area. Officers located the unoccupied vehicle and took two suspects into custody without incident as they returned to the vehicle. Jamall Walker, 31, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Credit Card Theft and Buying or Receiving Stolen Goods. Anthony Campos, 29, of McKinleysville, Ca., was arrested and charged with Identity Theft and Possession of Marijuana.

BURGLARY, 2018-12060068, 5000 block of Lee Highway. At approximately 7:47 a.m. on December 6, police responded to the report of a burglary just discovered. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 7:00 p.m. on December 5 and 7:47 a.m. on December 6, an unknown suspect forced entry into a business and stole cash. The investigation is ongoing. There is no suspect(s) description.

BURGLARY, 2018-12060099, 5100 block of Lee Highway. At approximately 7:47 a.m. on December 6, while investigating the above listed burglary (2018-12060068), police located another business with damage to the front door. Upon investigation, it was determined that the suspect forced entry into the business and rummaged through items but nothing was reported stolen. The investigation is ongoing. There is no suspect(s) description.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT (Significant), 2018-12050138, 2900 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 12:30 p.m. on December 5, an officer investigating traffic hazards in the area determined they were related to a promotion at the Cheesecake Factory. While managing traffic, a call was dispatched for a fight in progress inside the restaurant. No active fight was located by arriving officers, however, they encountered a large crowd related to the promotion. The officers addressed the crowd and deescalated the tension related to the wait time. One subject amidst the crowd was allegedly disorderly and restaurant management requested he leave the premises. The subject refused to leave, did not comply with the lawful commands of officers, and actively resisted arrest. Following a brief struggle, the subject was successful taken into police custody. The subject was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation. Prabhjot Singh, 19, of Burke, VA was charged with Disorderly Conduct and released on a Virginia Uniform Summons.

Rosslyn Coffee and Deli Set to Close Later This Month

By Alex Koma

A small deli on the first floor of a Rosslyn office building is shutting down later this month.

Rosslyn Coffee and Deli, located at 1101 Wilson Blvd, will shut down on Dec. 21, according to a note to customers posted in the store. A reader first alerted ARLnow to the closure on Friday (Dec. 7).

The restaurant’s owners attribute the closure to the shop’s lease ending, prompting the shop to close down “after 20 years in business.”

“We would like to thank our loving and caring customers of Rosslyn for your love and support throughout all of these years,” they wrote.

The building is also home to the “Spaces” coworking office, and the former “Artisphere.”

New Report Shows County Continues to Lag Behind Affordable Housing Goals

By Alex Koma

Arlington officials managed to create or preserve 515 homes guaranteed to remain affordable to low-income renters this year — but the size of that number masks the fact that the county still isn’t meeting its own affordable housing goals.

In a report released this week evaluating Arlington’s progress toward fulfilling the standards of its “Affordable Housing Master Plan,” county housing staffers trumpeted the 221 new “committed affordable” units officials helped developers build in Fiscal Year 2018.

The county also managed to preserve another 294 existing homes to ensure their rent prices remain low enough to be deemed “affordable.” Though the term may seem subjective, officials define it to mean that a home’s monthly rent or mortgage, plus utilities, is “no more than 30 percent of a household’s gross income.”

The combined total of 515 units is down slightly from the 556 the county created or preserved last year, though up from 2016’s total of 322 homes.

But the master plan, adopted by the County Board in 2015, calls for Arlington to be making a bit more progress in this area by now.

The document sets a goal that 17.7 percent of the county’s available housing should be affordable by the time 2040 rolls around, meaning that the county will need to create or preserve 15,800 committed affordable units before then. That means the county needs to generate 585 net new affordable homes each year, a standard that Arlington hasn’t been able to hit since passing the master plan three years ago.

And with Amazon on the way, and fears about housing affordability growing, advocates see this latest report as yet more clear evidence that the county needs to take more aggressive steps to solve the problem.

“The county has been off-pace for meeting its AHMP goals since the beginning,” Michelle Winters, the executive director of the Alliance for Housing Solutions, told ARLnow via email. “They need to ramp up the pace in order to meet their own goals.”

Winters also points out that the 2018 numbers may be a bit misleading in considering the county’s progress toward its goals. The 294 affordable homes that the county preserved came courtesy of a loan at the “Park Shirlington” development in Fairlington, which Winters points out “is only guaranteed affordable for three years until the developer comes back with a proposal for long-term affordability (which may include fewer affordable units in the end).”

Of course, Housing Director David Cristeal notes in the report that the “desirability” of Arlington as a community has “made it much harder to find modestly priced housing, which lags behind demand,” complicating any effort to preserve affordable homes. The county has taken some steps to address that issue in recent years, particularly by creating new “Housing Conservation Districts” to protect older homes, and the Board has mulled expanding that program moving forward.

Yet Winters has often urged the county to use those districts to incentivize property owners toward affordable redevelopments, upping the number of affordable homes on the same property. Her group and others on the Board, including newly elected member Matt de Ferranti, have agitated for increased contributions to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund as well, increasing Arlington’s ability to hand out loans and promote affordable developments.

Without taking more drastic steps now, Winters fears that the county will become even more unaffordable for low-income renters. She points out that the report also shows that the number of small, two-bedroom homes in the county continues to decline in favor of new single-family home construction, and that’s before the development boom most observers expect that Amazon will kick off in the area.

“This is evidence of our disappearing, older, more modest and previously affordable homes, replaced by larger high-end new construction,” she wrote.

Photo via Park Shirlington

Arlington’s Top Prosecutor Draws Primary Challenger, Kicking Off Battle Over Criminal Justice Reforms

By Alex Koma

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Now that Arlington’s top prosecutor has drawn a primary challenger, the stage is set for a battle next year over many of the criminal justice issues that have electrified traditionally sleepy races across the country.

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti announced Monday (Dec. 10) that she plans to challenge Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos (D) in 2019, arguing that she’d rely on her background as a defense attorney to bring a series of reforms to the office. Stamos was first elected in 2011 and has served as a prosecutor in the county since 1987, experience that Dehghani-Tafti claims has blinded Stamos to the criminal justice system’s flaws.

“Perhaps nothing exemplifies the current [commonwealth’s attorney’s] unsuitability to lead meaningful reform than the fact that she has publicly denied that mass incarceration even exists and has argued that the system is working perfectly,” Dehghani-Tafti wrote in a Facebook post announcing her candidacy. “I want to dismantle the mass incarceration machine and replace it with policies that pursue justice, increase accountability, prevent crime, prioritize serious crimes and protect civil rights.”

Dehghani-Tafti’s arguments are similar to those advanced by a variety of other defense attorneys who have begun challenging incumbent prosecutors across the country. Former public defenders and civil rights attorneys like Larry Krasner in Philadelphia have been swept into office by promising substantial reforms to the system, claiming that prosecutors have the discretion to cut back on the number of people sent to prison for low-level offenses.

“We can no longer hope for reform from the very same lifelong prosecutors who’ve spent their careers building this flawed machine,” Dehghani-Tafti wrote.

But Stamos argues that Dehghani-Tafti’s critiques of her record are mistaken, accusing her of discussing issues applicable to “Baltimore, Chicago, Baton Rouge, or Los Angeles,” not Arlington. Though she has yet to formally announce her bid for re-election, she seems ready to vigorously defend her seven years in office.

“Not only do I not support mass incarceration, I know no prosecutor who does,” Stamos wrote in a statement to ARLnow. “Every person who is prosecuted by my office is an individual with a name, a family and a story to tell and a crime they have committed for which they are held accountable. I have never once lost sight of the humanity of any defendant prosecuted by my office. Is the criminal justice system perfect? Absolutely not, and I’ve worked for years and spoken out in support of many reforms.”

In fact, Stamos claims she’s been a “statewide leader” in criminal justice reform efforts in Virginia. She points to her support for a bill to raise the felony larceny threshold as one example — before the General Assembly passed reforms this year, anyone accused of stealing an item worth $200 or more could be charged with a felony — and her work to lessen penalties for people convicted of their first marijuana-related offenses as another.

Yet Dehghani-Tafti, who currently serves as the legal director for the nonprofit Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project and has worked in D.C.’s public defender’s office, believes that Stamos’ attempts at reform haven’t gone far enough. Namely, she points to Stamos’ opposition to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s push to restore voting rights to felons who completed their prison sentences as one troubling stance, and argues that Stamos has “opposed real bail reform.”

Stamos has taken some heat on the latter issue in the past, after she refused calls from a coalition of state lawmakers to stop requesting cash bail for criminal defendants. She subsequently agreed to end cash bail for people accused of most low-level misdemeanors, but even that step drew criticism from local public defenders for being “so limited as to be meaningless.”

“It’s not reform if it doesn’t change anything, and it doesn’t seem to me that she’s actually changing much of anything,” Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow. “And getting rid of cash bail and coming up with alternatives will take a lot of work, and no one size fits all, but it’s not something that gets done in a press release.”

In general, Stamos has grounded her resistance to more comprehensive bail reforms in her concern that, without a cash bond in place, defendants won’t appear for court dates, therefore wasting the time of victims and witnesses alike. Stamos highlighted her “vigorous protection of victims’ rights” as a key part of her response to Dehghani-Tafti’s announcement, arguing that her newfound challenger fundamentally misunderstands the prosecutor’s role.

“It’s interesting that she describes herself as an “innocence protection attorney,” as that is what I’ve been engaged in for more than 30 years — protecting innocent victims from the hell of intimate partner violence, giving voice to the innocent victims whose loved one has been brutally murdered, or providing protection to the innocent elderly couple whose life savings became easy prey for the greedy and the unscrupulous,” Stamos wrote. “It’s striking that the word ‘victim’ is not mentioned once in Ms. Tafti’s announcement.”

But Dehghani-Tafti accused Stamos of creating a “false choice between protecting defendants’ rights and protecting victims” with such a focus.

“It’s a classic fear tactic, that’s, frankly, straight out of Trump’s playbook,” Dehghani-Tafti  said. “I think we can have a justice system that honors victims of crime and provides just outcomes for the whole community. They’re not mutually exclusive.”

Notably, Dehghani-Tafti’s post also did not touch on Stamos’ support for County Board member John Vihstadt in all three of his independent bids for office — Stamos is one of just three Democratic officeholders in the county to support his candidacy over the years, ruffling a few feathers among party leaders. Dehghani-Tafti, by contrast, has served as the county Democratic Committee’s lead spokeswoman as its press and public relations chair.

However, she said Stamos’ support for Vihstadt had “zero influence on my decision to run.”

“If she had a record that I believed in, I wouldn’t be running,” Dehghani-Tafti said. “I’d be supporting her wholeheartedly.”

A June 11 primary will decide the Democratic nomination in the race, and quite likely its ultimate winner as well — Stamos has run unopposed in both of her general election contests, thus far.

Photo of Dehghani-Tafti, left, via Facebook

Rosslyn High Rise Owner Rolls Out ‘Flexible’ Leasing Options to Lure Government Contractors

By Alex Koma
1/4

The owner of a Rosslyn office building is changing up how it leases out some of its space, in a bid to be more flexible and responsive to the needs of government contractors.

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust announced today (Wednesday) that it’s rebranding some of its space at the Arlington Tower (1300 17th Street N.) as “Space+.” The firm acquired the property, located just across the street from Dark Star Park, back in January for about $250 million.

The program is designed to offer prospective tenants “high quality office space that can be customized and configured to be as large or small as a business needs at any given time,” according to a press release. The developer is marketing a variety of spaces in the building that resemble traditional coworking offices, but can also be customized to suit each business’s desires.

In all, about 22,000 square feet of the building’s 398,000 square feet of space will be reserved for the “Space+” offerings, according to spokeswoman Liz Wainger. The space will be available for lease right away, she added.

“Space+ reflects our willingness to be creative on lease term and structures, all to accommodate tenants who are grappling with rapid change in their industries,” Wainger wrote in an email. “Our bread and butter are smaller growing enterprises and contractors with immediate needs.”

Primarily, the company is hoping to ride a projected surge in new federal business in the area. Though many property owners in Rosslyn, in particular, have struggled with high vacancy rates in recent years, the developer doesn’t expect that trend to last much longer — particularly with Amazon coming to town soon.

“According to an analysis of government contracts awarded in the six zip codes in and around Arlington Tower, the data shows that nearly 370 contractors have been recently awarded or imminently expect to be awarded contracts that will notch a greater than 10 percent funding increase in 2018, with continued hikes in year-over-year funding in 2019,” the company wrote in the release. “With the ability to meet company demands — regardless of size — Space+ availability at Arlington Tower answer[s] the anticipated demand with straightforward pricing and fast move-ins to single offices, collaborative work spaces and furnished suites.”

Several other firms offering coworking offices and other flexible spaces have also opened in Rosslyn in recent months, including WeWork, Spaces, Convene and Eastern Foundry.

UPDATED: Police Drag Man Out of Home After Alleged Drunken Conduct Around Child

By Alex Koma

(Updated at 5:15 p.m. on 12/12/18) An Arlington man is now facing several charges after he was allegedly spotted drunkenly stumbling in the road with a child, then fought with police officers who dragged him out of his home.

Arlington Police believe 45-year-old Stuart Behrens was “highly intoxicated” as he walked in the road along the 3600 block of 12th Street S. around 9 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 9).

Witnesses told police that he was walking with a child, before heading to a home in the Douglas Park neighborhood.

When officers arrived at the residence, police say Behrens refused to open the door. Officers forced their way inside, and as they attempted to arrest Behrens, “he actively resisted and refused to walk,” police say.

“As the officers carried him out, he kicked one officer multiple time[s],” the police said.

Police successfully managed to get him into a county cruiser, and subsequently charged Behrens with abuse and neglect of a child, assault on police, and obstruction of justice.

He’s now set for a hearing on those charges in Arlington General District Court on Jan. 16.

More details from an county crime report, which was updated after the original publication of this article.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2018-12090212, 3600 block of 12th Street S. At approximately 8:53 p.m. on December 9, police were dispatched to the report of a highly intoxicated male with a child stumbling in the road. Witnesses, who earlier observed the suspect allegedly passed out on the sidewalk, directed arriving officers to a residence where the male suspect was located inside. Despite repeated requests, the suspect refused to open the door and allow responding officers to check on the welfare of the child. While speaking to the suspect through a mailslot, officers observed him drop the child on the floor then walk up a steep set of stairs holding the child by the shirt. The suspect again refused lawful commands to open the door and allow officers to check on the welfare of the child. The officers forced entry into the residence, secured the child and took the suspect into custody. While attempting to escort the suspect out of the residence, he actively resisted and refused to walk. As the officers carried him out, he kicked one officer multiple time. The officers regained control and secured the suspect in the cruiser successfully. Stuart Behrens, 45, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Abuse and Neglect of a Child, Assault on Police, and Obstruction of Justice.

Construction on Ballston Quarter Pedestrian Bridge Ramps Up Ahead of Spring 2019 Opening

By Alex Koma
1/6

The construction of a new pedestrian bridge linking Ballston Quarter to the area’s Metro station is picking up steam.

Workers recently began installing supports for the bridge near the development’s entrances along Wilson Blvd, as well as near the “Ballston Exchange” development at 4201 Wilson Blvd, where the walkway will ultimately connect.

The frame for a new bridge is also taking shape in nearby Mosaic Park, where Ballston Quarter developer Forest City secured permission to start assembling the structure through a deal with county officials.

After tearing down the old bridge over Wilson Blvd last May, Forest City originally planned to have the new walkway ready by the time shops first started opening in the newly renovated Ballston Common mall.

But they reported to the county this summer that construction delays were hampering the process, targeting sometime in 2019 instead. As the new year approaches, a spokeswoman for Forest City says that the bridge is “still slated to deliver in the spring of 2019.”

Forest City has until the end of the month to wrap up work in Mosaic Park under the terms of its current deal with the county. However, the company does have the chance to secure a two-month extension for additional work through the end of February, though that’s contingent on the construction not disrupting the long-awaited overhaul of the park set to start this coming spring.

When the bridge is finished, it’s designed to connect the Ballston Metro station seamlessly to the Ballston Quarter development, helping pedestrians avoid crossing a bevy of busy streets.

After Amazon, Arlington’s Top Business Booster Pitches A ‘Silicon Valley on the Potomac’

By Alex Koma

After helping convince Amazon to bring 25,000 jobs to Arlington, Victor Hoskins could probably be forgiven for looking for his next challenge.

The county’s top economic development official has already bounced around the Washington region a bit over the course of his career, serving in similar roles in D.C., Prince George’s County and even Maryland’s state government. But few of the deals Hoskins struck in those jobs could hope to rival the agreement he worked to forge with Amazon, in terms of both size and controversy.

Accordingly, it might seem perfectly reasonable if Hoskins wanted to walk away from the county after pulling off such a mammoth transaction — or perhaps parlay his Amazon-sized success into a bigger payday elsewhere.

But even with Jeff Bezos and company set to head to Arlington, Hoskins says he isn’t going anywhere. Though the tech giant plans to invest billions in the county, he believes there are still plenty of challenges left in Arlington that he hopes to tackle.

“Frankly, I want to see this through,” Hoskins told ARLnow. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity… because we still have an 18 percent office vacancy rate. When we get down to a 10 or 12 percent vacancy rate, then I’ll consider leaving.”

Like many other county officials in recent weeks, Hoskins emphasizes that the 25,000 workers Amazon plans to move to Crystal City and Pentagon City will only help replace the similar number of employees who’ve left the area in recent years, as federal agencies and the military have headed elsewhere.

That means he sees plenty of room for Arlington to keep adding jobs, and he fully expects that the county’s economic development arm will have a key role in guiding that process.

“We’re expecting 25,000 jobs of Amazon, but at least another 25,000 over the same 10-, 12-year time period from all the supportive services or ancillary services to the company,” Hoskins said. “That means a few years from now, we could be down to a 12 percent office vacancy rate if everything goes right. But that takes hard work.”

Hoskins says it certainly helps to have a “seal of approval from the largest tech company in the world” in bringing in other high-tech businesses too. Though he’s waiting until the county and state formally sign off on the Amazon deal — a process that could wrap up as soon as February — to start courting anyone too hard, Hoskins would also concede that luring other Silicon Valley firms will be a key part of his strategy going forward.

“We’re going to be looking for companies that start deciding, like Amazon, that they need an eastern seaboard location,” Hoskins said. “And many of those are west of the Mississippi.”

He envisions branding Arlington as the next Silicon Valley, perhaps “the Silicon Valley on the Potomac,” a shift in thinking that he believes the county kicked off years ago that contributed to its successful courtship of Amazon. Part of that work will be marketing Arlington’s ever-growing tech workforce, another key piece of the pitch county and state officials made to Amazon.

For instance, Hoskins expects that the state’s investments in new, tech-focused higher education efforts in the area (including a new Virginia Tech “Innovation Campus” in Alexandria and a beefed up computer science program at George Mason’s Virginia Square campus) will send tens of thousands of graduates with high-tech degrees into the workforce in the coming years. And he hopes that other local universities will follow that lead, even if they weren’t included in the Amazon deal.

“UVA’s [Darden School of Business] opened up an MBA campus right in Rosslyn, and I know they’re probably sitting there thinking, ‘Could we raise some money in the tech arena and build on some state funds here?'” Hoskins said. “And I think we have a whole host of other universities that will come on board.”

Of course, the quality of Arlington’s public schools were another factor that lured Amazon to the county, and Hoskins expects school officials to play a role in readying students to potentially enroll in those programs.

“I know our schools are already having conversations with George Mason University and others to see what kind of cross-training they can set up to take advantage of these resources,” Hoskins said.

Yet Hoskins says that his intense focus on the future doesn’t take away the pride he feels in having helped pull off such a massive deal in Arlington. Though community concerns abound about the tech giant’s potential impact on everything from the housing market to traffic, Hoskins believes the positives for the county were enough to leave him practically giddy when he first heard the news that Amazon tabbed Arlington.

“I was exhilarated, are you kidding me?” Hoskins said. “It was 14 months of pins and needles… I’ve got a 91-year-old mother, and she told me she was delighted to hear about this. And it took her a long time to even understand what I do for a living, so that means the world.”

Photo via @ArlChamberVA

View More Stories