Entrance to the event free, though attendees can purchase a $20 “Beer Package” that includes a Valley Fest pint glass and three beer tickets. The festival will feature a selection of New District’s beers, including their new Oktoberfest brew.
The festival will also prompt several road and parking area closures from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. According to Arlington County Police:
S. Oakland Street, from S. Four Mile Run Drive to the Shirlington Dog Park
2700 Block of S. Nelson Street
The parking lot for the Shirlington Dog Park between S. Nelson St. and S. Oakland St. will not be available
“The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) and part of the StorQuest Self-Storage facility will be accessible,” ACPD noted.
Pet owners will still have access to the Shirlington Dog Park during the event, but are encouraged to park elsewhere. Those looking to use the park should use S. Oxford Street or the Four Mile Run footbridge.
Street parking will be restricted and there will be temporary “no parking” signs posted. Attendees are encouraged to use public transportation or ride-hailing apps to get to the event.
“The public can expect to see a visible police presence in the area,” ACPD said in a press release. “Motorists should follow law enforcement direction, be mindful of the road closures, and remain alert for increased pedestrian traffic in the area.”
This year, the live music and entertainment includes performances from The Washington Ballet and the Educational Theatre Company. The full lineup is:
Orangetheory is coming to Centro Arlington on Columbia PIke (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Permits for Orangetheory at Centro Arlington (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Orangetheory is coming to Centro Arlington on Columbia PIke (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Orangetheory Fitness will be joining Harris Teeter at a new development along Columbia Pike.
The trendy boutique gym will be located on the ground floor of the Centro Arlington complex at 4231 Columbia Pike. Franchise owner Mark Steverson said he’s aiming for a December 1 opening date.
“We’re excited for Columbia Pike,” said Steverson. “We think its a fantastic area and we look forward to opening.”
When finished, Centro Arlington will consist of the grocery store, the gym, additional retail space, a 22,000 square foot open space, a three-level parking garage, and an apartment complex. The project replaces the old Food Star Grocery store on the Pike.
Contractors applied for Orangetheory’s commercial building permit in June, according to county records.
This will be the fifth Arlington location for Orangetheory, which offers hour-long workouts utilize a combination of cardio, free weights, and heart rate monitoring to maximize calorie burn. Existing Orangetheory locations in Arlington include Rosslyn, Ballston, Pentagon City, and Clarendon.
Those who sign up for classes now will have access to exclusive pre-sale rates, Steverson said.
Flooding from July 8, 2019 storm in Arlington (via Arlington County)
Four Mile Run flooding (photo courtesy Kim C./Facebook)
Flooding at the Westover Market beer garden (via GoFundMe)
County crews clear debris on sidewalks after substantial flooding leaves some homes uninhabitable (Staff photo by Ashley Hopko)
Neighbors and friends assist [Redacted] in clearing her furniture ruined by the flooding. (Staff photo by Ashley Hopko)
Flooding at N. Harrison Street and Yorktown Blvd (Image courtesy Judy T./Facebook)
Wayne Blankenship and Maxwell Torgersen face thousands of dollars of repairs after the flood ruined their finished basement. (Staff photo by Ashley Hopko)
Damage in Glencarlyn Park, along Four Mile Run (photo courtesy Mark Wigfield)
Flooding in Arlington
Aftermath of flooding on N. Kirkwood Road
Flooding along 14th Street N. near Westover in 2019 (file photo)
Following weeks of fallout from the July 8 storm, Arlington officials are discussing a new program for tackling future floods.
During Tuesday’s County Board meeting, County Manager Mark Schwartz introduced “Flood Resilient Arlington,” to be considered during the spring budget planning.
Demetra McBride, who heads the Department of Environmental Services (DES) Sustainability and Environmental Management bureau, said Flood Resilient Arlington will include educational forums, site visits, and a potential flood-resilience incentive program to help the county prepare for increasingly extreme weather caused by climate change.
The program “builds upon” the 2014 Stormwater Master Plan, which outlined improvements to Arlington’s stormwater management systems, streams, and watersheds over the next 20 years, according to DES Chief Operating Officer Mike Moon.
“We hear about climate change, and it always seems to be somewhere else,” said Vice Board Chair Libby Garvey. “People tend to think and accuse the government of not doing something right, they don’t buy the climate change reason, so we have a level of education we [owe].”
Funding for Flood Resilient Arlington will not be established for “eight to nine months,” said Moon.
The next steps include approximately 80 visits from Board members beginning this month to sites deemed a “high risk” for flooding, or homes that received more than four feet of water during the July 8 storm. During the Tuesday presentation, McBride listed several neighborhoods — such as Waverley Hills, Westover, andRock Spring — as high risk for future flooding based on past data. She highlighted steps homeowners can take to stay dry.
“I realize this is emotional for people, your home is a big investment,” McBride said. “They have families and children and they’re concerned for their safety.”
Two public forums to discuss the program are planned: one on Thursday, October 24 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street), and another on Saturday, October 26 from 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. at George Mason University’s Arlington campus (3351 Fairfax Drive.)
During the meetings, the public can expect to:
Hear from experts on flood-proof design
Learn about flood insurance options and coverage
Learn about how to flood-proof your house
McBride stressed homeowners need to educate themselves on flood insurance policies, also noting the county needs to step in with educational resources.
Several residents told ARLnow in the flood’s aftermath they had received conflicting information about their eligibility for flood insurance and were left fearing they would have to bear tens of thousands of dollars in repair costs.
During the disaster, dozens of residents fled their homes, a few beloved Arlington businesses closed for repairs, six pedestrian bridges were washed away, and thousands of dollars were raised on platforms such as GoFundMe. The county stated days later it would not cover any sewage overflow damage caused by the flood, telling ARLnow it would violate state law.
Since then, residents have applied for over $2.1 million in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans, Schwartz shared, and Arlington businesses have applied for more than $100,000 in loans. Applicants can still file for a loan by Monday, October 7.
“During a majority of the 1,100 damage reports [this summer], people had insurance and thought they were protected, and then they realized there were exemptions and exclusions,” said McBride. “That’s a gap we would help to close.”
In addition to damage to private property, Arlington County reported $5.8 million in damage to county property and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall reported damage to 26 buildings.
McBride said Arlington will have to slowly overhaul its public infrastructure through several long-term projects — like upgrading the stormwater pipes, developing large tanks for water storage, and property acquisition — to help address the flood risk.
“These [will require] long-term disruption of neighborhoods,” she said. “I wish we could avoid that, but we’re simply not going to be able to and that’s going to be a partnership we need to have with the public.”
Pupatella under construction on S. Walter Reed Drive in Arlington (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Enzo Algarme of Pupatella Pizza (courtesy photo)
Pupatella, one of the county’s most beloved restaurants, could open its second Arlington location along S. Walter Reed Drive as early as next month.
“We are looking at the opening date around the end of October at this point,” owner Enzo Algarme tells ARLnow.
The Neapolitan pizzeria will be located at 1621 S. Walter Reed Drive where hopefully it will have better luck than past businesses. A string of restaurants there have quickly shuttered after opening, giving the Walter Reed address the reputation as a sort of restaurant “Bermuda Triangle.”
Italy native Algarme launched a pizza-serving food cart in Arlington in 2007, later opening Pupatella’s original brick-and-mortar location on Wilson Blvd in Bluemont in 2010.
Foxcroft Heights property listing (via Long and Foster)
Some of the properties listed for sale in Foxcroft Heights (Photo via Google Maps)
The property listed for sale in Foxcroft Heights (Photo via Google Maps)
A substantial portion of Arlington’s Foxcroft Heights neighborhood is listed for sale for $11 million.
The properties between 901 and 925 S. Orme Street — a block-long row of brick houses bordering Columbia Pike and across from the Sheraton Pentagon City hotel — are touted in the listing as a “tear down” redevelopment opportunity.
It’s currently the most expensive real estate listing in Arlington.
The listing suggests the tiny neighborhood near the Air Force Memorial is primed for “integrated gentrification” with the planned reconfiguration of eastern Columbia Pike with the expansion of Arlington National Cemetery, not to mention Amazon’s nearby HQ2.
“The re-development of 901-925 Block can and will be simultaneous with the planned redevelopment and expansion of Arlington National Cemetery and the most eastern corridor of Columbia Pike, allowing for vast and integrated gentrification of the area,” the listing says. “It is an exceptional opportunity to revitalize and rebuild a part of Arlington County that has remained virtually forgotten for the past 50 years.”
The listing says that a developer should be able to build a five-story residential building, with up to 71 new units of housing, on the 0.75 acre site.
It’s unclear if any of the new apartment units would ultimately be designated as affordable housing, or what will happen to the current residents along Orme Street. Matt McMullan, the president of the Foxcroft Heights Civic Association, said the group has discussed the listing with residents “at a number of association meetings.”
“This is not the first time that gentrification has been broached with the neighborhood, and historically, residents have been divided on the topic,” said McMullan.
The listing’s real estate agent, Barbara Johnson, said she had no comment. The full listing is below.
Amazing opportunity to tear down and build 5-6 stories in prime Arlington County location! Foxcroft Heights is Arlington’s best kept secret, with a location one mile from the Pentagon Metro and Crystal City-Amazon HQ-2, and one stop light to the 14th Street Bridge. Incredible views of Arlington National Cemetery, USAF Memorial, the Capital and the Washington Monument starting on the 3rd floor. Lots & Alley Parcels comprise 32,427 square feet of buildable space. Yield Analysis and Pricing are based upon 5 floors with two levels of underground parking. Total Gross Building Area is 75,578 Square Feet, 71 units ranging 950-1200 square feet, 8814 Square Feet of Open Space, and 77 parking spaces. Commercial Mixed Use on first floor allowed, but Yield is based on Maximum Residential use under the Form Based Code. Call or email for complete package of materials. FYI: If timed correctly, the re-development of 901-925 Block can and will be simultaneous with the planned redevelopment and expansion of Arlington National Cemetery and the most eastern corridor of Columbia Pike, allowing for vast and integrated gentrification of the area. It is an exceptional opportunity to revitalize and rebuild a part of Arlington County that has remained virtually forgotten for the past 50 years.
(Updated 10 a.m.)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.
A rap duo from NYC will perform a set of their energetic songs about video games, anime, movies, and more. Their style fuses hip-hop and pop culture. Tickets are $5. 21+.
The upcoming escape room invites the Chamber of Commerce business community to network at this free event. Food and drinks will be served, and guests will be able to tour the facility.
The Lee Highway Alliance will present Oktoberfest at the Marymount Farmers Market, a free event with German and Viennese food, live music, and craft beer.
Sponsored by the Center Hiking Club, this all-day walking tour will trek 10-12 miles around historic points in central Arlington. Bring lunch and water. Tickets are $2.
BBQ, Boots & Bingo Columbus Club of Arlington (5115 Little Falls Road) Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
This family-friendly event organized by Arlington Thrive will feature moon bounces, face painting, crafts, bingo, and live music. Tickets start in $10, with all funds going to support Arlington neighbors in need.
The Ballston pedestrian bridge as of September 19 (Staff Photo by Kalina)
Construction on the Ballston Quarter pedestrian bridge in mid-March (Image via Arlington County)
Completion of the Ballston Quarter pedestrian bridge over Wilson Blvd could be delayed by another three months.
The Arlington County Board is set to discuss extending the completion deadline of the under-construction bridge from September 1 to December 1 at its meeting tomorrow (Saturday). The delay is at the request of the mall’s owner, which is building the bridge as a condition of Ballston Quarter’s recent renovations.
The company cited “difficulties associated with the complexity, constructibility issues of the design, field modifications, and the current status of construction” as reasons for the extension, according to as staff report to the Board.
This will be the second time the bridge project has been delayed. Originally, the walkway was scheduled to open last fall so it would be ready for the first shops to open at Ballston Quarter. Then the deadline was pushed to September of this year.
A spokeswoman for mall operator Brookfield Properties told ARLnow they are “on track for a November opening” for the bridge, pointing interested locals to a blog with periodic bridge construction updates.
It’s been more than two years since the original Wilson Blvd bridge was torn down. Once the new walkway is completed, it will link the mall to the Ballston Metro station.
1.72-acre property near Glebe Elementary School for sale (Image via Google Maps)
1.72-acre property near Glebe Elementary School for sale.
There’s precious little open, developable land left in Arlington, but one of the bigger privately-owned properties is now for sale.
A 1.72 acre property at 1722 N. Glebe Road, adjacent to Glebe Elementary School and Capital Life Church, is listed for sale at $8,820,117. Previously home to Hill’s Nursery and Camellia Garden, the property includes a boarded-up house built in 1941 but is otherwise mostly trees and empty land across three connected lots.
“It’s the largest property on the market in Arlington right now, even though it’s listed online as 1.32 acres, across all three lots it’s actually 1.72,” said the listing agent, Jeena Ingraham of Samson Properties.
The asking price has been marked down from $9.9 million when it was first listed on July 23.
“Rarely available, tear-down and build in North Arlington, very close to D.C. Previously the Hill Nursery, the property is being sold as is,” the listing says, adding that it’s “7 miles from Amazon’s HQ2.”
Though the property is adjacent to Glebe Elementary, an Arlington Public Schools spokesman said the school system has no plans to purchase it.
There are also no plans for Arlington County to acquire the lots, a spokeswoman for the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services said, even though the county has been actively trying to acquire properties for public use.
The minimum lot requirement for a single-family home in Arlington’s R-6 zoning district is 6,000 square feet, so 12 homes could potentially fit in 1.72 acres. However, it would require a lengthy subdivision process with the County, which Ingraham said she has not begun.
“We’ve had plenty of interest from investors and developers looking to build their family-home portfolio, but nothing confirmed yet,” she said.
Nearby homes listed on real estate website Redfin average in the $1 million range, suggesting that whoever purchases it will likely need to build several properties to turn a profit.
As for the owner and the nearly $9 million listing price?
“He’s a native to Arlington, and it’s his vision,” Ingraham said.
A time capsule in Ballston that has been largely forgotten to time is set to be opened at some point next year, and no one seems to know what’s inside.
An inconspicuous plaque on the side of the Fairgate office building (1005 N. Glebe Road) announces the time capsule.
“A time capsule celebrating Arlington County and the building of Ballston, placed by the Rouse and Associates in 1988, to be opened in 2020,” the plaque reads.
A lot has happened since 1988, however. For one, Rouse and Associates no longer exists. In 1994 it was sold and the company, based in suburban Philadelphia, is now known as Liberty Property Trust.
“Oh wow, that would be us [behind the plaque],” says Jeanne Leonard, vice president of Liberty Property Trust. Over the phone, she detailed how Rouse and Associates did have a Northern Virginia office at one point, but it was shuttered several decades ago.
“We developed this office building in 1986,” Leonard said, confirming the site of the capsule. “But we have not owned it in many years. Unfortunately, there is no one here now who was with our Northern Virginia operation back in the 80s. I’ve got no idea what could be in it.”
Per county records, the building was sold in 2012 to WashREIT, a D.C.-based real estate company. Deanna Schmidt, a communications official at WashREIT, confirmed that the firm knows about the capsule and said they are exploring the best ways to celebrate the capsule come 2020.
They aren’t quite sure how to go about opening it and said they will update their plans once that detail is figured out.
As for what’s in there?
“No idea,” said Schmidt.
A reader first tipped ARLnow off about the plaque, which can be seen from the corner of 11th Street N. and N. Vermont Street. Representatives for the Ballston Business Improvement District, Arlington County and Arlington Public Library’s Center for Local History were similarly unable to find any information on the time capsule.
“I’ve probably walked past that plaque 100 times without noticing,” said Peter Golkin, spokesman for the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services.
The pop-up plaza next to the county’s surface parking lot in Courthouse has been adorned with a new piece of public art.
The mural is the creation of local graphic designer and artist Marc Pekala. Set to debut tomorrow (Friday) at Courthouse’s PARK(ing) Day celebration, at the corner of 15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street, the abstract art combines eight of Pekala’s paintings of signs from iconic Arlington businesses such as Weenie Beenie and the former Bob Peck Chevrolet.
The design was chosen through the “Arlington Abstracted” contest, in which people were invited to visit the Arlington Art Truck and scramble Pekala’s artwork. The winning design, by Arlington resident Brandon Bailey, was chosen by Arlington Arts to be brought to life by Pekala as the new Courthouse mural.
“The whole process with the Arlington Art Truck was wonderful,” said Pekala. “Listening to people share their memories of Arlington brought back by the older signs may have been my favorite part. So often I work in solitude, and the feeling of community and the pleasure of sharing was a real treat.”
PARK(ing) Day is a national event that asks the public to reconsider the use of parking spaces as public land. Pekala’s mural will span across three former parking spaces, the “last remaining vestige of the original Arlington County Courthouse site from 1898,” according to a release from Arlington Arts.
The public is “invited to celebrate the mural” and meet the artist Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The event will include an opportunity for attendees to create their own miniature, take-home versions of the mural, according to Arlington Arts.
The new Boeing Fields sign at Long Bridge Park (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
The new Boeing Fields sign at Long Bridge Park (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Long Bridge Park (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington County has debuted signage for the newly-renamed “Boeing Fields at Long Bridge Park” in recognition of Boeing Company’s donation of $10 million to the county park.
The new sign at the athletic complex was unveiled today (Wednesday) during a ceremony at the park. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, County Board Chair Christian Dorsey and County Manager Mark Schwartz spoke at the event.
Boeing’s donation will help to cover the maintenance and operation expenses of Long Bridge Park, which is adjacent to the aerospace giant’s D.C. area headquarters in Crystal City.
“Sometimes these corporate partnerships don’t feel like a decent match, but with Boeing Fields, they’re right here, they’re in the community, so it made sense,” said Dorsey.
The funding also provides free access to the forthcoming Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center for active-duty military and their families, according to a county press release. Once completed, the 50-meter pool inside the aquatics center will also be named after Boeing.
“Boeing is committed to making a difference in the community and is proud to support members of the military who give so much to keep us safe,” said Tim Keating, Boeing’s Executive Vice President for Government Operations.
Following the announcement earlier this year, the County Board is set to officially accept the donation at its upcoming meeting on Saturday, Sept. 21.
