News

Rising costs, mortgage rates and office vacancies putting pressure on upcoming county budget

By ARLnow.com
Arlington County Mark Schwartz (file photo by Jay Westcott)

The upcoming Arlington County budget process will be tough, albeit not the toughest, according to County Manager Mark Schwartz.

Schwartz made the remark at the end of Saturday’s Arlington County Board meeting, as the Board discussed its guidance to the manager as he starts work on a proposed 2023-2024 budget.

The backdrop is an economy that may or may not be heading into a recession in 2023, while inflation puts upward pressure on costs — and higher mortgage and office vacancy rates put downward pressure on county revenue.

According to Schwartz and a budget presentation given by staff last month, the county is expecting overall revenue to rise more than $40 million, or 3.4% in the next fiscal year. But inflation, wage growth and other factors are expected to lead to a $35 million gap between expected revenue and county expenditures if current service levels and tax rates are held steady.

That’s on top of the flow of federal Covid relief dollars, which bolstered county finances over the past two years, largely shutting off.

“The revenue picture is tough,” Schwartz told the Board.

Chart showing rising mortgage rates and office vacancy rates, putting downward pressure on Arlington County property tax revenue (via Arlington County)

The county is currently expecting a modest 1.9% rise in residential property assessments, which will be mailed out to homeowners in mid-January. And with office vacancies rising, commercial assessments are expected to remain flat.

The office vacancy issue could get even worse over the next few years, Schwartz warned, as long-term leases expire. Office building owners are struggling to fill vacant space amid work-from-home trends, he said, and that will likely result in falling commercial property assessments for much of the decade.

Schwartz said he has “a lot of faith in the long-term resiliency of the economy,” but that it may be rough seas for awhile.

“We’re still transitioning,” he said of the local economy. “We don’t know where we’re transitioning to.”

At the Saturday meeting, the Board adopted budget guidance for Schwartz, outlining priorities including:

  • A balanced budget
  • Preserving the county’s AAA bond rating
  • Budget decisions made with equity in mind
  • Funding for collective bargaining with county employee groups
  • Continuing to invest in affordable housing, eviction prevention, mental health and environmental priorities
  • Maintain ongoing funding of the county’s affordable housing fund

The guidance calls for “actionable strategies for economic development that fully recognize and respond to the impacts of the work-from-home paradigm shift on Arlington’s office vacancy rate.” It also suggests exploring “reductions” and “efficiencies” in the budget and “eliminating programmatic activities that are no longer priorities.”

Schwartz is expected to present his proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget in February, followed by County Board adoption two months later. Public engagement, work sessions and hearings will be conducted between now and final adoption.

FY 2024 county budget timeline (via Arlington County)

Busy day for ACPD amid vehicle thefts, foot pursuit and an officer nearly run over

By ARLnow.com
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

It was a busy Monday for Arlington County police, as a string of incidents kicked off the holiday week.

Starting that morning, ACPD responded to a pair of car thefts in the Bluemont neighborhood and what might have been an attempted carjacking in the nearby Dominion Hills neighborhood.

From the lastest police crime report:

GRAND LARCENY AUTO/ATTEMPTED GRAND LARCENY AUTO, 2022-12190049/12190058, 5600 block of 8th Street N./1000 block of N. Liberty Street. At approximately 6:42 a.m. on December 19, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was making a delivery in the 5600 block of 8th Street N. when she observed the suspect vehicle pull up alongside her parked vehicle. The unknown male suspect exited the passenger side of the vehicle and attempted to enter into the victim’s vehicle, during which the victim confronted him. The suspect then entered back into the suspect vehicle and fled the scene. The suspect vehicle is described as a silver SUV. During the course of the investigation, it was determined between approximately 5:13 a.m. and 6:13 a.m., two vehicles with keys inside were stolen in the 1000 block of N. Liberty Street. The vehicles are described as a 2017 silver Ford Explorer and a 2022 white Toyota Prius. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 6’0″, wearing a black mask, black jacket, gray jeans and black shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

That evening, in Pentagon City near the mall, an officer conducting a traffic stop was nearly run over by a suspect in a BMW trying to flee from another traffic stop, according to ACPD.

That led to a brief car chase that ended when the suspect crossed the suspect crossed the bridge into D.C. The chase was caught on video by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter.

From ACPD:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING OF POLICE, 2022-12190190, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 4:55 p.m. on December 19, an officer attempted a traffic stop for a vehicle displaying improper registration. The driver refused to stop and fled at a high rate of speed, nearly striking an officer on a separate traffic stop at Army Navy Drive and S. Hayes Street. Officers initiated a pursuit of the suspect vehicle onto I-395 NB. The pursuit was terminated after the suspect vehicle fled into Washington D.C. The suspect is described as a Black male with a medium to slender build wearing a jacket with the hood pulled up. The investigation is ongoing.

A short distance away in Pentagon City, around 7:30 p.m., police found four stolen vehicles in the parking lot for Virginia Highlands Park. They then chased six potential suspects on foot, arresting and charging four in connection to the stolen vehicles.

All of the charged suspects were between the ages of 18-20 and from either D.C. or Maryland.

From the crime report:

RECOVERED STOLEN VEHICLES, 2022-12190216, 1600 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 7:29 p.m. on December 19, police received an alert for a stolen vehicle in the area and located it parked and unoccupied. During the course of the investigation, officers determined three additional vehicles in the parking lot were also reported stolen. Officers approached a group as they returned to the vehicles and the group ran. A foot pursuit was initiated and officers detained six individuals. Based on the investigation, four of the individuals were arrested and charged. Aziyah Johnson, 18, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of Burglarious Tools. Malik Blocker, 19, of Temple Hills, MD was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. Xavier Mitchell, 18, of Laurel, MD was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Receiving Stolen Goods. Marquis Hailstorks, 20, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Possession of Burglarious Tools.

The apparent aftermath of the chase and arrests was also posted online.

People of color face financing barriers when purchasing a home in Arlington, study finds

By Jo DeVoe
A smaller home flanked by newer, larger construction in the Halls Hill neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Households of color face significant barriers to homeownership, according to a new report from Arlington County.

A division of Arlington’s planning division, Housing Arlington, conducted the study to understand trends in the local homeownership market. The report, released earlier this fall, was the first step in a multi-phase homeownership study that kicked off this summer.

It follows on the heels of the Missing Middle Housing Study, which identified a number of low-density housing types that could be added to Arlington’s housing stock. The result of this study was a series of proposed zoning changes intended to encourage their construction beyond where it is currently allowed and, possibly, lower home prices.

“We know that the benefits of homeownership are exponential and home ownership is one of the most effective ways to build generational wealth in this country,” said county planner Akeria Brown, discussing the report in a recent Housing Commission meeting. “We also know that many households, minority households in particular, were not or traditionally have not been afforded opportunities to be able to purchase in this environment.”

Racially restrictive deeds excluded certain racial and ethnic groups, particularly Black people, from certain neighborhoods last century, while certain zoning policies, at least to an extent, had the same practical effect. Arlington County maintains that there is a strong relationship between these older policies and today’s lack of homeownership opportunities for households of color.

While the county has a number of programs to help people earning below 80% of the area median income access homeownership, such as by providing counseling and helping households make down-payments, the aim of this study is to gauge their efficacy, improve them and potentially launch new ones.

“We want to look at ways to support moderate-income households to be able to build generational wealth, to build that long-term housing and financial stability and take advantage of incentives that go along with home-ownership to right some of those issues that have occurred along the way,” Brown said.

Before staff could do that, they needed to go beyond the data points showing lower homeownership rates among households of color.

Staff cited data showing that banks are less likely to lend money to Black and Hispanic borrowers when they are buying a home or refinancing.

Black and Latino households had the highest mortgage application denial rates, 9.3% and 7.2%, respectively, compared to non-Hispanic white borrowers, 2.7%, and those of Asian descent, 3.9%.

“The leading reason for loan application denial in 2021 was insufficient income to meet lender requirements, followed by incomplete credit applications and credit history issues,” the county report said.

Mortgage approval and denial rates in Arlington by race and ethnicity (via Arlington County)

Black and Latino households also obtained 30-year loans with higher interest rates than other borrowers on average.

About two-thirds of mortgages originated in 2021 were for refinancing existing homes when interest rates were low. Application denial rates were higher across the board, but still divided along racial and ethnic lines.

Interest rates were higher in relatively lower income neighborhoods including Buckingham, Halls Hill, and Glebewood, as well as the western portion of the Columbia Pike corridor and the Columbia Heights neighborhood.

In addition, homeownership rates are lowest in Arlington’s three historically Black neighborhoods, noted Mike Hemminger, the incoming president of the Arlington branch of the NAACP, in the meeting.

The county has to be intentional about reversing this trend, Alice Hogan, who sits on the Board of Directors for Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, said in the meeting.

“It’s not just about making ownership an option,” she said. “What is the demographic makeup of the folks who are going to achieve that ownership if we really want to get to the equitable piece of this?”

‘Fifteen-minute cities,’ gaining traction in a post-pandemic world, are already here in Arlington

By Jo DeVoe
Rainy day in Rosslyn (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

While the pandemic prompted a well-documented exodus to, and development of, sleepy suburban and exurban towns, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District says it has identified a different Covid migration pattern.

About a quarter of Americans reported moving to cities where they could be within a 15-minute walk or bike ride of grocery stores, healthcare and parks, according to a national survey by the BID.

The survey also found 41% plan on moving to be within walking or biking distance of their preferred amenities — including coffee shops, schools and gyms — in the next one to three years. That’s in contrast with places that prioritize mobility by motor vehicle, with sidewalks and bike lanes as a relative afterthought.

Amenities that Americans want within 15 minutes of them (via Rosslyn BID)

The idea of being in a place within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from these amenities, dubbed a “15-minute city,” was developed by French-Colombian academic Carlos Moreno. He says his aim is to “rebalance” localities that have been designed to boost productivity rather than well-being. The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, popularized his idea when lockdowns kept people closer to home than usual, and efforts to realize Moreno’s idea took hold there and in other European cities.

Arlington County Planning Commission member Daniel Weir embraces the concept, saying it is better for people and the environment.

“Cities are for people, not cars, and we should be able to get our needs met within a 15-minute walk or bike ride,” he said. “Once upon a time, in living memory for our grandparents, every city in America — from Luray, Virginia to Manhattan — was a 15-minute city. Sometime after the war, we got the idea that cities were about highways and cars, and people had to make way. Now, we’re seeing auto-oriented infrastructure and development is one of the most flawed social experiments of all time.”

Arlington is now trying to at least partially unwind auto-oriented development along Langston Blvd and Richmond Highway, but has yet to tackle the suburban neighborhoods that fall outside its primary planning corridors. Still, the county, which has no singular city center, has had a number of “15-minute cities” spring up through transit-oriented development, which began in the 1960s.

Transit-oriented development created compact urban villages of Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, Ballston, Pentagon City and Crystal City along the Orange and Blue Metro lines, and is facilitating more development on the bus-connected Columbia Pike.

“The 15-minute city approach is consistent with many facets of the Arlington Comprehensive Plan and is more intrinsic in Arlington’s principles for compact and transit-oriented development,” says Erika Moore, a spokeswoman for Arlington County Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development.

Where the pandemic is helping advance the 15-minute city concept in Arlington is via an expansion of uses permitted in the county’s densest zoning districts.

“This is creating potential for expanded uses, including workshop spaces, breweries/distilleries, indoor agricultural such as hydroponics, and animal boarding,” she said. “This blending of retail, restaurants, entertainment, and destination uses, along with offices in smaller, non-traditional formats may prove beneficial to residents living in any of Arlington’s mixed-use corridors or in close proximity to them.”

No longer does a Rosslyn resident, for instance, need to drive to a lower-density part of Arlington to board their pet.

While Rosslyn has transformed from downtown district to 15-minute city, BID President Mary-Claire Burick says the county, property owners and the BID must keep “working together to keep our urban center active and accessible.”

Burick says her organization supports the mixed-use developments and the amenities they’re bringing.

“We support Arlington County’s planned investments in public green space and critical transportation infrastructure — such as the removal of the Fort Myer Tunnel,” she added, “and further building out Rosslyn’s network of pedestrian and bike facilities — which are essential in helping make our amenities even more accessible.”

The BID will focus on “economic resiliency efforts, as well as our community events, programming, and placemaking, all which help create an urban downtown where people want to be,” Burick said.

(more…)

County compensates Long Bridge contractor $1.2M for delays caused by Dominion

By Jo DeVoe
The Long Bridge Park Aquatics & Fitness Center (staff photo)

Arlington County is paying the contractor who built the Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center an extra $1.2 million to make up for project delays.

Despite this overage, the entire project is expected to come in at least $2 million under its overall budget.

It’s a high note to end on for the controversial project, which nearly a decade ago was put on hold after bids well exceeded the original $79.2 million budget, forcing the county to downsize its original plans.

The Arlington County Board approved the $1.2 million payment to the contractor on Saturday.

A report explaining the payment blames Dominion Energy for the delays. Dominion which was supposed to provide permanent power to the new facility by the fall of 2020, but final electrical power was not complete until July 2021.

“This delay hampered completion of critical elements” of the project, the said. “While the County generously granted additional time to the Contractor, the Contractor incurred additional costs due to the significant extension of the contract completion period and the extended general condition costs for the Contractor’s on-site construction staff.”

If the facility had gotten power on time, the county says, the $70.7 million project would have been completed months earlier and within the $5.3 million contingency budget originally approved.

Instead, the overages cost $1.8 million, wiping out the $602,000 that remained in contingencies, thus requiring the extra appropriation.

The Arlington County Board awarded a $60 million contract to design and build the facility to Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc. in November 2017. The contractor and county staff began working with Dominion Energy before construction started to ensure that electrical power could be supplied to the site when needed.

“Permanent electrical power could have been supplied to the site as early as Spring 2019 had work gone according to plan,” the report says. “Dominion received construction permits for electrical work within the right-of-way of Long Bridge Drive in Fall 2020. Work was not begun, and the permit expired. Another permit was issued to Dominion, and this also expired due to inactivity.”

By March 2021, the facility and park had permanent power, but a transformer had to be replaced in July. The facility opened on Aug. 23, 2021 and was closed for emergency electrical repairs in April.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery (Flickr pool photo by Jeff Vincent)

County Courts Climate Kudos — “Arlington is one of 122 global cities and counties named a Climate Action Leader by Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) 2022 A-List, and one of just 36 cities in the United States with this distinction. CDP recognized Arlington County for ambition, leadership, and transparency on climate action. Only 12% of cities and counties that were scored in 2022 received an A score.” [Arlington County]

Rush Hour Chase on I-395 — From Dave Statter: “Brief @ArlingtonVaPD chase just before 5. BMW fled #police near the Fashion Center. Officer reported driver tried to run him over. Chase halted crossing into DC in the express lanes.” [Twitter]

DCA Busier Than Before Pandemic — “Northern Virginia’s two commercial airports continue to show different comebacks to the residual impacts of COVID. For October, the passenger count at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (2,271,546) was up 6.3 percent from October 2019, the last pre-COVID comparable month, while the passenger total at Washington Dulles International Airport (1,953,593) remained down 10 percent.” [Sun Gazette]

Menorah Lighting Tonight — “Join us as we celebrate the holiday of Chanukah! Enjoy delicious Latkes, hot cocoa, donuts and more! Clarendon Menorah Lighting and Community Celebration. Experience the festival of lights!” [Events]

Local Restaurants Open on Xmas — “Not everyone in Arlington wants to spend hours preparing a Christmas feast, some families are on the road and others with holiday vacations coming up are looking for restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Most restaurants are closed on Christmas Day, but plenty also stay open for business to serve those who don’t celebrate the holiday or who would rather focus on their family and friends rather than cooking.” [Patch]

Gift Wrapping for Charity at Mall — “Have your gifts beautifully wrapped for a nominal fee and support local charities! Members of A Charm School will operate the gift wrapping service located on the First Level, near the Santa Set.” [Fashion Centre at Pentagon City]

It’s Tuesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 39 and low of 27. Sunrise at 7:24 am and sunset at 4:51 pm. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Jeff Vincent

Police investigating pair of vehicle thefts and another pellet gun drive-by shooting

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating a pair of vehicle thefts along the Langston Blvd corridor.

The incidents happened Friday night or early Saturday morning. Two thieves wearing facial coverings stole cars in Cherrydale and near Courthouse, according to an ACPD crime report. Both stolen vehicles were later located in Alexandria, police said.

The thieves also allegedly attempted, unsuccessfully, to steal a car at an apartment complex on Spout Run Parkway.

From the crime report:

GRAND LARCENY AUTO/VEHICLE TAMPERING, 2022-12160312/12170013/12170061, 1900 block of Key Boulevard/3000 block of Spout Run Parkway/2100 block of N. Monroe Street. At approximately 11:32 p.m. on December 16, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. The investigation determined between approximately 6:30 p.m. on December 16 and 4:23 a.m. on December 17, the two unknown male suspects broke rear windows, tampered with the ignition and stole two vehicles in the 1900 block of Key Boulevard and the 2100 block of N. Monroe Street and attempted to steal a third vehicle in the 3000 block of Spout Run Parkway. The two stolen vehicles were subsequently located and recovered in the City of Alexandria. No items were reported stolen from inside the vehicles.

Also on Friday, teens driving around in an SUV allegedly fired a pellet gun at at least one person walking by near the intersection of George Mason Drive and Langston Blvd.

Similar incidents were reported earlier this year and earlier this month. This particular pellet gun drive-by happened after dismissal on the last day of school before winter break for APS students.

More from ACPD:

ASSAULT & BATTERY (Significant), 2022-12160182, N. George Mason Drive at Langston Boulevard. At approximately 4:10 p.m. on December 16, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances. The investigation indicates unknown male suspect(s) discharged a water pellet gun from a vehicle, striking at least one victim. The victim did not require medical attention. The suspect vehicle is described as a black SUV with three juvenile male occupants. The investigation is ongoing.

Synetic Theater’s Paata Tsikurishvili injured in “serious” crash, delaying show

By Matt Blitz
Synetic Theater’s Beauty and the Beast (photo courtesy of Synetic Theater/Johnny Shryock)

Synetic Theater’s premiere of War of Worlds has been delayed after co-founder Paata Tsikurishvili suffered what are described as serious injuries in a vehicle crash.

In an update last Friday, the Crystal City-based theater company said that its co-founder and artistic director Tsikurishvili had been hospitalized for a number of days “as a result of injuries he sustained in a serious car accident.”

The injuries included “several broken bones” but no head trauma, the theater company said. He’s expected to make a full recovery and “is recovering faster than expected” but he is in need of a several-month rehabilitation period, Synetic said.

The crash was first announced in early December, but few details were provided.

“The Tsikurishvili family thanks the many people who reached out with words of support. Those who wish to send good wishes may do so at [email protected],” the update notes.

Due to the co-founder’s need for recovery, the theater’s “largest and most ambitious production in its history” is being pushed back from the spring to the fall.

The Tsikurishvili-directed War of the Worlds was set to debut at Synetic Theater in March but now is planning a fall premiere, per the update:

Prior to the accident, Mr. Tsikurishvili was finishing work on the world premiere of War of the Worlds-Synetic’s largest and most ambitious production in its history-which was scheduled to begin workshopping and rehearsals immediately after the holidays. In order to give him the time and space to focus on his recovery, War of the Worlds, slated to open March 3, 2023, will be postponed until Fall 2023 (precise dates to be announced).”

The production is based on the famed 1897 H.G. Wells story about an alien invasion of Earth and the threat to humankind. The sci-fi tale has been continuously adapted over the last century, including by Steven Spielberg for his 2005 movie starring Tom Cruise. Synetic is now set to adapt it into a physical, wordless stage production.

“In [this] latest iteration, War of the Worlds leaps off the page and onto the stage through Synetic’s wordless Physical Theater style and its signature immersive, multimedia production design,” reads the website’s description.

In the show’s place, a revival of the 2014 production Beauty and the Beast will now take the stage in March. It’s being choreographed by the other half of Synetic’s husband-and-wife founding duo, Irina Tsikurishvili, and directed by managing director Ben Cunis.

The show will run until April 2 and the theater warns the show is for ages seven years or older.

“This production of Beauty and the Beast contains fantasy violence and may be scary to younger children,” the theater warns. “Parental guidance is advised. Please note that this is not the Disney musical.”

Known for its physical and nearly wordless theater, Synetic Theater first moved to Crystal City from Rosslyn in 2010. It nearly lost its lease at 1800 S. Bell Street in 2018 but building owner JBG Smith backtracked and agreed to let them stay. Like many performing arts venues, Synetic ceased live performances for more than a year during the pandemic.

In October, the theater debuted a “bloody” adaption of Dracula. Directed by Tsikurishvili, it turned out to be the last show he will likely direct for at least a year.

Jair Lynch says it will consider deepening affordability at Barcroft Apartments

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

Developer Jair Lynch says it is exploring ways to make some units at the Barcroft Apartments even more affordable to families.

This comes as two organizations, Arlington Community Foundation and advocacy group ACE Collaborative, have put pressure on Jair Lynch to deepen affordability at the site over concerns of displacement.

“We have heard the assertions that tenants won’t be displaced, but we are asking for detailed plans for the displacement prevention,” ACE Collaborative Director Mitchell Yangson tells ARLnow, adding that rent for legacy residents should “be rolled back to a level that will prevent their displacement for as long as they live at Barcroft, not just on a temporary basis.”

Around this time last year, Jair Lynch acquired the Barcroft Apartments with the intent to renovate some units and redevelop other parts of the site with $310 million in loans from Arlington County and Amazon. It received these loans after promising to preserve at least 1,334 units for households earning up to 60% of the area median income (AMI).

But deepening affordability remains a live issue for two reasons. First, most residents make less than 60% of the area median income, according to the developer’s Master Financing and Development Plan, submitted to the county in late October — equating to $85,380 for a family of four. Second, the developer says next year it will begin phasing in 3% rent hikes.

A majority of the 1,100 residents living in Barcroft before the sale reported earning 40-50% AMI, or $56,920-$71,150 for a family of four, while some reported earning up to 30% AMI, or $42,690 for a family of four.

“There are some rent-burdened people here,” Jair Lynch Development Senior Vice President Ruth Hoang said in an Arlington Housing Commission meeting in November. “We are also concerned about overcrowding hiding some rent burden as well.”

The federal government defines being rent-burdened as spending more than 30% of one’s income on rent.

Range of incomes reported as of Oct. 1, 2022 at Barcroft (via Arlington County)

Jair Lynch and Arlington County have said that households will not be displaced. Rent in 2022 was frozen at 2021 levels, and increases capped at 3% per year will start in 2023.

The developer also says it will work on a case-by-case basis with residents who feel they cannot afford any rent hikes.

“As we roll out the 3% increases, those residents who are concerned and feel like they can’t pay, we’ll have those meetings with them and look at their incomes to see what they can and cannot support,” Hoang said.

Jair Lynch has committed to trying to find on-site options for those earning more than 60% AMI.

Per the financing report, Jair Lynch says it can still meet its original goals despite “significant economic and financial headwinds.”

These include scarcer affordable housing financing due to the more than 2.5 percentage point increase in interest rates and increases in operating and constructing housing, due to 8-10% inflation and a 15-20% increase in construction costs.

The report listed additional funding sources that could be used to deepen affordability levels, similar to those Arlington Community Foundation identified in a report showing how 255 units could be preserved for extremely low-income households, or those earning 30% AMI.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A work crew at George Mason Drive and Washington Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Macy’s Redevelopment Approved — “On Saturday, Dec. 17, the Arlington County Board greenlighted a 16-story mixed-use building on the current site of the Ballston Macy’s, while also approving a residential density transfer that preserves 118 affordable housing units along Columbia Pike. The new building will feature 553 residential units above ground floor retail uses, including a grocery store, replacing the Macy’s and vacant office space above it.” [Arlington County]

W-L Star Heading to SoCal — “After a year of silence regarding his recruitment, Arlington (Va.) Washington-Liberty three-star defensive lineman Elijah Hughes committed to USC Saturday… Hughes ultimately commit to USC over Virginia Tech, but also had scholarship offers from Stanford, Duke, Maryland, Miami and Virginia. He is rated Virginia’s No. 16 player overall and he No. 69 defensive lineman nationally.” [247Sports, Twitter]

Bittersweet Dog Rescue Story — From the Animal Welfare League of Arlington: “Because of your amazing response and generosity, Charlie Brown was given a chance and all the care he needed. Many other facilities do not have the resources or support to have even been able to give Charlie Brown that chance. And instead of being outside in a freezing rain storm, Charlie Brown was cuddled up in a warm bed, with pain medications, surrounded by love.” [Facebook]

TikTok Banned By State Gov’t — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin banned the use of several Chinese-owned apps, including TikTok and WeChat, on state government devices and wireless networks on Friday, calling them a threat to national security. Youngkin’s executive order covers apps developed by ByteDance and Tencent. Businesses who contract with Virginia must also prohibit their use on state-owned devices or IT infrastructure.” [WTOP]

It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 37 and low of 27. Sunrise at 7:24 am and sunset at 4:50 pm. [Weather.gov]

UPDATED: H-B Woodlawn secured after telephone threat

By ARLnow.com
Police car seen on traffic camera near H-B Woodlawn school in Rosslyn

(Updated at 5:20 p.m.) The H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program in Rosslyn was put in “secure the building” mode after reports of a shooting threat phoned in to the school.

Police were first dispatched to the school at 1601 Wilson Blvd around 3 p.m.

Around 3:45 p.m. Arlington Public Schools said via social media that “all students and staff are safe at this time” but the school was still secured. About 35 minutes later, the school said that students had been safely dismissed.

“Responding officers have not located evidence of a crime inside the school and no injuries have been reported,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow just before 4 p.m. “Police remain on scene investigating and will assist with dismissal.”

The anonymous threat might be a case of “swatting.” Arlington County is asking the Virginia legislature to strengthen laws against such false threats, particularly those called in to third parties like schools and then reported to police.

Today was the last day of school before winter break for APS students.

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