A man upset after being confronted about parking illegally in the Courthouse area allegedly drew a weapon, police say.
The incident happened around 6 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday) near the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Troy Street, a couple of blocks downhill from the Courthouse Metro station.
“At approximately 6:11 p.m. on August 24, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The investigation determined the suspect was illegally parked when the victim approached on foot and confronted him. The suspect then exited his vehicle and allegedly retrieved a weapon, which was later determined to be an airsoft gun, from the trunk. The victim safely left the area and no injuries were reported.”
“Upon arrival, officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident,” the crime report says.
Despite the gun ultimately being found to be a pellet gun, according to police, the suspect — a 28-year-old Fairfax man — was charged with brandishing. He was also charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license, and held without bond, per the crime report.
Yellow Line Metro bridge over the Potomac (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)
Metro is telling riders to “plan now” for the months-long shutdown of much of the Yellow Line in two weeks.
Starting on Saturday, September 10, the Yellow Line bridge and tunnels will close for up to eight months to undergo much-needed repair work. At the same time, work will also continue on connecting the new Potomac Yard station to the main rail system as that station prepares for a fall opening.
These major construction projects will completely shut down the Yellow Line and bring major service changes to the Blue Line until at least May 2023.
While Metro is offering free shuttles and parking — plus the Virginia Railway Express will be fare-free — the impact on local riders will be significant. Still, while these construction projects are billed as necessary and anticipated, many remain worried about the disruption it could cause to daily life in the region for eight months.
The first phase of the shutdown will last from September 10 until October 22, a period of about six weeks. During this time, all six stations south of Reagan National Airport will be closed. That includes Fairfax County and Alexandria stations: Braddock Road, King Street, Van Dorn Street, Franconia-Springfield, Eisenhower Avenue, and Huntington.
The Blue Line will remain in operation and trains will depart every seven to nine minutes from the National Airport station for most of the day, though it will be every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m.
Due to crowding and service changes, Metro cautions riders traveling between the Pentagon and L’Enfant Plaza stations to expect about 15 minutes of extra travel time.
Some “limited-stop shuttles” will also be available to take people from Arlington into D.C.
“If 7000-series trains remain out of service, trains will operate less frequently,” says Metro’s press release.
Also, don’t be alarmed by strange smells, says Metro.
“At times, the welding work and other construction activity in the tunnel may cause a noticeable odor for customers inside the station.”
The second phase of the shutdown will begin on October 23 and last until at least May 2023. While all stations will be reopened, there will still be no Yellow Line service. Blue and Green will service those stations that would normally just be Yellow. All trains coming from Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax County will be routed through Rosslyn.
Metro is promising “additional Blue and Green Line service to keep customers moving,” but it can also be expected that those lines and the Rosslyn station will be much more crowded during the shutdown.
Blue Line trains will operate every 12 minutes and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m. Three limited-stop shuttles crossing the Potomac River will still be available after October 22, but only during weekday rush hours only.
More on the free shuttle service that will be provided, via the Metro press release, us below.
Construction equipment around the former Americana Hotel in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Move-In Day at Marymount — “This Thursday, about 310 new students will arrive on Move-In Day and be celebrated as new members of the Marymount University family, as an estimated 33 volunteers consisting of Marymount faculty, staff and current students will be on location to assist these first-year Saints.” [Press Release]
Road Projects Improving School Safety — “Roadway and pedestrian safety are a top concern during the back-to-school season, which is why Arlington County has several projects and initiatives that prioritize safer roads and crossings for students, parents, teachers, and school staff. Arlington’s Vision Zero transportation safety program has led to multiple projects in coordination with APS to increase pedestrian safety around schools since being adopted in May 2021.” [Arlington County]
APS Back-to-School Hotline — “Arlington school officials are encouraging parents to pick up the phone and reach out if they have questions that they can’t get answered. The Arlington Public Schools’ family-information line is operational at (703) 228-8000 as the start to school approaches.” [Sun Gazette]
Review Board Disagrees with Park Names — ” Until the Aug. 17 HALRB meeting, the stars appeared to be aligning for the names ‘Pen Place’ and ‘Met Park’ for the two future parks. But then opposition arrived… HALRB member Mark Turnbull termed Met Park an ‘undistinguished’ prospective moniker and said even lengthening it to Metropolitan Park to align with the overall development would leave a ‘fairly bland name.'” [Sun Gazette]
Affordable Housing Lagging in N. Va. — “While some areas of [Northern Virginia] are currently meeting housing targets,” including Arlington, “the region has an uphill battle to build new affordable housing units — particularly for people at the lowest incomes — at the pace they’re needed, and even sometimes to preserve existing ones.” [DCist]
It’s Thursday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 87 and low of 72. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 7:51 pm. [Weather.gov]
The Forest Inn in Westover (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
The Forest Inn in 2013 (staff photo)
(Updated at 5:55 p.m.) The former Forest Inn space in Westover will be switching from Budweiser and burgers to margaritas and tacos.
The Forest Inn, one of Arlington’s last dive bars, closed in June after more than 40 years in business in the neighborhood. Its general manager told ARLnow that the landlord declined to renew the lease.
But the storefront at 5849 Washington Blvd will not be vacant for long.
Westover Taco, a new Mexican restaurant and bar, is planning to open next year in the relatively small restaurant space. It’s being helmed by Sarah White, a restaurant industry veteran who runs the Cowboy Cafe on Langston Blvd, which many lovingly consider a dive bar, as well as several local Lost Dog Cafe franchise locations.
We’re told White will co-own the business with five partners: Cowboy co-owners Jim Barnes, Mike Barnes, Mike Danner and Wes Clough, plus local serialentrepreneur Scott Parker.
(White was also a 2021 candidate for House of Delegates in Falls Church and part of Fairfax County.)
Westover Taco logo (courtesy Scott Parker)
Parker tells ARLnow that the plan for the dog-leg-shaped, 1,000+ square foot space is to “blow out the ceilings and really open up the space and give it a brighter vibe.” That might include roll-up windows in the back of the space, which looks out on a parking lot, to provide an open-air setting during nice weather.
“It’s definitely going to be an entire flip of the space,” Parker said. “Everything will be brand new.”
The concept for Westover Taco is simple: margaritas and tacos. While it will no longer be a dive bar, Parker hopes to attract a mix of Westover residents and other locals while establishing a solid base of regular customers.
“Everyone is welcome,” he said.
Parker noted that many of the half-dozen partners grew up near the Westover area and, given the small size of the restaurant and the number of co-owners, this is more a labor of love than a money-making opportunity for those involved. It’s also something that the partners are looking at in the long term.
“Most of the restaurants there are pretty busy, and many of them have been there for decades. So it’s a it’s a really strong, loyal market,” he said. “When you put something good there, it should do really well. So I do expect us to build a solid regular [customer] base pretty quickly. And I think the locals will love what we do.”
The partners have not yet taken possession of the space, Parker said, but the hope is to start work soon and open at some point in mid-2023.
Parker, who recently returned from a trip to Mexico City, posted photos from inside the cleared-out Forest Inn via an Instagram story on Aug. 1, as noted by ARLnow at the time.
Parker counts the Cowboy Cafe and Lost Dog co-owners as long-time friends and said they’ve been looking to partner on something local for awhile.
“We just always wanted to do a project together,” he said. “This is certainly something that borders on a passion project of sorts. None of us is going to get rich or take over the world having all these partners in one small restaurant, so it’s more of something that we just want to work as a team to put something special in a neighborhood that we think is really cool.”
Images of the closed Forest Inn posted on social media (via Scott Parker/Instagram)
As for his other business ventures, the prolific Parker told ARLnow that boxing gym Bash and pet daycare and boarding business Playful Pack are both on track to start franchising nationally in the near future. High-end barbershop Bearded Goat — currently in Ballston and Shirlington — is also eyeing an expansion to other cities, but that may take longer to play out, he said.
Asked about his ability to open so many local businesses, Parker credited his business partners for helping to make them a success while he focuses on the long-term path to growth.
A man is facing multiple charges after an unusual incident in the Ballston area this morning.
Around 8:30 a.m. police were dispatched to the AVA Ballston apartment complex at 4650 Washington Blvd for a report of a man who was standing nude near a grill in the building’s courtyard.
After police arrived on scene, an officer radioed that the man had assaulted her and ran into a second floor apartment at one of the complex’s lower-rise buildings.
“The arriving officer located the suspect who refused to follow of the officer’s commands, assaulted the officer and then fled into a residence,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow. “With the assistance of additional units, the suspect was taken into custody and provided false identifying information to officers.”
It was a startling scene for those who live nearby. A resident described “over 10 police cars” outside the complex and “one officer with a police shield and an axe.”
“No one is telling us anything (is it safe to go outside?)” the resident wrote in a tip to ARLnow.
Savage said the public is not in danger and the suspect will face several charges.
“Warrants for Assault and Battery on Police, Identity Theft and Indecent Exposure were obtained,” he said. “There is no ongoing threat to the community related to the incident.”
David M. Brown Planetarium (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
After being closed for nearly three years, the planetarium adjacent to Washington-Liberty High School is wishing upon a star that it will reopen later this fall.
It was back in November 2019 when the David M. Brown Planetarium on N. Quincy Street closed to allow for the overhaul of the adjacent Arlington Education Center at Washington-Liberty. It took longer than expected due to the pandemic, but that $38 million project is basically complete.
With that done, the planetarium is reopening as well with a few notable changes including a new person in charge, a state-of-the-art projector, and the removal of a mural.
The aim is to start running programs again by early November, Friends of Arlington’s Planetarium President Jennifer Lynn Bartlett told ARLnow.
The non-profit is the “booster club” for the planetarium, as Bartlett described it, while APS owns the facility and provides a large chunk of its funding.
While staff and students all missed the planetarium, the three-year closure and the adjacent building’s makeover allowed for much-needed updates, as well as staffing changes.
Earlier this summer, Arlington Public Schools hired Mary Clendenning as the school system’s new full-time planetarium specialist. For those who were regulars at the planetarium, she may be familiar, having presented weekend programming for several years prior to the closing. She also has more than two decades of experience in the classroom teaching science.
“I am thrilled to be Arlington’s new Planetarium Specialist!” she wrote in August’s Friends of Planetarium newsletter. “This new position offers me the opportunity to combine my passions while using a state-of-the-art projection system, the Digistar 7. I am so excited about being part of the reopening of an Arlington treasure, the Planetarium.”
The new projector system that Clendenning mentioned is set to be the star of the show.
When the planetarium first opened more than five decades ago, it had a mechanical optical system — essentially a ball that projected stars, ran patterns of the night sky, and faded lights to simulate the sun’s journey.
Then, in 2012, a new digital system replaced the old one. But like any computer, a system that’s a decade old is out of date.
“The technology is changing so rapidly that to continue to offer state-of-the-art programming, we need to move to more current hardware,” said Bartlett. “We want to continue to offer programs that are being written now about science that’s happening now.”
Bartlett said the new projection system will allow educators to put on programs beyond astronomy, including lessons on oceanography, earth science, and biology.
The new projection system, like nearly all tech these days, needs an internet connection so the planetarium now has Wi-Fi.
Another thing that planetarium goers will notice when they visit later this year is a missing mural.
In the process of connecting some ductwork to the HVAC system of the newly-renovated W-L annex, it was discovered that the exterior shell of the planetarium and portions of the interior entrance hallway contained asbestos. APS decided to remove the asbestos inside and, because of that, it required the removal of a mural that featured planets, the Milky Way solar system, and other galactic images that Bartlett believed were painted sometime in the 1980s.
Police respond to Advanced Towing lot in Ballston after a call in response to a contractor’s vehicle being towed (staff photo)
Police respond to Advanced Towing lot in Ballston after a call in response to a contractor’s vehicle being towed (staff photo)
Police respond to Advanced Towing lot in Ballston after a call in response to a contractor’s vehicle being towed (staff photo)
Last week we reported on a call to police made after an Amazon delivery van was towed. This week, another commercial vehicle tow led to another police response.
Advanced Towing — the Ballston-based trespass tow company with a reputation for being prolific or predatory, depending on your perspective — is at the center of both.
This time around, police were dispatched to the tow lot on 5th Road N. for a report of an alarming incident: a Dominion power crew supposedly had a vehicle towed during emergency repair work. A short time later, several police units could be seen at the lot, talking with the crew.
Arlington’s towing ordinance specifies that public safety vehicles and vehicles responding to an emergency are not to be towed, even if parked on private property.
But is seems that the reality did not quite match the initial report. First, it was a utility contractor’s pickup truck that was towed, not a Dominion-owned vehicle, as seen in the photos above. On top of that, police said the incident was soon cleared by responding officers.
“At approximately 12:35 p.m., police were dispatched to the 4000 block of 5th Road N. for the report of a dispute,” said Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, it was determined the dispute was related to a vehicle tow from private property. The incident was determined to be non-criminal and the scene was cleared by responding officers.”
Advanced Towing asserted in a brief statement that the vehicle that was towed was parked on private property for non-emergency work across the street.
“This was a construction crew, and not an emergency crew, with several vehicles parked illegally on private property, while doing work across the street,” the company told ARLnow. “They were not working on the property they parked at. Contractors cannot violate someone’s private property rights, especially to do work and a completely different property.”
The exact details could not be independently confirmed and it’s unclear from which property the vehicle was towed, but the circumstances are not unlike last week’s Amazon tow. Initially, police were told that the van had been stolen, but they later determined that it had been towed from private property; Advanced said the van was parked in a fire lane.
And these were not the only commercial tows to catch the attention of locals over the past week or so. On Twitter yesterday, a user noted a locksmith’s van being towed near the Pentagon City mall.
Police are frequently called to the Advanced lot, but not just for commercial vehicle tows.
Advanced’s poor reputation mostly comes from its towing of private vehicles. The speed with which such tows occur have, along with other factors, at times enraged vehicle owners to the point that police are called for reports of heated disputes at the lot.
In 2020, a rideshare driver become so irate that he struck Advanced owner John O’Neill with his car, injuring O’Neill and also reportedly striking another vehicle before running into a utility pole. That driver pleaded guilty to reckless driving and a felony hit and run last August.
Construction continues at Amazon’s HQ2 site in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Sheriff Names New Chief Deputy — “Captain Jose Quiroz was named the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Monday, making him the first Latino Chief Deputy to serve in that role.” [Arlington County]
School Days to Still Feature Pledge — “Arlington students headed back to class on Aug. 29 will continue to be encouraged to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and engage in a minute of silence to start the school day, based on a policy affirmation made at the Aug. 18 School Board meeting… the Code of Virginia mandates that school systems conduct both.” [Sun Gazette]
APS Charging for Meals Again — “There’s no more free lunch at Arlington Public Schools. With some exceptions. The start of the new school year will bring a return of paying for school-provided breakfasts and lunches, owing to an end of federal subsidies that had provided the meals to students for free since the arrival of COVID. The cost for lunch will be $3.10 for elementary-school students, $3.20 for secondary-school students, with a standard $1.80 charge for breakfasts.” [Sun Gazette]
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Screening Tonight — Sparrow Room and Bun’d Up will be hosting a free, outdoor screening of Crazy Rich Asians at the Pentagon Row (aka Westpost) plaza tonight. [Eventbrite]
Whitlow’s Reopens in D.C. — “Whitlow’s, the area’s legendary neighborhood bar and restaurant has relocated to a new neighborhood. Whitlow’s DC’s new home is 2014 9th Street NW at U Street, in the Shaw community, across from the 930 Club. It opens tonight, Tuesday August 23, at 5 pm.” [PoPville, Eater]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 86 and low of 68. Sunrise at 6:32 am and sunset at 7:53 pm. [Weather.gov]
In normal times, the Archivist nomination does not make national news headlines. But now, Shohan is reportedly facing pushing back on Capitol Hill by some Republicans upset with the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home.
The long-time local resident appears to be uniquely qualified for the role of Archivist, whose job is to serve as the “nation’s record keeper” and manage the National Archives.
Shogan is currently a director at the White House Historical Association, an instructor at Georgetown University, and was formerly a deputy director at the Library of Congress. Additionally, she is the board chair of the organization charged with building a national monument to women’s suffrage.
Shogan, a Yale Ph.D., is also the first woman nominated as the permanent Archivist of the United States.
However, in recent days, it seems her path to confirmation could be in peril due to events that are beyond her control.
Two weeks ago, the FBI conducted a search of former President Trump’s Florida home at the behest of the National Archives. For the last 18 months, the National Archives has been trying to retrieve at least two dozen boxes of presidential records material that belong to the federal government but were taken to Mar-a-Lago.
Among the items missing were letters from North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and a note that President Barack Obama left Trump, according to the New York Times.
Trump reportedly refused to turn over the materials, which triggered a criminal investigation and the FBI search.
This, however, has led a number of Republicans, as well as Trump himself, to criticize the FBI and the National Archives for what they believe is an overreach of authority and a “witch hunt.”
This has led some GOP senators who will be part of Shogan’s confirmation hearings to say that they will be questioning the nominee much more closely and will “absolutely demand answers” from her about the search.
It’s worth noting that Shogan had nothing to do with the National Archives’ 18-month attempt to get back records nor the FBI search since she was nominated only several weeks ago and is still awaiting confirmation.
Nonetheless, the Arlington resident could be facing a “hostile path to confirmation,” as Bloomberg reports.
While a date has yet to be set for a confirmation hearing, it is expected to happen within the next few months. In response to a request from ARLnow, the White House declined to arrange an interview with Shogan prior to the confirmation.
Aside from her academic and professional accomplishments, Shogan has another unique entry in her biography. She is a murder mystery author who pens novels starring a congressional staffer who has a habit of stumbling upon homicides.
Update on 5/17/23 — Shogan was confirmed by the Senate and has assumed office. From a National Archives press release today:
Dr. Colleen Shogan assumed the role of Archivist of the United States today and, immediately after taking the oath of office, began her work as the head of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
“It is an honor and a privilege to join the National Archives and Records Administration today as the 11th Archivist of the United States.” Shogan said. “Our mission is both straightforward and complex: strengthen our nation’s democracy through access to the public records we hold in trust. As a political scientist, I have a deeply held belief in the importance of that mission. As the Archivist, I will be a passionate advocate for NARA and the work we do.”
Shogan’s first briefing focused on veterans services. Reflecting her priority to address the backlog of veterans’ records, Shogan spoke with leaders from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). They discussed major initiatives that will continue to improve service delivery to veterans, including staffing and digitization efforts. Shogan said her first visit to a NARA facility outside of Washington, will take place later this month, when she will tour the NPRC in St. Louis and meet with staff as well as local congressional delegates.
On her first day as Archivist of the United States, Shogan also toured the research rooms and museum spaces of the National Archives Building. She will spend her next few days meeting with NARA leaders about their work, touring the National Archives at College Park, and receiving briefings about the functions NARA fulfills in execution of its mission.
“The National Archives is extremely fortunate that Dr. Shogan has joined us to lead the agency,” said Deputy Archivist Debra Steidel Wall. “I look forward to her leadership and to working alongside her to further NARA’s essential work: making our records accessible equitably, promoting civic literacy, serving our country’s veterans, expanding digitization, and, through these functions, strengthening American democracy.” Wall served as the Acting Archivist of the United States from May 2022 until Shogan assumed office.
Shogan is the 11th Archivist of the United States and the first woman to hold the position permanently. She was nominated by President Biden on August 3, 2022, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 10, 2023. She succeeds David S. Ferriero, who retired as Archivist in April 2022. Prior to her appointment, Shogan most recently served as senior vice president of the White House Historical Association. She previously worked for over a decade at the Library of Congress in senior roles as the Assistant Deputy Librarian for Collections and Services and the Deputy Director of the Congressional Research Service.
Earlier in her career, Shogan worked as a policy staff member in the U.S. Senate and taught at Georgetown University and George Mason University. She earned a BA in Political Science from Boston College and a Ph.D. in American Politics from Yale University, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Order of the Cross and Crown, and the United States Capitol Historical Society’s Council of Scholars.
Sunlight streaks through as the rain ends in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Shorter Summer Break for HS Athletes — “So much for long, nearly two-month summer breaks from high-school sports, which for a long time used to be the case. With the preceding spring high-school sports campaigns lasting closer to the end of June these days, then practices for the next fall season starting Aug. 1 this year, the summer break was about a month long. July is becoming about all there is of the summertime anymore.” [Sun Gazette]
SOL Scores Lag Pre-Pandemic Benchmark — “The Virginia Education Department said students are still bearing the scars of prolonged pandemic-related school closures, releasing test scores from last school year that showed them performing behind pre-pandemic levels. While students saw across-the-board gains in the 2021-2022 school year compared to the previous academic year, state education officials said the progress was not enough, and pinned some of the good news on lowered standards — not on better student performance.” [Washington Post]
Talking Teacher Shortage on CNN — From School Board member Barbara Kanninen: “Terrific @CNN interview with Arlingtonian Mary Kusler regarding our ‘five-alarm crisis,’ the teacher shortage. It’s the number one issue concerning parents today.” [Twitter]
Arlington is Middling for Views — “Arlington ranks in the top half of the pack when it comes to urban areas where residents enjoy nice views from their residences. Lawn Love recently set up parameters and then crunched the data to determine how those heavily populated areas stack up. The study looked at where residents have the nicest park views, mountain views, water views and cityscape views, as well as the air quality in every area.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Tuesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 83 and low of 68. Sunrise at 6:31 am and sunset at 7:54 pm. [Weather.gov]
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
The new preliminary concept plan for Langston Blvd envisions the corridor’s transformation over several decades into a “Green Main Street.”
The extensive plan — which has been in the works for years — calls for land use changes along the former Lee Highway, with the aim of encouraging re-development over time, though the proposed zoning changes are not quite as drastic as what had been discussed last year.
“The new recommended building heights are generally two to three stories lower than were considered in the 2021 [Land Use Scenario Analysis],” said the plan, a 135-page document filled with small text and large renderings. “While it may take longer to implement the vision and improvements along Langston Boulevard may happen intermittently, the plan provides options for property owners to execute the plan’s vision and recommendations.”
Should the vision be realized, the corridor’s ubiquitous, aging strip malls and large surface parking lots would be replaced with taller, more walkable hubs of social and economic activity.
The Lyon Village Shopping Center could be turned into a 12-15 story mixed-use development, with the current Giant grocery store and The Italian Store on the ground floor, looking out on a bike path that connects to the Custis Trail and a reconfigured intersection of Langston Blvd, N. Kirkwood Road and Spout Run Parkway.
The Lee Heights Shops, home to Arrowine and Pastries by Randolph, may remain largely as-is, but with mixed-use developments of up to seven stories and pedestrian promenades around it.
Another nearby landmark, Moore’s Barber Shop, could also remain in its current building, but next to a five-story apartment building an an outdoor cafe, rather than parking lots and a car care center. Across the street, however, the McDonald’s could make way for a new public school and other public infrastructure, alongside a renovated Langston-Brown Community Center.
Further down the road, the busy shopping centers surrounding the intersection of Langston Blvd and N. Harrison Street — currently anchored by Harris Teeter and Safeway grocery stores — could become mixed-use centers of housing and ground-floor retail, up to 7 stories.
In addition to the current mix of restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses, the plan calls for other types of commercial tenants, including coworking spaces, fitness centers, hotels, and childcare providers.
Langston Blvd itself, also known as Route 29, would become more pedestrian oriented, with street trees, wider sidewalks and some bike infrastructure. Two vehicle lanes would be maintained in each direction, but often without the center median. Where bike lanes or a shared use path are not possible, the plan calls for parallel bike routes, including along 22nd and 26th streets.
“The vision for Langston Boulevard is corridor-wide and is based on the community’s desire to transform the corridor into a resilient, renewable, and re-energized place by 2050,” the plan says. “The Preliminary Concept Plan is informed by the community’s aspirations and priorities and the unique characteristics, challenges, and opportunities for achieving the vision in each of the neighborhood areas.”
