Another incident drew a police response to a rowdy block of 23rd Street in Crystal City on Sunday night.
Police say a couple skipped out on their bill at an establishment on the 300 block of 23rd Street S. just before 11:30 p.m. A security guard who tried to write down the license plate of the suspects’ vehicle was then nearly run over, and another parked car was damaged, as they made their getaway, according to a crime report today.
From the Arlington County Police Department:
ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-03270226, 300 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 11:26 p.m. on March 27, police were dispatched to the report of a hit and run just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male and female suspects left an establishment without paying their bill. A Security Guard made contact with the suspects outside the establishment and requested they return to pay. The two suspects declined and entered their nearby parked vehicle. As the Security Guard was documenting the license plate, the male suspect allegedly reversed the vehicle, almost striking the Security Guard and hitting a parked vehicle before fleeing the scene. No injuries or significant property damage were reported.
“The investigation is ongoing,” the police department noted.
While the name of the business was not listed by ACPD, there have been dozens of incidents — including fights, noise complaints and indecent exposure reports — associated with the nearly two-year-old Bowlero bowling alley on that block.
Separately, police and medics responded to the same block just before noon on Friday for a report of two teen girls having an adverse reaction — potentially an overdose — to marijuana edibles. The incident happened several hours before Bowlero’s normal operating hours and likely did not involve the bowling alley.
Cherry blossoms in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Changes Coming to ‘Crossing Clarendon’ — “Our central greenspace, The Loop, will be expanding to offer more spaces to walk, shop, relax and explore The Crossing Clarendon. This renovation includes natural planting and landscaping, a modern play structure for the kids, upgrades to the water feature, increased pedestrian zones, and updated seating for our visitors. Construction is slated until late 2022.” [Instagram]
HQ2 Is Attracting Companies, Investors — “The National Landing area, which encompasses Crystal City, Pentagon City and part of Potomac Yard in Arlington, has an $8B development pipeline, $2.5B of which is from Amazon, National Landing BID President Tracy Sayegh Gabriel said… Neighborhood leaders, developers and brokers said that HQ2 is drawing new global investors and commercial tenants to seek opportunities in the area.” [Bisnow]
PSA: Close Your Garage Door — “2600 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 6:17 p.m. on March 24, police were dispatched to the late report of a breaking and entering. Upon arrival, it was determined that between approximately 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., the two unknown suspects entered into the victim’s open garage and stole numerous power tools.” [ACPD]
Expect ‘Manageable’ Local Growth — “Northern Virginia localities should expect moderate levels of jobs growth in the coming two decades, with the metropolitan area as a whole adding perhaps 880,000 new ones by 2045. ‘We are a 1-percent-a-year, on average, growing region. This is not too fast, this is not amazingly high. This is actually a very manageable pace,’ said Arlington County Board member Takis Karantonis, parsing new data at the board’s March 22 meeting.” [Sun Gazette]
‘Women of Vision’ Winners — “On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, the Arlington County Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will honor four women for their commitment and leadership in the Arlington community with 2022 Arlington County Women of Vision awards… BUSINESS: Karen Bate and Evelyn Powers… NONPROFIT: Natalie Foote… GOVERNMENT: Tara Magee.” [Arlington County]
County Scaling Down Vax Site — “With the demand for COVID vaccines at least momentarily on the decline across Arlington, local leaders have announced plans to reopen one community center for other uses, and are working on opening up more spaces in another. County Manager Mark Schwartz on March 22 announced that, as of April 5, the Walter Reed Community Center will open for pickleball, volleyball, basketball and table games like bridge and mah jongg.” [Sun Gazette]
Governor Signs Car Tax Bill — “Governor Glenn Youngkin signed into law HB1239 sponsored by Delegate Phillip A. Scott, empowering localities to cut car tax rates and prevent huge tax hikes driven by driven by dramatic increases in used vehicle values… If local government leadership does not address the increased value of used vehicles, then taxpayers are facing significant tax increases, as the Commonwealth of Virginia constitutionally mandates 100% fair market value in property tax assessments.” [Governor of Virginia]
It’s Tuesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 46 and low of 24. Sunrise at 6:58 am and sunset at 7:30 pm. [Weather.gov]
A rendering of the proposed development for the Ballston Macy’s department store (via Arlington County)
A rendering of the proposed development for the Ballston Macy’s department store (via Arlington County)
A rendering of the proposed ground-floor grocery store that is part of the Ballston Macy’s department store redevelopment (via Arlington County)
Concerns are emerging about a proposed residential redevelopment that would replace the Macy’s in Ballston.
Insight Property Group proposes to demolish the longtime department store and vacant office building at 685 N. Glebe Road and replace it with a 16-story, 555-unit apartment complex atop a grocery store. In response to online engagement, it is adding a second, 1,400-square-foot retail space on the ground floor.
The units would be spread across two 14-story towers joined at the penthouse level. Residents would have 250 underground parking spaces while grocery store patrons would have 148 spots on the building’s second story.
Insight is considering how to celebrate the building’s history as part of the D.C. area’s first indoor regional shopping center, built in 1950, possibly by preserving some tiling and stairwells.
But during the first Site Plan Review Committee meeting last week, the proposal elicited apprehension from community members about density, from Planning Commissioners about community benefits, and county planners about cohesion with the rest of the mall.
Insight proposes to use two mechanisms to earn the right to build 275 additional units on top of the base density allowed for the site of 280 units. First, by using a novel zoning tool called a Transfer of Development Rights, it can tack on another 236 units.
The TDR rewards developers who commit to preserving affordable housing, open spaces, historic sites and community facilities on Columbia Pike. In exchange for this commitment, they can either build double the number of preserved units elsewhere in the county, or build triple the units preserved elsewhere on the Pike.
Insight proposes preserving 118 units of garden apartments on Columbia Pike as affordable for 30 years so it can tack on 236 extra units to its Ballston Macy’s project. Some civic association leaders oppose this, however.
“This is a dangerous precedent and should never be done,” said Bernie Berne, representing the Buckingham Community Civic Association, which voted to oppose this aspect of the project. “Keep it to Columbia Pike — find a place to transfer the units in Columbia Pike. There’s no reason to put it in Ballston.”
Representing the Arlington Mill Civic Association, Cate Harrington said the group also opposes the TDR.
“It commits that entire area to being the same for 30 years, which we object to, we would like our area to grow and change organically,” she said.
Insight intends to build an extra 39 units by achieving LEED Gold certification for the building. The developer proposes powering the building almost exclusively with electricity, save for gas-powered kitchens within the grocery store, installing solar panels on the penthouses and dedicating 10% of parking spaces for electric vehicles.
Crew boats in the Potomac River at twilight near Rosslyn (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The proposed layout of the Arlington boathouse (courtesy of the Arlington Boathouse Foundation)
Diagram of planned boathouse structures (via Arlington County)
There is a new sign of progress on the 30-year-old project to build a boathouse in Arlington.
In anticipation of planning and design work kicking off this year, the Arlington Boathouse Foundation — an organization that exists to ensure residents one day can launch non-motorized boats, such as kayaks, into the Potomac from the county’s shoreline — has launched a new website.
It is intended to provide frequent updates on the project’s progress as well as engagement opportunities, says foundation secretary George Kirschbaum. Those who need a refresher on the project, given how many years it has been discussed, will have easier access to important documents and answers to frequently asked questions, he added.
“We needed something new and fresh that’s more about the project,” Kirschbaum said. “Plus, we hope to provide some new interesting features, such as interviews with community members and interested parties to give their ideas and impressions of why this facility is important to the county and the residents.”
The website will also promote foundation-sponsored educational and promotional events, such as a river cleanup this June by the proposed lower portion of the site. Kirschbaum said foundation leaders hope events such as this one demonstrate the sustained community interest in the facility to project leaders.
Momentum has been building over the last year to build a boathouse at 2105 N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn. The project is a joint venture between Arlington County and the National Parks Service, as the county’s Potomac shoreline is NPS property.
Most recently, Kirschbaum said boathouse foundation leaders met with county officials, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and NPS representatives in December to discuss roles and responsibilities and how to keep the project moving forward.
This year, the county will solicit designs for the facility, to be comprised of two buildings: one near the entrance to the Key Bridge with locker rooms, workout areas, offices and meeting spaces, and the other at river level with storage for boat and stand-up paddle equipment, according to the boathouse website.
The project is popular with Arlington’s crew community, as it would provide them a more convenient boat launch that is away from D.C.’s crowded boathouses. Crew alumni and their friends also comprise many of the members of the Arlington Boathouse Foundation, which has pushed for the facility since 1991.
“It’s been a long process,” says Kirschbaum, who rowed for Washington-Liberty High School (then Washington-Lee) in the 1980s.
It didn’t gain momentum until 2012, when the parks service initiated an environmental impacts study — looking at how construction could affect floodplains and species living in the waterway. The study was held up several times before resuming in 2016 and wrapping up in 2018.
“I think it’s important to know that the county has a very vested interest in working with the National Parks Service to see this through to fruition,” Kirschbaum said. “There are still high-level discussions about how are we going to work together to move forward, but those talks are happening… We can actually envision a boathouse where before, it was the dream.”
Kirschbaum says he hopes the boathouse will be ready if and when his currently elementary school-aged kid goes out for crew in high school.
“This gun and ammunition were detected by TSA in a traveler’s carry-on bag at Reagan National Airport on March 24” (photo via TSA)
A local man is facing federal charges after bringing a handgun to Reagan National Airport.
The unnamed Arlington resident had a gun and five bullets found in his carry-on luggage at the airport’s security checkpoint, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The agency said it is the eighth gun caught at a DCA checkpoint so far this year, potentially on pace to exceed last year’s total of 30 guns detected and confiscated.
Guns caught at National Airport (via TSA)
More from a TSA press release:
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) prevented an Arlington man from bringing a loaded handgun onto his flight on Thursday, March 24. It was the eighth gun detected by TSA officers at the airport so far this year.
The .25 caliber gun, was loaded with five bullets and was detected via the X-ray machine as the man was entering the security checkpoint with his carry-on items. TSA officials notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police who confiscated the gun and cited the man on a weapons charge.
“I strongly recommend that any traveler who owns a personal firearm positively confirm where it is stored before departing from home,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. Before leaving for the airport, “find the weapon and see that it is safely secured. This will help ensure that it is not unwittingly stored in a carry-on item.”
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual may lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2022, about 86 percent were loaded.
Pastel colors in the skies over the National Mall during peak bloom weekend, as seen from Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Traffic Restricted on Deteriorating Bridge — “As a result of a bridge inspection today, Friday, March 25, engineers closed the existing southbound lane of the West Glebe Bridge between Arlington and Alexandria due to further degradation of structural beams. The northbound lane of the bridge over South Four Mile Run will remain open, making the bridge one-way to traffic and requiring a detour for southbound automobiles. The bridge’s maximum load rating of 5 tons will remain in place with a critical need for heavier vehicles – primarily buses and dump trucks — to comply for public safety.” [Arlington County]
Graupel Covers Fields, Prompts Tweets — An ice pellet downpour covered the ground in parts of Arlington on Saturday afternoon: “Well that was wild… heavy downpour rain and graupel swept through near Clarendon.” [Twitter, Twitter]
The Story Behind the Pentagon Chicken — “The Pentagon Building Operations Command Center initially considered using on-staff pest control to capture the chicken. But the pest control staff wasn’t scheduled to come on duty for another hour. The Building Operations Command Center, or BOCC, then came up with the idea to contact the emergency number at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.” [Patch]
Bullying Incident at Middle School — “After a bullying incident involving her 6th grade son with autism, an Arlington mother asked the school board Thursday night to do more to create an environment where such incidents don’t happen to any child. On Friday both mother Kathleen Clark and her son Colton described what happened to 7 News, and Kathleen talked about changes she hopes Arlington Public Schools makes to help children better know how to relate to others who are different from them in some way.” [WJLA]
Seventh Grade Hoops Team Goes Undefeated — “An Arlington Travel Basketball girls teams capped an undefeated 16-0 season in the Fairfax County Youth Basketball League with victories in postseason tournament-championship games. The seventh-grade girls squad, coached by John Lomas, won the Division I championship game, 51-42, over Lee-Mount Vernon.” [Sun Gazette]
Lease Above Courthouse Metro Extended — “Chickasaw Nation Industries, Inc. (CNI) extends federal services division office lease in Arlington, VA. Represented by Edward Saa and Timothy Jacobs, CNI Federal experienced explosive growth in the 2020-2021 government fiscal year in awarded contracts necessitating a 10,000-SF office presence to service customers.” [Press Release]
More Afternoon ART Buses — “More of a good thing: Midday frequency gets a boost for ART 52 and 75 bus weekday routes starting Monday.” [Twitter]
Nearby: Stabbing in Seven Corners — “Fairfax County police officers arrested and charged a 21-year-old Falls Church man after two men were stabbed just before 2 p.m. yesterday (Thursday). Police were called to Seven Corners at Arlington Boulevard and Patrick Henry Drive for an assault and determined a man was involved in two separate assaults that escalated when he stabbed both men, police said.” [FFXnow]
It’s Monday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 37 and low of 28. Sunrise at 7:00 am and sunset at 7:29 pm. [Weather.gov]
A British restaurant chain serving “Asian food inspired by the flavors of Japan” is coming to Arlington.
Wagamama is expected to open in Clarendon this summer, the company announced. It will be located in a 5,100 square foot space at 2950 Clarendon Blvd — formerly home to Oz Restaurant and the short-lived La Tagliatella — and will be the first D.C. area location for the company.
Wagamama has over 200 locations in 27 countries, including several in New York City, and is in the midst of an expansion.
“The Clarendon location of the vibrant full-service restaurant, known for its social and experiential eating-environment, will offer diners that same Wagamama experience, featuring beloved noodle dishes, signature ramens, and shareable plates inspired by Japanese, Chinese and Korean food,” said a press release. “Fresh juices, craft cocktails and an extensive sake, beer and wine list will also be prominent, making this a great destination for social occasions (including happy hour).”
Wagamama will be open for lunch and dinner and will feature an “expansive patio” in addition to the large indoor dining space.
The full press release is below.
Leading international restaurant brand Wagamama will expand its U.S. presence with a Summer 2022 opening in Arlington’s Clarendon neighborhood. The 5,100 square foot restaurant, located at 2950 Clarendon Boulevard, will be the company’s first location in the Washington, D.C. region and will serve an array of fresh, cooked-to-order Asian-inspired bowls, curries, and creative craft cocktails during lunch and dinner services.
Wagamama first opened in London in 1992 and quickly hooked diners on its “bowl to soul” dining philosophy, which has spurred the company’s continuous expansion to over 200 locations in 27 countries. The Clarendon location of the vibrant full-service restaurant, known for its social and experiential eating-environment, will offer diners that same Wagamama experience, featuring beloved noodle dishes, signature ramens, and shareable plates inspired by Japanese, Chinese and Korean food. Fresh juices, craft cocktails and an extensive sake, beer and wine list will also be prominent, making this a great destination for social occasions (including happy hour).
“We couldn’t be more excited to open our first location in Northern Virginia and introduce Wagamama to Clarendon and the entire Washington, D.C. region,” said Richard Flaherty, co-CEO of Wagamama USA. “Our modern, pan-Asian cuisine will fit right in with the dynamic international community of the DC area,” he continued. “We look forward to bringing the elevated, high energy Wagamama experience to the Clarendon neighborhood this summer.”
The restaurant, which hosts a multi-featured dining area and an expansive patio, will open for lunch and dinner daily. Final menus, operating hours, and design details will be made available closer to opening.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at an NAACP and Black Lives Matter rally in June 2020 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares visited Arlington yesterday (Thursday) to launch a political fund aimed at unseating progressive prosecutors.
The reform-minded approach of “left-wing liberal prosecutors” has “directly resulted in higher crime in our communities and they must be stopped,” Miyares said in a statement that specifically called out Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.
The goal of the Protecting Americans Action Fund, he said, is to “elect District Attorneys who will enforce the law and prosecute criminals, instead of this warped version of criminal justice, which is endangering Americans.”
Miyares did not name-drop Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Descano’s Arlington counterpart, but coming to Arlington was enough to prompt her to mount a defense of her prosecutorial approach.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church fired back on Twitter with a volley of tweets.
Miyares contends crime is up in places like Northern Virginia, under the leadership of Descano, Dehghani-Tafti and Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj. But Arlington’s top prosecutor says these jurisdictions “have the lowest crime rates of any large jurisdictions in Virginia and country.”
She reiterated the crime trends she touted earlier this year, including that her jurisdiction recorded no homicides in 2021 — down from three homicides in 2020 and two in 2019.
“I’ve long resisted the claim that the drop in homicide is due solely to my policies. Instead, I’ve credited the work of our County Board, local delegation, police department, school board, defense bar, public defender, and community and faith groups in teaming up to prevent crime,” she said.
“And yet, the AG and other anti-reformers have no hesitation in cherry picking any individual incident or any uptick in any crime, however slight, to mislead the public and paint a false picture of our reform achievements,” she continued.
Some crimes were trending up during her election year, 2019, and continued upward during her first year of office. This includes an uptick in property crimes, driven largely by carjackings, according to 2020 crime data — the most recent available from Arlington County Police Department.
This uptick prompted more police patrols and coordinated regional response in 2021, which may explain why, according to preliminary ACPD data for last year, carjackings dropped from 16 in 2020 to eight, while car thefts dropped from 323 in 2020 to 306.
Law enforcement on scene of a reported fatal jump from an apartment building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Law enforcement on scene of a reported fatal jump from an apartment building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Law enforcement on scene of a reported fatal jump from an apartment building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Law enforcement on scene of a reported fatal jump from an apartment building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A person is dead after leaping from an upper floor of an apartment building on Columbia Pike, amid a federal law enforcement presence at the complex.
Arlington police and medics were dispatched to the Infinity Apartments at 955 S. Columbus Street shortly after 10 a.m. for a person who jumped from the building and was in cardiac arrest. Responders were told to expect plain clothed U.S. Marshals Service personnel on scene.
Initial reports suggest that the person jumped from the fifth floor of the building, was impaled on a fence, and is deceased. Police requested that a tarp be brought to the scene.
ACPD set up a command post and officers appeared to be taking equipment to and from the pool area of the complex. Personnel with “U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force” ballistic vests and a battering ram can be seen in the parking lot of the complex, which is located just south of Columbia Pike and the Arlington Mill Community Center.
In a press release about the incident Friday afternoon, Arlington police said that the person who died was a suspect in a robbery in Loudoun County. The Marshals Service and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office “were attempting to serve an arrest warrant at the residence” when the person “attempted to exit the residence through a window and fell.”
The full press release is below.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is conducting a death investigation in the Columbia Forest neighborhood.
At approximately 10:02 a.m. on March 25, Arlington County Police and Fire were dispatched to the 900 block of S. Columbus Street for the report of cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, an adult male was located unresponsive outside of a residential building. Medics pronounced him deceased on scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.
The preliminary investigation indicates the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, consisting of members from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service, were attempting to serve an arrest warrant at the residence related to a robbery that occurred in Loudoun County, Virginia. Upon knocking and announcing themselves, the subject allegedly attempted to exit the residence through a window and fell.
The circumstances of the fall remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Cherry blossoms and Amazon’s HQ2 construction in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
County Prepping New Tree Study — “Arlington leaders may take their next crack at guesstimating the number of trees in the county – a topic not without political as well as environmental ramifications – early in 2023, if all goes according to plan… estimating the cost at $100,000 to $150,000.” [Sun Gazette]
New Name for GMU Arlington Campus — “George Mason University announced today that its Arlington Campus will be renamed Mason Square as the new centerpiece of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor for multi-disciplinary talent and business development, as well as a civic and cultural destination. Also being announced is Fuse at Mason Square, the name of the new technology-forward building that is the heart of Mason’s commitment to growing Northern Virginia’s next-generation workforce. A groundbreaking ceremony for Fuse at Mason Square will take place April 6.” [Press Release]
FBI Warns of ‘Sextortion’ of Boys — “The FBI Washington Field Office is warning parents and caregivers about an increase in incidents involving sextortion of young children. The FBI is receiving an increasing number of reports of adults posing as young girls coercing young boys through social media to produce sexual images and videos and then extorting money from them.” [FBI]
Nature Center Staffing Slowly Returning — “Don’t expect hours of operation at Arlington’s two county-government natures centers to return to pre-pandemic levels in the coming year, or maybe ever, but local leaders say that doesn’t mean nature programs won’t have priority in coming years… [the] hope for the coming year was to use funding for temporary workers to increase hours at the nature center, including perhaps evening hours.” [Sun Gazette]
Church Wins Climate Award — “Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ’s commitment to fighting climate change over the past 15 years landed it a top award in the 2022 Cool Congregations Challenge. Rock Spring, on Little Falls Road in Arlington, was named the 2022 winner of the Energy Saver category in the challenge, sponsored by Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit group that seeks to motivate people of faith to take steps to address climate change.” [Patch]
Alexandria Schools Propose SRO Extension — “Alexandria City Public Schools is requesting an extension of its controversial school resource officer (SRO) program through the end of the 2022-2023 school year. School Board Chair Meagan Alderton says that the extension is part of the reimagining of the $800,000 program.” [ALXnow]
It’s Friday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 58 and low of 47. Sunrise at 7:05 am and sunset at 7:26 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fire at Pike 3400 building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fire at Pike 3400 building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 1:05 p.m.) Firefighters are investigating the source of dark smoke seen billowing out of a Columbia Pike apartment building’s parking garage.
The smoke was seen coming out of the garage entrance at the rear of the Pike 3400 building, at the southwest corner of the busy intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. A large fire department response was dispatched to the scene around 12:30 p.m., though the smoke has since largely abated.
Initial reports suggest that a boom was heard in the area and that it appears that an electrical transformer on the second level of the garage may have exploded and caught on fire, before the flames were extinguished by a sprinkler system.
In the past, fires that destroyed the electrical transformers of large buildings like this one have caused extended power outlets for residents.
The westbound lanes of Columbia Pike are currently blocked by emergency activity between S. Monroe Street and S. Glebe Road.
“Seek alternate routes,” advised an Arlington Alert.
