Well, it’s no Civil War gold, but there are buried artifacts in a Ballston office building just waiting to be uncovered.
A time capsule in Ballston’s Fairgate office building (1005 N. Glebe Road) was originally scheduled to be opened last year, but those plans got lost in the mix and now it’s unclear when or if the time capsule will be opened.
The capsule was placed there in 1988 and was scheduled to be opened in 2020.
The building had been owned by real estate investment company WashREIT, but Deanna Schmidt said the building was sold in July and there had been no opening event prior to that.
“We actually sold the building to Brookfield back in July,” said Schmidt, WashREIT’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “We hadn’t opened it prior to that due to COVID. But perhaps the new team has done something.”
A manager at the Brookfield Properties regional office told ARLnow that he helped oversee the purchase of the Fairgate building but said there was no mention of the time capsule in their discussions. It was unlikely property management has done anything with the time capsule since then, he added.
So, for now, the capsule apparently remains buried.
We do have some idea of what’s in there thanks to Melinda Schaedig, who was a third-grader at Taylor Elementary School and contributed to the capsule when it was buried. Spoilers: items inside include a steering wheel with an airbag and Washington Redskins memorabilia.
Should the time capsule finally be opened, it’s unlikely to get as dramatic of a revealing as a recently-discovered 1887 time capsule received in Richmond, with the governor watching and television cameras rolling as preservationists removed each of the items.
Covid cases in Arlington as of 12/23/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)
There’s good news and bad news on the Covid front in Arlington.
The bad news is that the graph of new Covid cases continues going up and to the right. Arlington set fresh single-day and seven-day case records today, with 359 new cases reported today and a seven-day moving average of 258 cases per day, well exceeding the previous records — set yesterday.
Just over 1% of Arlington’s population has tested positive for Covid over the past two weeks, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.
The good news is that there has still been no corresponding increase in serious illness beyond the pre-Omicron wave levels.
Covid hospitalizations in Arlington as of 12/23/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)
No new hospitalizations were reported today in the county, bringing the seven-day average daily hospitalization rate back down below one. The last Covid-related death in Arlington was on Dec. 3, according to VDH.
The lack of severe illness in the face of a major wave of infections may somewhat be explained by a lag time between testing positive and getting severely sick, but likely is better explained by Arlington’s relatively high vaccination rate. More than 93% of the adult population has received at least one vaccination shot, while 81.5% of adults in Arlington are fully vaxxed.
Amid massive lines at local testing centers, both the number of tests performed and the test positivity rate have been going up. More than 2,000 PCR-based tests per day have been performed over the past week, while the test positivity rate has more than doubled over the past two weeks, to 8.8% today.
Test positivity rate in Arlington as of 12/23/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)
“As the transmission increases, Public Health leaders in Northern Virginia are encouraging residents to maintain their vigilance in curbing the spread of COVID-19 to minimize hospitalizations and deaths during this winter surge,” Arlington County wrote in a COVID-19 update on Tuesday.
The county is urging residents who contract the virus to answer the call from contact tracers.
“If you test positive for COVID-19, please answer the phone call from Arlington Public Health to receive further guidance,” the county wrote. “If we don’t reach you, we will leave a message. In the meantime, please call your known close contacts to let them know they may have been exposed and encourage them to get tested, regardless of their vaccination status.”
The Rosslyn Christmas tree (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Koch Groups Moving to Ballston — “A group of nonprofits founded and supported in part by billionaire Charles Koch are moving to a combined 185K SF in the Ballston Exchange office complex owned by Jamestown, sources confirmed to Bisnow. Stand Together, Americans for Prosperity and the Charles Koch Institute, in addition to affiliated organizations, plan to occupy the space in 2023, a source familiar with the deal said.” [Bisnow]
Football and History in Halls Hill — “They were there — about a hundred mostly Black residents and former residents, gathered together on this sunny, crisp Thanksgiving morning — for the neighborhood’s annual Turkey Bowl… For more than fifty years, so-called ‘Old Heads’ in maroon jerseys and ‘Young Heads’ in yellow have squared off in this Halls Hill tradition — ‘since before Martin Luther King’s birthday was a holiday,’ says one longtime resident, Paul Terry, who has been living in Halls Hill since 1968. ‘It’s always fun.'” [DCist]
Parent Group Demands Schools Stay Open — “‘Students belong in school. Closing school buildings did nothing to reduce or mitigate spread the first time we tried it, and caused extensive harm that has yet to be remedied,’ said Arlington Parents for Education in a Dec. 21 statement. Prior to departing on a two-week holiday period, school-system leaders gave no inkling that a return to online-learning was anticipated, although Superintendent Francisco Durán did encourage families to behave responsibly over the holidays so schools could remain open in the new year.” [Sun Gazette]
Long-Time Local Judge Retires — “Having served the people of his hometown in judicial robes for a quarter-century, George Varoutsos was honored Dec. 17 as that tenure came to an end. Varoutsos – a judge of the 17th Judicial District Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court (serving Arlington and Falls Church) since 1998 – was lauded by colleagues and civic leaders during a ceremony held at the Arlington County Justice Center.” [Sun Gazette]
No Candidates for Dem PR and Equity Roles — “The Arlington County Democratic Committee’s upcoming leadership election will feature three contested races, eight unopposed races and three where no one filed by the Dec. 10 deadline… Three elected positions – voter-support chair, press-and-PR chair and inclusion-and-equity chair – did not receive any candidates and will be filled later.” [Sun Gazette, Sun Gazette]
It’s Thursday — Today will be sunny, with a high near 41. Sunrise at 7:24 a.m. and sunset at 4:50 p.m. Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, will be partly sunny, with a high near 53, with rain possible overnight and on Christmas Day. [Weather.gov]
Melwood’s property at 750 23rd Street S. in Aurora Highlands (via Google Maps)
Melwood’s property at 750 23rd Street S. in Aurora Highlands (via Google Maps)
Aerial map of Melwood’s 750 23rd Street S. property in Aurora Highlands (via Arlington County)
Aerial map of Melwood’s 750 23rd Street S. property in Aurora Highlands (via Arlington County)
Early renderings of Melwood’s proposed development for 750 23rd Street S. in Aurora Highlands (via Arlington County)
Early renderings of Melwood’s proposed development for 750 23rd Street S. in Aurora Highlands (via Arlington County)
Early renderings of Melwood’s proposed development for 750 23rd Street S. in Aurora Highlands (via Arlington County)
Early renderings of Melwood’s proposed development for 750 23rd Street S. in Aurora Highlands (via Arlington County)
(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) A local nonprofit intends to redevelop and add affordable housing for people with disabilities to its property near Crystal City.
Melwood, which connects people with disabilities with public- and private-sector jobs and opportunities, currently runs a workforce development site from the building at 750 23rd Street S., in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood.
It envisions redeveloping the property into a 100% affordable, 104-unit building with about 30 units set aside for people with disabilities. The five-story building would also house workforce development services and community programming.
“This project builds on Melwood’s ongoing commitment to create more inclusive spaces and empower people with disabilities to live, work and thrive in their communities,” the company said in a statement to ARLnow. “By redeveloping the 23rd St. S. property, Melwood and its partners will be addressing another persistent gap for people with disabilities and their path to independence — affordable, accessible housing.”
Melwood took an early step forward by filing an application for a Special General Land Use Plan (GLUP) study this week. The application says the study is needed because the property falls outside of any adopted county sector plan documents.
The Maryland-based nonprofit — which has operated in Northern Virginia for many years — acquired the Arlington property during its merger in 2017 with Linden Resources, a local nonprofit that similarly provided employment opportunities to people with disabilities. Melwood says it began discussing options for the site with community members and stakeholders in 2020.
“From these conversations, Melwood heard the community’s strong interest in leveraging its facility to support affordable housing in addition to Melwood’s existing program offerings,” which currently support about 500 Arlington residents, the nonprofit said.
The proposed apartment building will address the “significant need” for independent, affordable housing for Arlington residents with disabilities, Melwood says, adding that in 2019, 22% of locals with disabilities lived under the poverty line and couldn’t afford housing.
Melwood requests that the county change the land-use designation from “public” to “low-medium” residential uses so that the property can eventually be rezoned for apartments, according to a letter from Catharine Puskar, a land use attorney representing the nonprofit.
The privately owned property is designated for public uses because, until 1981, the building operated as the former Nellie Custis School.
After the school closed, Arlington County swapped the Aurora Highlands property for a parcel near the Ballston Metro station with Sheltered Occupational Center of Northern Virginia, another work center for people with disabilities, the letter said. As part of the land swap, the county gave the center a special permit to operate on land zoned for public uses.
The two parcels comprising Melwood’s Arlington property at 750 23rd Street S. (via Arlington County)
The property includes the tiny, .8-acre Nelly Custis Park. Long before the current iteration of the park was built, a project some objected to, the occupational center had to grant to the county an open space easement for a public park as part of the land swap.
The public easement and the park will stay, but Melwood is allowed to use the parcel to calculate how many units can fit in its proposed apartment building, Puskar said.
Crash along Clarendon Blvd that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A crash along Clarendon Blvd in December that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Slow traffic near the Clarendon Whole Foods after a pedestrian was struck (via Google Maps)
Crash along Clarendon Blvd that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash along Clarendon Blvd that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash along Clarendon Blvd that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash along Clarendon Blvd that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash along Clarendon Blvd that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash along Clarendon Blvd that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash along Clarendon Blvd that seriously injured a pedestrian (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) A woman suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after a crash in front of the Clarendon Whole Foods on Wednesday.
Initial reports suggest that the woman was walking in the area when the crash occurred on Clarendon Blvd and the force of the collision sent two vehicles careening onto the sidewalk, knocking down a light pole.
Details surrounding what exactly happened were fuzzy at the time. A police spokeswoman said it is too early in the investigation to determine a cause of the crash or a sequence of events.
The woman was rushed to a local hospital via ambulance after the crash. Arlington County police set up a command post as detectives conducted a full investigation.
A lone shoe could be seen on the sidewalk as police cordoned off the area and onlookers watched from behind the wall of the Whole Foods parking lot.
Clarendon Blvd was blocked near the crash for an extended period of time.
On Thursday, the Arlington County Police Department released more information about the crash, which detectives say was caused by a driver who struck a parked car. The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a critical crash which occurred on the afternoon of December 22 in the Clarendon neighborhood.
At approximately 1:44 p.m., police were dispatched to the 2700 block of Wilson Boulevard for the report of a crash with injuries involving a pedestrian. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the striking vehicle was turning from N. Edgewood Street onto Clarendon Boulevard when he struck a parked vehicle. The impact of the crash resulted in the pedestrian being struck and damage to an additional parked vehicle and a light pole.
The pedestrian, an adult female, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries and remains hospitalized in critical condition. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene.
The crash remains under investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective K. Stahl at [email protected] at 703-228-7145. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Death investigation at an apartment building near Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 10:45 a.m.) Arlington County police are investigating after two people were found dead in an apartment near Ballston on Wednesday.
The investigation is taking place at the Clarendon Court Apartments complex, located on the 3800 block of 6th Street N. in the Ashton Heights neighborhood, about two blocks from the Gold’s Gym. Detectives could be seen using a ladder to take photos of the apartment, which is on the second floor of a two-story garden-style building.
“ACPD is conducting a death investigation in the 3800 block of 6th Street N.,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage confirms to ARLnow. “Police were dispatched at 12:01 p.m. to the report of a cardiac arrest and located two adults deceased inside a residence. The investigation into the circumstances of the deaths are ongoing and cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.”
Numerous police and fire department were on the scene. The parking lot of the building was cordoned off with crime scene tape while the investigation continues.
On Thursday morning, police said preliminary information suggests that “there is no apparent ongoing threat to the community.” From ACPD:
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is conducting a death investigation in the Ashton Heights neighborhood.
At approximately 12:01 p.m. on December 22, police were dispatched to the 3800 block of 6th Street N. for the report of cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, an adult male and female were located deceased inside a residence. This investigation into the circumstances of the deaths is ongoing. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause of death. Based on the preliminary investigation, there is no apparent ongoing threat to the community.
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).
The departures lanes at Reagan National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
More Huge Covid Testing Lines — “This is the current situation at VA Highlands Park #COVID19 testing center! How do they expect people to preemptively get tested if that means standing in the bitter cold for hours?” [Twitter]
Libraries Run Out of At-Home Tests — “And Arlington libraries are out of tests, less than an hour after doors opened. No more tests until at least after Jan. 1.” [Twitter]
Arlington Band Gets Another Grammy Nod — “When the nominations for the Grammy Awards were announced on Tuesday, featured among the artistes up for the Best Reggae Album is the American band SOJA. The band was nominated for their seventh studio album Beauty in the Silence which was released on September 24 on ATO Records. It is not their first time to the party having been nominated on two previous occasions for their 2017 project Live in Virginia and Amid the Noise and Haste released in 2015.” [Jamaica Observer]
Teen Arrested for Armed Robbery — “The victim was walking in the area when he was approached by the two juvenile male suspects. Suspect One allegedly brandished a firearm and demanded the victim give them his belongings, while Suspect Two stole his backpack, cell phone, wallet and car keys. The two suspects then fled the scene on foot. A description of the suspects was broadcast and a short time later, officers located Suspect One in the area of S. George Mason Drive and Columbia Pike. During a search of his person incident to arrest, officers recovered the victim’s belongings, as well as a firearm.” [ACPD]
Our Holiday Wish — Despite being repeatedly cited as a source on Wikipedia, ARLnow does not currently have its own Wikipedia entry. The online encyclopedia frowns upon you creating a page for yourself, so our holiday wish is for someone to see fit to finally create one that briefly tells our story.
It’s Winter — It’s officially winter, after yesterday’s winter solstice. On the plus side, the days will only get longer and lighter from here on out. Today will start cloudy in the morning before becoming sunny in the afternoon. It will be breezy, with a high of 45. Sunrise at 7:23 a.m. and sunset at 4:50 p.m. Tomorrow will be clear throughout the day, with a high of 42 and a low of 27. [Capital Weather Gang, Darksky]
Massive house fire on Chain Bridge Road, as seen from D.C. (via @jlilley626/Twitter)
(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) The long-time mansion of former Virginia Senator Chuck Robb is ablaze just over the Arlington border.
Firefighters from Arlington and Fairfax counties were dispatched to the home on the 600 block of Chain Bridge Road just after 11:30 p.m. Arriving firefighters reported fire throughout the first floor of the home, which quickly spread to upper floors and the roof.
The massive blaze could be seen from across the Potomac in both D.C. and Maryland, while a haze and the smell of smoke wafted over Arlington neighborhoods more than a mile away.
Chain Bridge Road is closed in both directions due to the emergency activity, which now also involves units from the Montgomery County, Maryland fire department.
According to scanner traffic, both occupants of the house made it out, but may have suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. They were taken to a local hospital via ambulance.
Due to heavy fire, firefighters were only able to battle the blaze from outside the home. Around midnight, units on the scene reported that trees near the house were starting to catch fire.
The mansion has been owned by Sen. Robb and his wife Lynda, daughter of former president Lyndon B. Johnson, since the 1970s, property records show. In the 1990s a large addition brought the brick home overlooking the Potomac to nearly 20,000 square feet and 19 bedrooms, according to a newspaper report at the time.
The home is likely to be a total or near-total loss.
Robb, 82, published a memoir earlier this year. He also served as governor of Virginia from 1982-1986.
The stretch of Chain Bridge Road around the fire includes some of the priciest homes in the D.C. area. On either side of the Robb property is a sprawling estate owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and The Falls, an estate on the Arlington side of the border that sold for $45 million in 2020. Arlington fire units were dispatched to that heavily-guarded property, which features a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed guest house and whose buyer was never publicly revealed, for a report of smoke alarms going off during the firefighting effort next door.
2-ALARM FIRE RIGHT NOW AT HOME OWNED BY ***Sen. Charles S. Robb and his wife, Lynda J ***. 2 occupants are safely out, but fire has spread and firefighters are going to an external attack. Location: 600 blk Chain Bridge Rd in McLean, Va, Fairfax Co. H/T @HCBright10#BreakingNewspic.twitter.com/5od574qqYE
Units currently on scene of two alarm house fire in 600 block of Chain Bridge Road in McLean. 1st arriving units reported fire throughout 1st floor of a large home. Two persons transported to hospital w/non-life-threatening injuries. @ArlingtonVaFD and @mcfrs assisting. #FCFRDpic.twitter.com/jUStCUVtKt
Update – two alarm house fire in 600 block of Chain Bridge Road in McLean. Second alarm units returning to service. Fire Investigators on scene to determine cause. Photos from earlier in Fire. #FCFRDpic.twitter.com/k6KGjULXh4
On Wednesday, Gov. Ralph Northam said he was “saddened” by the fire, a sentiment echoed by other Virginia elected leaders.
The governor’s office also released the following statement from the Robb family.
The residence of former Governor Chuck Robb and former Virginia First Lady Lynda Robb sustained major damage Tuesday evening as fire engulfed their home of nearly 50 years.
The Robb family confirmed their parents had no life-threatening injuries and had been transported by ambulance to the hospital. They were the only occupants at the time of the fire.
“Our entire family is deeply grateful to the firefighters for their rapid response and the medical professionals who are taking care of them,” said the three daughters of Charles and Lynda Robb. “We have what is most important to us — our mom and dad.”
Pam and I were deeply saddened to learn of a fire at the home of former governor Chuck Robb. Our thoughts are with Chuck and Lynda as they recover from this tragedy.
Anne and I were with Chuck and Lynda Robb on Sunday and are so saddened to hear about the fire at their home, where we have been many times. Praying for the safety of this wonderful family.
A half-dozen bills are set to hit the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates in January that were inspired by the poor conditions at the Serrano Apartments and other Virginia affordable housing properties.
After residents exposed poor living conditions at the Columbia Pike apartment complex, Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49) tells ARLnow he began drafting bills to strengthen tenant rights and improve living conditions in affordable housing properties across the Commonwealth.
“I believe no one should have to go through what the folks at the Serrano went through,” said Lopez, whose district includes the Serrano, owned by affordable housing developer AHC Inc., as well a dozen other properties owned by AHC and other local developers.
Since residents and advocates came forward in an ARLnow article published in May, AHC has committed to making changes under the eye of the Arlington County Board, undertaking repairs, installing new leadership, adding communication channels and establishing a claims process for damaged belongings.
Lopez is proposing the following bills to protect tenants with livability grievances against their landlords:
Extend the period of time eligible for rent reimbursement for condemned properties
Strengthen the prohibition against retaliatory evictions by landlords
Institute a “warranty of habitability” clause that tenants can enforce against landlords whose properties don’t meet living basic standards
These are also four changes that former ARLnow opinion columnist Nicole Merlene called for after the conditions at the Serrano garnered widespread attention.
“I’m appreciative that Del. Lopez has been working with local stakeholders to ensure that tenants living in aging buildings will have enhanced rights moving forward,” Merlene, who co-chairs Arlington’s Tenant-Landlord Commission, tells ARLnow.
Lopez has pre-filed these and two bills unrelated to the Serrano. After they’re drafted by attorneys with the Virginia Division of Legislative Services, he’ll introduce them to the House of Delegates during the upcoming two-month General Assembly session, which begins in mid-January.
The first bill would make it easier and cheaper for residents to substantiate in court that their dwelling is unlivable. With “bare minimum” livable standards only found in the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, tenants must hire professional experts to testify on their behalf, Lopez says.
“If these basic standards were in the code, a county inspector would be able to file an abatement order and write a letter of attestation for use in court,” he said.
Advocates say the current court process, with the lawyers and experts required, dissuades tenants from asserting themselves.
The second would entitle residents to three months of rent if their residence is condemned and they have to vacate, since Lopez says the conditions wouldn’t have worsened “overnight.” Currently, tenants are only entitled to one month’s rent and their security deposit.
The third bill would protect tenants from being evicted six months after they bring problems to their property management or sue. Lopez said states with similar laws presume eviction is retaliatory if it happens within a six-month period.
“The reason that’s helpful is so that tenants aren’t scared to bring forward issues,” Merlene said.
After installing more than 2,000 steel beams, workers recently put in place the beam that tops the building’s highest point, project manager Skanska announced yesterday (Monday).
The installation “topped out” the 7-story facility adjacent to VHC’s campus at 1701 N. George Mason Drive. Representatives from Skanska, VHC and the construction company commemorated the milestone by signing this steel beam.
The hospital expects the outpatient pavilion to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to its project webpage.
“The topping-out milestone demonstrates the significant progress we have made on this important project with our final goal of providing a facility that will offer state-of-the-art care for patients in Northern Virginia,” said Dale Kopnitsky, general manager and executive vice president responsible for Skanska’s D.C. area building operations.
In mid- to late-January, Skanska expects to complete the structure of the facility, while the enclosure of the building has begun and will continue through the second quarter of 2022, a company representative said. Next month, work will begin on the interior and that will continue until December 2022.
The project, which includes a recently completed parking garage, was narrowly approved by the Arlington County Board in 2018 amid objections from some nearby residents. The 245,000-square-foot outpatient facility will feature physical and aquatic therapy rooms, an outpatient lab and pharmacy, surgery and endoscopy treatment rooms, and women’s imaging suites. After the move, the hospital will be able to add about 100 beds to its existing building.
The newly finished, 1,600-car parking garage includes three below-grade levels and six above-grade levels, as well as an indoor walkway connecting to the hospital.
A time-lapse video shows progress on the building through early summer.
Earlier this year a handful of families in the area told ARLnow they were dealing with discolored water, which they attributed to ongoing construction at VHC. Community leaders said at the time that the response to the “mini-Flint-like issue” — a reference to the Michigan city’s large-scale water crisis — had been frustratingly slow.
In response, Arlington County and VHC said they were working to resolve the discoloration, which they tied to the installation of a new water main.
Last month, Virginia Hospital Center purchased for $34.5 million a building at 1760 Old Meadow Road in McLean, where it will set up an orthopedic outpatient surgery center, Washington Business Journal reported.
The parking lot near the Whole Foods in Clarendon eyed for redevelopment, where “ghost kitchens” currently operate (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
What a possible 17-story redevelopment in Clarendon, dubbed Courthouse West, would look like (via Arlington County)
What a possible 10-story redevelopment in Clarendon, dubbed Courthouse West, would look like (via Arlington County)
What a possible 6-story redevelopment in Clarendon, dubbed Courthouse West, would look like (via Arlington County)
What a possible 17-story redevelopment in Clarendon, dubbed Courthouse West, would look like (via Arlington County)
What a possible 10-story redevelopment in Clarendon, dubbed Courthouse West, would look like (via Arlington County)
What a possible 6-story redevelopment in Clarendon, dubbed Courthouse West, would look like (via Arlington County)
Side-by-side comparisons of varying heights for the potential Courthouse West development in Clarendon (via Arlington County)
Side-by-side comparisons of varying heights for the potential Courthouse West development in Clarendon (via Arlington County)
“Ghost kitchens” on the parking lot eyed for redevelopment near the Whole Foods in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington County is soliciting public input on what the potential redevelopment of a Clarendon parking lot should look like.
The lot at 2636 Wilson Blvd, between the Clarendon Whole Foods and the PNC Bank, is currently occupied by “ghost kitchen” trailers. Property owner Ballston-based CRC Companies envisions rental housing and retail at the site on the Clarendon-Courthouse border.
Currently, the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) for the site only allows “service commercial” uses and buildings up to four stories tall. CRC Companies requested a change to the GLUP to allow for taller apartments and hotels, a change Arlington County is currently studying.
Now, the county is seeking public feedback on the study’s scope and the size of the potential redevelopment, which CRC Companies has named Courthouse West. Planners previously said this work will add clarity where existing Courthouse Sector Plan documents “lack sufficient planning guidance” to inform a County Board decision on the developer’s requested changes.
These documents do identify the lot — bounded by N. Danville Street, Clarendon Blvd, N. Cleveland Street and Wilson Blvd — as a “key redevelopment site,” since it mostly falls within a quarter-mile radius of the Courthouse Metro station, per a recent staff presentation.
ATTN RE: Courthouse West Special Land Use Study: We updated the feedback form. If you completed it before 8:30 a.m. today (Fri. Dec. 17), please fill it out again. If you haven’t provided feedback yet, please do so! https://t.co/yQXFhsp7Jp… *Form closes Sun. Jan. 9* pic.twitter.com/p9kCS8GTvx
Through Sunday, Jan. 9, survey respondents can choose one of three preliminary scenarios for an apartment building:
a 6-story, 70-foot tall building with 150 residential units and 11,000 square feet for commercial use
a 10-story, 110-foot tall building with 215 residential units and 16,000 square feet for commercial use
a 17-story, 180-foot tall building with 300 residential units and 16,000 square feet for commercial use
In all three scenarios, planners say they’re assuming parking would be underground and a tenth of the site would become some type of public space, likely along Clarendon Blvd, according to the staff presentation.
The survey asks participants to consider how the building’s architecture could transition into the shorter shopping areas and houses nearby.
Respondents can also indicate what additional topics the study should address, including:
Public space
Affordable housing
Improvements to vehicle access and loading
Parking
Streetscape, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements
Safety improvements
Stormwater improvements
Biophilic elements
Historic preservation
Public art
The Long Range Planning Committee is expected to hold a meeting on the results of the survey in January.
LRPC members are interested in “exploring higher density and height on the site” and seeing “residential uses, appropriate tapering and height, public space and affordable housing, and biking and pedestrian improvements,” county planner Tim Murphy said during the presentation.
