New AG Targets N. Va. Prosecutors — “Virginia Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares said that he and Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin will pursue legislation to enable the state’s attorney general to circumvent ‘social justice’ commonwealth’s attorneys who refuse to vigorously prosecute crimes. At a news conference on Thursday, Miyares laid out ‘one of our major legislative initiatives’ which Youngkin ‘has already indicated that he would sign… into law.'” [Fox News]
Department Bans ‘Kill’ from Feedback — From Arlington Transportation Commission Chair Chris Slatt: “Today I learned it’s against our ‘Community Guidelines’ to tell DES that their designs are going to get someone killed.” [Twitter]
Younger Va. Voters Get Less Blue — From ARLnow opinion columnist Nicole Merlene: “Millennials and Gen Z swung almost 10% from Ds to Rs in the #VAGov election. That is ONE THIRD of voters in Virginia. More % of voters than college educated white women — so why are they the story?” [Twitter]
Local Legion Post Getting New Flagpole — “The Arlington House chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on Oct. 28 presented a financial contribution in support of the effort to raise a new flagpole at the post, which is being redeveloped in partnership with the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH). DAR chapter regent Nancy Weinberg in 2020 contacted Bob Romano, then-post commander of Sgt. Dorothy M. Doyle American Legion Post 139, to discuss what could be done to assist Post 139 during the construction period.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Friday — Today will be sunny, with a high near 54. Sunrise at 7:40 a.m. and sunset at 6:03 p.m. Saturday will be sunny, with a high near 56, while Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 58.
Join the ARLnow Press Club — Get the Morning Notes early and find out what we’re planning to cover that day. Plus exclusive text alerts, insights and more. Sign up now.
Two cars back up and turn left on I-395 to get to the Express Lanes, circles and arrows added by ARLnow (via Dave Statter/Twitter)
A car that backed up and turned left on I-395 to get to the Express Lanes, circle added by ARLnow (via Dave Statter/Twitter)
Bollards on I-395 blocking access to the Express Lanes (via Google Maps)
Pre-bollards, a car moved a VDOT barrel to get onto the I-395 Express Lanes (via Dave Statter)
Pre-bollards, a car blocked traffic to turn left and get onto the I-395 Express Lanes (via Dave Statter)
Reckless drivers are regularly backing up on I-395 to get to the Express Lanes, despite bollards placed to prevent it.
Video has captured a number of drivers getting onto northbound I-395 from the Route 110 ramp, near the Pentagon, then driving in reverse to get around bollards that block access to the high-occupancy toll lanes. In return for driving the wrong way on a major highway, the drivers get to save a couple of minutes by avoiding minor traffic backups in the main lanes of the 14th Street Bridge.
Footage of the wrong-way drivers has been published by public safety watchdog Dave Statter over the past two years. The most recent jaw-dropping video — showing multiple drivers drive in reverse in traffic lanes — was posted last week.
It appears the scofflaws have upped their antics in response to the addition of the bollards near where the main lanes and the Express Lanes split, before the bridges.
“Last year, in close coordination with [the Virginia Department of Transportation] and external engineering firms, we worked together to determine that adding bollards at that location was and continues to be the best solution,” said Pam Davila of the Australian company Transurban, which operates the 495/95/395 HOT lanes. “We’re confident that the bollards continue to serve their purpose and cannot stress enough that drivers should be mindful to practice safe driving at all times, on and off the Express Lanes.”
She said Transurban and VDOT discussed “other mitigation options” and talked extensively about issues such as the optimum length for the bollards.
After they went up, Statter observed an improvement, but 15 months later, people are out-maneuvering them.
Virginia State Police is “very aware of” this problem, spokeswoman Corinne Geller says, and is working with VDOT and Transurban to tackle it from both enforcement and engineering perspectives.
“As a preventative measure, state police has stepped up its enforcement and presence in that particular area,” she said. “But our troopers simply cannot be everywhere all the time, nor would permanently stationing a trooper at that one location be efficient or fair use of our limited resources across the Northern Virginia region. Our troopers are committed to doing everything we can to prevent such reckless behavior from occurring.”
Statter’s videos show what people did pre-bollards. Originally, defiant drivers crossed the highway at a nearly perpendicular angle to make the lane.
Orange barrels and cones didn’t deter some drivers. With surprising courtesy, one driver used the turn signal to cross three traffic lanes — blocking oncoming cars — and squeeze through an opening.
Did the driver of this vehicle endanger everyone on I-395 because they
a. have a true emergency & couldn't sit in the main lanes backup? b. are lost? c. are drunk? d. want to keep alive the DC area stereotype of being more important than anyone else?@WTOPtraffic@DildineWTOPpic.twitter.com/JjrK64yNdV
Instead of making these dangerous moves, the Transurban spokeswoman says drivers can access the Express Lanes at a different juncture.
“There is an option for drivers coming from the Pentagon City to safely get on the Express Lanes by taking the Pentagon/Eads Street ramp, and we encourage drivers to use that route, especially during rush hour when there is heavy traffic on the general-purpose lanes,” she said.
While enforcement plays a role in stopping the antics, Geller reminded drivers it is their job to follow the basic rules of the road.
“There is still a responsibility on the driver to make safe, legal and logical decisions when behind the wheel,” she said. “Backing up and/or driving the wrong way on an interstate ramp and/or in a travel lane put that driver and countless other motorists at risk of a crash and serious injury. The safety of our highways is a collaborative responsibility and one we hope the motoring public will help us improve, especially at this particular location.”
The first freeze of the season is expected to happen tonight in Arlington.
With overnight temperatures expected to dip as low as 30 degrees, now is the time to protect sensitive plants and to turn off the valves leading to outdoor water pipes and hose bibbs, allowing them to drain.
More from the National Weather Service:
953 AM EDT Thu Nov 4 2021
…FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY…
* WHAT…Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 expected.
* WHERE…In Maryland, Southern Baltimore, Prince Georges, Anne Arundel and Charles Counties. In District of Columbia, District of Columbia. In Virginia, Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria, and King George County.
* WHEN…From 2 AM to 9 AM EDT Friday.
* IMPACTS…Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing.
The first freeze signals the end of the growing season and the end of Frost Advisories and Freeze Warnings until next season. The growing season has already ended in the outer reaches of the D.C. area.
GROWING SEASON OVER FOR MOST OF THE DMV: After last nights widespread freezing temperatures. Growing season has ended for much of the region. Frost & freeze headlines will no longer be issued for the areas listed below until Spring 2022. #vawx#mdwx#wvwxpic.twitter.com/hMuBsIpPnv
— Washingtonian Weather Geeks (@WashingtonianWx) November 3, 2021
The Alexandria man whose drugs led to a local woman’s death is expected to spend at least a decade in prison.
Prosecutors announced this morning that 29-year-old Kibruysday Degefa, accused of distributing the fentanyl-laced drugs that caused the overdose death of a 20-year-old woman in Arlington, was convicted on an array of charges by a jury in Alexandria federal court.
Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn helped to make the announcement. Degefa is set to be sentenced in February and is facing a 10 year mandatory minimum sentence.
A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia is below.
A federal jury convicted an Alexandria man yesterday on charges of conspiracy, possession, and distribution of fentanyl and Eutylone, and being a felon in possession of a firearm during drug trafficking.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from in or around June 2020, through at least December 2020, Kibruysday Degefa, 29, conspired with others to distribute counterfeit, pressed pills containing fentanyl, as well as Eutylone, which is a designer drug similar in character to MDMA. Pills distributed by the conspiracy twice on December 20, 2020, contributed to the mixed drug overdose death of a 20-year-old female in Arlington, whose blood was later determined to contain fentanyl. A search warrant on the hotel room where Degefa was staying at the time revealed additional narcotics for distribution, including Eutylone, along with multiple firearms concealed in the bathroom ceiling tiles. Degefa was previously convicted of robbery in Alexandria in 2015.
Degefa faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison when sentenced on February 18, 2022. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andy Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the verdict.
District Dogs owner Jacob Hensley poses outside a District Dogs location with a poodle (courtesy photo)
RĀKO’s “Coco Spritz” coffee drink (courtesy of RĀKO)
The street in front of the under-construction Amazon HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Two small local businesses, a dog daycare and a coffee shop, are the first two retailers to be announced for Amazon’s HQ2.
The massive office complex in Pentagon City is still under construction, but District Dogs and RĀKO Coffee recently signed leases for the retail space, Amazon announced this morning.
District Dogs and RĀKO Coffee are the first small businesses to sign leases at HQ2 as part of Amazon’s pledge to bring local, minority- and women-owned retailers to its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
Amazon’s second headquarters is not only about office buildings for the company’s employees in Arlington, Virginia. The development will also help create a vibrant neighborhood by supporting local businesses with plenty of street-level retail space.
“Amazon growing in the National Landing neighborhood provides a great anchor to be able to support new local businesses within the community and those that have been around for a while,” said Kate Bates, president and CEO of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
As Amazon continues to build out its second headquarters, the company is also helping the growth of local businesses from surrounding areas in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Amazon is working to fill at least 140,000 square feet of open-to-the-public retail space between Metropolitan Park and PenPlace, which together will make up HQ2.
Based in D.C., District Dogs — a full-service pet care company — just announced a new location in Clarendon, its first outside of the District. The new HQ2 location will be the sixth for local entrepreneur Jacob Hensley, and will feature “over 6,000 square feet and offer opportunities for dog training, canine enrichment activities, and events to help local dog owners connect with a community of fellow pet lovers in the National Landing neighborhood.”
RĀKO Coffee, meanwhile, is a specialty coffee shop and natural wine and cocktail bar owned by sisters Lisa and Melissa Gerben. Originally just a coffee roaster based in Lorton, RĀKO opened its first bricks-and-mortar location this summer in Courthouse.
“The sisters opened their first café just a few miles away from HQ2, and they specialize in expertly crafted espresso drinks, such as a baklava latte and volcanic black salt vanilla latte,” Amazon said in its blog post. “They hope their customers start and end their day at RĀKO. The new location at HQ2 will feature espresso beverages, a natural wine program from women winemakers, owners, and growers, craft cocktails, and light fares. RĀKO will also operate a 250-square-foot lobby kiosk open to Metropolitan Park.”
Amazon has been in discussions with other local businesses, including one retail store, ARLnow has learned. Additional announcements are expected in the months ahead.
“Our goal is to prioritize small, local, minority- and women-owned retailers for the ground floors of our office buildings and in unique retail pavilions throughout the HQ2 site,” said Joe Chapman, director of Amazon Global Real Estate and Facilities, in the blog post. “We want to help create an 18-hour district that people want to drive to, not just drive through, and the businesses we attract to this neighborhood will be a big piece of that. We can’t wait for the entire community to get to enjoy these new additions.”
The first phase of HQ2 is set to open in 2023.
Amazon posted the following video, featuring Arlington Chamber of Commerce CEO Kate Bates, with today’s announcement.
The sun shines through a tree showing fall colors in the Ballston area (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
DCA Changes Next Week — From NBC 4’s Adam Tuss: “Major change coming to @Reagan_Airport next Tuesday – these new security checkpoints open, changing the feel of the airport. The main hall (Ben’s Chili Bowl, Legal Seafood) now goes BEHIND security.” [Twitter, Twitter, NBC 4]
Chilly Weather Poses Lunch Challenge — “Having tried where possible to provide school-lunch service outdoors since August, Arlington school leaders are now faced with the task of trying to figure out a plan to accommodate students inside while meeting their own social-distancing guidelines. And it looks like it’s being left up to the individual schools to thrash out their own approach.” [Sun Gazette]
Memorial Service for Pentagon Police Officer — “The Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) will hold a memorial service for fallen Pentagon police officer Cpl. George Gonzalez, on Thursday, Nov. 4, 10 a.m. EDT in the Pentagon Center Courtyard. Cpl. Gonzalez, a Pentagon police officer and Army Reservist, was killed in the line of duty Aug. 3, 2021, during an attack at the Pentagon Metro Platform. His body was laid to rest Aug. 16 in his hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y.” [Dept. of Defense]
It’s Thursday — Areas of frost before 9 a.m. today. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 53. Sunrise at 7:38 a.m. and sunset at 6:04 p.m. Tomorrow it will be sunny, with a high near 54.
Voting on Tuesday at Swanson Middle School in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 4:40 p.m.) Last night’s election gave Arlington’s local Republican and Democratic parties both reason to celebrate, while at the state level, Democrats ceded ground to the GOP.
Arlington maintained its reputation as a solidly blue county Tuesday night, with a majority of voters supporting every Democrat-endorsed or supported candidate and bond referenda on the ballot.
Meanwhile, Arlington’s Republican party says it is celebrating greater enthusiasm for the party locally than it has seen in years. At the state level, Republicans swept Richmond: Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin beat former governor Terry McAuliffe, while fellow Republicans Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears and Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares became the first Black woman and Latino respectively to win statewide office.
“Terry was a low-energy candidate,” Arlington GOP Communications Director Matt Hurtt said. “Glenn was a dynamic candidate who enthused Republicans and independents. You have to believe a candidate is going to win, and Republicans believed Glenn was going to win. Even in a place like Arlington, we had a 33% increase [in Republican votes].”
At the county level, 60% of voters secured the re-election of incumbent Democrat Takis Karantonis to the Arlington County Board. Voters handily elected Arlington Democrats-endorsed Mary Kadera to the Arlington School Board, succeeding Monique O’Grady.
Arlington re-elected Virginia House of Delegates members Patrick Hope (D-47), Rip Sullivan (D-48), and Alfonso Lopez (D-49), while Democrat Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, currently the City of Alexandria’s vice mayor, was elected to represent the 45th District, which includes parts of Arlington.
“The tremendous outpouring of Democratic support in Arlington was inspiring and contributed to victories in several critical races,” Arlington County Democratic Committee Chair Jill Caiazzo said in a statement. “At the end of the day, we fell short statewide, but we’re confident that the Democratic leaders elected today will continue the fight for a brighter future in Virginia for everyone.”
Karantonis, who has been through threecounty-wideelections in 20 months, says largely, the priorities of Arlingtonians — and his three vanquished independent candidates — remain the same: housing, healthcare, economic development, the environment, equity, schools and transportation.
“I do believe this election season has underscored the set of issues that have been present along the entire 20 months that I’ve been in political campaign mode,” he said. “It was just a re-emphasis on things that residents need, and I’ve been proposing approaches that could bring measurable improvement.”
Republicans ride education to victory
While Arlington had a solidly Democrat showing, Hurtt said enthusiasm for Republicans grew leading up to election night. He pointed to the nearly 6-percentage point shift to the right between Donald Trump, who netted 17% of Arlingtonians’ votes, to Youngkin, who received 22.8% of votes.
An Arlington GOP meeting in May had 80 people — the highest attendance in decades, we’re told — and the record was soon broken by an event two weeks ago that netted 200 people and the Tuesday night watch party that attracted 300.
And one new issue drove that support, Hurtt says: education.
That frustration came from a number of new schools issues taken on by Republicans, who’ve traditionally rallied around school choice and homeschooling.
Among them: how systemic racism is taught in schools; policy decisions to eliminate or lower admissions standards for advanced programs in the name of education equity; and in places such as Arlington and Fairfax counties, frustrations over school closures and masking.
“Unequivocally, [Critical Race Theory] 101 is not being taught in Virginia schools. That said, the lens through which every subject is taught… has the lens of critical theory, a philosophy of questioning the institutions,” Hurtt said. “To say to a child that everything around them is stacked against them or stacked in their favor [based on their race] is a destructive way to teach someone who’s forming their belief system.”
On education equity issues, he pointed to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County changing its admissions standards.
At the state level, the Virginia Department of Education also cited equity in its decision to eliminate accelerated math courses prior to 11th grade.
Dems wanted the “CRT backlash” to be about crazy people not wanting their kids to be taught that slavery happened. But the issue really bites if it looks like some bureaucrat is going to cancel their kid’s advanced program because it’s not diverse enough.
On these issues, Hurtt said, McAuliffe wasn’t strong.
“It was clear in the last 96 hours of the campaign that Terry had lost his footing,” Hurtt said. “He gave us the greatest gift by saying, ‘Parents shouldn’t have a say in kids’ education.’ Whether he meant to say it that way or not, that’s what parents went into the polls considering.”
Elementary-school-aged children will soon be able to get the Covid vaccine from Arlington County.
The county’s public health division says it will start offering free jabs to 5-11 year-old children on Saturday. That follows the FDA’s emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for the age group last week.
The shots will be offered by appointment only and supply may be limited early on. According to the county, about 13,000 children ages 5-11 live in Arlington.
The county started offering free vaccine shots to children ages 12-15 in May, after FDA authorization for that age group.
County Board member Katie Cristol called the availability of the vaccine for local 5-11 year-olds good news on social media this afternoon, after it was announced by the county.
I think we could all use some good news today: Vaccines for 5-11 year olds are here. Free vaccines, by appointment, are available for young Arlingtonians at Walter Reed and Arlington Mill. Learn more and make an appointment at https://t.co/27uGypPiPrpic.twitter.com/SXjniItltK
Arlington Public Schools has reported 15 positive Covid cases among students over the past seven days, all but one in elementary schools.
Overall, Covid cases have been slowly trending down in Arlington over the past month and a half. Currently about 21 cases per day are being reported in the county, on average, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.
More on the new vaccine offering, from an Arlington County press release:
On Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021 Arlington County Public Health will begin offering free COVID-19 vaccines by appointment to children ages 5-11 years old at Walter Reed Community Center and Arlington Mill Community Center. Clinics designated specifically for this age group will be held Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13 and 14, 2021, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
“The Pfizer vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 in children. This approval is a critical step towards protecting our kids and keeping other vulnerable community members safe. We encourage all parents to get their children vaccinated when they become eligible,” said Dr. Reuben Varghese, Arlington County Public Health Director.
Find a Vaccine for Your Child
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 5-11-year-olds will be available at Arlington County Public Health Division clinics and pharmacies, searchable through Vaccines.gov. Your child’s pediatrician may also offer the vaccine.
In the early weeks of distribution, vaccine supply may be limited. As supplies increase, so too will appointment availability.
Arlington County Public Health Division Clinics
Arlington County’s Public Health Division (ACPHD) will be offering COVID-19 vaccine by appointment only at Walter Reed Community Center and Arlington Mill Community Center. Walk-ins will not be accepted. Please note: Children ages 17 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive their free COVID-19 vaccine.
Sat. Nov. 6 and Sun. Nov. 7 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.)
Mon. Nov. 8 – Fri. Nov. 12 (2 p.m.-7 p.m.)
Sat. Nov. 13 and Sun. Nov. 14 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) Note: These clinics are exclusively for 5-11-year-olds; Vaccine for people ages 12+ will not be offered
Appointments for ACPHD clinics can be made online though the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) — select the option labeled “Schedule a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine appointment (age 5-11).”
Second dose appointments will be scheduled at the time of the first dose. If you need ADA accommodations or require assistance scheduling your appointment with Arlington County Public Health, call 703-228-7999.
Schedule an appointment. NOTE: Vaccines.gov is in the process of being updated to include an option for Pfizer (ages 5-11).
Text your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) or to 822862 (VACUNA) to find nearby vaccine locations.
Pediatricians
Contact your child’s pediatrician to ask if they are offering the vaccine to patients.
Approximately 13,000 children ages 5-11 live in Arlington. Arlington County encourages everyone 5 and older to get a COVID-19 vaccine. For more information, visit the County’s COVID-19 website. Also check out vaccine FAQs.
Shots were fired early this morning near an entrance to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.
The gunfire was reported around 2:30 a.m. at Washington Blvd and S. Walter Reed Drive. That’s near the Hatfield gate to Fort Myer, some apartment buildings, ramps to and from Route 50, and the Sequoia Plaza complex, which houses Arlington County and Arlington Public Schools offices.
Arlington County police were called to the scene by a caller who reported hearing gunshots and a car speeding off.
“Upon arrival, officers met with the reporting party who advised that approximately 20 minutes prior, he heard several gunshots and the sound of a vehicle fleeing the scene,” said ACPD. “Officers canvassed the area and recovered evidence confirming shots had been fired. At this time, no injuries or property damage have been reported. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.”
This is the secondshots fired incident of this nature over past week.
Construction is underway for St. Timothy and St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Construction is underway for St. Timothy and St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A rendering of STSA Coptic Orthodox Church coming to Green Valley (via STSA Church)
A rendering of the atrium of STSA Coptic Orthodox Church coming to Green Valley (via STSA Church)
A rendering of the sanctuary of STSA Coptic Orthodox Church coming to Green Valley (via STSA Church)
A rendering of the sanctuary of STSA Coptic Orthodox Church coming to Green Valley (via STSA Church)
A rendering of “The Well” worship center of STSA Coptic Orthodox Church coming to Green Valley (via STSA Church)
A floor plan of STSA Coptic Orthodox Church coming to Green Valley (via STSA Church)
A rendering of a hypothetical office space at the future STSA Coptic Orthodox Church (via JLL)
A rendering of a hypothetical medical office space at the future STSA Coptic Orthodox Church (via JLL)
A rendering of the rooftop terrace at the future STSA Coptic Orthodox Church (via JLL)
Construction is advancing on a permanent home for Saint Timothy and Saint Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church in Green Valley.
The Arlington-based church — which goes by the abbreviated STSA Church — currently rents space at George Mason University’s Virginia Square campus at 3351 Fairfax Drive.
In 2018, it purchased a vacant lot for $2 million at 2640 Shirlington Road on which it plans build a permanent structure. The county approved an easement related to the property, located between townhomes and the ABC Imaging print shop, this February.
Work started early in September and now, the dense trees that covered the site are gone. Fr. Anthony Messeh, the church’s priest, tells ARLnow crews have finished clearing the site and finished pile driving, and have now turned to sheeting and shoring.
“We are excited to be a part of the community,” he said. “We’re not here to invade, but hopefully, to continue to serve the community and be a part of what’s happening there.”
He says the building will be ready by the end of 2022. When finished, STSA Church will have a traditional Orthodox church space and a contemporary worship space, separated by an atrium, as well as rooms for age-specific ministries and staff office space. There will be a parking garage below and a floor for commercial office space above, topped by a garden terrace.
Messeh says the office would be offered for rent to offset the cost to build the parking structure.
“When people hear a church is moving in, the first question is, ‘Where is everyone going to park?'” he said. “We wanted to be good neighbors. We didn’t want ‘We’re parking in front of your house’ to be our first exposure to the community.”
STSA, which offers in-person liturgy and Sunday morning services, has sought out a permanent gathering place since it began operating in 2012. For now, the congregation and the priest are feeling the limitations of a rented space in a university setting.
“For us, it’s less about outgrowing the size of the space and more in terms of the mission of the church,” Messeh said.
A permanent home would provide a more fitting space for STSA’s community service work, such as its mentorship program with area public elementary schools and its Christmas party for children with blood disorders from Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital. Additionally, the church’s growing children’s ministry currently uses college classrooms, which do not have age-appropriate furniture, he said.
Lastly, the wafting incense and Byzantine icons characteristic of Orthodox worship can’t be replicated in a rented space. Messeh’s limited to pictures of icons and plastic statues at GMU and can’t use incense — which could set off a fire alarm.
“There’s a look and feel that we do our best to recreate [but] it’s not a real, authentic Orthodox experience,” he said. “After 10 years, we need that.”
Construction on phase one of Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Renderings from synthesized Metropolitan Park design (screenshot via Arlington County)
Renderings from synthesized Metropolitan Park design (screenshot via Arlington County)
Renderings from synthesized Metropolitan Park design (screenshot via Arlington County)
Construction on phase one of Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Construction on phase one of Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Construction on phase one of Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Construction on phase one of Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Renderings from synthesized Metropolitan Park design (screenshot via Arlington County)
Construction on the first phase of Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City has reached a new milestone, as crews turn to revamping the adjacent green space.
Work on the office complex, located at the corner of 13th Street S. and S. Eads Street, remains on schedule, according to an Amazon spokesperson. The site is comprised of two, 22-story office buildings dubbed Met Park 6 and 7/8 and the forthcoming park area.
Clark Construction, which is overseeing the development, officially got started on the green space — also named Metropolitan Park — last week, according to an email the company sent Friday. Fencing around the site has been expanded to surround the existing park to maintain public safety during this work.
“We anticipate excavation activities will begin in the park area in mid-November,” the email reads.
The existing park space was mostly used as a place for dogs to run around and relieve themselves, though this summer it was home to a farmers market. The new $14 million park — designed by the firm behind New York City’s famous High Line — will feature more than two acres of public open space, including signature landscapes such as a forest walk, an edible garden and children’s play garden, as well as a dedicated dog run and community tables.
“Crews will excavate the existing park, removing 10,000 cubic yards of soil over the next several months,” Jeff King, Clark’s vice-president of construction, said in a video update last month.
This work will move from the edge abutting S. Fair Street to the edge bordering the office buildings, he said. This winter, crews will install drainage and irrigation systems and haul in new dirt to support the future park’s varied topography and vegetation.
“Our construction schedules time with planting seasons, with the first planting set to take place in spring 2022,” King said.
For dog owners nearby, the loss of the green space means frequenting other local parks.
“I know many of our neighbors use the park space daily,” King said. “We recognize that the shared community asset provides the space to walk your dogs, enjoy the outdoors and socialize.”
Knowing this, he said Clark Construction and Amazon spent several months this year sprucing up Virginia Highlands Park.
Clark Construction workers make improvements to Virginia Highlands Park (via Clark Construction)
King said the efforts were to ensure “it’s a great place and a respite for outdoor activities and community gatherings while met park is under construction.”
Amazon helped fund the creation of temporary dog parks at Virginia Highlands Park, along the 15th Street S. side of the park, which were installed earlier this year. Dog owners also have access to a few other parks within a mile of the fenced-off park, including Grace Murray Hopper Park (1401 S. Joyce Street), the temporary “Gateway Green” park (101 12th Street S.) and Long Bridge Park.
Area parks and their distance from Metropolitan Park (via Clark Construction)
Meanwhile, construction crews are completing one floor of the two office buildings about every week and a half, King said.
“Our crews have made significant progress on the site,” he said. “We anticipate topping both 22-story office buildings out in spring of 2022.”
Installation of the building’s façade will continue over the next 12 months, he said. Inside, crews are installing electrical and mechanical systems, sprinklers and drywall.
In its email, Clark noted there will be intermittent traffic stops in the coming weeks on the corner of S. Elm Street and 15th Street S. for deliveries.
Portions of 13th Street S. between S. Eads Street and S. Elm Street, as well as portions of S. Elm Street between 15th Street S. and 14th Street S., will be closed periodically to maintain concrete pump and truck access. Flaggers will assist with traffic flow, and road users will be able to access driveways, loading docks and entry points for adjacent buildings.
