News

Astro Beer Hall and its donut robot hoping to start serving next month in Shirlington

By Matt Blitz
1/2

Astro Beer Hall is aiming to finally debut its donut robot next month.

The long-planned, two-level bar and coffee shop in Shirlington is hoping to open sometime in August, a spokesperson tells ARLnow. While no specific date is set as of yet, the 14,000 square-foot, space-themed Astro Beer Hall expects to open its doors in a matter of weeks.

Part of that space will be taken up by a take-out shop featuring a robot making “fresh fried to-order donuts right in front of our customers,” as co-owner Peter Bayne told ARLnow earlier this year.

The initial hope was to start serving in May, as a banner wrapped around the building noted in the spring before it was removed.

The spokesperson said construction and permitting delays — a common refrain for Arlington restaurants — pushed the debut back a few months.

Back in December 2021, it was announced that Astro Beer Hall was moving into the former home of Capitol City Brewing Co. The large space at the corner of Campbell Avenue and S. Quincy Street had been vacant since 2018.

Astro Beer Hall is part of the restaurant group Tin Shop DC, which also owns a number of local bars and restaurants including Highline RxR in Crystal City, and Quincy Hall in Ballston.

Along with a donut robot, the establishment will feature a large rectangular bar with a moveable glass wall opening to a sidewalk patio, two pool tables, and a section filled with arcade games. The artwork, murals, and color scheme are expected to match the venue’s space theme.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Vending machines in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Local Groups Weigh in on Deer — “The Animal Welfare League of Arlington has come out swinging against a county-government proposal to kill deer in the county… The animal-welfare group is urging its members to inundate county leaders with comments promoting alternatives to deer kills…A local advocacy organization, the Arlington Tree Action Group, also is weighing in on the topic. The organization didn’t directly support culling efforts in a recent e-mail to supporters, but said something needs to be done.” [Gazette Leader]

ACFD: Don’t Drive into High Water — From the Arlington County Fire Department: “TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN! On July 7th our Water Rescue Team responded for multiple vehicles stuck in high water. Many underestimate the force and power of water, but incidents like this can be avoided! Don’t risk it!” [Twitter]

County Jail Getting New Tech — “Where staff once had to manually track inmate activities and movements on paper, ACDF deputies and supervisors will now be deploying SPARTAN 3, the ultra-rugged Android from GUARDIAN RFID running Mobile Command software. The ACDF is also deploying hardened RFID tags strategically located throughout the facility to automate a wide range of data collection and reporting, including security checks and cell checks, headcounts, meal and recreation offerings, and a wide range of other inmate activity logging at the point of responsibility.” [Arlington County Sheriff’s Office]

Local Lawmakers Voted for Porn Bill — “Angered that easy access to one of the world’s biggest pornography aggregators has been taken away from Virginians? The local legislative delegation shares some of the responsibility. It turns out all of Arlington’s state legislators – three senators and four delegates – earlier this year voted in support of a measure that requires many pornography-based Websites to verify that those viewing from Virginia are of legal age.” [Gazette Leader]

Free ‘Paint and Sip’ in Pentagon City — “On Thursday, July 13 at 5 p.m., art enthusiasts of all levels are invited to join in an evening of fun, creativity and self-expression at matchbox, the center’s renowned bistro. Experienced instructors from local studio Sip & Paint DC will guide participants through the process of creating their own D.C.-themed masterpiece.” [Event Calendar]

Outdoor Drag Show Tomorrow — “Rosslyn LIVE is back this summer with our first show featuring Shi-Queeta Lee and her all-star cast of celebrity female impersonators! Join us at Gateway Park for a 90-minute revue of the world’s top pop culture legends, and enter the magical world of illusion as your favorite divas dazzle right before your eyes.” [Rosslyn BID]

Air Quality Alert for Today — “COG forecasts Code Orange air quality for sensitive groups for the D.C. region tomorrow due to ground-level ozone pollution (not Canada wildfire smoke).” [Twitter, NWS]

It’s Wednesday — Sunny, with a high near 93. Light and variable wind becoming west around 6 mph in the morning. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 7 mph. [Weather.gov]

Arlington could buy a property within what was once a secluded Black settlement for 100 years

By Jo DeVoe
A trail leading to VDOT-owned land near Chain Bridge Forest (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 9:15 a.m. on 7/12/23) A secluded wooded area south of Pimmit Run in North Arlington with a little-known history is up for sale and Arlington County could become the buyer.

The county is considering whether to buy a 6.7-acre parcel near the Chain Bridge Forest neighborhood from the Virginia Dept. of Transportation for $2.88 million. The property, between a curving section of N. Glebe Road and Pimmit Run, includes both developable and protected land.

VDOT originally intended to use it for a connector road from N. Glebe Road to Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) in Fairfax County, which it never built, the county says. It now is giving Arlington first dibs before turning to private buyers. Should the sale go through, the county would set the land aside for public open space.

The property in question sits within the historic boundaries of a near-forgotten settlement by freed Black people who worked the land from the 1850s to the 1950s, according to the county and Jessica Kaplan, a local expert on and author of a definitive 2018 article about the community.

Kaplan pieced her article together from census data, deeds, wills, maps and claims residents made against the government for property it confiscated during the Civil War.

The settlement grew after John Jackson, a free Black man, bought three acres from white landowner William Walker, who he had known since childhood, shortly before the Civil War broke out, Kaplan writes. She says it is unclear if he sold to Jackson because of their friendship or because white people were not interested because it was a low-lying, flood-prone area.

Despite those issues, Jackson went through with the purchase. Walker’s initial sale sparked a small exodus of Black families — who had either escaped slavery, bought their freedom or were born free — from Fairfax County to what is now Arlington.

In what may be a riff on the problems with the land, residents called it “The Bottom,” Kaplan writes. At its peak, 20 families lived there.

“Whether [leasees] or owners, they found relative safety in numbers and in the secluded, timber-lined hollow of The Bottom,” she said. “The Bottom remained their home through challenging times: war, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, segregation, and suburbanization.”

The presumed borders of The Bottom and the VDOT property within it (via Arlington County)

Residents eked out a living farming, tending livestock and quarrying stone, she said. During the Civil War, men helped build nearby Fort Marcy and Fort Ethan Allen while women sold baked goods and did laundry for soldiers. Some of the Union soldiers, however, raided their farms and burned the land for fuel.

With paltry government repayments for confiscated property, the families built back after the war, Kaplan wrote. They farmed, quarried stone and worked for nearby white families. Their children walked three miles to attend the closest school for Black children, then called Sumner School.

The enclave dwindled to non-existence in the 1950s as residents died, moved to other Black neighborhoods in Arlington such as Halls Hill, or left the area. Economic pressures were compounded by access: Arlington County abandoned a road running along The Bottom’s west side and circumvented it with the new N. Glebe Road to Chain Bridge.

Investors ended up owning all the land comprising The Bottom, eventually selling to the U.S. government. Kaplan says the community “became the anchor for an overpass of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.”  (more…)

Ballston Holiday Inn redevelopment proposal reaches Arlington County Board

By Jo DeVoe
1/12

Redevelopment plans for a Holiday Inn and office building in Ballston are headed to the Arlington County Board for approval.

The developers, Hoffman & Associates and Snell Properties, intend to replace the hotel (4600 Fairfax Drive) and Arlington Center Building (4610 Fairfax Drive) with a seven-story, 432-unit apartment building and two five-story, 15-unit buildings.

The development duo also propose building a new private road and alley for parking and loading activity, as well as new sidewalks and streetscapes along them.

The site is located west of N. Glebe Road, along N. Fairfax Drive, just before it becomes an on- and off-ramp to I-66. It is five blocks from the Ballston Metro station and two blocks from a proposed western entrance, currently in an early design phase.

“This site has a lot of surface parking, structured parking, an office building, the Holiday Inn, and a disconnected relationship to our neighbors to the south,” Cathy Puskar, a land use attorney for the developers, told the Planning Commission last week. “It’s been here quite a long time… so we are very eager to move forward with that.”

Hoffman and Snell have cleared nearly every step in the public review process. On Saturday, the Arlington County Board is set to review their request for easements in order to build on the site.

Much has changed since the initial submission more than a year ago.

“This project went through a substantial evolution as we went through the [Site Plan Review Committee] process,” Arlington County planner Adam Watson said during the Planning Commission meeting.

In response to public feedback, the layout changed and a bicycle and pedestrian path was widened to 12 feet and moved.

The 5-story buildings are now to the west of the 7-story building, rather than to its south. Watson says this creates a better height transition from the tall George Washington University building at 950 N. Glebe Road to the single-family homes west of the 4600 Fairfax Drive site.

Now, the proposed path separates the 7-story and 5-story buildings. Watson says this furthers county plans to add a “West Ballston Connection” linking with the Bluemont Junction, Custis and Ballston Pond trails at Fairfax Drive.

The evolution of the site layout for 4600 Fairfax Drive, by Jo DeVoe (via Arlington County)

Watson said the project now delivers “a much improved streetscape, especially along Fairfax Drive” and less impervious surface area. It preserves more trees to increase the buffer between the development and the single-family homes nearby, he said.

“We really loved that first version… but we are very proud of where we are today,” Puskar said. “Despite some painful cuts and changes, we listened, and this is why we have such a good plan in front of you today.”

While the developers directed the bulk of residential traffix to Fairfax Drive — as opposed to the smaller private road south of the site, to allay concerns about traffic flow — some residents still have misgivings, Planning Commissioner Jim Lantelme said.

Climate Change, Energy and Environment Commission representative Mark Greenwood praised the project’s use of electricity rather than gas, but suggested the developers replace the gas stoves with induction ones, while adding more parking for electric vehicles.

Restaurant owner is ‘very frustrated’ with the process to transform historic Green Valley Pharmacy

By Matt Blitz
Green Valley Pharmacy last year (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

(Updated at 12:40 p.m.) As historic Green Valley Pharmacy moves closer to being transformed into a restaurant, the owner of the new business remains “very frustrated” with the years-long redevelopment process.

Last month, the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) held its regular meeting, during which the board reviewed updated plans for the former pharmacy. The building at 2415 Shirlington Road is being transformed into a burger and pita restaurant called “Halal Spot,” as ARLnow first reported in 2021.

The board’s discussion in June centered on a proposed pergola and bioretention planters. While the planter plans were approved at the meeting, the pergola was deferred due to having not the most updated plans. At the meeting, a restaurant spokesperson said they intended to resubmit plans with a sloped awning and the pergola no longer covering the window.The window is original to the historic building and “reflective of the storefront nature of the property,” as was noted at the meeting.

The Board asked the project representative to re-submit updated plans.

Since the pharmacy building is protected in the Arlington County local historic district, any proposed exterior alterations must be approved by the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board’s design review process.

County historic preservation planner Serena Bolliger has confirmed to ARLnow that the pergola is the last element that needs to be approved for the Certificate of Appropriateness (CoA) permit but the civil engineering plan remains under review.

Restaurant owner Nasir Ahmad told ARLnow that this is his understanding as well, and aims to re-submit civil engineering plans this month. If that does happen and everything gets approved, the hope is that exterio construction can begin by mid-September. The build-out should take about six months, Ahmad said, meaning Halal Spot could open by early spring 2024.

But Ahmad remains frustrated with how long it’s taken to this point, even if it appears that approvals are finally wrapping up.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Street scene in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Metro Mull Major Expansion — “Metro is inching forward with multibillion dollar expansion proposals that include a new tunnel between D.C. and Virginia, as well as stations in Georgetown and National Harbor. The proposals are part of the agency’s long-range plans that transit leaders say address several shortcomings in the rail system, including a lack of tunnel capacity between Foggy Bottom in the District and Rosslyn in Virginia.” [Washington Post, DCist]

Crash and Car Fire on I-395 — Dave Statter: “This is the crash that resulted in a car fire on I-395N near Rt 27 in #Arlington. Driver got out.” [Twitter]

A Look at Rosslyn’s Development — “I wrote a summary of how a small apartment building became 249 committed affordable units in Rosslyn. It shows some of the best qualities of Arlington’s commitment to growth in its metro corridors.” [Twitter, Substack]

Baseball Tourney Coming to Arlington — “Arlington Babe Ruth will achieve a first in coming days when the youth baseball league hosts a Southeast Region tournament. The league has been the site of district and state competitions in the past, preparing the organization to take on the even larger task of hosting a bigger region event.” [Gazette Leader]

ACFD’s Camp Heat Profiled — “It wasn’t that long ago we featured Camp Ember in Prince George’s County, Maryland. And now, thanks to heads up on Twitter, we’ve learned about the goodness happening in Arlington County at Camp Heat and thought, we’ve got to highlight them too.” [WUSA 9]

Mental Health Funding Push — Del. Patrick Hope: “Virginia’s rollout of 988 has been a positive development for ppl experiencing a mental health crisis. But we still lack community support services in all locations.” [Twitter, Virginia Mercury]

HQ2 Boosts Office Stats — “The Northern Virginia commercial real estate market saw 1.6 million square feet of office space occupancy gains in the second quarter, but Amazon’s HQ2, which opened in June to employees, accounted for 2.1 million square feet as employees moved into its Met Park campus in National Landing.” [WTOP]

Democratic Lawmakers Talk DCA —  “Democratic senators from Maryland and Virginia hold a news conference to discuss their opposition to proposed changes to slot and perimeter rules at Washington Reagan National Airport that would increase the number of flights using the airport.” [C-SPAN]

Fmr. County Official Now in Reston — “Reston Association has a new chief operating officer to fill shoes long held by Larry Butler, who retired this year after more than 40 years with the association. Peter Lusk took Butler’s place effective today… Prior to that, he worked with Arlington County as the division chief for athletic and facilities services.” [FFXnow]

It’s Tuesday — Sunny, with a high near 90. Northwest wind around 6 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70. [Weather.gov]

Door knocking leads to fight in Crystal City apartment building

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A man was seriously injured after an assault that stemmed from him knocking on a door early this morning.

Police were dispatched to a residential building along the 2100 block of Richmond Highway — the same block as the Crystal Plaza Apartments — around 12:30 a.m.

“The male victim was inside a residential building when he knocked on an apartment door before walking away,” said today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Two female suspects then exited the apartment and located the victim near the elevator. A verbal dispute ensued during which one suspect allegedly assaulted the victim while the other suspect stole the victim’s cellphone before leaving.”

The man was seriously injured and the two women were arrested, police said.

“The suspects returned to the scene upon police arrival and were taken into custody,” said the crime report. “The victim sustained serious, non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital.”

A 29-year-old Arlington woman and a 25-year-old Alexandria woman were arrested and charged with robbery and assault, respectively. They were also both charged with public intoxication, according to ACPD, and held without bond.

Asked what prompted the dispute, a police spokeswoman tells ARLnow that it was “over the victim knocking on the suspect’s door.” The ACPD spokeswoman noted that the “suspects and victim were not known to one another” and, asked about the man’s injuries, said only that they “were consistent with a physical fight.”

Bridge over I-395 in Fairlington to get structural repairs and new buffered bike lane

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

Work is underway to make a 53-year-old bridge S. Abingdon Street bridge over I-395 safer and extend its overall life, per the Virginia Dept. of Transportation.

The 53-year-old bridge is located between the I-395 interchanges for King Street and Shirlington Circle in the Fairlington neighborhood. It was last rehabilitated in 1994 and is in need of attention, according to a press release from the state transportation department.

The planned repairs will use $8.4 million in federal and state funding and will wrap up in late 2024, the press release said.

Work includes rehabilitating the bridge deck, repairing deteriorating concrete, replacing all steel bearings and eliminating bridge joints, per a project overview video.

Arlington County also identified S. Abingdon Street, from 34th Street S. to Fire Station 7, for resurfacing. It is coordinating with the state on those changes, including a buffered bike lane to improve the cycling experience and narrower travel lanes to manage vehicle speeds.

Bridge deck rehabilitation work will last about 12 weeks and occur in three stages, the video says.

In the first phase, all traffic will be shifted to the east side of the bridge, with two shared bicycle and traffic lanes and one five-foot-wide sidewalk. A temporary crosswalk will be added near 36th Street S. In the second phase, all traffic will be shifted to west side of the bridge.

In the third stage, traffic will be split on both sides of the work zones and the crosswalk will be removed.

“When one sidewalk along the bridge is closed, pedestrians will be detoured to the sidewalk on the opposite side,” VDOT said in the press release. “Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians are reminded to use caution when traveling in active work zones. Be alert to new traffic patterns and limit distractions.”

The I-395 main and express lanes may see periodic daytime and overnight lane closures, VDOT says.

“Most of the work below the bridge will be performed during nighttime operation to avoid impact to normal daytime traffic particularly peak hour traffic,” the project video says.

Demolition of the RCA building in Rosslyn set to wrap up this month

By Jo DeVoe
1/7

What remains of the RCA building in Rosslyn looks like something pulled from a post-apocalyptic film.

Demolition work for the building (1901 N. Moore Street) has been ongoing since the end of March and the pedestrian bridge to a building next door was removed in the spring.

Now, passers-by can see a narrowed shell of the building with rebar, pipes and wires drooping from it.

By the end of this month, the RCA building will be “demolished to grade,” notes a calendar on a website providing updates on the building’s progress.

The website also projects a sanitary and storm sewer system will be installed by mid-July or by the end of this month. Once this is done, and electrical infrastructure is relocated, workers will begin installing a retaining wall that will keep the ground in place as they excavate.

“Once at the subgrade, we’ll excavate for the new building’s footings and erect two tower cranes to start pouring concrete,” the website says.

The construction company overseeing the project, CBG Building Company, has “a light pollution reduction and rainwater management plan in order to protect the community’s natural habitat and minimize the project’s environmental impact,” the website adds.

The developer, Jefferson Apartment Group (JAG), will replace the RCA building with a 27-story apartment complex composed of two towers that share a podium and are joined at the rooftop by a sky bridge.

The building, one block from the Rosslyn Metro station, will also have 11,444 square feet of retail space. Planned amenities for residents include a fitness center, pet spa, landscaped patio, green rooftop terrace and a pool.

JAG is aiming to complete the new structure in January 2026.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rain drops in a puddle in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Video of Glebe Road Crash — From Dave Statter: “Crash on S. Glebe near Route 50 in just before 3 pm. You never know what’s on the other side of a bus. @ArlingtonVaFD & @ArlingtonVaPD handled.” [Twitter]

County Board Appointment Coming — “Who it will be is a pretty open secret at this point, but Arlington County Board members have not yet formally announced their choice to fill the County Board seat left vacant by the recent resignation of Katie Cristol… The appointment, likely to come after a public hearing at the July 15 board meeting, is likely to be followed by a swearing-in ceremony on July 18.” [Gazette Leader, Twitter]

Questioning Possible Caps and Wiz Move — “So if, God forbid, any of those teams moved – would you still support them? Would you travel to Crystal City/Ballston/Northern Virginia to catch a game live?” [PoPville]

Dems Focus on Unity — “With a contentious primary season now in the rear-view mirror, the Arlington County Democratic Committee on July 5 pivoted to plans for the Nov. 7 general election.” [Gazette Leader]

Trauma Survivor’s Story — From VHC Health: “A trauma incident can happen in an instant, but recovery can span months – or even years. Watch the story of Ricardo, who survived a head-on collision on I-66 and embarked on a lengthy journey to reclaim his life.” [Twitter, YouTube]

Arlington ‘Staycation’ Suggestions — “7News is highlighting some low-cost staycation ideas for you this summer. There are so many unique places you may not have visited close to home, without paying the high price of airfare and hotels. This week — 7News is highlighting Arlington, Virginia.” [WJLA]

Chef’s New McLean Restaurant — “The celebrity chef and cookbook author is gearing up to open his first full-service restaurant in McLean, where the regional American menu will showcase seasonal ingredients from small farms, heritage growers and fishermen in the mid-Atlantic region, as well as the Gulf Coast. Unlike at Bayou Bakery,  the food at Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen won’t have a Louisiana bent, though the restaurant’s chosen name is a direct nod to Guas’ hometown and its history.” [Arlington Magazine]

It’s Monday — A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

BREAKING: Water rescue underway in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com
1/12

(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters conducted water rescues in the Pentagon City area this afternoon amid torrential downpours.

Initial reports suggest that three cars were stuck in high water along S. Joyce Street between Army Navy Drive and Columbia Pike, and that multiple people — including an elderly person with disabilities — were stranded, either in their vehicles or on the concrete median.

Another report suggested that the water was so high that at least one of the vehicles was floating. On traffic cameras, water could be seen streaming down from the I-395 overpass above.

A large contingent of fire department resources, including boats, responded to the scene. As of 2 p.m., ACFD said it was clearing the scene after everyone was rescued and no one needed to go to the hospital.

Much of Arlington, including Pentagon City, is under a Flash Flood Warning due to slow-moving, heavy downpours. The flooded portion of S. Joyce Street remains closed.

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