News

Two Local Companies Set for Economic Development Grants

By Chris Teale

Two Arlington-based companies are set to receive incentive-based economic development grants as they expand in the county.

Rosslyn-based technology company Higher Logic and Clarendon-based media firm Axios are both in line to receive $60,000 each under the county’s incentive-based Gazelle Grant program. The program, administered through Arlington Economic Development, encourages businesses to move into or stay in Arlington.

Under the terms of the grants, both companies must commit to leasing a certain amount of office space and creating more full-time jobs. If they do not fulfill the terms as of December 31, 2020, they will be required to pay back at least some of the grant.

For its grant, Higher Logic must lease at least 31,000 square feet of office space, maintain its existing 107 full-time jobs and create 133 new full-time positions.

Founded in 2007, Higher Logic had been exploring a new location for its headquarters, having expanded to take up 15,000 square feet by 2015. It will move to 1919 N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn and occupy an entire floor of the building on a 10-year lease.

Axios, meanwhile, must lease at lease 15,000 square feet of office space, maintain its existing 60 full-time jobs and create 60 new full-time positions.

Having initially located at the MakeOffices coworking space at the office building at 3100 Clarendon Blvd, Axios is set to expand into the 13th floor at the same address and sign a 10-year lease.

The Arlington County Board will vote on whether to award the grants at its meeting Saturday (January 27). Staff recommended approval of both.

Police Seek Public’s Help Identifying Pentagon City Mall Robbery Suspects

By Chris Teale
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The Arlington County Police Department has released surveillance images of four people suspected of a strong armed robbery at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

Police said four men stole “numerous sunglasses” from the Sunglass Hut at the mall at 1100 S. Hayes Street just before noon on Tuesday, January 16. In doing so, police said they threatened and pushed a store employee during a struggle, then fled the scene.

The first suspect is described as a black male wearing boots, dark colored pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and a green jacket. The second is described as a black male wearing black track pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and sneakers.

The third suspect is described as a black male wearing sneakers, blue jeans and a black jacket. The fourth is described as a black male wearing sneakers, black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt.

More from an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating four robbery suspects caught on surveillance. At approximately 11:55 a.m. on January 16, police were dispatched to the report of a strong armed robbery at the Sunglass Hut located in the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. Upon arrival, it was determined that four suspects entered the business and stole numerous sunglasses. During the incident, the suspects threatened and pushed a male employee during a brief struggle. The suspects fled the scene prior to police arrival.

Suspect One is described as a black male wearing boots, dark colored pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and a green jacket. Suspect Two is described as a black male wearing black track pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and sneakers. Suspect Three is described as a black male wearing sneakers, blue jeans and a black jacket. Suspect Four is described as a black male wearing sneakers, black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information on the identity of these individuals or details surrounding this incident is asked to contact Detective C. Riccio of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

Photos via ACPD

Crime Report: Man With Gun Threatens Hotel Employees

By ARLnow.com

A Maryland man entered the lobby of a Courthouse hotel early Tuesday morning, made some demands and then threatened employees with a gun when the demands were not met, police say.

The man was seeking “the business cards of management,” according to this week’s Arlington County crime report. Police did not give an explanation for why he wanted business cards at 1 a.m.

Responding officers were able to find the man nearby, based on a “lookout” broadcast after the victims called 911. He was arrested and now faces multiple charges.

More from ACPD:

BRANDISHING, 2018-01230010, 2400 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 1:00 a.m. on January 23, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined that a male suspect entered the lobby of a business, made contact with two employees and requested the business cards of management. When the victims declined, the suspect threatened them, brandished a firearm and fled in his vehicle prior to police arrival. A lookout was broadcast based upon the suspect description provided by witnesses and arriving officers located a vehicle and suspect matching the description nearby. Richard Hylton Jr., 28, of Gaithersburg, MD, was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery (x2), Brandishing a Firearm, and Carrying a Concealed Weapon (x2).

This week’s crime report was one of the shorter ones in recent memory. The remaining items from it are below.

LARCENY FROM AUTO (series), 2018-01170105, 4000 block of Lee Highway. At approximately 12:06 a.m. on January 17, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined that an unknown suspect(s) removed the tires from and tampered with multiple vehicles in the parking lot of a business. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

LARCENY FROM AUTO (series), 2018-01170002, 01170124, 1000 block of Arlington Boulevard. At approximately 12:08 a.m. on January 17, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on January 16, an unknown suspect(s) smashed the windows of two vehicles and stole items of value. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile in D.C.

By Christina Sturdivant-Sani
Photo by Brandon Kopp

Metro delays, new designs for RFK, the best restaurant in Washington, and other news of the day over in the District.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Gets New Emergency Management Director — Arlington County has named Aaron Miller as its new Director of the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management. He is currently the Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the City of New Orleans. [Arlington County]

Gunston Students Win Anti-Bullying Video Competition — Two eighth-grade girls from Gunston Middle School have won a second-place prize from the AT&T Film Awards for their cyberbullying prevention video. The duo will receive $2,000 in camera equipment and a one-day workshop at Gunston with professional filmmakers. [WJLA]

Vihstadt Could Face Tough Reelection — Democrats are energized by their opposition to President Donald Trump, and that could mean an especially challenging reelection for independent County Board member John Vihstadt. A blue wave in the 2018 midterms may make Vihstadt more vulnerable to his eventual Democratic challenger, one local political blogger suggests. [Blue Virginia]

Expensive Morning Commute on I-66 — “The toll to travel along eastbound Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia hit $46.75 Wednesday morning, about a week after it notched a record high.” [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Funeral Home Site Set to Remain Parking Lot for CarPool Construction Workers

By Chris Teale

(Updated 8:25 a.m. January 25) A now-demolished funeral home in Virginia Square is set for continued use as a parking lot for crews working on redeveloping the former CarPool site.

The Arlington County Board will consider an extension on the approval of the site plan at 3901 Fairfax Drive, and its interim use for parking, until February 2021.

Construction crews working on the CarPool project use the site as parking while building work is ongoing on a 22-story luxury high rise, which will have up to 330 residential units, 264 underground parking spaces and ground-floor retail.

The Board approved the project in 2012 on the site of the old Arlington Funeral Home.  It was first used as a temporary parking lot the following year after the building’s demolition.

In its place, a 10-story building with three levels of underground parking is planned. It would include office space and ground floor retail. It had been the planned location of a 150-seat black box theater, but that plan was nixed last year.

In a report on the planned extension, county staff said that developer BDC Crimson LLC has promised that development will be underway by 2021, “once financing is finalized to permit construction.”

Staff recommended the Board approve the extension.

County to Receive $17 Million in State Grants for Transit Projects

By Chris Teale

Arlington County is set to receive more than $17 million in grant funding from state agencies for various transportation and transit projects.

The Arlington County Board will vote on Saturday (January 27) on whether to accept the funds, totaling $17.8 million, from the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

Of that, the county is set to receive $15 million from DPRT, just over $870,000 from NVTC and almost $2 million from VDOT. The money is to fund transit, bridge renovations and other transportation projects.

DPRT funds come from its Smart Scale program, a statewide funding program where jurisdictions apply for a limited amount of grant funding. NVTC’s funding is through its program to administer revenue made from the I-66 tolls. The VDOT funding is from a revenue sharing program the county regularly applies for.

The county was awarded money for the following projects, by the following bodies:

  • Ballston Metro station west entrance – $10 million (DPRT)
  • Purchase of Mobile Commuter Store – $500,000 (DPRT)
  • Purchase of eight 40-foot buses – $4 million (DPRT)
  • Installation and accessibility improvements of bus stops along the ART route to Marymount University – $500,000 (DPRT)
  • Bus stop consolidation and accessibility improvements – $462,000 (NVTC)
  • Multimodal real-time transportation information screens – $250,000 (NVTC)
  • ART bus rehabilitation for ART 55 peak service expansion – $160,000 (NVTC)
  • Shirlington Road Bridge – $935,000 (VDOT)
  • Pershing Drive – $1,050,000 (VDOT)

In a report, county staff recommended the Board accept the funds.

County: No Record of Recent Sexual Harassment Cases Involving Senior Officials

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County’s Dept. of Human Resources has no record of any allegations of workplace sexual harassment or sexual assault against senior county officials over the past 18 years.

That’s the response ARLnow.com received to a Freedom of Information Act request, filed in the wake of a wave of sexual misconduct allegations in Hollywood, politics and the news business.

The recent #MeToo awakening started with explosive allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and has since spread, with dozens of prominent men from Kevin Spacey to Matt Lauer to Rep. John Conyers Jr. facing accusations that have led to firings and resignations.

One common thread: often the men accused of serious wrongdoing — from rape to harassment — were in positions of authority, which they used against their victims.

ARLnow wanted to see if anyone in a position of high authority within Arlington County government has been accused of sexual harassment or assault since 2000. At first we asked a county spokeswoman, who then directed us to file a Freedom of Information Act request.

Here’s the response we received to our FOIA filing:

This letter is in response to your Virginia Freedom of Information Act request for details of any allegations, known to Arlington County’s Human Resources Department, of sexual assault or sexual harassment against Arlington County elected officials or senior staff members (director level or above) since 2000.

Please note, pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-3704(B)(3) the requested records could not be found or do not exist.

Thank you for contacting this office.

Sincerely,

Ina Chandler
Arlington County FOIA Officer

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Career Center Redevelopment Could Be Big for Pike — County and school officials are moving forward with a redevelopment of the Arlington Career Center site, which holds the possibility of helping to shape the future of Columbia Pike. “We see this as a huge opportunity to create a crown jewel of Columbia Pike. The only question is the amount of money that might be invested,” said Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization Executive Director Cecelia Cassidy. [InsideNova]

N. Va. Real Estate Continues Upward Trajectory — As illustrated by a table showing the past four decades of Northern Virginia real estate sales and average prices, the local real estate market has been on a long-term upward trend. Last year continued the trend, with a 4.1 percent increase in prices and a 6.9 percent increase in total sales. [InsideNova]

Five Guys at DCA Closed for Renovations — The Five Guys burger restaurant in Terminal C of Reagan National Airport is reportedly closed, temporarily, for renovations. [PoPville]

TechShop Evicted in Crystal City — Financially troubled makerspace chain TechShop has officially been evicted from its location in Crystal City. [Washington Business Journal]

Some Experts Say Prepaid Property Tax Will Be Deductible — Don’t ask for a refund of your prepaid property taxes, say some tax experts. Despite the IRS stating that taxes prepaid to jurisdictions like Arlington County will not be deductible on your taxes this year, before a cap on state and local tax deductions goes into effect, some experts believe that legal challenges to the IRS determination will prevail. [Washington Post]

Applications Accepted for ‘Neighborhood College’ — “Learn how to become a neighborhood advocate and effect change through Arlington County’s free Neighborhood College program, which meets on eight consecutive Thursday evenings, beginning April 12, 2018.” [Arlington County]

Meanwhile in D.C.

By Christina Sturdivant-Sani
Photo by John Goucher

President Obama marries a couple, Michelle Obama dines out, and other news of the day over in the District.

County Board to Vote on Taking Control of Fairfax Drive from VDOT

By Anna Merod

Arlington County is one final step away from controlling sections of Fairfax Drive and 10th Street N. along the Orange Line corridor.

The Arlington County Board will vote on Saturday (January 27) to approve a deal that would give the county control of the road between its intersections with N. Glebe Road and N. Barton Street, from roughly the Ballston to Courthouse neighborhoods. The roadway is currently controlled by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The vote follows after the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the transfer of control of the road, also known as Route 237, in December. The county requested that transfer in July 2017.

Making the portion of the roadway a part of Arlington’s local road system would streamline reviews for development and other changes, and give the county more flexibility to implement multimodal improvements.

In a report, county staff said Route 237’s current ownership under the state makes the county go through an “extensive review process with the Virginia Department of Transportation for all site plan development reviews and county transportation infrastructure projects.”

Staff said there is also a “cumbersome design-exception process” that costs the county more time and money for each project under VDOT supervision. The transfer could also cost the county between $60,000 and $70,000 a year for added road maintenance responsibilities, the cost of which are only partially reimbursed by the state, according to a fiscal impact statement.

Image via Arlington County

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