News

Proposed residential development would bring changes to southern Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/12

(Updated at 7 p.m.) A new apartment building may be coming to a southern portion of Crystal City, and changing some infrastructure in the process.

Developer JBG Smith announced today a plan for a 370-unit apartment building on “Block W” in Crystal City. The site is bounded by Crystal Drive, a National Airport access road, and railroad tracks, and is currently home to a gravel parking lot, an off-ramp from the access road and a small, JBG-owned workout park.

The plans appear to replace to the park and the off-ramp, with a seven-story building fronting Crystal Drive, in line with the circa-2010 Crystal City Sector Plan. According to JBG, the development plan preserves 35,000 square feet of privately-owned open space, including the adjacent sand volleyball courts, and includes some street-level retail space.

Crystal City sand volleyball courts, next to proposed development site (via Google Maps)

“The Sector Plan envisions, as part of the development of Block W, the current airport access road off-ramp be removed to make way for the new developments,” notes JBG’s recent filing with the county. “Furthermore, the Sector Plan envisions Crystal Drive to be a retail-oriented mixed-use arterial street which includes a bike lane on Crystal Drive in Block W.”

The developer — the predominant property owner in the Crystal City and Pentagon City neighborhoods, also known collectively as National Landing — says the proposed development will transform an underutilized, vehicular-oriented area into new apartments and pedestrian-oriented ground floor retail… further connecting the neighborhood. ”

A press representative for the company confirmed the plans to keep the volleyball courts as one part of the 35,000 square feet of open space.

“JBG SMITH has sited the building to preserve the Crystal City Volleyball Courts and looks forward to engaging with the community on any improvements to this open space,” wrote the spokeswoman. She added that “eliminating the off-ramp will allow JBG SMITH to add over 400 feet of new sidewalk and streetscape, expanding the Crystal Drive pedestrian network to the south.”

JBG has several residential developments in the works in Crystal City.

This month, Arlington County is expected to advance a review of the company’s plans to add more apartment buildings to the River House site.

Plans to build two towers on the site of an 11-story office building and the former Jaleo restaurant, meanwhile, are still under review, according to Arlington County’s website. The Americana Hotel is currently being demolished to make way for one apartment tower while construction continues on two pairs of residential towers: one at 1900 Crystal Drive and another at 2001 and 2000 S. Bell Street, with construction expected to wrap up in 2024 and 2025, respectively. 

The press release about the new apartment redevelopment is below.

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New funding will boost effort to plant trees in disadvantaged neighborhoods

By Jo DeVoe
Trees in Arlington (staff photo)

EcoAction Arlington just got a $60,000 boost from the Arlington branch of the NAACP and the Mormon church in its efforts to plant trees in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Last year, the environmental advocacy group announced its plan to plant trees in 10 neighborhoods where the canopy is thinner than elsewhere — areas generally less wealthy and more diverse than Arlington’s leafier enclaves. The 2022 announcement coincided with a $50,000 donation from Amazon.

The initiative, dubbed the Tree Canopy Equity program, aims to raise $1.5 million to fund planting 250 trees twice a year, for the next five years — or 2,500 trees total. Last week, the NAACP announced it had selected EcoAction Arlington to receive the money through a strategic grant and partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Arlington has a 10-year life expectancy difference amongst its neighborhoods, and this donation will create focus and provide much-needed tree canopy in places that have, for decades, been left out of the conversation,” NAACP Branch President Michael Hemminger said in a statement. “For years, EcoAction Arlington has been a committed partner in the furtherance of our mission, making them a natural fit for why we selected this non-profit as the recipient.”

To date, EcoAction Arlington has raised $239,000 from individuals, corporations, nonprofits, foundations and the state of Virginia, executive director Elenor Hodges tells ARLnow.

“That’s got to be a record for us in most money raised in shortest amount of time,” she said. “We’re truly grateful to the NAACP and looking to them as a true partner.”

The money funds outreach needed to find residents, apartment buildings and organizations interested in planting trees. It also pays for shrubs — trees are paid for through the Arlington County Tree Canopy Fund — and, in some cases, water.

Hodges says she is excited to use support from a foundation to pay community members to do the outreach work, similar to a model used in Wards 7 and 8 in D.C.

“This community work takes people, time and money, so we want to pay people and professionalize it,” she said.

This spring, volunteers planted 215 trees and 110 shrubs across the 10 neighborhoods, particularly in Penrose, Green Valley and Aurora Highlands, she said. Shrubs provide the benefits of trees and are ideal for people without the space for a tree or who are not ready to add one to their yard.

The 10 neighborhoods being targeted have a lower average tree canopy than Arlington County as a whole, according to one study funded by some members of local environmental advocacy groups, including EcoAction Arlington.

Based on imaging from 2021, a consultant found that trees cover 33% of land — excluding the Pentagon and Reagan National Airport — down from 41% on the same land six years ago. The 10 neighborhoods, meanwhile, have a canopy coverage average of 22.6%.

The neighborhoods and their canopy levels are as follows:

  • Arlington View, 17%
  • Aurora Highlands, 22%
  • Buckingham, 21%
  • Columbia Heights, 28%
  • Glebewood, 29%
  • Green Valley, 24%
  • John M. Langston Citizens Association, 19%
  • Long Branch Creek, 24%
  • Penrose, 23%
  • Radnor/Fort Myer Heights, 19%
Tree canopy in Arlington by neighborhood (via Arlington Tree Action Group)

The absence of trees makes a neighborhood hotter and Arlington’s hottest places are along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor and near Reagan National Airport, per a study by Marymount University.

Study authors say this is because concrete and asphalt absorb heat and radiate it back into the environment while neighborhoods in North Arlington have more trees and gardens to soak up that sunshine.

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Demolition comes for the Americana Hotel in Crystal City

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

It’s time to bid farewell to The Americana Hotel in Crystal City.

The long-time budget hotel along Richmond Highway is being demolished to make way for residential redevelopment across the street from Amazon’s nearly-open second headquarters and a short distance from the Crystal City Metro station.

A spokeswoman for JBG Smith confirmed the demolition to ARLnow this morning (Tuesday).

“Demolition and site work are currently underway, with the earliest possible construction start slated for 2024,” the spokeswoman said, adding that that is all she is able to say at this time.

The Americana Hotel closed in 2020 and JBG Smith quickly purchased it for a new apartment project, consisting of 639 new units, 3,885 square feet of ground floor retail and a distinct architectural feature akin to a partially covered walkway, which was nicknamed the “tabletop.”

Renderings of the proposed apartments to replace the Americana Hotel, with the ‘tabletop’ feature in view (via Arlington County)

The developer’s plans were approved by the Planning Commission and the Arlington County Board in April.

The Americana’s demolition is part of a trend in Arlington County of redeveloping aging motels and hotels.

The iconic Highlander Motel in Virginia Square, a frequent haunt for a motorcycle club, was turned into a CVS. The Days Inn motel in Lyon Village is set to become apartments, which the county is trying to ensure pays homage to the site’s history with a midcentury modern design.

The Key Bridge Marriott, meanwhile, has stood vacant — and is now condemned — after development plans were delayed, likely due to financial issues for the group that owns the site.

Police: Armed, drunk men arrested in Clarendon and Ballston over weekend

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A pair of remarkably similar incidents has landed two Arlington men in jail.

The incidents occurred within an hour of one another early Sunday morning. In each, a drunk man allegedly got in a dispute, brandished or claimed to have a gun, and was subsequently arrested and found to be armed after police were called, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

Both happened in or in proximity to bars — one in Ballston, shortly after midnight, and another in Clarendon, around 1 a.m.

From ACPD:

RECKLESS HANDLING OF A FIREARM, 2023-05210005, 4100 block of Fairfax Drive. At approximately 12:12 a.m. on May 21, police were dispatched to the report of a person with a gun inside a business. Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect became engaged in a verbal dispute with the victims, during which he allegedly brandished a firearm. The suspect left the scene on foot, was located by responding officers and taken into custody without incident. A search of his person incident to arrest yielded a firearm. The victims did not remain on scene and no injuries were reported. [The suspect], 32, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Reckless Handling of a Firearm, Public Intoxication and Carrying a Concealed Weapon While Intoxicated.

RECKLESS HANDLING OF A FIREARM, 2023-05210013, 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 1:00 a.m. on May 21, police were dispatched to the report of disorderly conduct. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect became involved in a verbal dispute with the victim, during which he allegedly knocked the suspect’s hat off of his head and implied he had a weapon. As responding officers attempted to detain the suspect, he ran from the area and discarded what appeared to be a firearm before being taken into custody. A search of the area yielded a loaded firearm. No injuries were reported. [The suspect], 21, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Reckless Handling of a Firearm, Assault and Battery, Drunk in Public and Obstruction of Justice.

Also in the crime report, three teens allegedly fired gel pellets at someone inside a business on the 2000 block of Wilson Blvd in Courthouse. That’s the same block as the new Taco Bell Cantina, though the identity business was not revealed by police.

From the crime report:

MISSILE INTO AN OCCUPIED DWELLING, 2023-05210169, 2000 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 4:13 p.m. on May 21, police were dispatched to the report of disorderly conduct. Upon arrival, it was determined three unknown juvenile suspects discharged gel pellets inside a business, striking one victim. No injuries were reported. The suspects fled the scene on foot and responding officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Looking down N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Pentagon Explosion Hoax — “A purportedly AI-generated photo of a fake explosion at the Pentagon spread rapidly on social media on Monday – prompting mass confusion among users and a brief selloff in the US stock market. The fake photo, which showed smoke billowing outside the Pentagon, was shared by Russian state media outlet and other accounts alongside claims that an explosion has occurred at the complex. ” [Twitter, New York Post, Vice]

County Comms Questioned — “Despite community concerns that the Arlington government leadership – elected and appointed – is increasingly disconnected from the community it theoretically serves, those very leaders contend there have been marked improvements in the breadth and depth of communication with residents in recent years. ‘We have spent a lot of time coming up with ways . . . [of] expanding our tools,’ County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a May 16 briefing of County Board members.” [Gazette Leader]

Arlington Startup Acquired — “Fifth Third, the ninth-largest U.S.-based consumer bank, has acquired Arlington financial technology firm Rize Money Inc. The Virginia-based embedded payments platform company provides payment infrastructure and risk management capabilities to other fintech and technology companies.” [Washington Business Journal]

Treatment Open Houses — “DHS is pleased to announce a new partnership with National Capital Treatment & Recovery that creates new Substance Use Treatment Services for Arlington adolescents. Join the virtual open house to learn about the program, how to make referrals, eligibility considerations and more.” [Arlington County]

Marymount Holds Graduation — “Like the 8 billion others they share the globe with, those who entered Marymount University as freshmen in the fall of 2019 had no idea the world around them in six short months would never be the same. Yet those students, and the others who also comprise the Marymount Class of 2023, represent a resilient group uniquely prepared to meet an ever-changing world.” [Gazette Leader]

Miyares Applauds Bowser Plan — “Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares today expressed support for Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s new proposals to help D.C. start to address the City’s violent crime problem, joining The Washington Post Editorial Board in applauding the solutions… Following the brutal murder of a Virginia resident in Washington D.C., Attorney General Miyares sent a letter on April 6th to D.C. leadership asking them to address their crime crisis.” [Office of the Attorney General]

Whiskey Lottery Goes Awry — “A state-run lottery to give Virginians first dibs on pricey whiskeys suffered from what was likely a human-induced flaw that wildly skewed the results, allowing several lucky entrants to win multiple times. Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Board officials, in an interview and a statement on Monday, acknowledged the ‘statistically abnormal’ results, after several bourbon aficionados had flagged the irregularities following last month’s drawing.” [Washington Post]

It’s Tuesday — Partly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 7 to 10 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind 3 to 8 mph. [Weather.gov]

Arlington County celebrates newly renovated center aimed at diverting psychiatric crises from hospital

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

Local and state officials gathered today to celebrate the grand opening of a place where people can go if they are experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

The newly renovated Crisis Intervention Center (CIC) provides behavioral healthcare services in a community-based setting to individuals experiencing a psychiatric crisis. The location at 2120 Washington Blvd is open 24/7, 365 days per year, to people of all ages.

With the center, Arlington County aims to divert people in crisis from the emergency room and away from interactions with law enforcement — an imperfect system that was straining Arlington County Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office and local hospitals.

It comes as, in Arlington, nearly 10% of adult residents are reporting frequent mental distress, compared to 13% in all of Virginia, according to Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey. In the wake of the pandemic, Northern Virginia saw a four-fold increase of adults reporting the onset of anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as one in 10 youth in the region contemplating suicide last year.

“It was critical for us to figure out, to pivot as soon as we could possibly pivot, to figure out alternatives to psychiatric hospitalizations,” Arlington County Dept. of Human Services Deputy Director Deborah Warren said during the ceremony today.

“People in a behavioral health crisis were being brought to the ER where, once they were assessed by a certified [clinician] and got a temporary detention order, they would languish for sometimes a week, or 10 days at a time — not getting care — handcuffed to a gurney and guarded by police or sheriff,” she continued.

Imagine, she continued, being paranoid, hearing voices or being significantly depressed and going to the hospital with its bright lights and cacophony of noises.

“It’s not trauma-informed,” she said. “Maybe all they need is to talk to somebody. Maybe they just need to be in a calming space and de-escalate, instead of a very stressful environment in the hospital.”

The grand opening of the CIC celebrated new ways the county Dept. of Human Services has been authorized to help people.

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ACPD: Twenty-five vehicles damaged during recent theft sprees

By ARLnow.com
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

Thieves damaged 25 vehicles in several North Arlington neighborhoods over the past few days.

That’s according to Monday’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

The first theft spree happened last week, overnight Thursday into Friday, in the Waverly Hills neighborhood, not far from the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Langston Blvd.

Thieves damaged five vehicles while stealing the glass from side mirrors, according to police.

From ACPD:

LARCENY FROM AUTO (Series) (Late), 2023-05190101, 4700 block of 20th Road N. At approximately 9:57 a.m. on May 19, police were dispatched to the late report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined between approximately 10:00 p.m. on May 18 and 7:30 a.m. on May 19, the unknown suspect(s) stole the glass from the sideview mirrors of four vehicles and damaged the glass of the sideview mirror of a fifth vehicle. No other items were reported damaged or stolen. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

An even larger spree was reported over the weekend in and around Rosslyn, with some 20 Honda vehicles broken into and their airbags stolen.

From the crime report:

LARCENY FROM AUTO (Series), 2023-05210011, 1300 block of N. Fort Myer Drive. At approximately 12:44 a.m. on May 21, police were dispatched to a vehicle tampering. Upon arrival, it was determined the reporting party observed three men in their 20’s breaking into vehicles. When she yelled out to them, they fled the scene in a gray sedan. During the course of the investigation, it was determined approximately 20 parked vehicles in the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights, Rosslyn and Colonial Village neighborhoods had a window shattered and an air bag stolen. The involved vehicles are Honda models. The investigation is ongoing.

Thieves have targeted Hondas parked in Arlington for airbag thefts numerous times in recent memory, including in March and several times in 2022.

Goodwill and AHC propose new affordable housing, new store and child care

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

Goodwill of Greater Washington and AHC Inc. are teaming up to build affordable housing above a new second-hand store and donation center on S. Glebe Road.

DC Urban Turf first reported the news.

The national nonprofit has not embarked on something like this before, writes land-use attorney Andrew Painter, in application materials filed with Arlington County.

“The proposed redevelopment would be the first such project for the organization as it seeks to further its nonprofit mission and values,” Painter said. “The proposal will also deliver a modern and efficient retail store and donation processing center for a successful nonprofit organization that provides important services and benefits to Arlington County’s disenfranchised populations.”

The nonprofit proposes to demolish the existing store at 10 S. Glebe Road in the Alcova Heights neighborhood and build a five-story, mixed-use building. There will be a Goodwill retail store and child care center on the ground floor, a donation processing center on the second floor and 128 apartments above that.

All of the units will be offered to households earning between 30-60% of the area median income for a period of 30 years, though the exact unit mix will be finalized during the financing process. About three-quarters of the affordable apartments consist of 2-3 bedroom units.

The units units will be available for a single person earning up to $63,300 and a family of four earning up to $90,420, according to the county.

AHC, which Painter says is Arlington County’s largest non-profit affordable housing developer, is its joint development partner and will oversee the apartment side of the building’s operations once construction is done. AHC will also choose the operator for the child care center.

“AHC hopes to replicate the success we’ve had in other communities,” AHC spokeswoman Jennifer Smith tells ARLnow. “That means bringing a mission-aligned childcare partner to the new Goodwill site, with priority enrollment for onsite residents and Goodwill Greater Washington employees, then availability to the larger community.”

Parking for residents, childcare, employee and overflow customer parking will be located in a 152-space underground garage. Retail, visitor and future resident parking will be in a 16-spot surface parking lot.

In preparation for the temporary closure of the S. Glebe site, Goodwill is currently negotiating a lease for an alternate donation drop-off location close by. That is expected to open in 2024.

Meanwhile, Painter says, Goodwill encourages its customers to shop or donate at its 20 other area locations, including a store on Columbia Pike.

Photos: Amazon HQ2’s first phase is basically complete

By ARLnow.com
1/52

We’re getting our first official look into the mostly completed first phase of Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City.

Amazon shared photos this morning from inside the two-building, 2.1 million square foot office complex, located along S. Eads Street between 12th and 15th streets.

The photos are notable for what they don’t show: rows of cubicles for the thousands of employees that are expected to work from HQ2. Instead, the photos show richly appointed, lounge-like spaces, a cafeteria and food market, outdoor grills, the park space outside of the building, and other recreation opportunities like a billiards table.

Phase 1 of HQ2 has around 50,000 square feet of retail space, with more than a dozen businesses ranging from a bike shop to a doggy daycare to several restaurants and bars.

A grand opening for the new complex is expected in mid-June. The second phase of HQ2 — to include the distinctive, lush Helix tower — is delayed indefinitely amid economic uncertainty and continued work-from-home trends following the pandemic.

An Amazon-written media kit and fact sheet about HQ2 Phase 1, also known as Metropolitan Park, is below.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A blackbird sings in Gateway Park in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Educating Students About Drug Dangers — “All Arlington public schools teach students how to protect themselves from drug use beginning in the fourth grade. Sexton said they teach elementary students how to read a medication label, how to recognize a medication has expired and how to say no when strangers or even other children offer candy or pills. For middle school students and older, they focus on harm reduction for opioids and particularly fentanyl.” [Virginia Mercury, Medill News Service]

Ebbin Discusses Budget Battle — “Ebbin said Democrats wanted to provide more money for education and mental health, and might be able to cut a deal with Republicans. The GOP in return could demand tax cuts. With state finances in good shape, there is no pressing need to tackle the issue. Should there be no further agreement beyond the ‘skinny budget’ amendments adopted earlier this year, the accumulating surplus funds will simply sit in the government’s bank accounts.” [Gazette Leader]

Potomac Yard Metro Station Opens — “It was a day that seemed like it might never get here. After years of groundwork laid to have the new station built, it was a project plagued with delays that pushed the opening back more than a full year past the original planned opening. But, to thematically appropriate songs like ‘I Will Survive’ and ‘Don’t Stop Believing,’ today’s ribbon-cutting was a celebration.” [ALXnow]

It’s Monday — Sunny and pleasant, with a high near 81. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. East wind 7 to 10 mph. [Weather.gov]

Ranked-choice voting education campaign is underway but Arlington NAACP says more needs to be done

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

Six months ago, the Arlington County Board adopted ranked-choice voting for the upcoming Democratic primary.

Since then, the Arlington elections office has been busy educating anyone who asks on the method, which only applies to candidates for County Board.

The Arlington branch of the NAACP, however, says the county needs to step up its outreach to ensure all voters are prepared when they cast early ballots or go to the polls on June 20.

ARLnow, for instance, has heard from some residents who are unsure or skeptical of how votes will be counted.

“We have directly heard a series of grave concerns from our community regarding the implementation of this significant change,” NAACP President Mike Hemminger said in a statement. “We will be monitoring this change with intense focus in the run up to and after the election to ensure that no one’s foundational right to vote becomes disenfranchised or impeded in Arlington County.”

Concern about outreach highlights the stakes of this trial run. Arlington is the first Virginia jurisdiction to test ranked-choice voting for the primary and one election official tells ARLnow that people outside the county are watching closely.

“It’s fair to say, without sounding dramatic, that the eyes of the Commonwealth are on Arlington and this ranked-choice voting process,” Arlington Electoral Board Secretary Scott McGeary says.

Its success in the primary could also determine if ranked-choice voting is adopted to pick the successors for Christian Dorsey and Katie Cristol in the November general election.

So far, interest in learning more about ranked-choice voting is strong, says Arlington Dept. of Voter Registration and Elections Director Gretchen Reinemeyer.

Her staff is working through an education plan it rolled out in April. Part of that is making presentations — at a clip of at least two presentations a week, and once three in one night — and helping community groups facilitate workshops.

“Rollout for ranked-choice voting has gone smoothly,” Reinemeyer says. “I would say that most voters understand the concept and are aware that the County Board race is using the voting method. A handful of voters are vocally unhappy. The most common question is ‘Do I have to rank all three?'”

The answer to that, McGeary says, is no. People can rank up to three candidates — the maximum county ballot machines can accommodate. Some recent endorsements have recommended how candidates should be ranked.

One key strategy was developing toolkits so that people and organizations could host information sessions and run mock elections, which Reinemeyer said has been an effective way to reach lots of people and explain how votes are counted.

“The idea of these toolkits is that anyone can take the toolkit and teach their friends, neighbors, community organizations about ranked choice voting,” Reinemeyer said. “We are seeing members of our community run with these toolkits.”

The county is also relying on materials the state produced. This includes two videos — one explaining how ranked-choice voting works and the other how votes are counted — as well as an FAQ page and flyers in Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.

One notable change, per a state video, is that if there are no clear winners, it could take up to seven days to apportion second- and third-choice votes to determine who actually won.

“I have no doubt we’ll be able to do the math properly and get the results as fast as possible,” McGeary said. “From a technical and counting standpoint, I’m confident we’ll be able to count and announce as soon as possible.”

(more…)

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