The Arlington Children’s Center at 1915 N. Uhle Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Arlington Children’s Center at 1915 N. Uhle Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Arlington Children’s Center at 1915 N. Uhle Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Arlington Children’s Center at 1915 N. Uhle Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Arlington Children’s Center at 1915 N. Uhle Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
When a contractor for Arlington County embarked on work to renovate a county-owned childcare building near Courthouse, it ran into some costly problems.
The county contracted with Landivar & Associates in December to oversee plans to update the Arlington Children’s Center (1915 N. Uhle Street), which has housed a childcare facility for county employees for several decades. It will be updating the building to meet current daycare standards, comply with the Americans with Disability Act and provide an interior refresh.
Work began this April, but with just 10% of work done, the contractor has already blown through half of its allotted contingency funding — nearly $264,000 — “to repair unforeseen structural damages revealed during interior demolition,” per a county report.
Over the weekend, the Arlington County Board approved a $100,000 contract increase to “address additional unforeseen conditions that are likely to be revealed during the remaining 90% of the project,” the report continued.
Now, the total contract is worth $1.2 million, up from $1.1 million.
Although work began this spring, the building closed nearly two years ago. At the time, the county and the childcare service provider — which had been in the building for 17 years — could not reach an agreement over a contract extension with the renovation work pending.
This stressed some parents who found themselves scrambling to find daycare amid a shortage of options.
Arlington County expects the renovation work to wrap up and the facility to reopen in early 2024, according to a project webpage. The county already has a contract with a provider — the nonprofit Easterseals — which the Board approved this January.
“Enrollment preference will be given to children whose parent or guardian work for the County, followed by children whose parent or guardian work or live in Arlington County,” the webpage said.
Julius “JD” Spain Sr. canvassing (via JD for Arlington/Facebook)
Susan Cunningham canvassing (via Susan for Arlington/Facebook)
Jonathan Dromgoole canvassing at Acme Pie Co. (via Jonathan Dromgoole/Facebook)
Natalie Roy canvassing on her bike (courtesy photo)
Tony Weaver and supporters setting up signs (courtesy photo)
(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) They have participated in public fora, gone door-to-door, answered candidate questionnaires and submitted essays asking for your vote.
Now, the candidates for Arlington County Board are in the home stretch. On Tuesday, the polls officially open for the primary to determine which of the six will have the nomination of the local Democratic party — and whose bids come to an end. Early voting ends tomorrow (Saturday).
For this year’s County Board race, some of the top issues have been the fallout over the decision to allow 2-6 units in single-family home neighborhoods — also known as Missing Middle — as well as affordable housing, improved public transportation, sustainability and tackling the office vacancy rate.
One candidate, Maureen Coffey, has picked up the endorsement of Katie Cristol, the first County Board candidate to leave office this year. Coffey already has the support of Matt de Ferranti and Takis Karantonis, and a third-place vote from Vice-Chair Libby Garvey, meaning she enjoys at least partial support from most of the current Board.
Based on candidate websites and campaign finance records, it appears outgoing Board Chair Christian Dorsey has stayed out of endorsing or donating during this race.
Behind Coffey comes Julius “JD” Spain, Sr., who has the support of de Ferranti and Karantonis.
Spain also has the distinction of being one of the top three fundraisers this race, along with Susan Cunningham and Natalie Roy, who Garvey ranked first and second, respectively, on her ballot.
As for campaign fundraising, Cunningham emerged in the lead during the most recent filing period, besting Roy. Since April 1, Cunningham — who ran in 2020 as an independent — raised $41,810 and loaned herself $10,000.
“I am grateful for the broad support across Arlington — donations, volunteers, and early votes for Susan #1,” Cunningham said in a press release. “Voters I talk with every day are enthusiastic about my background and experience and what I can bring to the Arlington County Board.”
She picked up contributions from some 166 donors, per her campaign. She also was endorsed by four D.C. and Virginia organizations, including Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington and Virginia Chapter National Organization of Women.
Roy received contributions from some 120 new donors, according to her campaign.
“It has been incredibly exciting to see the culmination of months of campaigning as voters head to the polls and to hear from supporters as they return absentee ballots,” Roy said in a press release. “Just as I promise to listen to all Arlingtonians as a County Board member, I promise to keep working until the polls close at 7 p.m. next Tuesday.”
This round, a handful of unions led fundraising for Coffey and Spain, donating $9,500 to each. Coffey also received $2,500 from Cristol, whose last meeting as a Board member was on Tuesday. Candidates Jonathan Dromgoole and Tony Weaver trailed in fundraising this round, earning $3,142 and $2,555, respectively.
Campaign fundraising for Arlington County Board (by ARLnow)
A few more endorsements have come in, too. Coffey has the support of Lowell Feld, founder and editor of Blue Virginia.
“Coffey both has her priorities straight and has a positive VISION for Arlington’s future,” the outlet said, adding that she fits its criteria: smart, with growth potential, who share “our progressive, environmentalist values.”
Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by Arlington Realty, Inc. Maximize your real estate investment with the team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6000 today!
Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes.
As of October 13, there are 210 detached homes, 54 townhouses and 244 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 44 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:
Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.
Haze over Langston Blvd Thursday night (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Local Limo Driver Beaten — “Two people violently attacked a limo driver in Northwest D.C. early Saturday, hitting him with a brick and dragging him before taking his SUV. Michael Tsige, of Arlington, said he was for his assignment near 24th and L streets when a man asked for help jumpstarting his car.” [NBC 4]
Senate Deal for DCA Bill — “Leaders of a Senate committee reached a tentative deal Thursday to add four long-distance flights at Reagan National Airport, dealing a setback to D.C.-area lawmakers and the airport’s management, which have campaigned to leave current restrictions in place… It represents an important bipartisan endorsement by key senators as part of a broader aviation bill Congress needs to pass by the fall. The deal is also a modest victory for a coalition backed by Delta Air Lines that is seeking more access to the federally owned airport.” [Washington Post]
Board Opposes More DCA Flights — “They were a tad late getting to the party, but Arlington County Board members on June 13 added their voices to those opposed to an expansion of flight operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. ‘There is an argument, an economic one, that is speculative but not entirely unreasonably, that [expanding flight options] could lead to some lower ticket prices on some routes,’ County Board Chairman Christian Dorsey said. ‘That speculative benefit comes at a clear and significant cost.'” [Gazette Leader]
VHC Expansion Nears Completion — “VHC Health is about a month out from opening a new outpatient pavilion in Northern Virginia, the culmination of a multiyear project that stands to create more capacity in its hospital and increase access to care. The new seven-story building, set to open to patients July 17, brings 250,000 square feet to 1800 N. Edison St. on the health system’s Arlington campus. The $250 million project aims to centralize VHC’s outpatient offerings while also freeing up space at Virginia Hospital Center for more inpatient services including cancer, cardiac and stroke care.” [Washington Business Journal]
High Homebuyer Interest in Arlington — “On a locality-by-locality basis, the three innermost Virginia suburbs posted solid results, if not necessarily as high as a year before. In Arlington, the index ranking was a region-leading 142, while in Alexandria and Falls Church it was 133 and 132, respectively. All three are in the High category. In Fairfax County (98) and the District of Columbia (92), index scores were Steady.” [Gazette Leader]
New ART Facility Features — “Arlington (Va.) Transit’s new operations and maintenance facility will support a transition of their current bus fleet to Zero Emissions Buses (ZEBs). The facility will reflect a modern industrial design with operational layouts to embrace a functional aesthetic. Intuitive entry points and wayfinding will include biophilic accents. Large high-performance facades are designed with materials selected for longevity, resilience, and durability.” [Building Design + Construction]
Canadian Smoke Returns — From the National Weather Service: “Hazy sun will be noted across the region this afternoon-Friday as smoke filters south from the Canadian wildfires. The smoke will not be as bad as last week.” [Twitter, Twitter]
It’s Friday — Chances of showers and thunderstorms throughout the day and evening. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. [Weather.gov]
A chance of showers before 11am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 11am and 5pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a slight chance of showers between 8pm and 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” – Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
