apartments

A Look at the Building Replacing CarPool

By Katie Pyzyk
1/3

(Updated at 10:45 a.m. on 4/19/17) CarPool only has been closed for two weeks, but we’re now getting a closer look at the building that will replace the long-time Ballston establishment.

Developer Jefferson Apartment Group has released new renderings and information about the structure that will occupy 4000 Fairfax Drive.

The 22-story luxury high rise will have up to 330 residential units and 264 underground parking spaces, along with a rooftop swimming pool and sundeck. The ground level will house 8,260 square feet of retail. Plans for the surrounding outdoor area include a landscaped plaza with seating.

Penzance originally had been the developer for this project when the County Board approved it in 2015, but it sold the site to Jefferson Apartment Group, who has partnered with Mitsui Fudosan America.

The property will be built and maintained to LEED Gold standards. The developers expect to break ground late this year.

Construction Underway at Courthouse Apartment Complex, Addiction Recovery Facility

By Chris Teale
1/3

Ground has been broken at the site of two new residential buildings and a rebuilt substance-abuse recovery facility in Courthouse.

Approved in 2015 by the County Board, Gables Pointe 14 at 1307 N. Rolfe Street by developer Gables Residential will have 370 apartments in two buildings, underground parking and an 8,000-square-foot shared park.

As of Tuesday, crews were in the early stages of clearing ground for the new development. A pick-up point for school buses is located close to the construction zone, which is fenced off to the public. Cars are still able to park on both sides of N. Rolfe Street, with dump trucks and other construction vehicles also using it as an access road.

The buildings will be six and 12 stories in height, respectively, and include studio as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Thirty-nine of the units will be committed affordable housing and the developer also has the option to install a $75,000 work of public art on the site or donate to the county’s public art fund as a community benefit.

“The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor is a highly desirable area,” Gables Residential regional vice president Jorgen Punda said in a prepared statement distributed to multiple outlets. “Our site involved the assemblage of thirteen lots, owned by both private individuals and Arlington County. It was a successful collaboration and we believe it is a great opportunity to deliver a ‘best in class’ apartment home community, with unparalleled amenities within walking distance to the Courthouse and Rosslyn Metro stations and a variety of dining and entertainment options.”

Also on the 2.7-acre site will be a new building for Independence House, a transitional living facility for those recovering from substance abuse.

The Independence House would be rebuilt, but not expanded, because more residents might limit the program’s effectiveness. The new building will have 14 single-occupant units.

The project is set to be completed in winter 2020.

Report Recommends Less Residential Parking Near Metro Stations

By Chris Teale
From a preliminary site plan document

New apartment and condo buildings close to Metro stations in Arlington could have fewer parking spaces, and more spaces for bikes and car-sharing services, under a recommendation by a county working group.

The county’s residential parking work group made a series of recommendations on future parking for new buildings and released its final report this week.

The group is made up of residents and other stakeholders, and came together in 2016 to work on a policy to guide county staff on required parking for new apartment and condo buildings.

Staff is now asking for feedback on those recommendations in an online survey, which is open through April 18.

The group’s first recommendation was to reduce the number of spaces available depending on how close a new building is to a Metro station. According to the final report, members were split evenly on how low that parking ratio of units to spaces should be.

One proposal would have 0.4 parking spaces per unit for a building less than one-eighth of a mile from a Metro station, and up to 0.8 parking spaces per unit for a building less than a mile away. The other would have even fewer spaces per unit.

The working group also recommended that if developers provide parking spaces for bicycles and car-sharing, they should be permitted to reduce vehicle parking spaces. The group said that providing 10 bicycle parking spaces should allow two fewer vehicle spots, while adding a Capital Bikeshare station and paying for its upkeep should mean up to four fewer spaces.

Meanwhile, every space for car-sharing services like Zipcar or Enterprise CarShare guaranteed for at least three years should mean up to five fewer parking spots, the report said.

Committed affordable housing units would also see lower parking ratios if close to Metro, due to what the report said is lower demand for parking spaces.

Units priced at 40 percent of area median income would not be required to provide any parking spaces, while affordable homes at 60 percent AMI would be required to provide 0.7 spaces per unit.

Other recommendations include a one-time payment by developers for “excess” parking, expanding shared parking on-site, and permitting developers to provide 100 percent of parking off-site, provided it is no further than 800 feet from the building and is secured for at least 10 years.

File photo

DEVELOPING: Bus Crashes into Pentagon City Apartment Building

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 9:35 a.m.) A PRTC commuter bus smashed into the side of the Lenox Club apartment building in Pentagon City Wednesday evening.

The crash happened just before 6 p.m., along 12th Street S. The bus, which was not carrying passengers at the time, hopped the curb, struck the front of a convertible and ran into a storefront on the side of the building.

Three people were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. Among those injured were the bus driver, a pedestrian and one person who was inside the building, Savage said.

Structural engineers have been called to inspect the base of the high-rise building, which remained open for residents. 12th Street S. between Army Navy Drive and S. Eads Street remains closed while police investigate the crash.

No word yet on whether the driver will face any charges.

Photos (top) courtesy Sid, @josh13x

Crime Report: Man Arrested for Impersonating Police After Maintenance Dispute

By ARLnow.com

For the second time this month, a man has been arrested after a dispute about letting maintenance workers inside his apartment.

The latest incident happened around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 900 block of S. Dinwiddie Street, near the Arlington Mill Community Center along Columbia Pike.

Police say a resident refused to let a worker performing emergency maintenance work into his apartment Tuesday morning, then confronted management that afternoon while wearing a ballistic vest and claiming to be a law enforcement officer, prompting a call to police.

“During the investigation, the suspect allegedly made statements falsely identifying himself as a federal law enforcement officer,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Gary Murray, Jr., 29, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with two counts of falsely identifying himself as law enforcement.”

An Arlington resident by the same name is identified as an armed security guard on LinkedIn.

More from this week’s ACPD crime report:

IMPERSONATE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, 2017-03280173, 900 block of S. Dinwiddie Street. At approximately 8:06 a.m. on March 28, police were dispatched to the report of a maintenance worker attempting to conduct emergency work inside a residence and the resident refusing entry. The officers cleared the scene after the investigation determined no crime had occurred. At approximately 3:37 p.m., police were dispatched to the same location for the report of a dispute between a building maintenance worker and a resident wearing a firearm. Building management advised that after officers cleared the initial call for service, the resident confronted management while wearing a ballistic vest and alleged he was the sergeant of the responding officers. As officers were investigating the second call for service, they observed the suspect in a vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. During the investigation, the suspect allegedly made statements falsely identifying himself as a federal law enforcement officer. Gary Murray, Jr., 29, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with two counts of falsely identifying himself as law enforcement. He was held on $3,000.00 bond.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

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Crime Report: Man Busted for Throwing Stuff From Apartment Balcony in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Police car (file photo)A man has been arrested and accused of damaging two cars by throwing stuff off his apartment balcony in Pentagon City.

Police responded to the 1200 block of S. Eads Street around 6:20 a.m. this past Saturday morning after getting a call about items being thrown from a balcony.

Among the objects found damaged on the street were two fire extinguishers belonging to the apartment building and a clay statue, according to police.

Officers arrested a 26-year-old man and charged him with reckless endangerment and other crimes.

“The suspect advised he had been consuming alcohol prior to the incident and did not provide an explanation for his alleged actions,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

More from an ACPD crime report:

DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY(Significant), 2017-03180081, 1200 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 6:20 a.m. on March 18, officers responded to the report of a subject throwing items from a balcony. Upon arrival, officers located several items in the roadway and on the sidewalk which appeared to have come from one of the residences. During the investigation, officers located two vehicles damaged by the items thrown. Gregory Matthew Pencosky, 26, of Arlington VA, was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, petit larceny, and destruction of property. He was held on a $3000 secured bond.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn skyline from above (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Busy Weekend for ACFD — The Arlington County Fire Department responded to a couple of big fires over the weekend. Two firefighters were injured while battling an apartment fire on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike; a resident tells ARLnow.com that the fire started when a resident fell asleep while cooking. Also on Saturday, Arlington firefighters assisted on a mutual aid call to battle a raging inferno at a McLean mansion owned by the United Arab Emirates. [WUSA 9, Connection Newspapers]

Carpool Bartender Profiled — “In an era where craft cocktails, celebrity chefs and ‘artisanal’ everything dominate the D.C. dining scene, it’s hard to find a watering hole where comfort comes in the form of a bottle of Bud, a basket of onion rings and a bartender who knows your name. But at Carpool in Arlington, Virginia, that is exactly what’s on the menu — at least for a few more weeks.” [WTOP]

County Board Pay Raise Proposed — The Arlington County Board this weekend will consider a proposal to raise its own pay by 3.5 percent. That would bring the salary for the County Board chairman to $56,628 and the salary for County Board members to $51,480. [Arlington County]

School Board Pay Raise Bill — The Virginia General Assembly has approved a bill that would lift the state-imposed $25,000 salary cap on Arlington School Board members. If Gov. Terry McAuliffe signs the legislation, School Board members will be able to raise their pay in 2021. [InsideNova]

Police Impound Lot Changes — The Arlington County Police Department has updated its procedures for people retrieving vehicles from the impound lot in Shirlington. [Arlington County]

Remembering Steve Buttry — Journalist Steve Buttry has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 62. As Director of Community Engagement for TBD.com in 2010, Buttry had an outsized influence on ARLnow.com in its early days. He was a champion of local news and a tireless “advocate for and teacher of digital journalism and media innovation.” [The Buttry Diary]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

New Apartment Building Proposed in Crystal City

By Tim Regan
1/5

A new apartment building could rise from a lot in Crystal City.

Crystal House Apartments Investors filed a preliminary site plan for an infill development that would construct a new apartment building called “Crystal House III” near the corner of S. Eads Street and 18th Street. The proposed construction site is adjacent to the existing Crystal House apartment buildings, which are two 12-story residential towers that were built in 1961.

Under the proposed plan, the developer would build a new five-story building on a parking lot next to those towers with 252 new residential units. The plan also calls for a two-level underground parking lot with space for 424 vehicles and the construction of a new public park, streetscape improvements and public art.

“Through the proposed development, the applicant will be providing new residential units in a building with high-quality architecture and within walking distance to many community amenities, such as the Crystal City Metro station, Pentagon City Mall and 23rd Street retail businesses,” the filing reads.

The new filing is a revision of a former plan that called for the construction of two four-story residential buildings and a parking garage. That was never built, however.

The proposal is listed as preliminary, pending a final filing, on the Arlington County projects and planning website.

Second photo via Google Maps

Central Place Opens Its Doors in Rosslyn

1/10

Explore an extraordinary experience at the most beautiful apartment residence to come to the Washington, D.C. area. Bringing together truly luxurious features and amenities, Central Place not only redefines the local skyline — it redefines high-expectation living.

You’ll definitely want to schedule a private tour to take a closer look at their stunning interiors, remarkable amenities and panoramic views — all in a perfectly central location. Instant Metro access, excellent restaurants, lounges and music venues — plus nearby parks and trails — open the door to the best of it all.

From stylish studios to three-bedroom apartments, every space sparkles with expansive windows and outdoor light.

Best of all, you can enjoy up to a half month rent-free. Visit www.centralplace.com to see the full list of luxe amenities and call 703-372-9831 to schedule your private tour. Central Place is located at 1800 North Lynn Street at Wilson Boulevard.

The preceding promoted post was written and sponsored by Central Place.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Cannon at the Clarendon war memorial

Gov. Announces New Jobs for Arlington — Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has announced that Vorsight, a “sales effectiveness” tech firm in Rosslyn, will be expanding its corporate headquarters, creating 112 new jobs in Arlington. [Governor of Virginia]

New Apartments in Crystal City/Pentagon City — More than 1,100 new apartments opened in the Crystal City and Pentagon City area in 2016. More than 3,000 additional apartments are in the development pipeline. [Bisnow]

History of Churches in Arlington — Arlington’s first church was the Chapel of Ease of Arlington Plantation, built in 1825 by George Washington Parke Custis. The church was located near what is now the Sheraton hotel at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Orme Street. It was burned by union troops during the Civil War. [Falls Church News-Press]

UPDATED: Dog Dies in Apartment Fire Near Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters are on the scene of an apartment fire in the North Highlands neighborhood, near Rosslyn.

The fire was reported on the 1600 block of 21st Street N., in the living room of a second floor apartment, just before 1:45 p.m.

The blaze was quickly extinguished. Firefighters located a dog that had been in the apartment and attempted CPR, but the dog was later pronounced dead, we’re told.

No person was inside the apartment at the time and no injuries were reported. Firefighters are currently ventilating smoke from the building and investigating the cause of the fire.

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