apartments

New Mixed-Income Apartment Building Opens Near Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/11

A new mixed-income apartment building that provides the amenities of market-rate residences, even though 40 percent of its units are committed affordable housing, has opened near Rosslyn.

The Union on Queen building is located at 1515 N. Queen Street, in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, roughly equidistant to the Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro stations. It was partially funded with $6.8 million from Arlington’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund.

Work on the 12-story, 193-unit structure, built as a public-private partnership, began at the end of 2014. It was touted as a way to provide affordable housing for those who need it — those making up to 50-60 percent of area median income are eligible for the committed units — while also providing attractive apartments for market-rate tenants.

“What makes Union on Queen so unique is that it offers ALL residents the same award-winning levels of innovation, convenience, amenities and design synonymous with the Bozzuto name in some of DC’s most premier apartments,” a PR rep said. “While most mixed-income communities often lack the luxuries and appointments of market-rate residences, Union on Queen delivers outstanding levels of service and detail for everyone.”

“There are a lot of places that would say, ‘Dumb it down, cheaper, less efficient. It’s affordable housing in there,'” County Board Chair Jay Fisette said during the groundbreaking ceremony two years ago. “But that’s not the way this community works. We want every building to be indistinguishable from the next.”

More on the project, via a press release from developers Bozzuto and Wesley Housing Development Corporation, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Foggy commute on the trails (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Police Warn of Jury Duty Scam — The Arlington County Police Department is again warning about a jury duty telephone scam targeting Arlington residents. The fraud involves a caller claiming to be a law enforcement officer and claiming that the call recipient failed to appear for jury duty. The scammer then demands the payment of a fine over the phone. [Arlington County]

Plow Plows Into Bus — Updated at 2 p.m. — One lane of Lee Highway was blocked for a period of time during last night’s evening rush hour after a minor accident involving an VDOT snow plow and an ART bus. [Twitter]

Vihstadt Speaks Out Against Gondola — County Board member John Vihstadt is not a fan of the potential gondola from Rosslyn to Georgetown. “Now is not the time to spend upwards of $90 million on a Disney-like gondola to Georgetown while current modes of public transit need significant new investment,” Vihstadt said earlier this week. [InsideNova]

Crystal House Renovated — Crystal House is a big apartment complex in Crystal City that has been around for a long time. Chances are, someone you know has lived there at one point or another. The 825-unit complex recently completed the first phase of a major renovation project and is showing it off via video and press release. [PR Newswire, YouTube]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ballston time lapse photo (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Fmr. Arlington Resident John Glenn Dies — John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, has died at the age of 95. In an article first published in 2012, the Arlington Public Library blog recounted the five years that Glenn and his family lived on N. Harrison Street in Arlington. [Arlington Public Library]

Soon: Central Place Apartments, Restaurants — Residents are expected to start moving into the new Central Place apartment tower in Rosslyn at some point during the first three months of 2017. Restaurants coming to the ground floor of the building include Sweetgreen, Little Beet, Nando’s Peri-peri and McDonald’s, while Cava Grill and Compass Coffee has signed leases for the Central Place office tower. [Washington Business Journal]

Fort Myer Getting Drone Detector — Officials from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall said at a recent Arlington civic association meeting that the base is working to procure a drone detection system. The base commander said he’s worried about “miniaturized tools of terror, specifically drones carrying home-made bombs.” [Pentagram]

Video: Ovi Delivering Pizzas in Arlington — Okay, it’s just a commercial and didn’t really happen. But a new 30-second TV spot from Papa John’s imagines Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin delivering pizzas in Arlington in 2001 as he pursues a childhood dream to become “the best pizza delivery boy in the world.” [Russian Machine Never Breaks]

Local Startup Scores Big Military Contract — Clarendon-based cybersecurity firm Endgame has won a $18.8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force. It’s believed to be “one of the largest endpoint protection software purchases in the Air Force’s history.” [Fedscoop]

Startups Recognized By County — Arlington County recognized four of the county’s fastest-growing companies this week as part of its second-annual “Fast Four” competition. The honorees were the Nicecream Factory ice cream shop in Arlington, Ballston-based Deep Learning Analytics, Clarendon consulting firm Enterprise Knowledge and Ballston-based software company Convoke. [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ice skating at Pentagon Row

County to Continue Westover Study — Arlington County’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board has asked county staff to study garden apartments in the Westover neighborhood. The study is expected to take 6-12 months, after which the board will consider whether to recommend a historic designation. Some residents want Westover designated as historic in order to prevent redevelopment. The study limits the historic designation to the garden apartments and not to other parts of Westover. [InsideNova, Arlington County]

Donations Needed for ANC Wreaths — The nonprofit Wreaths Across America is seeking donations to help sponsor wreaths for the gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. Without additional donations, nearly half of the graves at the cemetery may be bare for the holidays. [Washington Examiner, WTOP]

New Name for New Street — A new street that will be built as part of a planned apartment development along Columbia Pike may be getting a new name. Originally set to be called S. Smythe Street, the short connector road behind the Wellington apartments may instead be named S. Ross Street. [InsideNova]

High School Boundary Change Approved — Despite some resident complaints, the Arlington School Board on Dec. 1 approved a series of high school boundary changes that will move students, starting with high school freshmen next year, from overcrowded Washington-Lee High School to Wakefield and Yorktown. [Arlington Public Schools, InsideNova]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Trump cutout goes out with the recycling after Election Day (photo courtesy Ari P.)

David Black Convicted, Sentenced for Wife’s Murder — An Arlington County jury this week found Arlington Ridge resident David Black guilty of murdering his wife. Bonnie Delgado Black was found stabbed to death in her home, which was just blocks from her estranged husband’s house, on April 17, 2015. Yesterday the jury recommended that Black serve two life sentences. [NBC 4, WTOP]

County Board Ditches New Year’s Day Meeting — Eschewing a long-standing tradition of holding its first meeting of the year on New Year’s Day, the Arlington County Board yesterday voted unanimously to hold its 2017 organizational meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3. “We still will start our year off with the community, but without forcing employees to give up their personal and family time on a holiday,” said County Board Chair Libby Garvey. [Arlington County]

Retail Space for WeWork in Crystal City — The County Board on Saturday voted to convert 440 square feet of the WeWork and WeLive building in Crystal City to ground floor retail space, at the request of WeWork. No word yet on what kind of a retailer may be moving in. [Arlington County]

More on Park Protests — “Our Man in Arlington” columnist Charlie Clark has tackled the dual controversies of the baseball field fence in Bluemont Park (the Board acted on that yesterday, article coming soon) and the proposed Williamsburg Middle School athletic field lights. Clark concluded: “Popular sports for kids, peaceful green parks: competing Arlington virtues.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Evolent Health Stock Soars — As of 10 a.m. the share price for Ballston-based Evolent Health is up more than 12 percent today and nearly 70 percent for the year. The tech firm reported a narrower-than-expected loss and higher-than-expected revenue in the third quarter of 2016. [CNBC, Yahoo]

Board Approves Loan for Apartment Renovations — The Culpepper Garden affordable apartment complex for low-income seniors will receive needed renovations thanks to a $9.9 million loan from Arlington’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund. The County Board unanimously approved the loan yesterday. The renovations are expected to begin in the spring and will require tenants to temporarily move to other units on site while their units are renovated. [Arlington County]

Photo courtesy Ari P.

Photos: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Affordable Apartments

By ARLnow.com
1/12

(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this past Thursday for The Springs, a new affordable apartment complex in the Buckingham area near Ballston.

The 104-unit building, at the corner of Carlin Springs Road and N. Thomas Street, was developed by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing.

Among those in attendance for the ceremony were Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, County Board member Jay Fisette, County Manager Mark Schwartz, APAH Board Chair John Milliken and APAH President and CEO Nina Janopaul.

“The Springs will provide 47 units for low and very low income households earning less than 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI); 51 units for households earning below 60% AMI, and 6 market rate units,” APAH said in a press release. “Sixty-three apartments will be two-bedroom and 22 apartments will be three-bedroom to accommodate families.”

The Springs is located about a half-mile from the Ballston Metro station.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Window cleaners in Courthouse

Kasich, McAuliffe at GMU Today — Govs. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.) and John Kasich (R-Ohio) will help dedicate the newly-named Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in Arlington this afternoon. The school is being named after Dwight C. Schar, founder of homebuilder NVR, Inc., who has pledged $10 million to GMU.

Vornado Considering Short-Term Stays — Remarkably, the 699-unit Bartlett apartment tower in Pentagon City is more than 60 percent leased only a few months after opening. To temporarily fill vacant apartments, however, owner Vornado is asking for permission to open 50 units to short-term visitors, turning those units into a kind of extended stay hotel. [Washington Business Journal]

Police Raid Near DJO — Residents in the Williamsburg neighborhood near Bishop O’Connell High School say there was a police raid at a house on the 2800 block of N. Tacoma Street on Friday. An Arlington County Police spokeswoman would only tell us that “officers were executing a search warrant pursuant to an ongoing and active criminal investigation.”

Clement Accuses Dems of Stealing Signs — Independent County Board candidate Audrey Clement says he signs are being stolen and she’s pointing the finger at Democrats. The chair of the local Democrats says some of their signs have disappeared as well and called on whoever is removing any candidate’s signs to stop. County Board John Vihstadt believes the sign stealer is someone opposed to roadside signs in general. [InsideNova]

Ann Broder Dies — Former Arlington School Board member and longtime local activist Ann Broder has died at her Arlington home. She was 87. Broder was married to the late, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter David Broder, who died in 2011. [Washington Post]

Sign Regulations Updated — The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved changes to its comprehensive sign plan that loosens signage regulations on buildings with older sign plans. The Board voted to make its sign regulations a bit more flexible in 2012, but the changes did not apply to existing sign plans. [Arlington County]

Marriage Jubilee Mass in Arlington — Arlington’s outgoing Catholic bishop, The Most Rev. Paul Loverde, celebrated the church’s annual Marriage Jubilee Mass at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington on Sunday. Among those in attendance were “150 couples celebrating their 25th anniversary and 109 couples celebrating their 50th anniversary.” [Associated Press]

Va. Voter Registration Deadline — Today is the last day to register to vote in Virginia before November’s election. [NBC Washington]

New Apartment Building Opens in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

M.flats apartment building in Crystal City

The new “m.flats Crystal City” apartment building has opened its doors to residents, developer Kettler announced late last week.

The 11-story, 198-unit building replaced a former post office, which moved to S. Fern Street near Costco in 2011.

Kettler says the building offers residents close proximity to the Crystal City Metro station, a rooftop pool, and units featuring “washed oak flooring, quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances.”

More, from a press release:

Kettler, one of greater Washington, D.C.’s leading real estate development and property management companies, announced today the opening of m.flats Crystal City, an 11-story, 198-unit, high-rise apartment building located in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Va.

m.flats not only revives a site once occupied by the former Crystal City Post Office, but provides a community conveniently located just one block from the Crystal City Metro offering easy access to work, entertainment and downtown Washington, D.C.

“m.flats will provide a spark that will help Crystal City become the vibrant community we all envision,” said Robert C. Kettler, Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Kettler. “It not only expands the number of residences, but takes Crystal City a step closer to becoming a thriving transit-oriented, walkable neighborhood.”

m.flats was the first residential building proposed to the Arlington County Board since the adoption of the Crystal City Sector Plan in 2010. The plan is a roadmap adopted to redevelop Crystal City through 2050.

“Demand for luxury city living is especially strong in the Arlington submarket,” added Pamela Tyrrell, Vice President of Multifamily for Kettler. “Many young professionals want a home that features an array of amenities, is in close proximity to mass transit as well as dining and entertainment options. m.flats offers all of the above in a boutique, well designed building.”

“KTGY designed an exterior aesthetic at m.flats that is contemporary yet restrained. In contrast to the existing 1960s-era buildings, the facades add color, texture and transparency,” stated Rohit Anand, Managing Principal at KTGY’s East Coast office in Tysons.

m.flats Crystal City offers primarily one- and two-bedroom units as well as standard unit finishes including washed oak flooring, quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances.

Building amenities include a club room equipped with WiFi and ample lounge areas, fitness center, bike storage and workstation, and an all-season landscaped courtyard with fire and water features. The rooftop amenities include multiple entertainment spaces with outdoor seating and dining areas, outdoor kitchens with grills, fireplace, as well as a southern-facing sundeck with cabanas overlooking the rooftop swimming pool and views of the city.

The LEED Silver designed high-rise is Kettler’s sixth multi-family building in the Crystal City/Pentagon City market. Kettler opened The Acadia, a 411-unit high-rise luxury apartment building in Metropolitan Park, spring of 2015. Construction on m.flats Crystal City began at the end of October 2014. International award-winning KTGY Architecture + Planning was the architect on the project, Bohler Engineering, a civil engineering and consulting services firm, the engineer, and John Moriarty & Associates, the general contractor.

Two New Residential Developments On Tap for Ballston and Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Members of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association were given an early look at two new developments planned for the community over the next few years.

The first, from Reston-based developer NVR, would redevelop Grace Community Church and its surface parking lot at the intersection of 11th Street and N. Vermont Street in Ballston.

The 40-year-old church, which is used by Grace for meetings but not for Sunday services, would be replaced by a seven-story condo building and a block of four-story townhouses. A series of townhomes and a private driveway is planned for the parking lot.

The developers described the project as “a relatively modest in-fill development” that’s in keeping with the “urban townhouse” neighborhood that surrounds it. The development, like the neighborhood, tapers from the towers of central Ballston to the south to the lower-density townhomes and condos to the north.

Officials from NVR said the plans are preliminary and have not yet been filed with the county.

Also at Monday’s civic association meeting, local developer Eleventh Street Development presented early plans for a new apartment building in Virginia Square.

The proposed six-story, 220-unit rental complex, at the intersection of Kirkwood Road and Washington Blvd, would replace the closed Sport & Health gym, the Slye Electronics building and an automotive business.

Developer Garrett Erdle, who previously helped to develop Penrose Square on Columbia Pike, told residents that the building is at least three years away, following “a structured and lengthy” regulatory process.

Before a site plan process for the building can start, the county and its Long Range Planning Committee is expected to discuss land use planning for the parcel and the area as a whole. The special General Land Use Plan study that the development will first go through is expected to take about a year.

Residents at the meeting expressed concerns about the height of the building, parking along their already-crowded streets and a potential lack of public green space in front of the building. The developer responded that the proposal for the building is in the very early stages and that they will take public feedback into account throughout the process.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Youth sports practice at Barcroft Park (Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley)

Board Funds Westover Apartment Purchase — The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved a $10.9 million loan that will allow the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing to purchase 68 affordable but aging apartment units in the Westover neighborhood. Separately, an effort to designate Westover as a protected historic district, with the goal of preserving other affordable apartments, is continuing. Arlington’s Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board will hold a key meeting on the topic in November. [Arlington County, InsideNova]

Outreach Planned for Bluemont Baseball Project — Following a raft of complaints and letters from nearby residents, county officials will be holding a community meeting Oct. 5 to discuss an approved contract to renovate one of the baseball fields at Bluemont Park. County Board members on Saturday chastised county staff for inadequate neighborhood outreach on the project prior to its July approval by the Board. [InsideNova]

Aurora Hills Community Center Upgrades OKed — As expected, the County Board has approved a $555,800 contract to upgrade the interior of the Aurora Hills Senior Center and Library. Separately, the Board also approved a $2.7 million utility undergrounding project for the intersection of Lee Highway and N. Glebe Road, which is slated for future streetscape improvements. [Arlington County]

Rodney Hunt Fighting Mansion Eviction — Once a wealthy information technology executive, Rodney Hunt was recently released from a jail sentence on drug charges and is now fighting the foreclosure auction sale of his $24 million mansion on Chain Bridge Road in Arlington. Over the past few months the sprawling home has been used to host “mansion parties,” one of which resulted in a drive-by shooting in McLean. [Washington Post]

High School Boundary Changes Coming Soon — Arlington Public Schools will be hosting a series of public outreach events next month as part of a boundary “refinement” process for the county’s high schools. The usually-contentious process of adjusting school boundaries will this time determine which students attend Arlington’s three comprehensive high schools: Wakefield, Washington-Lee and Yorktown. The changes will not affect current high school students. [Arlington Public Schools, InsideNova]

Local CVS Accused of Selling Expired Shakes — A CVS store on Columbia Pike is being accused of selling nutritional shakes that expired a year ago and made an elderly woman sick last month. In response to a TV station’s outreach, CVS promised to work with the store to make sure that it’s removing expired products from shelves. [WJLA]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

From Deals to Donuts: Take a Look at Alexandria’s Notch 8 This Weekend

1/17

As if the location, sweet amenities, $1,000 Giant gift cards and specials were not enough, there are free gourmet Sugar Shack donuts to be had at Alexandria’s Notch 8 open house this weekend.

Notch 8, the brand new upscale apartment community in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood, will show the last few remaining available residences during an open house weekend this Saturday (from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (from noon to 5) while offering an enticing array of special offers guaranteed to turn heads.

But first, the amenities. Those include, among other things, an extensive courtyard with swimming pool, grilling stations, hammocks, outdoor billiards and fire pit; a game room with Xbox One and PS4; a lounge with an 80-inch flat screen and entertainment kitchen; and a state-of-the-art K!CK fitness center.

A few of the finishes featured inside these modern-industrial apartments are stainless steel appliances, contemporary plank flooring, pantry, kitchen island, oversized windows streaming in natural light and courtyard views, and a hi-tech Nest learning-thermostat.

As this is a JBG community, residents can enjoy the VIA JBG lifestyle services tailored exclusively for Notch 8 residents. From dog walking to dry cleaning and everything in between, VIA JBG connects you with the right people to free up your days. Check out the website for details.

As for the location and transportation options, Notch 8 is located at 2900 Main Line Blvd in Alexandria, convenient to Route 1 and I-395, which offer direct access to the District. The underground garage has EV charging stations and there is a Zipcar right next door.

In addition, there is a dedicated Metroway bus running every six minutes during rush hour to both the Crystal City and Braddock Road Metro stations on the Blue and Yellow lines.

NOW for the special enticements.

This weekend — in addition to those tasty Sugar Shack donuts awaiting visitors — for those applying on Saturday or Sunday, up to two-and-a-half months are free AND the $450 amenity fee is waived. AND you’ll receive a free session with the K!CK Fitness personal trainer upon moving in, you know, to help work off all those Sugar Shack donuts.

PLUS, you’ll receive a $1,000 gift card for groceries and goodies at the Giant grocery store that is located on-site.

And if that’s not convenient enough for your errands, also on-site is a PNC Bank branch and a Starbucks café for that daily caffeine fix.

Learn more about these brand new upscale apartments and this weekend’s amazing incentives on Notch 8’s website or call 866-811-1457.

By the way, here’s a fun fact: Notch 8 is named after the highest gear a diesel-electric locomotive can hit. Attend this weekend’s open house event to find out how you too can live in the momentum at Notch 8.

The preceding was a promoted post written by Buzz McClain and sponsored by Notch 8.

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