Ballston

Construction at Ballston Metro station could finish next month

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

An end date is in sight for construction work around the Ballston Metro station.

After two years of navigating the active work site and catching the bus from temporarily relocated stops, transit riders could have access to the updated transit facilities and adjacent public areas sometime next month.

“Right now we have our sights on completion in late October,” said Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Claudia Pors.

Over the course of four phases, Arlington County aimed to improve the experience of waiting for a bus, getting dropped off by a car, and walking and cycling around the transit hub. The project added:

  • New bus shelters, sidewalks, landscaped planters and benches
  • More bike parking
  • An expanded public space along Fairfax Drive
  • A dedicated “kiss-and-ride” curb space
  • A dedicated shuttle bus curb space and bus shelter
  • Bus stop flag poles
  • Real-time bus information displays

Construction on the four-phase project started in June 2020 and was expected to end in November 2021. But a half dozen “unforeseen conditions” came up during construction, delaying completion by nearly a year, according to a county report.

Before it can sign off on the project, the county says the following three intersections need to be repaved “due to design changes and unforeseen utility work,” per the report.

  • Fairfax Drive and N. Stuart Street
  • Fairfax Drive and N. Stafford Street
  • 9th Street N. and N. Stuart Street

This will cost about $249,000, bringing the total cost of the project to around $5.7 million. The Arlington County Board is set to review a request to authorize this additional spending during its meeting on Saturday.

Contingency funding approved in the initial budget covered the cost of the other surprises. Staff said electric and telecom lines along Fairfax Drive had to be relocated and it took longer than expected to get Dominion Energy to remove existing street light poles.

The underground Metro platform and garages were also closer to the surface than staff initially estimated. To avoid hitting these structures, construction plans had to be updated and one planter had to be redesigned.

Other planters had to be remade because of how the site slopes, while additional pre-made planters had to be purchased because original estimates fell short.

A curb along N. Stafford Street needed to be realigned and a bus landing rebuilt to ensure getting on and off the bus was safe and accessible to people with disabilities.

Pors said county staff are looking forward to wrapping up.

“Obviously, we’re very excited for the completion of this project,” Pors said.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has also finalized where buses will depart from. The listed changes are set to go into effect this Sunday, Sept. 18:

1A to Vienna: Bay F
1B to Dunn Loring: Bay F
2A to Dunn Loring: Bay C
10B to Hunting Point: Bay G
22A to Pentagon: Bay G
23A, 23B, 23T to Shirlington/Crystal City: Bay H
23A, 23T to Tysons: Bay A
25B to Southern Towers/Mark Center: Bay D
38B to Farragut Square: Bay B

Meanwhile, the county is currently working to design proposed west entrance to the Ballston Metro station, located at N. Fairfax Drive and N. Vermont Street, almost a quarter of a mile west of the existing entrance.

Arlington has sought alternative funding sources to cover the ballooning cost of the project, which it attributes to inflation and having more complete designs.

Some transit advocates have argued that funding for the section entrance should be redirected to cheaper upgrades with greater impact, such as sidewalks, protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes.

New Japanese BBQ restaurant is set to sizzle in Ballston

By Matt Blitz
1/3

A new Japanese barbeque restaurant is coming Ballston.

New window stickers are announcing the arrival of Gyu San Japanese BBQ at 715 N. Glebe Road. That’s the Ballston Point building at the corner of Glebe and Wilson Blvd — the same one where the new coffee shop Slipstream is also going, albeit on the Wilson Blvd side.

Gyu San is moving into the space formerly occupied by Bangkok Bistro, which appears to have closed during the back end of 2020.

Last month, ARLnow reported that a retail leasing chart for the building showed a different Japanese BBQ restaurant looking to move into that location. That now appears to either be an error or a case of something changing.

There’s no word yet on when Gyu San might open, though interior construction does appear to have begun.

There does not seem to be a website or social media for a restaurant going by that name based in Arlington or, even, the United States. ARLnow has reached out to a leasing rep for the building but has yet to hear back as of publication.

Gyu San will compete with at least one other Arlington Japanese barbeque restaurant. Gyu-Kaku opened its first Virginia location about four years ago in Clarendon.

Beyond Gyu San and Slipstream, Ballston Point is also home to Which Wich, Chipotle, and World of Beer.

JUST IN: Maryland man arrested in case of woman pushed out of SUV

By ARLnow.com
The woman who was injured after being pushed out of an SUV near Ballston (via GoFundMe)

(Updated at 2:40 p.m.) An arrest has been made in the case of a woman who was pushed out of a moving SUV near Ballston.

Maryna Kapovska, 25, suffered severe injuries in the May 15 incident, which happened on Wilson Blvd just west of N. Glebe Road. She has been undergoing rehabilitation, including for a traumatic brain injury, according to a GoFundMe page that has raised $50,000 to cover Kapovska’s expenses.

Arlington County police announced this afternoon (Wednesday) that a man has been arrested in the case, following a “thorough investigation,” though there’s still no word on an exact motive.

Willie Clements, a 59-year-old Maryland resident, is now facing several felony charges after being taken into custody on Friday by Arlington County Police Department tactical officers. Police say the victim entered his black SUV while waiting for a rideshare driver in D.C. around 3 a.m.

Clements “was not employed as a rideshare driver and was not operating in a for-hire status,” according to police.

More from an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing the arrest of a suspect following an aggravated malicious wounding investigation in the Bluemont neighborhood. Willie James Clements, 59, of Upper Marlboro, MD is charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Grand Larceny and Hit and Run. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 3:06 a.m. on May 15, police were dispatched to the area of Wilson Boulevard at N. Vermont Street for the report of trouble unknown. The reporting party stated she was driving in the area when she observed a black SUV swerving and traveling at a high rate of speed. The passenger door to the vehicle then opened and the victim was pushed out onto the roadway. Responding officers located the female victim in the roadway and medics transported her to an area hospital with serious injuries.

The investigation revealed that earlier in the morning, the victim requested a rideshare service from the 800 block of Florida Ave NW, Washington D.C. to her residence in Arlington. While waiting for her driver to arrive, the suspect approached, the victim entered his vehicle and he drove away. The suspect was not employed as a rideshare driver and was not operating in a for-hire status.

Arlington County Police Department detectives conducted a thorough investigation including witness interviews and the review of crime scene and other evidence. The review resulted in additional information that led detectives to identify Willie James Clements as a suspect. Officers assigned to the department’s TAC Unit took the suspect into custody without incident on the afternoon of September 2.

This remains an active criminal investigation. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow that the crime scene was “less than a mile” from where the victim lived. She was unable to say why the victim might have entered the suspect’s vehicle.

“This remains an active criminal investigation and to ensure the integrity of the prosecution, no additional details are available at this time,” Savage said.

Kapovska is originally from Ukraine and was quoted in news stories in February just before the Russian invasion.

“Our dad is defending our homeland while our mom had to flee the war to Germany,” her sister noted on the GoFundMe page.

Prior to the March incident, the 25-year-old attended a Ukrainian Orthodox church in Montgomery County weekly, sang in the choir, and posted regularly on Instagram to show support for her homeland, said a Montgomery County Media story.

As her rehabilitation continues — it’s expected to take 6-12 months, according to the GoFundMe page — she returned to Instagram two weeks ago after a long hiatus.

“Happy days,” Kapovska wrote in a post, with a photo from prior to her injuries. “Life divided into before and after. This is before, looking forward to after.”

UPDATED: Police conducting apparent death investigation in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 10:20 p.m.) Arlington County police are conducting a death investigation after an apparent fall from a high-rise condo in Ballston.

Numerous police units could be seen Monday afternoon and evening around The Continental condo building at 851 N. Glebe Road, near the Westin hotel and the P.F. Chang’s restaurant. A photo sent by a reader shows a tent set up by police in an alley next to the building.

Police first responded to the scene shortly after 3:30 p.m. Initial reports suggest that someone had died and an investigation was underway on the ground and on the 17th floor of the building.

“ACPD is conducting a death investigation in the 800 block of N. Glebe Road,” police department spokeswoman Ashley Savage confirmed Monday night to ARLnow. “This appears to be an isolated incident and the preliminary investigation has not revealed an ongoing threat to the community. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.”

Savage also confirmed a report that someone had been led away in handcuffs, but said it was on a drug charge.

“An adult female was arrested on a narcotics charge,” she said. “Officers remain on scene investigating.”

No other details were immediately available. A resident of the building said they were kept in the dark about what exactly was happening.

“They are not telling residents anything,” the resident told ARLnow.

New CVS has a large blank wall facing Wilson Blvd, upsetting some locals

By Matt Blitz
1/4

Driving west on Wilson Blvd from Clarendon, there’s a new addition to the landscape near Mario’s Pizza: a large cement block wall.

The wall is the rear of a new CVS going up along the 3330 block of Wilson Blvd, the former site of the Highlander Motor Inn. The nearly 20-foot-tall, windowless monolith is oriented so that it faces the street. The entrance to the new CVS is set for N. Kenmore Street.

The large blank wall has already attracted the ire of some residents. ARLnow recently received emails from several locals calling the structure an “eyesore,” a “failure,” and “The Great Wall of Clarendon.”

This all comes after a multi-year legal battle that included an unsuccessful appeal by Arlington County to the Virginia Supreme Court. It ended with the county being handcuffed in terms of regulating what’s built at the site.

“The design for this project shows a solid wall fronting on Wilson Blvd. The store frontage will be on N. Kenmore St,” a Department of Community, Planning and Housing Development spokesperson told ARLnow. “This project is occurring through by-right development; therefore there are no Zoning requirements for the orientation of buildings or structures. In addition, the County is limited in its overall regulation of by-right development projects.”

For more than five decades, the 3330 block of Wilson Blvd was the home of the Highlander motel, owned by the family of local businessman Billy Bayne.

In 2015, Bayne made the decision to lease the land to CVS, which planned to build a new store and pharmacy. However, there were complications to the deal, with the county balking at allowing the existing parking lot on N. Kenmore Street to be used again for parking.

Decisions were appealed several times before a circuit judge ruled that Bayne, as owner, was allowed to do what he wished with the property. The case was denied consideration by the state’s top court after a series of appeals.

Bayne, who also owns the Crystal City Gentlemen’s Club and Restaurant, claimed he lost nearly $2 million while the project stalled.

“It’s not okay to do this to somebody,” Bayne said in 2018. “There will be ramifications for this.”

He ended up suing the county for civil rights violations in 2019, but the suit was ultimately dismissed.

The project moved forward, with the motel closing early last year before being torn down. Before it shuttered, though, Arlington’s Dept. of Human Services rented out the hotel as a Covid quarantine location. While it probably didn’t resolve all animosity, the county thanked Bayne as someone who “really stepped up and helped” during a time of crisis.

But now it is neighbors in the Ashton Heights and Virginia Square area who are upset with what’s being done to the property.

“After the long court battle with the owner of the Highlander, CVS is throwing its ‘f you very much’ by placing a blank wall along Wilson Boulevard,” one resident told ARLnow. “Can’t wait for the future graffiti — I mean, community arts project!”

“There is no other commercial enterprise on Wilson Blvd in the area that presents so brazenly (or more likely thoughtlessly) a facade that is so grossly inconsistent with the urban ‘smart growth’ model,” another resident wrote, calling it “unfit… for this area.”

ARLnow reached out to CVS about the wall and received the following response.

“A new CVS Pharmacy store is currently under construction on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. The wall that is currently facing Wilson Boulevard will be part of the permanent structure and is included in the overall construction and design plan approved by Arlington development officials,” a CVS spokesperson said.

So, the “Great Wall of Clarendon” is apparently here to stay and there isn’t much the county or residents can do at this point.

“It could be a major eyesore on the street for the next 30 to 40 years,” said a local resident.

D.C. coffee shop Slipstream aiming to open in Ballston by early next year

By Matt Blitz
Coffee shop Slipstream set to move into Ballston early next year (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

(Updated at 11:45 a.m.) D.C-based coffee shop Slipstream is looking to serve fresh cups of joe in Ballston next year.

Slipstream is opening its first location outside of the District on the ground floor of the Ballston Point building, at 4300 Wilson Blvd, down the street from Chipotle and near the intersection with N. Glebe Road.

While construction has yet to start, Slipstream co-owner Ryan Fleming told ARLnow, that the plan is to open in early 2023.

The coffee shop and cafe currently has three locations, all in D.C. It specializes in single-origin coffee, loose-leaf teas, breakfast sandwiches, toast, and rice bowls.

Fleming said they chose to expand Ballston because it’s a “great neighborhood that is growing and has a mix of business and residential buildings.”

The Ballston shop will be similar to the other locations, but “adapted slightly to fit the unique neighborhood.”

“With every location we open we strive to improve operations and service, and this location will hopefully continue that trend,” Fleming said. “We will have more details on the operational changes closer to opening.”

Slipstream will compete with a number of existing Ballston coffee shops, including Good Company, Dunkin, Compass Coffee, Philz, and multiple Starbucks locations.

Slipstream’s move to Ballston was noted on a retail leasing chart for the building viewed by ARLnow. Also included in the document is a new location for Japanese barbeque restaurant Gyu Shige, in the space formerly occupied by Bangkok Bistro, which looks to have closed sometime in the latter half of 2020.

However, Gyu Shige representatives told ARLnow that they are, in fact, not moving to Ballston and the only location they have and are currently planning to have in Virginia is in the Mosaic District.

The Ballston neighborhood has been in flux recently. Across from the new Slipstream, Silver Diner is finally set to open this fall five years after being first announced. Nearby, Buffalo Wild Wings is closing at the end of this month.

NEW: “Old School” Italian restaurant and wine bar coming to Ballston area

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The former Next Day Blinds will soon be serving caprese and wine.

The vacant storefront at 3865 Wilson Boulevard, across the from Gold’s Gym in the Ballston area, is becoming “Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar,” a 150-seat restaurant with 4,800 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.

The eatery — technically in Virginia Square — is currently expected to open next July.

Standout menu items included in a press release are a veritable tour of Italy: Carpaccio, Eggplant Parmigiana Stack, Tortellini Di Michael, Linguini Cardinale, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Alla Marsala, Cioppino, and Stuffed Cannoli.

The restaurant comes from a recognizable local name: Chef Mike Cordero.

Cordero owns and operates Bronson Bier Hall, Barley Mac, Bronx Pizza, Don Tito, and Taco Rock in Arlington, as well as other Northern Virginia establishments like Don Taco in Alexandria.

“I’m ecstatic to relive my early years of training as an Italian chef with Carbonara and work with my sons on this project,” said Cordero. “My new concept will offer delicious old school Italian cuisine with a twist where nothing is store bought and everything is made from scratch. Cooking fresh Italian food is in the Cordero blood.”

More from a press release, below.

Chef Mike Cordero is going back to where it all started for him. The Northern Virginia Restauranteur announced today that his Cordero Hospitality restaurant group, which include his sons Nick Cordero and Anthony Cordero, will open Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar in Ballston. Set to deliver in July 2023, the 4,800-square-foot indoor and outdoor restaurant will take over the corner retail space in the Ballston Gateway building at 3865 Wilson Boulevard, which formerly housed Next Day Blinds, and is located on the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Pollard Streets. Cordero, represented by Chris Saa with Divaris Real Estate, Inc., signed a 20-year lease with landlord Cushman & Wakefield. Designer Yvette Irene will develop the interior design and Carlos Construction will conduct the buildout. Cordero will serve as executive chef.

Carbonara will offer a substantial menu featuring old-world Italian cuisine, focusing on the southern region of Italy, with all food made in-house and fresh homemade pasta prepared daily. Hearty Sicilian pizzas, classic Italian baked dishes like Eggplant Rollatini Parmigiana, zesty Italian sandwiches, decadent tiramisus and savory chicken, veal and seafood dishes top the bill- of-fare. A wide selection of wines from all regions of Italy, featuring a flavorful varietal from Tuscany, will nicely pair with each menu item. To better dispense and preserve each bottle, Carbonara will showcase a state-of-the-art cruvinet system, used widely by international sommeliers, that will extend the flavor and life of the vino served. A collection of specialty aperitivos and craft Italian cordials will adorn the Carbonara cocktail menu and include bellinis, puccinis, negronis and spritzes. […]

(more…)

Police: Nude man attacked officer, ran into Ballston apartment

By ARLnow.com
AVA Ballston apartment complex (via Google Maps)

A man is facing multiple charges after an unusual incident in the Ballston area this morning.

Around 8:30 a.m. police were dispatched to the AVA Ballston apartment complex at 4650 Washington Blvd for a report of a man who was standing nude near a grill in the building’s courtyard.

After police arrived on scene, an officer radioed that the man had assaulted her and ran into a second floor apartment at one of the complex’s lower-rise buildings.

“The arriving officer located the suspect who refused to follow of the officer’s commands, assaulted the officer and then fled into a residence,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow. “With the assistance of additional units, the suspect was taken into custody and provided false identifying information to officers.”

It was a startling scene for those who live nearby. A resident described “over 10 police cars” outside the complex and “one officer with a police shield and an axe.”

“No one is telling us anything (is it safe to go outside?)” the resident wrote in a tip to ARLnow.

Savage said the public is not in danger and the suspect will face several charges.

“Warrants for Assault and Battery on Police, Identity Theft and Indecent Exposure were obtained,” he said. “There is no ongoing threat to the community related to the incident.”

Another commercial vehicle tow leads to another questionable call to police

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Last week we reported on a call to police made after an Amazon delivery van was towed. This week, another commercial vehicle tow led to another police response.

Advanced Towing — the Ballston-based trespass tow company with a reputation for being prolific or predatory, depending on your perspective — is at the center of both.

This time around, police were dispatched to the tow lot on 5th Road N. for a report of an alarming incident: a Dominion power crew supposedly had a vehicle towed during emergency repair work. A short time later, several police units could be seen at the lot, talking with the crew.

Arlington’s towing ordinance specifies that public safety vehicles and vehicles responding to an emergency are not to be towed, even if parked on private property.

But is seems that the reality did not quite match the initial report. First, it was a utility contractor’s pickup truck that was towed, not a Dominion-owned vehicle, as seen in the photos above. On top of that, police said the incident was soon cleared by responding officers.

“At approximately 12:35 p.m., police were dispatched to the 4000 block of 5th Road N. for the report of a dispute,” said Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, it was determined the dispute was related to a vehicle tow from private property. The incident was determined to be non-criminal and the scene was cleared by responding officers.”

Advanced Towing asserted in a brief statement that the vehicle that was towed was parked on private property for non-emergency work across the street.

“This was a construction crew, and not an emergency crew, with several vehicles parked illegally on private property, while doing work across the street,” the company told ARLnow. “They were not working on the property they parked at. Contractors cannot violate someone’s private property rights, especially to do work and a completely different property.”

The exact details could not be independently confirmed and it’s unclear from which property the vehicle was towed, but the circumstances are not unlike last week’s Amazon tow. Initially, police were told that the van had been stolen, but they later determined that it had been towed from private property; Advanced said the van was parked in a fire lane.

And these were not the only commercial tows to catch the attention of locals over the past week or so. On Twitter yesterday, a user noted a locksmith’s van being towed near the Pentagon City mall.

Police are frequently called to the Advanced lot, but not just for commercial vehicle tows.

Advanced’s poor reputation mostly comes from its towing of private vehicles. The speed with which such tows occur have, along with other factors, at times enraged vehicle owners to the point that police are called for reports of heated disputes at the lot.

In 2020, a rideshare driver become so irate that he struck Advanced owner John O’Neill with his car, injuring O’Neill and also reportedly striking another vehicle before running into a utility pole. That driver pleaded guilty to reckless driving and a felony hit and run last August.

Ballston Beaver Pond might become Ballston Wetland Park since there are no more beavers

By Matt Blitz
Ballston Beaver Pond during a pause in renovations (staff photo by Mavis Chan)

The Ballston Beaver Pond might become Ballston Wetland Park, a more befitting name since the beavers have moved on.

The human-made pond, originally built to collect stormwater runoff and trash from I-66, is undergoing a $4 million renovation. With that makeover and the fact that the beavers have taken their dam-building skills elsewhere, the pond and park are set to get a new name.

Earlier this year, residents were given the opportunity to recommend a new name for the park.

In July, four finalists were revealed:

  • Ballston Wetlands, as a way to highlight the wetland feature.
  • Crossroads Wetland Park, to recognize nearby Ball’s Crossroads, which was one of the more populated areas in the county in the mid-19th century and the inspiration for Ballston’s name
  • Thaddeus Lowe Park, to honor the Union Army’s Chief Aeronaut who performed aerial reconnaissance from his hot air balloon near this location.
  • Wetlands Vista Park, because of the natural feature and the new vista platform that’s being built at the park.

Last week, Arlington’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) voted to move forward on a slight variation of the top vote-getter — “Ballston Wetland Park.”

“As the County was renovating the pond to be more of a destination for nature lovers and to better support its important wetland function, it seemed appropriate to update its name,” Department of Parks and Recreation spokesperson Susan Kalish told ARLnow. “While the area does not have beavers, which generally migrate from pond to pond, it is a wetland and it is in Ballston.”

The Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee is planning to vote on the proposed name either next month or October. Then, it will go to the Parks and Recreation Commission later in the fall. If the recommended new name passes both bodies, it will then head to the County Board for a vote likely in October or November.

The reason for the change is that the beavers have gone bye-bye.

The pond was originally built back in 1980 to collect stormwater runoff from I-66. However, in the 1990s, and to the surprise of county officials, beavers started moving in — along with other wildlife like muskrats, geese, heron, egrets, redwing blackbirds, fish, and turtles.

The beavers proceeded to do what they do best, which is building dams and messing up drainage systems. The dams compromised water quality, prevented certain vegetation from growing, and essentially defeated the park’s purpose of being for stormwater runoff.

However, the beavers have since moved on.

The county began planning renovations back in 2011, but it took eight years to acquire all the easements. Then, right when construction and draining were about to start, the pandemic delayed the project again. Finally, in December 2021, work began on renovating the pond and park.

As part of that work, the county is installing beaver baffles as a means of keeping the busy mammals out.

The county is also adding updated trash control devices, turtle basking stations, interpretive signs, and a new boardwalk on the eastern side of the pond.

With work ongoing, the bike trail on the east side is currently closed. A temporary detour is in place along the south side of the pond, that connects Washington Blvd to the Custis Trail.

The work is expected to wrap up next summer.

Kitten rescued from engine of ART bus in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
Kitten rescued from ART bus (photo via AWLA/Twitter)

A kitten was rescued from the engine compartment of an Arlington Transit bus last Friday.

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington posted a video to social media last week highlighting the Aug. 12 rescue in Ballston, showing the grease-covered rescuers cradling the tiny kitten, who later received veterinary care after being fed and thoroughly washed.

“The bus was stopped at N. Randolph and Wilson Boulevard,” AWLA’s Chelsea Jones tells ARLnow. “The bus driver spotted Artie running across the street and then up under the bus!”

Artie, of course, was the name given to the kitten after the rescue, in honor of the transit agency’s assistance in getting him safely out of the engine compartment.

“Artie is doing well and is loving all the attention he’s getting from staff and volunteers!” AWLA said in a Facebook post. “He will need surgery to repair a hernia, but because of your support, he’s going to get all the care he needs!”

https://twitter.com/AWLAArlington/status/1559258661922430976

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