Ballston

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Marine Corps Marathon Sets Registration Record — The Marine Corps Marathon has recorded the fastest sellout of any U.S. marathon, ever. Registration for this year’s marathon, which starts and ends in Arlington, opened at 3:00 p.m. yesterday. It ended 2 hours and 41 minutes later, after selling all 30,000 of available online entries. “The MCM staff and U.S. Marine Corps sincerely thank each of the 30,000 participants for such an enthusiastic start to this year’s events,” marathon director Rick Nealis said in a statement. [Marine Corps Marathon]

New Apartment Building Coming to Ballston — Funding has been secured for the residential component of the new Founders Square development in Ballston, across from Ballston Common Mall. A $71.1 million construction loan will help build The Place, a 17-story, 257-unit luxury apartment building at 4000 Wilson Boulevard. The Place, which is expected to open in 2013, will feature “studio, one- and two-bedroom units with open floor plans and floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of Washington, D.C.” [Citybiz Real Estate]

Metro Complaints Include Employee Harassment — During a public forum in Arlington about proposed service changes and fare hikes, Metro customers got a chance to express their gripes about WMATA. In general, riders complained the fares were going up at a time when service seems to be deteriorating. Among the more specific complaints: long wait times for trains, confusing bus schedules, rude Metro employees, and even “regular occurrences of sexual harassment by Metro employees and other riders.” [Arlington Mercury]

Flickr pool photo by Christaki

Buffalo Wild Wings Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant is coming to Ballston, according to building permits filed with Arlington County.

The restaurant will be located in the office building at 950 N. Glebe Road, at the corner of Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive. That’s just one block away from the recently-opened Greene Turtle, another large format sports-and-beer eatery.

Ballston beer lovers will not have any shortage of options in the near future. In addition to the Turtle and the forthcoming BW3, a World of Beer location is set to open across the street at some point this year, and that’s not to mention Rustico, which is a couple of blocks away on Wilson Boulevard.

There’s a large vacant retail space on the ground floor of 950 N. Glebe Road, though so far no permits have been posted in the windows. No word yet on when Buffalo Wild Wings hopes to open — presuming plans are still on track — but it took the company less than six months to build out their Crystal City location (2450 Crystal Drive) following the announcement that they had signed a lease.

 

Coming to Ballston: Red Parrot Asian Bistro

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) A new Asian fusion restaurant is coming to Ballston later this year.

Red Parrot Asian Bistro, which has locations in Baltimore and Hanover, Md., just applied for a liquor license for a restaurant on the ground floor of the office building at 1110 N. Glebe Road.

An employee at one of the Maryland restaurants said the Ballston open was probably about six months away.

The Red Parrot website says the eatery offers various types of Asian dishes.

“We introduce variations of South East Asian cuisines offering Thai food, sushi, and Asian fusion for food lovers to enjoy,” the website says. “Here, at the bistro, we offer cocktail drinks, delicious Asian food and bubble tea. And best of all, we have a relaxing and wonderful environment for people to enjoy the atmosphere and the food.”

Other current tenants of 1110 N. Glebe Road include Ballston Crossfit and The Melting Pot fondue restaurant.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Happy Fat Tuesday — It’s Fat Tuesday, the traditional day of feasting (or partying) before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. To celebrate the occasion, the annual Clarendon Mardi Gras parade will be held tonight, starting at 8:00 p.m. See our list of local Mardi Gras happenings for additional festivities around Arlington.

Three Arrested After Ballston Fight — Three suspects were arrested following a fight near the Ballston Metro station Monday evening. The fight broke out in the area of Fairfax Drive and N. Stuart Street. Fairfax Drive was partially blocked by police vehicles following the incident. Additional details were not immediately available.

Arlington Man Killed in Loudoun County — An Arlington man was killed when a deer came crashing through the windshield of the SUV he was riding in Saturday night. The freak accident happened on Route 9 in Loudoun County around 7:30 p.m. Police say a Toyota Prius first hit the deer, launching it in the air. The deer came down on the SUV, killing 26-year-old Rodolfo Ruiz Villatoro of Arlington. [MyFoxDC]

Legislators Accept Trips and Gifts — Among the corporate gifts and travel accepted by local state lawmakers last year: a $8,796 trip to France (Del. David Englin) and $400 circus tickets (Del. Patrick Hope). [Sun Gazette]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ballston Parking Garage Rate Hike Approved — On Saturday the Arlington County Board approved a proposed increase in parking rates at the Ballston Public Parking Garage. The parking rate hike, the first at the garage since 1996, will have the biggest impact on those who park on weekends, who were previously paying a $1 flat rate. The county said the increase was necessary to pay for repairs and upgrades to the garage. Also discussed: the effect of Arlington’s living wage requirement on personnel costs at the garage. [Arlington County]

New Streetlights Green-Lit for the Pike — Also on Saturday, the Board approved a $1.2 million contract to install new LED streetlights along part of Columbia Pike. County officials said the new streetlights will improve safety, energy efficiency and aesthetics along one of the busiest pedestrian sections of the Pike. [Arlington County]

‘Pipestem’ Compromise Reached — A developer and neighbors in the Leeway Overlee neighborhood reached a compromise on the developer’s controversial plan to build a new home on a “pipestem” lot on N. Nottingham Street. As part of the compromise, the house — located behind another home and connected to the street by only a thin strip of driveway — will be smaller than originally proposed and will include a detached garage. [Washington Post]

Home Prices Up in Arlington — Fewer homes were sold in January compared to a year ago, but the fact that there were fewer homes on the market helped to raise average and median sale prices by nearly 10 percent. The increase in home prices was led by double-digit increases in townhouse and condo prices. [Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by Damiec

Board to Vote on Rate Hike at Ballston Parking Garage

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:40 p.m.) Parking rates at the Ballston Public Parking Garage could be going up soon.

The Arlington County Board is scheduled to vote over the weekend on a proposal to increase extended and weekend parking rates at the 2,800 space garage, which is adjacent to Ballston Common Mall.

Under the proposal, the rate for parking less than three hours or parking after 6:00 p.m. will remain $1. On weekdays, rates for parking more than three hours will increase between $0.50 to $2.00. The most dramatic rate hikes, however, will be felt by those who park at the county-owned garage over the weekend. The $1.00 weekend flat rate will be eliminated in favor of a continuation of the weekday variable rate, which tops off at $10.00 for all-day parking. (See table, left.)

The rate for monthly parking contracts will also increase under the proposal. The 5 day/week rate will increase from $77.00 to $105.00, and the 7 day/week rate will increase from $104.00 to $145.00.

Daily parking rates at the garage have not changed since 1994 and monthly rates have not changed since 1996. County staff estimate the rate hike will generate an extra $1 million per year, which will be used to help pay off the bonds that financed the garage’s purchase and renovation by the county in the mid-1980s.

The staff report notes that just over half of the garage’s current operating budget goes to paying the contract employees who work at the garage, who are paid a living wage per county policy.

If approved by the County Board, the new rates will go into effect on May 1.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Expects Fewer Housing Dollars from Feds — Federal spending cuts and a reduction in poverty in Arlington have combined to result in a relatively steep drop in federal housing dollars for Arlington County. The county expects to receive $1.16 million in federal housing dollars in fiscal year 2013 — a nearly $400,000 drop compared to the prior year. [Sun Gazette]

‘Tebow Bill’ Advances in General Assembly — A bill that would allow home-schooled students in Virginia to play for public school sports teams has cleared a key legislative hurdle, reports the Associated Press. The bill’s nickname — the Tebow Bill — references NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who was home schooled but permitted to play on a public high school football team. [My Fox DC]

Fitch Affirms Arlington’s ‘AAA’ Rating — Bond rating agency Fitch has affirmed Arlington’s AAA debt rating in advance of an upcoming bond offering. Fitch praised Arlington’s “outstanding fiscal performance” and “exceptionally vibrant employment base” in a press release. “Conservative budgeting, timely tax and fee increases, and closely monitored expenditure controls consistently produce surplus operating results leading to solid reserve levels and liquidity,” the firm wrote. [Business Wire]

Prostitute Sexually Assaulted in Ballston — A prostitute was sexually assaulted at the Comfort Inn hotel on N. Glebe Road in Ballston on Wednesday, according to the Arlington County Police Department’s daily crime report. The woman did, however, manage to call her “bodyguard” during the attack. The bodyguard reportedly got in a scuffle with the woman’s attacker before the attacker fled the scene. [Patch]

Ballston Building Adds ‘Bob Peck’ Awning

By ARLnow.com

 

A new office building under construction in Ballston has added an architectural feature that should look familiar to many locals: a triangular awning that pays tribute to the old Bob Peck Chevrolet dealership.

The building at 800 N. Glebe Road replaced the dealership, which was a neighborhood fixture for several decades. The under-construction awning isn’t the only homage to the dealership, however. The completed building will eventually feature “an artist’s replica of a ’55 Chevrolet tail fin” in an outdoor plaza, according to CityBiz Real Estate.

Construction is expected to wrap up on the 10-story 800 N. Glebe Road building within a few months. The building will house more than 300,000 square feet of office space and some 28,000 square feet of retail space.

Photo via Flickr user aldenjewell

New CrossFit Gym Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A new CrossFit gym is hoping to open in Ballston next month.

Pending county approvals, Ballston CrossFit expects to open on Monday, Feb. 13. Interior construction is partially completed at the gym, located on the ground floor of an office building at 1110 N. Glebe Road. A shipment of fitness equipment was moved in earlier this week, according to Ballston CrossFit’s Facebook page.

“At Ballston CrossFit you will be challenged and motivated every day with constantly varied high intensity functional workouts, resulting in a greatly enhanced level of fitness,” the gym says on its website. “Our program efficiently combines the most effective methods of Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, kettlebells and high intensity cardio.”

Photo via Facebook

The Greene Turtle Opens in Ballston

By Katie Pyzyk

The Greene Turtle (900 N. Glebe Rd) in Ballston has officially opened for business.

More than 50 televisions hang on the walls and certain booths have individual TVs that patrons can control. TVs along the windows allow fans to keep one eye on game action while keeping the other on action outside.

General Manager Scott Smith says patrons can expect the same service and sports environment people enjoy at The Greene Turtle’s other locations. He wants people in the area to stop by and give the newest one a try.

“There are a lot of sports bars, a lot of sports bars have a lot of TVs, but there’s nothing like this,” Smith said.

The Greene Turtle touts fare above and beyond typical bar food. New York strip steaks and crab cakes are a couple of the less traditional sports bar offerings.

“We pride ourselves on the execution of our food,” Smith said. “We want to bring a different level of service to the area.”

Another aspect that sets this place apart is the customer loyalty program. Customers can purchase one of the famous Greene Turtle mugs and bring it back for future fill-ups.

The Greene Turtle has more than two dozen locations around the D.C./Baltimore region, including two locations along the Delaware shore. The new Ballston location will eventually have outdoor seating when the weather improves.

Although the Greene Turtle will technically be a Redskins and Virginia Tech bar, they guarantee that not just local games will be shown. Every game will be on at least one of the TVs. Smith does point out, however, that Virginia Tech is the building’s landlord so that team will be particularly celebrated.

Besides the new Virginia Tech development, more improvement projects are slated for Ballston. The hope is that the Greene Turtle will gather a solid following, and be considered one of the forefront examples of positive expansion.

“It is an awesome area,” Smith said. “It’s good to get in early.”

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‘World of Beer’ Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1:35 p.m. — Individuals associated with the business have said in the comments section that World of Beer plans to serve sausages and snack foods.

Watch out, Rustico, a new business is trying to achieve total beer domination in Ballston.

“World of Beer” has applied for an ABC permit for a proposed location at 901 N. Glebe Road. World of Beer is advertised as a “neighborhood, non-smoking, upscale social establishment dedicated to the enjoyment of beer and education of the beer enthusiast.”

The business will feature a rotating lineup of 50 beers on tap and 500 beers in bottles. It also promises to have 20 big-screen TVs for sports viewing, a stage to host local bands, and outdoor seating.

This would be the first D.C. area franchise for the Florida-based chain. The business is attempting to obtain a license for on-premises beer consumption and take-home beer sales — which would be a possible exception to the usual rule that only food-serving restaurants or grocery stores can be licensed for on-premises consumption in Virginia.

World of Beer is hoping to open its Ballston location in July, according to the chain’s web site. The local World of Beer Facebook page lists its expected hours of operations as 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Sundays.

Hat tip to “Xaoc.” Photo courtesy Timothy C.

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