Panera Bread in Ballston on Dec. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Panera Bread in Ballston on Dec. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Panera Bread in Ballston on Dec. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Like a phoenix rising from the ashes — or a Barnes & Noble returning to Georgetown — Panera Bread is making its triumphant return to Ballston.
The fast-casual bakery-cafe chain announced today that it is gearing up for a grand opening this Thursday (Dec. 21) near the Ballston Metro station, at the corner of N. Stuart Street and Fairfax Drive.
(This morning, the company said it would be opening on Thursday. Earlier afternoon, it said the opening date was bumped back a day, to Friday. An hour later, the company said the original date was correct.)
To celebrate the grand opening, Panera is offering a special promotion in which the first 50 customers will receive free meals for a year, per a press release.
The promotional offer — redeemable for up to one free “You Pick Two” meal per month for 12 months — will only be available this Thursday and Friday. Recipients must have a MyPanera account to participate. The free food offer will then run from Christmas Day next week until Dec. 25, 2024.
Between 6-10 a.m., guests can also spin a prize wheel for a chance to win other items such as, free tumblers, cookies and bagels.
The new Panera, at 4250 Fairfax Drive, will take over the space formerly occupied by Cosi, which shut its doors in late 2019 after the company filed for bankruptcy. Cosi, a chain known for its flatbreads, sandwiches, soups, and salads, also closed its other Arlington locations in Rosslyn, Courthouse, Virginia Square and Crystal City.
Panera used to have a location in the old Ballston Common Mall, which closed in 2016 before the mall’s transformation into Ballston Quarter.
Currently, Arlington is home to one other Panera, in Rosslyn.
“We are thrilled to be opening a new Panera in Arlington,” a company representative said in the press release. “We are excited to grow our presence in this wonderful community and look forward to delivering the great tasting food and impeccable service our Virginia guests have come to expect from Panera.”
Washington Capitals team headquarters in Ballston on Tuesday evening (staff photo)
Rendering of aerial view of Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)
Rendering of concert venue at Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)
Rendering of outdoor plaza at Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)
Map of Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)
Temporary event tents set up near the Potomac Yard Metro station in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)
Rendering of potential changes to Route 1 – Option A (via National Landing BID)
Current view of Route 1 (via National Landing BID)
Ballston might remain the place where the Washington Capitals practice if everything goes to plan and the hockey team begins playing games in a newly announced sports arena in Potomac Yard.
The new arena for the Caps and Washington Wizards, as well as a concert venue, could open as soon as 2028 in the Alexandria neighborhood already seeing heavy investment, including a new Metro station and Virginia Tech’s forthcoming Innovation Campus.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Monumental Sports & Entertainment owner Ted Leonsis, the city of Alexandria and developer JBG Smith officially confirmed the murmurings of a move today (Wednesday), to which county officials and business leaders reacted with excitement.
Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey called the news an “excellent opportunity for Arlington to continue to partner with Alexandria” and, in a statement, said that “it further cements our region among the world’s most innovative and dynamic places to live, play, and do business.”
But whether the Caps continue to practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, adjoining the Ballston Quarter mall, is just one of the moving pieces with impacts on Arlington, should the project move forward.
Another concern — top-of-mind for residents around Richmond Hwy (Route 1) — is what the new facility will mean for state plans to bring the key north-south artery to grade, which was part of a suite of transportation projects promised if Amazon settled in Pentagon City.
In today’s announcement, the expansion into Alexandria did not explicitly mention relocating the Capital’s practice facility from Ballston, though it was included in a map of the planned development.
Arlington County says Monumental has indicated it intends to negotiate a renewed lease in Ballston — even with the planned arena in Potomac Yard — as it prefers to separate practice facilities and administrative offices from their arena.
A Monumental spokesperson told ARLnow where the Caps practice is one of many details that still need to be finalized, emphasizing that the Iceplex in Ballston is a state-of-the-art facility. The spokesperson said Monumental might renovate the second-floor office space to serve as the front office and athlete space after the business staff move to Potomac Yard, but it is also exploring building a new practice facility at Potomac Yard.
Tina Leone, CEO of the Ballston Business Improvement District, is optimistic the team will stick around. She spoke highly of the Capitals, who she called great supporters of Ballston for the 17 years they have practiced there.
“We can’t help but draw parallels between the evolution of Ballston, the Capitals, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment; and while there are still moving pieces, we couldn’t be happier for the Leonsis family, the Capitals organization, and the MSE team,” she told ARLnow in a statement.
“When the Capitals were looking for an urban setting with access, an amenity-rich neighborhood, and a community their players and coaches wanted to call home, they chose Ballston. Nearly two decades later, we’re proud Ballston continues to be all those things and more,” she continued. “We’ve been fortunate to have such a globally recognized, highly visible organization contribute to Ballston’s growing identity and culture.”
Monumental is similarly keeping a foot in both camps, for now, in D.C. In a letter to fans, circulating on social media, Leonsis said he hopes Capital One Arena and downtown D.C. “remain an essential part of our future.”
He said the company plans to invest in the existing arena so it can continue hosting large-scale events, from concerts to WNBA games and college sports. In the hours leading up to today’s announcement, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled legislation to support a complete, $500 million renovation of the Capital One Arena, if the NHL and NBA team stay.
While some NHL teams opt to keep games and practices under one roof, others maintain separate facilities for games and practices. Sometimes, this is out of necessity, if the location for games cannot accommodate practices. Other teams, however, view practice spaces as a way to engage the community and, with the right amenities, to help lure free agents.
The Iceplex, for instance, holds open practices that fans can watch as well as youth clinics, and it has served as a springboard for Monumental, which has also sponsored community events and invested in local organizations.
Looking north above Glebe Road in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Parking sensor installation in Courthouse (via Arlington County)
Parking sensor installation in Courthouse (via Arlington County)
Installing sensors and marking bumper-to-bumper boundaries for the County’s upcoming Performance Parking pilot (via Dept. of Environmental Services/Twitter)
To find a parking spot in Ballston, go during the daytime, avoid Wilson Blvd and Fairfax Drive, and consider parking in nearby Virginia Square, which has many empty blocks.
To park in Clarendon, good luck finding a spot on Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Generally, there are more spots south of Washington Blvd but be on the lookout: spots can open up quickly as people do not stay parked in Clarendon for long.
These are some tips to glean from new county data collected in the first phase of a state-funded performance parking pilot study. But the data, collected from some 4,500 sensors in parking spaces along the Rosslyn-Ballston and Richmond Hwy corridors, does more than help people find parking spots on busy weekends.
It also demonstrates that, on average, only a third of people pay for parking when they come to these corridors. The county says this information will help it pinpoint the neighborhoods with the lowest parking compliance and focus its limited parking attendants there.
Parking compliance in October 2023 (via Arlington County)
The installation of sensors and data collection made up the first phase of a pilot program that will eventually use variable pricing and data to improve the availability of metered parking. County staff used these sensors to find differences in parking availability by hour, block, day of the week and neighborhood.
“These differences we need to take into consideration when we are making our pricing recommendations,” says Marietta Gelfort, a planner with the county’s parking and curb space management team in a recent video.
The next phases of the project will see actual changes in parking prices. These changes will happen once every three months but, the county emphasizes, will not trigger across-the-board meter rate hikes or surge pricing.
For the pilot to move forward, next county staff need Arlington County Board to change prices along the study corridors administratively — without County Board permission each time. They are gearing up to request this authority early next year for the duration of the pilot, set to end in early 2026.
A request to advertise hearings on this proposal could come this January, followed by a public hearing by the spring of 2024, Dept. of Environmental Services Parking and Curbspace Manager Melissa McMahon told ARLnow.
Once staff have this permission to alter prices, they will communicate changes to the public whenever those changes occur.
Price differences already influence parking behavior in Arlington, according to Dept. of Environmental Services communications specialist Nate Graham.
“Sunday occupancy is highest across the board, which illustrates that even today’s metered prices shape demand and behavior to some extent,” he tells ARLnow.
Transportation commissioners are “very supportive” of the pilot but, on the topic of pricing, suggested recommended stepped up enforcement of accessible parking spaces if these prices differ from non-accessible spaces.
“The greater the discrepancy in pricing between ADA and non-ADA spaces, the more drivers use fake ADA
tags,” the commission said in a letter to the County Board last month.
Eventually, as part of the pilot, the county will make parking spot and pricing data available on two mobile-friendly tools so people can research spots and costs in real time.
There will also be signs showing where spots are available, how many and for how much.
Third-party parking apps showing available spaces using county sensor data (via Arlington County)
Booeymonger in Ballston (staff photo by James Jarvis)
(Updated at 9:15 p.m.) Booeymonger in Ballston will be replaced by a new full-service Nepalese restaurant this spring, according to the incoming tenant.
Booeymonger, known for its sandwiches, wraps, bagels and salads, closed its doors at its two locations in D.C. this year, including Friendship Heights and Georgetown.
The storefront at 1010 N. Glebe Road was the well-known local deli chain’s last remaining location.
While the closure date for Booeymonger in Ballston remains uncertain, there are active plans for the deli to return to its former home in Friendship Heights, according to Booeymonger’s current owner, Rumana Chodry. She confirmed to ARLnow that the delicatessen will reopen with a new owner.
The new tenant in Ballston, Dipar Magar, told ARLnow he plans to open a new restaurant called Thakali Bhatti sometime between February and May. He owns another restaurant, Himalayan Wild Yak in Ashburn.
As of now, Magar has applied for a liquor license and the restaurant is still in its early stages of development.
“It’s going to be Nepalese food… similar to the food we have right now,” Magar said. “It’s gonna be pretty small, like 50-60 [seats], not more than that. It’s a pretty small space.”
The following Saturday, Dec. 9, Wakefield High School is also set to host its annual “Winter Bazaar” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Both events will showcase local vendors offering handcrafted goods such as jewelry, ceramics, clothing and holiday decorations, as well as festive food and drinks. Admission and parking are free for both markets.
At the Washington-Liberty holiday market, high school clubs and teams will also sell various items to raise money, according to an event webpage. While vendors accept several payment methods, the student organizations generally only take cash.
2022 Ballston Singing Tree event (courtesy of Ballston BID)
The Ballston “singing tree” is set to return for the holiday season.
Starting next week, the sparkling, voice-activated Christmas tree near the Ballston Metro station will brighten the neighborhood with lights and music through the new year.
The tree — in the center of Welburn Square at 901 N. Taylor Street — will be adorned with 1,200 “interactive, sound responsive” lights designed by Canadian developer Limbic Media.
“Microphones capture audio input from the environment around the system, which interprets that data into colors and patterns to display throughout the tree,” per a press release.
Attendees can enjoy food from Rustico and DMV Empanadas, Turkish coffee from the Ballstonian cart, a free hot chocolate bar for kids, and a “Jingle Bar” for adults 21 and older.
“This event was such a joyous success last year, we knew we had to bring it back for the Ballston community,” Ballston BID CEO Tina Leone said in a statement. “We love supporting our local businesses as well as the Arlington Children’s Chorus and we hope other community members will come down to Ballston, shop for the holidays, enjoy some of our fabulous restaurants and see if they can activate the tree themselves!”
Arlington County police are investigating a bold, broad-daylight armed robbery near Ballston.
The robbery happened two days before Thanksgiving — around 3 p.m. Tuesday — on the 4600 block of Washington Blvd. Businesses on that block include the Sunoco gas station and market.
Police say a man went inside the business, brandished a gun, stole cash and then ran off. Responding officers were unable to locate him nearby.
More, below, from an ACPD crime report.
ROBBERY, 2023-11210134, 4600 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 3:11 p.m. on November 21, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, went behind the counter while brandishing a firearm and demanded cash. The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers established a perimeter, broadcast a lookout and searched the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a tall, thin-build male with a medium complexion, wearing a black jacket, hoodie, jeans and a black mask. The investigation is ongoing.
Foxtrot “opening soon” sign in Ballston (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Upscale market and café Foxtrot plans to open a new location in Ballston.
“Opening soon” signs are up in the space previously occupied by the fast-casual chicken sandwich shop Farmbird, which closed in 2022.
Foxtrot — which advertises itself as a high-end corner store, market and café with a swift delivery service — has expanded into Virginia over the last two years with locations in Old Town Alexandria and Rosslyn.
The Ballston outpost would be the Chicago-based company’s third in Virginia and ninth location in the D.C. area. In all, the company operates 23 stores across the U.S.
Foxtrot did not respond to a request for more details before publication.
The boutique market joins a handful of other coffee shops, stores and restaurants that have announced openings in the Ballston neighborhood this year, including Greenheart Juice Shop, Panera Bread and Roggenart Bistro & Café.
Screenshot of traffic camera video showing motorcycle crash (via SafetyVid)
Police on scene of motorcycle crash near Ballston
A motorcyclist suffered a significant injury this afternoon after a crash near Ballston that was caught on camera.
The crash happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Washington Blvd.
Footage from a traffic camera, below, shows the rider of the motorcycle making a left turn in front of the driver of a silver car, who hit the brakes but too late to avoid the collision.
Two fellow riders who were also waiting to turn left can be seen hurrying to provide aid. A driver who was behind the trio can also be seen stopping to help. It was not immediately clear whether the striking driver remained on scene.
Initial reports suggest that the rider suffered a serious broken leg and perhaps other injuries. They were taken via ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The intersection was partially closed immediately after the crash due to the police and fire department response.
Construction underway at Ballston Station, located at 4201 Fairfax Drive (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Construction underway at Ballston Station, located at 4201 Fairfax Drive (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A new development with affordable apartments, a church and childcare, across from the Ballston Metro station, is set to debut early next year.
Nearly two years ago, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing broke ground on the long-delayed, $84 million project to replace the old Central United Methodist Church building at 4201 Fairfax Drive with an 8-story building with 144 committed affordable units.
Dubbed Ballston Station, the project received $19 million from the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund and $9 million from an Amazon-funded state housing grant. Approved in 2017, APAH took over in 2019 and received a construction extension until it could get started.
As of now, construction is 88% complete, APAH Senior Project Manager Ryan Nash tells ARLnow. The project is on schedule and on track to finish next January.
Work has turned to the final finishes within each unit, such as flooring, but other site work — such as sidewalks — remains as well, he said.
“We’ll open right after we’re done and right after we get our certificate of occupancy,” he said.
The project had to weather increasing construction costs — including sky-rocketing lumber prices — as well as high interest rates, Nash said.
“It was day-to-day watching lumber prices,” he says. “Other supply chain issues remain: a big thing these days is electrical switchgear and appliances, but we timed it well and got things procured and ordered in time so it wouldn’t impact our schedule.”
APAH has a list of prospective residents who could move in as soon as the occupancy certificate is inked, said Nash, projecting the building could be fully leased by June.
Future tenants, who mostly reside in Arlington right now, range from those in affordable housing to those leaving “rapidly disappearing” market-rate affordable units, he said.
“Because it’s so close to Ballston Metro, and has a low parking ratio, it will be catered toward residents who would have a car-free diet,” he said.
Ballston Station will have a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. There will be 15 units for people earning up to 30% of the area median income (AMI), with 60 units for those earning 50% AMI or less and 69 at 60% AMI.
The church, meanwhile, will have a series of celebration events starting with Easter on March 31, says Rev. Sarah Harrison-McQueen.
“In the weeks after Easter, we’ll have a variety of open houses and mission events to culminate with a building dedication worship service,” she told ARLnow.
The CUMC congregation currently meets at a church in the Arlington Forest neighborhood. When it returns to Ballston, it will have a revamped church space with a dedicated commercial kitchen to support its food distribution ministry, providing hot breakfast, lunch and groceries, medical care and referrals to more than 200 people.
The childcare provider, Kinhaven School, is set to open next spring with capacity for 115 children — a significant increase from the 67 permitted in the original building, says Director Amy Hitchcock.
Kinhaven School was co-located with CUMC for nearly 50 years until 2017, when construction on the new development was initially expected to start.
It relocated to St. George’s Episcopal Church in Virginia Square and the school now plans to keep that location for a half-day preschool serving 2- to 5-year old children. The Ballston Station location will enroll infants through school-aged children.
“The Ballston Station project is exciting as each of the three partners contributes to Arlington’s vitality: APAH and its stellar approach to housing; CUMC’s commitment to addressing food insecurity as a lived mission of their faith; and Kinhaven’s pledge to participate in the Virginia Child Care Subsidy program and offer non-traditional hours to support working families,” Hitchcock said.
People taking photos of artwork at Mason Exhibitions in Arlington (via Mason Exhibitions/Facebook)
If you’re a fan of art and tacos, today is your lucky day.
This afternoon (Thursday), from 3-7 p.m., local art galleries in the Ballston and Virginia Square neighborhoods will open their doors for the annual Arlington Art Walk.
The art walk, sponsored by Arlington Economic Development, is free to everyone and features 12 local galleries and artists throughout the Ballston and Virginia Square neighborhoods between N. Glebe Road and Washington Blvd.
“The ‘Arlington Art Walk’ is a self-guided art experience that connects local galleries, artist studios and cultural events,” Arlington Economic Development says on its website. “During the walk, gallery hours for participating organizations will be extended so that our friends, neighbors and artists may come see what we’re up to.”
The walk kicks off at Mason Exhibitions, located at 3601 Fairfax Drive, next to Quincy Park. Art aficionados can pop into nearly a dozen participating venues and see outdoor, permanent installations from Arlington Public Art along the way.
Map showing the locations of participating galleries and artists during the 2023 Arlington Art Walk (via Arlington Economic Development)
Exhibits are on display at the following places:
Arlington Independent Media
ARC 3409 Art Studios
Arlington Art Truck
Arlington Public Library Maker’s Studio ‘The Shop”
Cody Gallery
Fred Schnider Gallery
Mason Exhibitions Arlington
Museum of Contemporary Art
Northside Social Arlington
WHINO
“Rosslyn Taco Crawl” flier (via Rosslyn BID)
Rosslyn Taco Crawl
If the art walk leaves you hungry, the Rosslyn BID and DC Fray are hosting a guided taco tour in Rosslyn to celebrate National Taco Day, which the U.S. celebrated yesterday.
Tickets for the Taco Crawl are $15 and come with tacos at every stop.
Check-in takes place at Central Place Plaza, which will also feature live music and games to enhance the walking experience.
