Ballston

JUST IN: Injured Worker Rescued from Ballston Home Construction Site

By ARLnow.com
1/7

Arlington County firefighters rescued a worker who fell and was injured at a home construction site in the Ballston area Monday afternoon.

The incident happened around 3 p.m. on the 1200 block of N. Taylor Street. Initial reports suggest a worker fell off a ladder and fell onto the home’s concrete foundation below ground, suffering a possible head injury.

Firefighters used a ladder truck and a Stokes basket to hoist the victim out from the construction site.

N. Taylor Street was closed to traffic from Washington Blvd to 13th Street N. due to the emergency activity.

Fire department spokesman Capt. Ben O’Bryant was unable to immediately confirm the nature of the injuries suffered by the victim, identified as an adult male construction worker, but said that he was being transported via ambulance to a local trauma center in “fair” condition.

Occupational safety investigators and the county fire marshal’s office were called to the scene, O’Bryant said.

‘All About Burger’ Now Open in Ballston Quarter

By Vernon Miles
1/3

D.C.-based burger joint All About Burger is now open in Ballston Quarter (671 N. Glebe Road).

The restaurant — owned by a pair of former partners in the Z-Burger restaurant chain — offers its eponymous hand-formed burgers alongside chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and more for under $10. The standard chocolate/vanilla/strawberry milkshakes are available for $4.99 with a wide variety of “premium milkshakes” available for $5.99.

Staff at All About Burger said the restaurant will be open from 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. every day.

The new eatery joins a spate of newly-opened restaurants in the renovated Ballston Quarter mall, including True Food Kitchen, which is set to open next Wednesday.

Coworking Providers TechSpace and Industrious Are Merging

By ARLnow.com
1/9

Two major coworking companies, which operate coworking spaces blocks apart in Ballston, are merging.

TechSpace has been acquired by the larger coworking provider Industrious, according to an email from TechSpace CEO Vic Memenas. ARLnow’s parent company is based in a TechSpace office and both companies are ARLnow advertisers.

“I am pleased to announce that, as of today, TechSpace is now part of Industrious, the largest premium flexible workspace provider in the U.S.,” Memenas wrote to tenants yesterday. “Over the next few months, the Industrious team will begin integrating TechSpace into their larger network.”

Memenas said the change “will have little impact” on TechSpace members. Thus far both the TechSpace and Industrious locations in Ballston are expected to continue operating despite their close proximity, we’re told; the Ballston TechSpace is almost completely full.

Industrious recently announced plans to open a new 25,000 square foot location in Courthouse, in addition to locations either open or planned in D.C., Bethesda, Tysons and Alexandria.

True Food Kitchen Plans Grand Opening Next Week

By Vernon Miles
1/4

(Updated 12 p.m.) True Food Kitchen — a health-food chain — is planning to open its new Ballston Quarter location next Wednesday (May 8) at 11 a.m.

The restaurant has a seasonal menu that includes a variety of vegan and vegetarian choices, like tofu bowls and cheese-less pizzas, in addition to a selection of burgers, sandwiches and entrees with and without meat.

The Arlington restaurant will have an opening dining area, an outdoor patio, and two private dining rooms for special occasions. A bar at the location includes fresh-pressed fruit and vegetable juices, seasonal cocktails, local beer and wine, according to the restaurant website.

The restaurant is also currently hiring staff, including bartenders, servers, and a butcher.

If you want to try True Food before then, the next closest location is the Mosaic District (2910 District Ave.) in Fairfax County.

Ballston IHOP Aims for Weekend Re-opening

By Vernon Miles

With any luck, Ballstonians can get their pancake fix at the IHOP (935 N. Stafford Street) by the time the weekend rolls around.

The restaurant was closed after a fire on April 9 — the second fire since October. Renovations are now underway, making for the second such extended closure for construction since the first fire.

Among the visible changes: a new expanse of faux wood under the restaurant’s large blue roof. Staff at the IHOP said the remodeling is complete and the restaurant is expected to re-open in the next three to four days, pending final approval of permits.

County Board Approves Outdoor Cafes for Burger District, Salt Line

By Airey
1/2

The Arlington County Board this week unanimously approved an outdoor dining area at Burger District in Courthouse, as well as a new outdoor bar in Ballston.

Burger District requested Board members amend zoning rules to allow the Courthouse eatery to seat patrons in four feet of space on the sidewalk outside of its 2024 Wilson Blvd location.

That would leave six feet for pedestrians on the 10-foot-wide sidewalk, which requires County Board approval, according to a staff report.

In return, the eatery agreed to:

  • Only operate the outdoor section from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
  • Keep the rest of the sidewalk (6 feet) clear
  • Not exceed more than 24 seats
  • Hold “no live entertainment or dancing”

“Permitting an outdoor cafe along Wilson Boulevard will help achieve the vision of the Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study where there are ‘vibrant and people-friendly streets and plazas… full of life’ and ‘small businesses prosper,'” county staff wrote.

The Courthouse restaurant opened in August and serves burgers, shakes, hotdogs, and wings.

Last night the Board also approved a new “fixed” outdoor bar in Ballston, at upcoming restaurant The Salt Line, which is planning to open next spring.

Images 1 and 2 via staff reports 1 and 2.

New Ballston Domino’s Pizza Now Open

By Airey
1/3

A new Domino’s Pizza in Ballston is now bringing in the dough on N. Quincy Street.

The pizza shop is located at 550 N. Quincy Street next to Jimmy John’s and nearby the Founders Square development.

Staff told ARLnow today (Thursday) that the store will have a grand opening soon but a date hadn’t been picked yet. After the grand opening, staff expects the store to be open Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.

In the meantime, staff says the store will sling pizzas from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day as part of a soft opening.

As of today (Thursday) two delivery cars in the parking lot are outfitted with the trademark Domino’s signs — a parking arrangement previously approved by the County Board.

The eatery is the latest to open amid a flurry of restaurants openings in Ballston.

Boutique Life at 672 Flats

1/3

The Boutique Life has arrived in Ballston. And it has an address: 672 Flats.

Near the heart of bustling Ballston, 672 Flats is the new apartment boulevard just walking distance to Metro (Ballston-MU), convenient to eight bus routes and close enough to Ballston Quarter to call it a next-door neighbor.

What is the Boutique Life? The designers and architects of 672 Flats have thought big while staying small, incorporating a touch of exclusivity by keeping the community relatively small while expanding the luxurious feel of the amenities.

The common areas are perfectly proportioned for casual comfort and privacy, yet the spaces open up when it’s time to stretch out, including the in-house bar, the fitness center, game room and cyber lounge/mailroom (with computer stations and coffee service).

The studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments boast stainless steel appliances, solid surface countertops and elegant-not-fussy fixtures that will accent the up-to-the-minute contemporary décor for years to come.

Being in the heart of Ballston, 672 Flats is surrounded by shopping and entertainment choices, anchored by the refurbished Ballston Quarter center and dozens of national and local retailers.

For those looking now, the good news is there is a one-month-free offer on select units while they last (or until April 30). And if you apply within 24 hours of a tour, you get half-off move-in fees. Schedule a tour or stop by the Open House on Saturday, April 27.

Be sure to ask about the transportation benefits for carshare, bikeshare and Metro fare.

672 Flats is located at 672 N. Glebe Road. Call 703-312-0672 or schedule a tour at this site.

Muse Paintbar Plans July Opening in Ballston Quarter

By Vernon Miles

The growing “paint and sip industry” is making its way to Arlington with a new Muse Paintbar location in Ballston Quarter.

The art-studio-slash-bar first showed up in county permits last fall. A spokesperson for Muse Paintbar confirmed that the bar is planning to open in July, though no more specific date has been chosen and construction at the location hasn’t begun.

Muse Paintbar is planned to open on the mall’s first floor at 4238 Wilson Blvd.

The chain was founded in 2012, offering public events and private parties focused around learning how to paint while sipping on a variety of wine, craft beer and food. (Just be careful which cup you sip out of.)

If you cannot wait for the Ballston location to open, there are also Muse Paintbar locations at the Mosaic District (2920 District Avenue) and National Harbor (122 Waterfront Street).

Muse Paintbar joins a series of other restaurants and businesses opening recently in Ballston Quarter, including another bar — Ballston Service Station — in the Quarter Market food hall.

Photo courtesy Muse Paintbar

County Board Approves Large Outdoor Screens in Ballston

By Airey

The Arlington County Board amended zoning regulations last night to allow Ballston Quarter to install large electronic displays outside the entrance to the mall.

The Board’s vote approved developer Forest City’s request for two screens on the Ballston Quarter mall exterior near the outdoor seating area. The vote also amended county zoning ordinances to allow “an increase in the maximum sign height of up to 55 feet for large media screens” in areas around shopping malls.

“Large media screens are an appropriate tool for use by urban regional shopping centers to create a vibrant sense of place, to enhance outdoor community gathering spaces, and to stimulate economic competitiveness,” a staff report to the Board read.

The new rules would only allow screens to be placed as high as 55 feet if they are located within a shopping mall within a quarter-mile of a Metro or major bus station.

Forest City has been planning to install two strips of LED screens: one mid-way up the building wall facing Wilson Blvd and another strip on the wall 49.5 up feet from the ground. But the request was denied because current zoning regulations forbid screens installed higher than 40 feet.

The Board postponed its consideration of the request for months to make time for changing the zoning rule, before moving forward in March.

“The applicant intends to use the screen for family-friendly presentations, the display of public art, charitable events and entertainment, and/or educational opportunities,” one of the staff reports to the Board notes.

Forest City is still required to get a use permit for the screens, so it’s likely at least a few months before the screens will be installed and turned on.

Construction on the revamped former Ballston Common Mall has largely wrapped up and nearly a dozen new eateries have opened or are in the process of opening in the mall and its Quarter Market food hall.

Screenshot via county documents.

County Board to Consider The Salt Line’s Planned Outdoor Cafe

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Seafood restaurant The Salt Line is coming to Ballston next year and plans to have a large outdoor patio space with seating for up to 100 patrons.

Before it opens, however, The Salt Line’s future landlord at 4040 Wilson Blvd is seeking Arlington County Board approval to build the outdoor cafe, which will sit on private property and feature a fixed bar. The site plan amendment is on the County Board’s agenda next week and county staff is recommending the Board approve it.

More from the county staff report:

As part of their build out, the tenant proposes to establish an outdoor bar in the planned outdoor café space. The café area begins on Wilson Boulevard, wrapping around the corner and lining the façade of the Salt Line along the new public plaza area. The entirety of the fixed bar area and the outdoor seating are located on private property. The number of proposed interior seats is greater than the number of proposed exterior seats, so the outdoor café does not need a use permit…

The request to permit a fixed bar in a private outdoor café requires County Board approval in order to modify the requirements of ACZO Section 12.9.15, which requires outdoor café furnishings to be temporary.

This area was envisioned for private outdoor seating and therefore is not inconsistent with the original approval, and since the fixed bar does not encroach into the public realm, staff is supportive of the request. Staff has recommended a condition requiring removal of the fixed bar at the termination of the lease with The Salt Line, thus freeing up the space for future retail uses that would not necessarily be restaurants.

County staff is “supportive” of the outdoor cafe proposal but is also recommending “conditions related to the proposed design and window transparency in order to ensure that the space, as planned, becomes a vibrant and active pedestrian plaza,” according to the staff report.

The Salt Line, which first opened in D.C.’s Navy Yard in 2017 to critical acclaim, is hoping to open the new Ballston location next spring, telling ARLnow that they plan to make the restaurant “a real neighborhood gathering place.” The building, meanwhile, is nearing the end of its construction process and is expected to open to office and retail tenants by the end of the year.

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