Columbia Pike

Sen. Warner focuses on access to assistance during events with Arlington business owners

By Matt Blitz
1/4

Many small businesses in Arlington are hurting amid the pandemic, and that’s on top of some of the unique issues faced by Black and female business owners.

That was the topic of a pair of discussions held by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) in Arlington on Friday (Feb. 4)

Over heaping plates of Doro Wat and injera, Warner met with local Black business owners at Dama Restaurant on Columbia Pike to discuss ongoing challenges they face and how the government can help them with better access to capital.

In attendance at the lunch were business owners from across Arlington and Northern Virginia, including the owners of Greens N Teff on Columbia Pike, Elliot DeBose from Sol Brothers Candles, Idido Coffee House owner Sofonias Gebretsadick, and Lauren A. Harris of Little Ambassadors’ Academy on Langston Blvd.

Arlington County Board member Christian Dorsey and Arlington Economic Development Director Telly Tucker were also there.

The 45 minute conversation ranged from Covid-related federal loan programs, the need for mentorships, how to simplify access to capital, and discrimination towards Black-owned businesses.

Prior to the discussion, Warner talked about how he failed twice as an entrepreneur prior to hitting it big in telecommunications. He said he understands what it takes to be a business owner, but only from his own perspective.

“I am very aware that if I had not been a white man with appropriate education, I might not have had three chances to be an entrepreneur,” he said to the crowd of about 20 business owners. “Or two chances to be an entrepreneur. Or maybe even a first chance.”

One of the biggest challenges that kept coming up was not the availability of federal dollars, like Paycheck Protection Program loans, but easier access to it. That means simplified applications and improved messaging and communication, to make sure minority-owned small businesses are aware the dollars are out there.

Harris, owner of the nearly decade-old Little Ambassadors’ Academy preschool, said her biggest criticism is confusion about how to access capital. With her being very focused on the day-to-day of her business, Harris said it’s difficult to navigate all the paperwork and  to know where exactly she needs to turn for help.

“I think as a small business owner it is very hard sometimes to figure out where the support comes from,” she said.

Questions like what’s forgivable for loans, which funds have the longest lead time, and which business over 50 employees can apply are often on Harris’ mind, but clarity of answers can be lacking.

At one point in the conversation, a recommendation of creating a “one stop shop” type of website where all available grants, loans, and programs are listed was mentioned, in which Warner agreed needs to happen.

Beakal Melaku, co-owner of Greens N Teff, said the restaurant’s experience as a brand new business points to the need for additional help marketing and reaching customers. Money to do that would go a long way, he says, but he’s unsure where to turn for that.

The question of child care came up often at both the the business roundtable at Dama and at the AWE Women in Business Summit that was also attended by Warner on Friday.

(more…)

Planning Commission approves plans for new apartments on Columbia Pike

By Jo DeVoe
1/8

The Arlington Planning Commission gave a proposed Columbia Pike residential redevelopment the thumbs-up.

Now, plans to replace an aging, one-story retail strip in the 2600 block of Columbia Pike will head to the County Board for approval during its recessed meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Arlington-based Insight Property Group proposes to tear down the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive and build a multifamily building with ground floor retail. The six-story building, dubbed “The Elliott,” will situate 247 market-rate apartments above a grocery store (rumored to be an Amazon Fresh), a renovated CVS pharmacy and three levels of below-grade parking.

“This project has been a work in progress for several years now,” said Tad Lunger, the land use attorney representing the project. “As you know, it is a very prominent site in a town center on Columbia Pike, which was envisioned to accomplish a number of planning and community goals. The culmination of these goals has informed every aspect of this proposal.”

The developer will contribute land on the eastern edge of the site to the second phase of Penrose Square Park. This will nearly double the park’s size, and allow the two sculptures that comprise the public art installation “Echo” to be farther apart, as originally envisioned by its artist.

It will also build a new S. Cleveland Street, which separates the park and the site, a pedestrian passageway along the western edge of the site and an alley to the north.

The site of The Elliott development on Columbia Pike (via Arlington County)

Residents will have access to four amenity spaces: two internal courtyards, a pool courtyard overlooking the pedestrian passageway and a rooftop space. Insight Property Group is aiming for LEED Silver certification of the building.

Once engineering, building and landscape plans are finalized, demolition could begin in early fall, Erika Moore, a spokeswoman with the Department of Community, Planning, Housing and Development, previously told ARLnow. If that starts on time, construction would likely conclude by early 2025.

Members of the Planning Commission praised the project and had few questions.

“I’m excited by the presentation, and I’m excited to see this move forward,” said Daniel Weir, speaking not as the Planning Commission Chair but as a member. “I’m very happy as well with what we’ve been presented with.”

That there were no public speakers and few questions demonstrates how the Columbia Pike Form Based Code — which guides development on the Pike and favors mid-rise apartments with ground-floor retail — helped realize an “amazing building,” Commissioner Stephen Hughes said.

“Our long list of public speakers and fellow commissioners who have poignant things to add is a big old goose egg,” he said. “We stand on the shoulders of giants who helped build the original plan and worked to ensure the balancing act of many different areas were heard, communicated and then held to.”

The alley prompted one question from Commissioner Tenley Peterson, who referenced two car accidents involving alleys in November — one involving a toddler in Westover and the other an adult on a motorcycle who died of his injuries — that prompted a county task force to study alley safety.

(more…)

Two arrested after assaults at Columbia Pike businesses over the weekend

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a pair of assaults in and across from Penrose Square along Columbia Pike.

The first happened around 8 p.m. Saturday at a Penrose Square business.

Police say a 34-year-old Silver Spring man was arrested and held without bond on Malicious Wounding charges after he broke a bottle and used it to cut someone, before fleeing the scene.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-01290213, 2500 block of 9th Road S. At approximately 8:01 p.m. on January 29, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the known male suspect entered a business, approached the victim and initiated a verbal dispute. During the dispute, the suspect allegedly broke a glass bottle, and began physically assaulting the victim and cut him with a piece of glass. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries considered serious but non-life threatening. Responding officers located the suspect nearby and took him into custody without incident.

The second incident happened around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, across the Pike from the first scene.

Police say a man was tossed out of a business by a security guard, suffering a serious injury after he was “allegedly shoved to the ground.” The employee, a 35-year-old Alexandria man, was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding.

Like the first incident, ACPD did not reveal which business was involved. That block of Columbia Pike is home to two bars with late hours: L.A. Bar and Grill and Celtic House Irish Pub.

From ACPD:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-01290246, 2500 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 11:25 p.m. on January 29, police were dispatched to Virginia Hospital Center to meet with the victim of a malicious wounding which occurred earlier in the evening. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 10:27 p.m., the victim was inside an establishment and asked to leave by staff. He refused to leave and was physically escorted by security staff towards the exit and allegedly shoved to the ground, causing injury. Medics transported to the victim to the hospital for treatment of injuries considered serious but non-life threatening.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A dad gets pelted by snow in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Pole Finally Removed from Pike — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “That utility pole awkwardly lingering in the intersection of Columbia Pike and S Frederick Street has been removed. Good night for a cozy fire.” [Twitter]

Men at Memorial Still a Jan. 6 Mystery — “A few months after the Capitol attack, in March 2021, ARLnow published a story that featured several of Westcott’s photos with the faces of the men blurred out. Westcott was also in touch with some of the online sleuths investigating the Capitol attack, but nothing emerged that definitively identified the men or linked them to the broader Oath Keepers conspiracy, or figured out precisely how they fit into the puzzle.” [Huffpost]

Arlington-Founded Five Guys Takes Paris — “Scandal on the Left Bank: the legendary bookshop Gibert Jeune is being replaced by a Five Guys fast food outlet (apparently popular in the United States and Barack Obama’s favourite).” [Twitter]

It’s Monday — Today will be partly sunny, with a high near 38. Sunrise at 7:14 a.m. and sunset at 5:29 p.m. Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high near 41. [Weather.gov]

Halal pizza shop plans to open next month on Columbia Pike

By Matt Blitz
Future location of Papa Deeno’s Pizza on Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)

A new family-owned, halal pizza shop is looking to open next month on Columbia Pike.

Papa Deeno’s Pizza at 4109 Columbia Pike was initially supposed to open at the end of last year, but a family health emergency and supply chain challenges has pushed the opening by a few months.

The plan is now to open mid to late February, says co-owner Roxanne Mannan.

Mannan is opening the restaurant with her husband, Sapon Rahman, who’s been in the pizza business for more than 15 years. Owning their own pizza place is a fulfillment of a family goal.

“My daughter always wanted to have a pizza restaurant,” Mannan says. “She tells me ‘Mommy, my dream is to own a pizza shop.'”

So much so, that the 8-year-old designed the business’s logo, a slice dripping with cheese.

Papa Deeno’s Pizza from their website (Photo via screenshot)

What also makes the shop unique is that it will be all halal, similar to the taco shop La Tingeria in Falls Church.

“We are Muslim and eating out can be a challenge,” Mannan explains. “We thought it would be good to have some place that’s purely halal so people could have [that] choice.”

While the family doesn’t currently live in Arlington, Mannan attended Wakefield High School and grew up in the county. In fact, on Columbia Pike and in Quebec Apartments which is almost exactly across the street from where Papa Deeno’s will be.

“It really is a dream to find a place where I have a lot of memories,” she says.

Papa Deeno’s is expecting to do a brisk delivery business, with about 225 pizza deliveries over a course of a week, according to an October Arlington County staff report. That would potentially account for 30% to 40% of the business’s sales.

The menu consists of typical fare – pizzas, salads, pastas, sandwiches and chicken wings. The website also lists a second location in Chantilly that’s coming soon.

It’s moving into a space formerly occupied by Columbia Pike Cleaners.

Mannan notes that they understand it is a bit risky opening a restaurant during a pandemic, but believes this is the right time for her and her family.

She says, “When [customers] taste our product, I hope they can tell…the quality we can give to the community.”

Takohachi Japanese Restaurant looks to open within the week at Penrose Square

By Matt Blitz
1/7

Takohachi Japanese Restaurant at Penrose Square is planning to finally open within the week, owner Tsutomu Nakano tells ARLnow.

Back in July, the four-year-old sushi restaurant was forced to close its location at Westmont Shopping Center on Columbia Pike due to the shopping center’s impending redevelopment. However, plans were in place for the restaurant to move up the Pike to Penrose Square with a hoped-for opening date in September.

But the restaurant still wasn’t open in November, due to supply chain issues and delays in getting county permits.

While the Takohachi is finally readying itself to start serving in January, hiring employees has continued to be a challenge (something that’s been the case across the region and country). Nakano says he’s still looking to hire, particularly servers.

Takohachi Japanese Restaurant is known for its sushi, tempura, and Japanese food. The interior of the new space is quite a bit larger than the previous iteration, with a wooden bar in the middle with sectioned-off seating areas to the left and right.

Nakano, who is the chef and owner, moved to America from Japan about two decades ago and opened his first restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2017, he opened Takohachi at Westmont Shopping Center. However, only two years later, the Arlington County Board approved a redevelopment plan that included a six-story mixed-use building with 250 apartments and 22,500 square feet of retail space.

The sushi restaurant and a number of other longtime businesses there have since closed. The shopping center is now rubble, demolished earlier in 2021.

Takohachi did get a reprieve, thanks in part to the Columbia Pike Partnership, which assisted the restaurant’s move a few blocks away to 2501 Columbia Pike.

It’s been more than two years since that space was occupied, with the last tenant being Josephine’s Italian Kitchen. Prior to that, Marble & Rye and Red Rocks were in the location. None of the three restaurants made it more than three years there, though.

Nakano says the reason he wanted to continue to keep Takohachi on Columbia Pike is because of the “regulars” who helped support the business over the years.

Along with this new Arlington location, Nakano also owns another Takohachi in Centreville which opened a few months ago.

ACPD: Man fired gun during abduction of woman on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

An Arlington man is facing numerous charges after an alleged abduction and shot fired along Columbia Pike.

The incident happened Tuesday night near the western end of the Pike in Arlington.

“At approximately 9:56 p.m. on January 11, police were dispatched to the report of a dispute,” said today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the known suspect and female victim became involved in a verbal dispute. During the incident, the suspect allegedly brandished a firearm, threatened the victim, attempted to force her into a vehicle before discharging a round into the air and fleeing the scene.”

A suspect was later arrested.

“Officers identified the suspect, obtained warrants and subsequently located him and took him into custody without incident,” ACPD said. The 27-year-old man is facing an array of charges including “Abduction, Brandishing a Firearm, Assault & Battery, Reckless Handling of a Firearm, and Discharging a Firearm in a Public Place.”

Separately, a 33-year-old Arlington man is facing charges after an incident Wednesday night in the Westover area, on the 1100 block of N. Kenilworth Street.

“At approximately 10:36 p.m. on January 12, police were dispatched to the report of a person with a gun. Upon arrival, officers determined the suspect’s location inside an apartment, announced themselves as law enforcement and gave him commands to exit,” said the crime report. “The suspect exited the residence with a firearm in his hands, complied with officers commands to drop the weapon and was subsequently taken into custody without incident.”

“The investigation determined that the witness was inside her residence when she heard a loud noise coming from across the hallway and observed the suspect allegedly banging on an apartment door, making threatening statements and armed with a firearm,” the crime report continued.

A suspect was arrested and is facing charges of Reckless Handling of a Firearm and Disorderly Conduct, according to ACPD.

Morning Notes

By Brandi Bottalico
Lonely job (Courtesy of Jeff Vincent/Flickr)

Columbia Pike Optician Robbed — “Security camera video captured the tense moments when a group of thieves robbed an Arlington County store owned by a man known in the community for his charity work… The five suspects take hammers to the cases and fill bags with Cartier, Dior and Gucci frames, about $60,000 of merchandise.” [NBC4]

Mail Delays Frustrate Residents — “Residents across the D.C. region have become increasingly frustrated over delays in mail deliveries, with last week’s snowstorms, a spike in coronavirus cases and long-standing problems with the U.S. Postal Service contributing to a breakdown in services… Arlington resident Diana Wahl said she received no mail between Dec. 27 and Jan. 9. She finally received some mail on Monday and Tuesday, but older mail.” [Washington Post]

Fmr. Local Prosecutor Joins New AG’s Office — “From the job title, it doesn’t look as if [former Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo] Stamos’s primary role is going to be to keep an eye on those prosecutors. But multi-tasking is the way of the world these days, and by picking her, Miyares certainly poked his thumb in the eye of some of the Northern Virginia chief prosecutors.” [Sun Gazette]

Some Local Libraries Closed — “Due to Covid-19 related staffing shortages, Cherrydale and Glencarlyn Libraries will be closed Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 13 – 16. All library locations are closed Monday, Jan. 17 for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.” [Arlington Public Library]

Winter Storm PSA from ACPD — From the Arlington County Police Department: “With the risk of another winter storm on the horizon, now is a good time to register for Arlington Alert to receive information on major emergencies, weather, traffic disruptions and transit delays in Arlington County.” [Twitter]

Arlington Loses Delegate on New Maps — “He’s been redistricted out of Arlington, but Del. Rip Sullivan said he will always consider the community a second political home.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Thursday — Today will have increasing clouds, with a high near 46. Sunrise at 7:25 a.m. and sunset at 5:09 p.m. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny, with a high near 44. North wind 8 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. [Weather.gov]

Photo courtesy of Jeff Vincent/Flickr

Utility pole still protrudes into Columbia Pike due to incomplete underground cable work

By Matt Blitz
The lonely utility pole at Columbia Pike and S. Frederick Street in Sept. (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

The lonely utility pole protruding into a Columbia Pike intersection has not come down yet, the county confirms, despite assurances it was going to by the end of last year.

In September, ARLnow learned that an errant utility pole sitting a few feet from the sidewalk at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Frederick Street was scheduled to be removed. But that has yet to happen, due to at least one utility company not completing work to bury wires as part of the Columbia Pike multimodal project.

“Dominion Energy crews have completed removal of their overhead lines, with [the] exception of one property. Comcast’s contractor has completed removal of their overhead wires. Verizon is dealing with material shipment delays, which have deferred the process of scheduling their undergrounding work,” reads the county’s Jan. 6 project update. “When all three companies have removed their overhead wires, the utility poles along the roadway will be removed.”

The update on the website was made shortly after ARLnow reached out for more information based on a reader tip that the pole was still there.

There’s no timeline as to when the pole will be removed, a county spokesperson tells us.

The work may eventually result in the temporary closure of Columbia Pike lanes between the Arlington/Fairfax County line and the Four Mile Run Bridge during construction hours, they note.

In the fall of 2020, a traffic signal was installed at the intersection of S. Frederick Street and Columbia Pike near Arlington Mill. It was in response to a years-long request from residents and advocates to improve the intersection’s safety, which had seen a number of crashes and accidents over the years, including some involving pedestrians.

As part of that construction, the driveway to Arbor Heights — an affordable housing complex with an entrance right off Columbia Pike — was redone to align with S. Frederick Street. Previously, a cement island with a strip of sidewalk held the pole but that island was removed, leaving the pole all alone.

It’s surrounded by bollards and, though the county says it hasn’t received any complaints about it blocking or being dangerous to traffic, ARLnow has received several notes about it from concerned motorists.

A new underground duct bank was built and the utility companies are using it to bury the lines.

All of the ongoing work is part of the Columbia Pike multimodal street improvements project, which extends from the Arlington/Fairfax County line to S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City.

The goal is to “make Columbia Pike a safer, more accessible route for all users” as well as to transform “this main thoroughfare into a complete street that balances all modes of travel and supports high-quality, high-frequency transit service.”

H&R Block on Columbia Pike closed, as redevelopment of building nears

By Matt Blitz
1/3

The H&R Block on Columbia Pike has closed, even with tax season just around the corner.

The signage has been taken down from 2607 Columbia Pike and all the furniture is gone, leaving only beige carpet and scattered cords.

A company spokesperson tells ARLnow that the office is being relocated and is “working as quickly as possible to reopen,” but didn’t give a reason why the tax preparation company closed this particular location.

The closure likely has something to do with the approaching redevelopment of Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center, which housed the tax preparation company’s local storefront.

All the tenants at the shopping center, including Legend Kicks, Atilla’s Restaurant, and the Columbia Pike Partnership (CPP), received a notice to vacate by May 31 of this year, according to CPP’s deputy director Amy McWilliams.

Over the last two years, several have already moved out, including the Salsa Room in early 2020.

The plan is to replace the one-story aging structure, located just west of Penrose Square, with the Elliott, a multi-story, mixed-use building with about 250 apartments and 50,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. There will be a renovated CVS and a grocery store, according to Urban Turf.

There are rumors that the grocery store could be an Amazon Fresh location. The shopping center is located about two miles from Amazon’s under-construction HQ2 in Pentagon City.

Developer Insight Property Group says on its website that construction on the redevelopment project is expected to begin this year. ARLnow has reached out to the company for more information about plans and the project, but has yet to hear back as of publication.

A spokesperson for the county tells ARLnow the project could kick off as early as February. That’s when the County Board will likely consider a special use permit which will allow developers to finalize engineering, building, and landscaping plans, and demolition by the fall.

“In this scenario, construction would likely conclude by early 2025 at which point the new building could begin to be occupied,” writes Erika Moore, a spokesperson for the county’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development.

During construction, CVS is expected to move its pharmacy services to a trailer in the existing parking lot, notes Moore. The trailer will remain open until the project’s completion, at which point CVS will relocate into the new building.

The county couldn’t comment on the status of the other tenants.

Serial hit and run suspect tased after Columbia Pike crash

By ARLnow.com
Police response to a hit and run suspect on Columbia Pike on Dec. 29, 2021 (via Arlington County)

(Updated at 2 p.m.) An Alexandria man suspected in five separate hit-and-run crashes was tased by police in an incident that shut down Columbia Pike last week.

On the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 29, police were dispatched to the intersection of the Pike and S. Greenbrier Street for a report of a crash. They encountered a man in a damaged vehicle who refused to come out.

Even as more officers arrived, the man just sat in the vehicle, at some point reaching for something under the seat, according to scanner traffic at the time. Police, fearing that the man might have a weapon, requested bulletproof shields, while additional units rushed to the scene.

Eventually, officers used a Taser to subdue the man and take him into custody. Columbia Pike was blocked during the evening rush hour incident.

A subsequent investigation determined that the 34-year-old man had struck four vehicles in Arlington and one in Fairfax County before finally coming to a stop at the Pike and Greenbrier, according to police. He’s now facing multiple hit and run charges, as well as a charge of driving under the influence.

None of the hit-and-run victims were injured, police said.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report, below.

HIT AND RUN (significant), 2021-12290153, Columbia Pike at S. Greenbrier Street. At approximately 4:39 p.m. on December 29, police were dispatched to the report of a hit and run just occurred. Based upon information from witnesses in the area, arriving officers located the suspect vehicle, which had sustained significant damage, and attempted to make contact with the suspect. The suspect ignored multiple lawful commands from officers to exit the vehicle. Officers then removed the vehicle’s driver side window and attempted to remove the suspect, however the suspect continued to ignore their commands and resist arrest. Officers deployed a TASER and the suspect was subsequently taken into custody without further incident. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that prior to officers arrival, the suspect allegedly struck four vehicles in Arlington County and was involved in an additional hit and run in Fairfax County. No injuries were reported by the victims and the suspect was treated on scene by medics before being transported to an area hospital to be medically evaluated. [The suspect], 34, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Felony Hit and Run (x2), Attempted Felony Hit and Run, Driving Under the Influence, and Obstruction of Justice. He was also served with outstanding warrants out of Fairfax County. He was held without bond.

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