This year’s Columbia Pike Blues Festival will be headlined by three-time Grammy nominee Bettye LaVette, part of a lineup of blues, R&B and funk performers.

The 22nd annual festival is set for Saturday, June 17, from 1-8:30 p.m. at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive.

Jonny Grave kicks off the festival at 1 p.m., followed by Sol Roots with Carly Harvey at 2 p.m. The Full Power Blues Band follows at 3:30 p.m., before Rufus Roundtree and Da B-more Brass Factory at 5 p.m. and LaVette at 6:45 p.m.

LaVette has been touring and performing since the birth of soul music in the 1960s. She performed at the “We Are One” concert before President Obama’s first inauguration in 2008, as well as the Kennedy Center honors for The Who that same year.

Also at the festival, presented by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, will be food and drink, arts and crafts vendors and activities for children.

Photo via The Kurkland Agency


It’s the end of the road for P. Brennan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant at 2910 Columbia Pike.

The cavernous local pub will shutter after closing on Friday. Owner Brian Dolphin, who also owned the ill-fated McGinty’s near Potomac Yard, says P. Brennan’s “did pretty well” by staying in business for seven years, but never made much money.

“It never kicked off to the extent we thought it would,” Dolphin told ARLnow.com Thursday morning. He said P. Brennan’s liquor license expires after March 31 and he chose not to renew it.

Also contributing to the bar’s demise: its large size — “too big,” Dolphin said, in retrospect — and the cancellation of the Columbia Pike streetcar, which seemed to deflate some of the excitement and prospects for change along the Pike.

“Things went south on us a bit and never picked up,” said Dolphin regarding the aftermath of the cancellation.

Nothing out of the ordinary is planned for P. Brennan’s last day tomorrow, but Dolphin said he expects that many long-time patrons will be there enjoying a pint or two.


Senators Tour Proposed Cemetery Expansion — The Army gave a group of U.S. senators a tour of a proposed expansion area for Arlington National Cemetery yesterday. The expansion, around the Air Force Memorial, would create space for 40,000 to 60,000 gravesites while requiring a realignment of Columbia Pike. Military officials are hoping to open the expansion by 2023 but a land swap with Arlington County and Virginia has still not been completed. [Stars and Stripes]

Arlington Man Killed in D.C. — An Arlington resident, 31-year-old Antwan Jones, was shot to death Tuesday afternoon while sitting in an BMW in Southeast D.C. A second man was injured in the shooting. [Washington Post]

History of Fairlington — Eighteen years ago yesterday Fairlington was added to the National Register of Historic Places. George Washington once owned land in the neighborhood, in the southwest corner of Arlington. It was also home to Civil War fortifications and a horse farm before being cleared to make way for 3,449 units of government housing for defense workers during World War II. [Facebook]

Midwestern Gothic Trailer — Signature Theater has released a cinematic trailer for its new “world premiere thriller with a musical twist,” Midwestern Gothic. The production runs through April 30. [YouTube]

HireEd Conference Coming to GMU — Sponsored — Graham Holdings Chair Donald Graham will be the keynote speaker at an event that will bring together entrepreneurs, business leaders, educators and nonprofits to discuss strategies to place students and graduates in jobs at all levels and solutions for businesses recruiting talent. It’s taking place Wednesday, April 5, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at George Mason University Founders Hall, 3351 Fairfax Drive. Registration is free for students and $25 for general admission. [Arlington Economic Development]

Photo courtesy Fred Cochard


A new cafe appears to be arriving at the Columbia Place condo complex near Columbia Pike

Building permit applications have been filed with the county for a “new cafe and lounge in an existing mixed used building” at 1107 S. Walter Reed Drive.

Currently, the 14-unit building also hosts the Pureluxe Nails and Spa nail salon on its first floor. It is across the street from a branch of the BB&T Bank and the Avalon apartment building (formerly the Halstead), and is a block from Columbia Pike.

But there appears to be plenty of work to be done ahead of the new cafe’s opening.

The county’s online permitting system notes that permit applications in building, mechanical, plumbing and zoning categories have been rejected since the initial paperwork was filed March 8.

There are two potential cafe competitors nearby: Starbucks and Rappahannock Coffee, which is slated for redevelopment.

A spokeswoman for the county’s planning department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hat tip to Chris Slatt


(Updated 8:50 p.m.) Columbia Pike’s first beer garden appears to be almost ready for its first customers.

Work has been underway at BrickHaus at 2900 Columbia Pike for almost a year, and now seems to be approaching the closing stages.

A Facebook post last month said construction is finishing soon and that the opening is “getting closer,” while another earlier this month said there are “only weeks to go until opening.”

In an email, owner Tony Wagner said the joint across the street from the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse should be open “by the end of April.”

The outdoor patio and fire pit facing the street now appear to be mostly complete, while photos posted on Facebook show the 24-tap draught beer tower has been delivered.

Construction crews found the original marble tile from the building’s former life as a bank earlier this year, and light fixtures are hanging from the original rafters.

BrickHaus will be a beer garden on the first floor, with some 20 beers on tap and an approximately 30-seat outdoor patio. The second floor mezzanine will be a sit-down steakhouse. Previous plans for rooftop seating fell through.

It will offer mostly regional brews from Virginia, D.C. and Maryland, in addition to perhaps a couple of German beers. Wagner said draft wine will also be available.

The aging building has received an extensive renovation after being vacant for years following the departure of Blanca’s Restaurant.


Rosslyn tunnel (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

Pike Booster ‘Disappointed’ By Transit Delay — Cecilia Cassidy, executive director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, said the group is “very disappointed” by the latest delay in bringing enhanced transit service to the Pike. Cassidy said the cancellation of the streetcar cancelled much of the planned development along the Pike and that the delays in providing a viable transit alternative have put other development into a holding pattern. [WAMU]

More on DCA Plans — The airports authority has released more details about “Project Journey,” its $1 billion plan for upgrading Reagan National Airport. “Scheduled to mobilize in summer 2017, Project Journey includes construction of two new security checkpoints that fully connect the concourse level of Terminal B/C to airline gate areas, buildout of an enclosed commuter concourse to replace the 14 outdoor gates currently serviced by buses from gate 35X and future improvements to roadway and parking configurations.” [Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority]

Good News, Bad News About Tech in Arlington — Arlington has risen in the rankings of the best places in the U.S. for women in tech, from No. 34 to No. 22 this year. However, women in tech in Arlington still earn less than men, there are significantly more men than women employed in tech in Arlington and overall tech job growth in Arlington over the past four years is flat. D.C., meanwhile, ranked No. 1 on the list. [DCInno]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman


Slide from Dept. of Environmental Services budget presentation

(Updated at 11:50 a.m.) Those who live and work along Columbia Pike will have to wait another year for the implementation of a “Premium Transit Network” along the corridor.

ARLnow.com has learned that the plan for enhanced bus service along the Pike has been pushed back from 2018 to 2019 due to “WMATA’s focus on SafeTrack and core operations.”

Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services issued the following statement on the delay.

Originally proposed for summer 2018, implementation of the Columbia Pike Premium Transit Network is now planned for summer 2019. Much of the new service for this network depends on Metrobus, but Metrobus service improvements have been hampered by Metro’s SafeTrack program and the need for Metrobus to focus efforts on moving passengers around rail disruptions. The County is still working to improve local ART service on the original schedule, and we’ve started the purchase process for new buses needed for future service improvements.

Arlington’s Transit Bureau is working with WMATA and Fairfax County to develop an implementation plan for Columbia Pike service improvements. Metrobus has executed a contract to begin the planning and combine improvements included in both Arlington and Fairfax County’s Transit Development Plans.

The Premium Transit Network was criticized as not ambitious enough when it was approved last year, especially compared to the Columbia Pike streetcar plan it essentially replaced. County staff was directed to consider other enhancements to transit along the corridor to supplement it.

The streetcar project was cancelled in 2014. At the time, Arlington County Board member and streetcar critic Libby Garvey promised a transit replacement that “will do everything the streetcar could and more.”

The transit network is intended be “fast, frequent, reliable and easy to use, with features including simplified routes, increased weekday and weekend service, and a new one-seat bus ride from Skyline to Pentagon City-Crystal City,” according to a county press release last year. “In addition to new service, the Premium Transit Network includes new transit stations along Columbia Pike that will provide near-level boarding, longer platforms, real-time bus arrival information and off-vehicle fare collection.”

Although the transit network implementation has been delayed, Arlington County and WMATA have already implemented a number of planned enhancements to bus service along Columbia Pike and elsewhere in Arlington, according to slides from a Dept. of Environmental Services budget presentation that were posted online.


The Celtic House Irish Pub & Restaurant on Columbia Pike is the No. 1 place in the U.S. to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, at least according to online review site Yelp.

The pub, at 2500 Columbia Pike, has a stellar 4.6 star rating on Yelp, leading to its selection at the top of the “50 Best Bars in the U.S. To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day” list.

“Yelp determined the list by first identifying bars frequently reviewed with the word ‘Irish,’ and then ranking the establishments by ratings and the number of reviews,” said Travel + Leisure, which published the list.


Police car lightsIn this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report, there are two incidents of Arlington residents charged with assault on a police officer.

One of the incidents happened early Friday morning in Ballston, while the other happened last Tuesday along Columbia Pike.

From ACPD:

ASSAULT & BATTERY ON POLICE, 2017-03030034, 4000 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 3:01 AM on March 3, police responded to the report of a dispute. As officers were conducting the investigation, a male subject became aggressive and pushed an officer several times before being detained. A warrant was secured for Assault and Battery on Police for Robert Holloway, 46, of Arlington VA.

ASSAULT AND BATTERY ON POLICE, 2017-02280024, 5500 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 2:50 a.m. on February 28, officers responded to the report of a fight in progress. As officers were investigating the incident, a subject on scene became argumentative and aggressive towards an individual being interviewed by police. As officers were attempting to escort the subject away from the scene, he allegedly began to physically resist the officers, swung his arm and struck an officer in the face. Dorj Jargalsaikhan, 47, of Arlington VA was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer. He was held on no bond.

The rest of the past week’s ACPD crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

(more…)


Law enforcement command center outside Dominion Towers on 3/7/17 (courtesy photo)

There is an “ongoing and active criminal investigation” happening today at a Columbia Pike apartment building.

Arlington County Police, Virginia State Police and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a search warrant this morning at Dominion Towers (1201 S. Courthouse Road), in connection with a criminal investigation, a police spokeswoman said.

“Police are executing an ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) search warrant in the 1200 block of S. Courthouse Road,” said ACPD’s Ashley Savage. “Virginia State Police and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents are assisting in the execution of the search warrant. This investigation is not related to ICE’s immigration enforcement.”

A neighbor who witnessed the law enforcement activity said a mobile command center and a Chevrolet Suburban with a sign reading “OFFICIAL ICE BUSINESS” were parked outside the building around 6:30 a.m. The neighbor described “residents shuffling into that RV in their pajamas.”

Police are not releasing additional information about the investigation at this time, Savage said.

Courtesy photo


Columbia Pike shooting suspect Martin Walker (photo via ACPD)A Largo, Md. man was sentenced to 17 years in prison Friday for his role in a shooting on Columbia Pike last year.

Martin Walker, 25, was charged with attempted murder, malicious wounding, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Arlington County police responded to the 3600 block of Columbia Pike on April 20, 2016, after reports of a dispute involving a used car dealer. Upon arriving, officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg.

The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Walker was one of three arrested in the case, including the victim, who was determined to be “an aggressor in the dispute” and was later sentenced to a year in jail.

More from ACPD:

Martin Walker, 25, of Largo, MD was sentenced on Friday, March 3, 2017 in the Arlington County Circuit Court to seventeen years in prison for his role in a shooting on Columbia Pike in 2016. Judge Fiore imposed a sentence of seventeen years for the charges of Attempted Murder, Malicious Wounding, Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

On April 20, 2016 at approximately 10:30 p.m., Arlington County Police responded to a report of a dispute in the 3600 block of Columbia Pike. Arriving officers located one male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The initial investigation revealed there was a dispute between several subjects and a business owner over the sale of a vehicle. One subject brandished a firearm and shot multiple rounds towards the victim who was sitting in his vehicle. Following the shooting, the subjects fled the area. Officers observed the subject’s vehicle and initiated a short pursuit on Northbound I-395. The pursuit was terminated in Washington D.C. United States Park Police assisted the investigation with the use of their helicopter.

Detectives from the Department’s Homicide/Robbery and Tactical Units developed suspect descriptions. Members of the SWAT Team took Martin Walker and Joseph Thompson into custody from a residence in the 2400 block of S. Lowell Street. Joseph Thompson, 27, of Manassas VA, previously entered an Alford plea to the charge of Attempted Malicious Wounding by Mob and was sentenced to serve one year in jail.

Through the course of the investigation, detectives determined that the initial male victim suffering from a gunshot wound had been an aggressor in the dispute. Gregory Porter Jr., 22, of Triangle VA, previously pled guilty to the charge of Attempted Malicious Wounding by Mob and was sentenced to serve one year in jail.

Detective S. Roeseler was the lead detective and the case was prosecuted by Commonwealth Attorney Josh Katcher.


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