construction

Marymount University to Revert Parking Lot to Campus Green

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Two decades ago, Marymount University paved paradise and put up a parking lot on its main campus in residential North Arlington.

This week, the school embarked on a construction project to turn the lot in front of the historic Main House at 2807 N. Glebe Road into a campus green space.

“This restores that area to how it looked prior to May of 2000, when the lot was created to supply additional parking for the University,” spokesman Nicholas Munson said.

Construction began Monday and is expected to be completed around Sunday, Aug. 15, depending on the weather, he said.

Marymount added the surface parking lot to accommodate a growing school community at the Main Campus. Today, Marymount’s Blue and White garages now provide “ample parking” for the community, he said.

“Once it’s completed, Marymount will provide more recreational space for students while creating a positive impact on our physical campus environment,” he said.

The project is being paid for with capital funding.

Other upcoming campus projects include transforming “The Lodge,” a historic structure on the Main Campus, into a welcome center for students, families and visitors. Marymount also plans to reorient the front entrance so that fewer cars can access the campus core, making it more pedestrian-friendly, and to create a “student hub” in Rowley Hall “to promote a new community space for Marymount Saints to gather.”

The university also has a campus along N. Glebe Road in Ballston.

New Bus Bays Debut Near Ballston Metro Station This Week

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

Commuters in Ballston now have access to new bus bays on Fairfax Drive, outside the entrance to the Ballston Metro station.

The refreshed bus bays feature “new bus shelters, sidewalks, and planters,” said Eric Balliet, a spokesman for Dept. of Environmental Services. He added that work along Fairfax Drive should be “substantially complete in August.”

These upgrades are part of a four-phase project to update the transit facilities and public areas surrounding the Metro station. Improvements to multimodal facilities along Fairfax Drive comprise the project’s first phase.

The county expects the project will be 100% complete next summer, he said. The goal of the project is to increase transit usage and safety, improve the facilities as well as access to them and circulation around them, and enhance their design and provide sustainable infrastructure.

With phase one nearing substantial completion, the county is embarking on the second phase. Access to bus bays and pedestrian paths along the east side of N. Stuart Street will be impacted during this phase, which is expected to last until spring 2022, the project webpage said.

“Access to businesses along east side of N. Stuart Street will be maintained throughout this phase,” the webpage noted.

Since Sunday, some ART and Metrobus service along N. Stuart Street and N. Stafford Street has been relocated to the new bus stops on Fairfax Drive and temporary ones on the west side of N. Stuart Street. On Monday, attendants could be seen helping commuters get to the right bus stop.

WMATA say it is still working to provide printed schedules for riders.

Phases three and four will focus on upgrades to two plazas, one on N. Stuart Street and one on Fairfax Drive, and each phase is expected to last three months. Once all four phases are complete, commuters will see a number of additional upgrades, such as additional bike parking, expanded public space along Fairfax Drive, a dedicated “kiss-and-ride” curb space and a dedicated shuttle bus curb space and bus shelter.

In addition, “landscaping and benches for the planter areas, bus stop flag poles and real-time bus information displays will be added toward the end of the project,” Balliet said.

The County Board approved the project in December 2019, and construction — expected to last 18 months — was slated to begin in the summer of 2020.

“The project experienced delays due to the need to relocate telecom and electric utilities lines,” Balliet said. “We now expect the entire project to be completed in summer 2022.”

The Salt Line in Ballston Now Likely to Open in September

By Matt Blitz
1/3

The Salt Line in Ballston is now “looking at a September opening,” restaurant representatives tell ARLnow.

This another push back from the restaurant’s initial opening in spring 2020. Pandemic-related delays caused that to be moved to 2021. Then, construction delays shifted it again to summer and, now, opening appears to be set for late summer or early fall.

Current construction does appear to be further along than it was two months ago, with ARLnow observing several people working on the outdoor bar.

When the restaurant was first announced in January 2019, the Arlington County Board had to approve the building of the outdoor portion of the restaurant since the plan was for it to be permanent.

The Salt Line is located at the base of 4040 Wilson Blvd. in Ballston, the tallest building in the neighborhood.

The seafood spot comes from D.C-based Long Shot Hospitality and will be the second location of the popular Navy Yard restaurant. That location was the Washington Nationals’ unofficial party spot during their World Series run in 2019, partly due to Ryan Zimmerman being an investor and part-owner.

The 3,800-square-foot space in Ballston will include spread-out booths, a large patio, and outdoor bar and lounge area in response to “COVID-conscious guests requests for more space,” we’re told.

The kitchen will be managed by executive chef Matt Singer and Kyle Bailey of Long Shot Hospitality. The Ballston restaurant will have a menu similar to that of the Navy Yard location, including clam chowder, lobster rolls, rockfish, and clams. The seafood is sourced from a New York-based cooperative supplemented by local, freshly caught fish from Maryland.

There will also be house-made pastas, daily lunch service, and an “expanded selection of crudos.”

Long Shot also just opened a New Orleans-style eatery called Dauphine’s in D.C. in May.

Review Process Set to Begin for Wendy’s Development Project in Courthouse

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

The county review process is just about to begin for Greystar Real Estate Partners’ proposed redevelopment project for the vacant Wendy’s site in Courthouse.

It’s the same process that former developer Carr Properties went through seven years ago to get county approval to build an office building. After Carr received the County Board’s go-ahead in 2015, the fast food spot was demolished in 2016 but the office building never materialized.

For almost five years the triangle lot sat vacant; for the last two years it was used as a construction staging area for the 2000 Clarendon condo project across the street. Now, the site plan review process is about to kick off for Greystar’s plans to turn the 0.57-acre lot at 2025 Wilson Blvd into a 16-story apartment building, with up to 231 residential units and 4,000 square feet of retail, according to the county’s site plan website.

In September, residents will have an online engagement opportunity in which they can comment on land use, building size, architecture, transportation and open space. Site plan review meetings are slated for the fall, but dates for the final approvals from the Planning Commission and the County Board are still to be determined.

As part of the project, Greystar proposes a nearly 3,300-square-foot public pedestrian plaza at the intersection of N. Courthouse Road, Wilson Blvd, and Clarendon Blvd. The plaza, with movable tables and chairs and space for temporary vendors, would surround a possible retail entrance at the tip of the Wendy’s site, facing N. Courthouse Road.

The project includes a 104,789 sq. ft. transfer of development rights from “Wakefield Manor,” a small garden-apartment complex less than a half-mile from the proposed development. The housing on N. Courthouse Road — featuring Art Deco and Moderne design elements — is designated as having “a historic easement,” according to the county.

That could be part of Greystar’s plan to achieve higher density while providing affordable housing. Greystar’s proposal clocks in at 166 feet tall and 16 stories, much higher than the recommended maximum of 10 stories in the Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study.

Documents filed in April stated Greystar “is open to the provision of on-site affordable housing to further justify the increase in height” but said nothing further than that the developer is committed to “work with staff throughout the site plan process to develop an affordable housing plan.”

Another development preparing for site plan review also proposes using the transfer tool. Insight Property Group plans to transfer density from garden-style apartments it owns on Columbia Pike to the Ballston Macy’s, which is set to be redeveloped as an apartment building.

Greystar, meanwhile, has another project in the works nearby. Demolition has started of the low-slung commercial buildings that make up the Landmark Block, making way for a new 20-story apartment building adjacent to the Courthouse Metro station.

Hat tip to @CarFreeHQ2

JUST IN: Firefighters Respond to Medical Emergency at Construction Site

By ARLnow.com

Arlington firefighters conducted a rescue operation this morning in Virginia Square after someone fell seriously ill at a construction site.

The incident happened this morning around 8 a.m., near the intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Kirkwood Road, where a seven-story residential building is being constructed.

According to the fire department, the stricken individual was removed from the construction site and rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. No additional details were given about the nature of the medical emergency.

Washington Blvd was blocked in both directions as a result of the emergency response.

Demolition Starting at Landmark Block in Courthouse

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

The “revolution” in urban living set to take place in the Landmark Block in Courthouse is currently being fomented.

Residents who pass the site near the Courthouse Metro station can see preparations underway to tear down some of the low-slung retail buildings along the 2000 block of Wilson Blvd.

Demolition work is starting on the site’s aging brick retail buildings, as Bisnow reported earlier this week. John Clarkson, the managing director Greystar Real Estate Partners, told the site that work began last week, and the developer aims to deliver a 20-story apartment building by the third quarter of 2023.

The Landmark Block site is one of two projects — the other is a 220-unit building on the vacant Wendy’s lot — that Greystar is overseeing in Courthouse. Clarkson said the developer is focused on this neighborhood because it has the demographics, schools and walkability that make Clarendon attractive but less of the growth.

“We really want to establish a sense of place,” Clarkson tells Bisnow. “With some real density, some real scale it will feel like we have filled in that hole in the doughnut between Rosslyn and Clarendon, so we’re very excited about [the] upside of that submarket.”

Seven commercial buildings on the Landmark Block site will be demolished, including the former Summers Restaurant. The façades of the First Federal Savings and Loan Building (2050 Wilson Blvd) and the Investment Building (2049 15th Street N.) will be preserved, according to the county. The buildings, constructed in 1946 and 1948 respectively, are identified as “important” on the county’s Historic Resources Inventory.

The County Board approved the project at 2050 Wilson Blvd, featuring 423 apartment units, ground-floor retail and an underground parking garage, back in March. For proponents, the building and accompanying community benefits will make Courthouse Square “the civic and cultural heart of Arlington,” and will be “where the revolution begins,” as phrased in a county planning document.

One of the features the county said will usher in changes for Courthouse is a pedestrian promenade.

“The promenade was one of the addendum’s top recommendations for the area around Landmark Block,” the county said in March. “The N. Uhle Street promenade…will be lined with trees, and offer retail shops and plenty of space for community gatherings.”

Greystar will provide a portion of the Courthouse Square promenade that is envisioned in the Courthouse Square Addendum to the Courthouse Sector Plan. The full promenade would run between Wilson Blvd and 14th Street N. along N. Uhle Street.

An architect’s rendering of the pedestrian promenade on N. Uhle Street (Image via Arlington County)

The county said the promenade will be “the main gateway from Clarendon Boulevard into Courthouse Square.”

Meanwhile, the long-vacant Wendy’s site will no longer look on while other sites are developed around it. Greystar’s plans for the triangular site at 2025 Clarendon Blvd are going through entitlements, Clarkson tells Bisnow.

The developer expects to break ground on the 220-unit building by the second quarter of 2022. For the last two years, construction crews have used it as a staging area while building a condo project across the street at 2000 Clarendon.

The old Wendy’s site has sat vacant since it was demolished in 2016 for an office building that never came. Greystar acquired the property from Carr Properties in January, according to real estate firm JLL.

Study: Arlington Apartments Are Getting More Spacious

By Jo DeVoe

The average square footage of an Arlington apartment appears to be increasing, according to a new study from RENTCafé.

Among 92 cities and jurisdictions, more than one-third are building bigger apartments now than they did five to 10 years ago, according to the website, which follows trends in the apartment market. And Arlington County had the seventh largest jump in unit size between 2016 and 2021.

Compared to units completed between 2016-2020, in the second half of the last decade, those under construction as of May  2021 are 91 square feet bigger — “enough for a cozy home office or relaxation area,” RENTCafé spokeswoman Michelle Cretu said.

New projects in Arlington are embracing “renters’ living preferences following the pandemic,” she said. “After years of shrinking apartments, current projects… are on the track to give renters more square footage to better fit their new lifestyle.”

Localities that were building smaller apartments, and are now building larger (via RENTCafé)

And the extra size is being added across one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

“The share of 2- and 3-bedroom apartments under construction is similar to the overall stock and is not driving the increase in average size,” Cretu said.

RENTCafé’s data show apartment unit size increasing from 2016-20 to May 2021

Out of the 664 units that were under construction as of May, 61% are one-bedroom apartments, RENTCafé’s analysis found. Arlington County historically has had a high share of one-bedroom apartments, Cretu said, which comprised 54% of units delivered between 2011-2015 and 63% of those delivered in the second half of the decade.

Representatives from developers JBG Smith and Penzance, which are active in Arlington, were lukewarm on attributing this uptick to the pandemic.

“The renter profile in Arlington has changed over the past several years,” said John Kusturiss, Senior Vice President of Development for Penzance. “Apartments are no longer just for recent college grads; folks of all ages want to have the accessibility of an urban area to walk to great shops, restaurants, and more.”

JBG Executive Vice President of Development Bryan Moll said the people seeking larger rental units fall into a few categories: first-time renters seeking units that fit roommates, those constrained by “the limited supply of affordable, for-sale housing,” and new or growing families.

Moll did say JBG Smith is responding to the pandemic-era need for home offices and individual and co-working spaces. He added, however, that the company has found renters are willing to settle for smaller units to be nearer to amenity-rich corridors in the area.

“Submarkets like National Landing continue to evolve into even more vibrant destinations with enhanced neighborhood amenities and new employment opportunities,” he said. “As a result, more renters will want to live there, even if that means living in slightly smaller units. We’ve seen this trend play out over the past decade in most of the amenity-dense areas across D.C.”

RENTCafé observed shrinking apartments across the river in D.C., meanwhile. Current units are 23 square feet smaller than they were five years ago, and new rentals will be 721 sq. ft. on average — among the smallest units under construction, Cretu said.

Arlington County’s Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development — which tracks development trends in Arlington — last reported apartment size trends, which are calculated by dividing the building’s total square footage by the number of units, in 2018. That report show more modest fluctuations compared to RENTCafé’s findings.

“Based on the most recent findings (2018), the average square feet per unit has not shown a significant increase,” a CPHD spokeswoman said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Storm clouds to the west, seen from N. Glebe Road around 8:45 p.m. Thursday night (staff photo)

Power Outage Update — As of 8:45 a.m., Dominion reports 3,149 customers in Arlington still without power after last night’s storms, which may have spawned a tornado. [Twitter]

Workers Threatened During Rosslyn Theft — “At approximately 4:54 a.m. on June 30, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect allegedly entered a work site and attempted to steal equipment. When confronted by workers, the suspect produced a large wooden stick and threatened them. Responding officers located the suspect on scene and he was taken into custody.” [ACPD]

New School Board Leaders Chosen — “Today, the Arlington School Board held its annual organizational meeting for the 2021-22 school year and elected Dr. Barbara Kanninen as Chair and Reid Goldstein as Vice Chair. The terms for the new Chair and Vice Chair begin immediately and will continue until June 30, 2022.” [Arlington Public Schools]

APS Appoints First COO — “The School Board appointed Dr. John Mayo as the first Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Arlington Public Schools at its July 1 organizational meeting. Dr. Mayo currently serves as a Deputy Superintendent for Petersburg City Public Schools in Petersburg, VA. The COO is a new position that is part of the Superintendent’s reorganization, designed to strengthen operations and provide schools, students, teachers and staff with the needed supports and resources.” [Arlington Public Schools]

Arlington GOP Gets Post-Trump Boost — “The Arlington County Republican Committee continues to see a resurgence in membership – driven, perhaps counterintuitively, by the results of the 2020 national election. ‘We’re close to 100 members,’ said Matthew Hurtt, communications chairman… It’s a major increase since the start of the year, and ‘a testament to excitement and enthusiasm that is happening here in Arlington,’ Hurtt said.” [Sun Gazette]

No Fireworks Viewing Access from DCA — From Reagan National Airport: “July 4 fireworks viewing… Due to major construction impacting our roadways and sidewalks, there is no pedestrian access to Gravelly Point and the Mount Vernon Trail from the airport.” [Twitter]

GMU Launching Center on Race — “George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government will launch its new Race, Politics, and Policy Center in Fall 2021 under the leadership of Professor Michael Fauntroy. Fauntroy, who taught at Mason for 11 years before joining the faculty at Howard University in 2013, returned to Mason in June.” [George Mason University]

Clarendon Nightlife Reminder — “As the region continues to emerge from the pandemic and more patrons participate in nightlife activities, Arlington County is reminding the public about designated weekend pick-up and drop-off zones in Clarendon.” [Arlington County]

Construction on ‘The Highlands’ in Rosslyn Is Starting to Wrap Up

By Jo DeVoe
1/12

Developer Penzance is approaching the finish line for The Highlands development in Rosslyn, which includes a trio of residential towers, a fire station and a park.

One apartment building, named Aubrey, will be completed this summer, a spokeswoman said.

Early this fall, Penzance is set to deliver two residential buildings — apartment tower Evo and condo tower Pierce — as well as the new ACFD Fire Station 10, which is temporarily located at 1791 N. Quinn Street.

Construction on The Highlands started in October 2018. When finished, The Highlands will feature 780 luxury rental apartments, 104 condos and 40,000 square feet of retail space, in addition to the park and fire station.

Yesterday (Thursday), Penzance announced the start of leasing for apartments in Evo, a new milestone for the massive development. Leasing for Aubrey began March 1 and condo sales are ongoing for Pierce.

“We’re excited to begin leasing for Evo, the final residential tower coming to The Highlands,” said John Kusturiss, Penzance’s senior vice president of development and construction.

The 29-story building with more than 450 luxury apartments will feature a number of amenities, including a rock-climbing wall, a golf simulator, a dart alley and bar, a rooftop pool, grilling stations, and coworking lounges.

“Following The Highlands’ delivery, Rosslyn will also welcome the forthcoming Rosslyn Highlands Park that residents can enjoy,” a press release noted. The 26,000-square-foot park is set to be completed by the end of the calendar year, the spokeswoman said.

The Highlands is part of a flurry of construction in Rosslyn, including the recently completed Queens Court Residences affordable housing development (1801 N. Quinn Street), which will have its grand opening on Tuesday and which features a new playground on-site.

Collective Bargaining, Higher Wages for Construction Workers on the County Board Agenda

By Jo DeVoe

The County Board will consider tomorrow whether to advertise public hearings for two amendments that could impact labor negotiations and wages.

One will determine whether the county code should allow employee associations to enter into collective bargaining with the county over compensation, benefits, working conditions and other issues. The other would add prevailing wage provisions — increasing compensation for construction workers — for contracts of $1.5 million or more, starting this October.

Both of these changes respond to state laws passed by the General Assembly in 2020 and went into effect last month. One law allows municipal employees to join unions and negotiate employment conditions for the first time since the 1970s. The other gives local governments the option to implement prevailing wage programs for public works contracts exceeding $250,000.

Collective bargaining is slated to go first on Saturday.

“Consistent with Arlington’s values, the proposal to allow employees to organize and collectively bargain in good faith is intended to promote constructive relationships between the County and its employees,” a county report said.

The county anticipates that the initial collective bargaining agreements will go into effect in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Nearly 2,540 employees are eligible to join one of five collective bargaining units proposed in the ordinance.

These five units are police; fire and emergency medical services; service, labor and trades; office, professional and technical; and general government.

Some employee associations representing these categories already exist, but “the advent of collective bargaining will offer employees the choice to more formally organize their views through professional representatives,” the report said. Currently, associations for employees like police officers and firefighters are limited to publicly advocating for raises and other changes, as opposed to being able to directly negotiate with county officials.

This ordinance also would determine what topics are on- and off-limits for negotiation.

“While the County and the employee associations have reached consensus for the bulk of the ordinance, there remains a difference of approach on a few key areas, particularly focused on the scope of bargaining and how disagreements would be resolved,” the report said.

For example, Schwartz and unions disagree over how much of the process for challenging disciplinary actions can be negotiated.

About 1,590 employees — including managers and supervisors and temporary employees — are ineligible.

According to the report, the county budgeted $350,000 for legal services and a new position for the first phase of implementation, as more staff were needed to write contracts and determine bargaining units. But the county anticipates “substantial additional resources will be needed” beyond that.

It cited the City of Alexandria, which is spending $850,000 on the first phase, and Loudoun County, which has estimated it will need $1.4 million to get started.

In Arlington, the collective bargaining measure is supported at least by County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti and Vice-Chair Katie Cristol, according to Blue Virginia.

Next, the Board is set to consider a policy that would possibly increase wages for tradespeople working on government-contracted projects.

“Prevailing wage policies are founded on the idea that public contracts should not decrease the average wage rates for construction laborers and tradespeople in a locality but should either maintain the average or improve it,” according to a county report. “In areas where racial and gender pay and benefit gaps exist, prevailing wage policies can also help close these gaps.”

Some — but not all — workers can expect a boost in their pay from the new policy.

“Certain labor classes will see improvement while others are unlikely to be impacted,” the report said.

The policy will come with a cost, in the form of making construction more expensive.

“The standard assumption in the construction industry is that prevailing wage policies add approximately 15% to construction contract costs, although actual impacts can vary depending on the region, the type of construction, and percentage of the labor component of the specific contract,” the report to the County Board says. “Staff expects the actual impact in the Northern Virginia construction market to be less than this given the level of competition and the influence of existing prevailing wage policies in Washington, D.C. and Maryland.”

“If these contract costs increased by 5-10% that could mean additional construction costs of $3 million to $6 million each year and could require reprioritization of the capital program,” the report said. “Staff will carefully study these impacts and will adjust future cost estimates and capital plans accordingly.”

Both ordinances would be scheduled for public hearings and possible adoption on July 17.

EXCLUSIVE: Discolored Water in Halls Hill Tied to Virginia Hospital Center Construction

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Arlington resident Amber Haynes says her family has been living without the certainty of clear water for the last year.

Every time they plan to do laundry, Haynes and her family run the water to clear out the murky sediment that builds up. The family uses bottled water for brushing their teeth and disconnected the ice machine. Even the dog drinks bottled water.

“Showering is disgusting, but it has to happen. The bottom of our shower is red,” she told ARLnow on Tuesday. “We have to be strategic about when we do things.”

The family lives near Virginia Hospital Center, which is in the midst of a large expansion project. Haynes is one of a handful of families in the area who have been dealing with discolored water, which residents attribute it to ongoing construction at VHC.

In 2018, the hospital narrowly received County Board approval for the expansion project, which includes a large parking garage and a seven-story outpatient pavilion.

Construction at Virginia Hospital Center in September (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Community leaders say the response to the issue has been frustratingly slow.

“We really feel like we’re not being well represented,” said Wilma Jones, the president of the John M. Langston Citizens Association, which represents the historically Black neighborhood of Halls Hill. “The neighborhood has just had enough.”

Jones called the situation a “mini-Flint-like issue,” a reference to the Michigan city’s large-scale water crisis.

“We know that if this was occurring in neighborhoods like Country Club Hills, they would have resolved the issues a long time ago, rather than continuing to ask residents to be patient and deal with water they cannot drink or use to brush their teeth,” she said earlier last week. “Neither the county nor the hospital is providing drinking water for the impacted families.”

The residents say their complaints were not taken seriously until recently, when the water reached its murkiest point and two County Board members participated in a meeting between hospital administrators and neighbors.

“It’s a flurry of activity right at the end now that it’s gotten so bad and more people know about it,” Haynes said.

Arlington County and VHC both confirmed they are working to resolve the discoloration, which they attribute to the construction of a new water main that is almost ready to go online, according to county and hospital officials. The new main was made necessary due to the hospital expansion, we’re told.

Katie O’Brien, a spokeswoman from the Department of Environmental Services, said the county has been working on resolving the issue since staff first learned about the problem in mid-February. The department was not aware of complaints made before then, she said.

Hospital officials, meanwhile, say they are taking the problems seriously.

“We are aware of concerns expressed by a select number of households near the Hospital and have been working closely with our contractors and Arlington County to resolve the issue,” said Adrian Stanton, Vice President, Business Development & Community Relations. “VHC has been working diligently with our contractors to make sure the issue is resolved quickly, authorizing double crews to work through the holiday weekend to complete the work.”

Rust-colored water from the Haynes family home (Photo courtesy of the Haynes family)

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