construction

Construction starts on phase two of Red Top Cab redevelopment in Clarendon

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Work has begun on the long-awaited second phase of the Red Top Cab development in Clarendon.

This is the second of two phases for the “Clarendon West” project by Arlington-based Shooshan Company and its partner, Trammell Crow Residential.

“Construction has started with piles being driven,” CEO Kelly Shooshan told ARLnow this week. “So, we are a go.”

The local developer anticipates delivering the project by the end of 2023 or in early 2024.

The second phase, at the corner of Washington Blvd and 13th Street N., is comprised of one 269-unit multifamily building. Shooshan increased the number of units from 247 in the winter of 2020.

In October, Shooshan made a pitch for one extra hour of work on Saturdays, but the County Board denied that request, saying it would be too disruptive for nearby residents. At the time, work was expected to begin in November.

Project representative Adam Stone told ARLnow in December that construction had yet to start because some permits were still being finalized.

In 2015, the Arlington County Board approved a proposal for a three-building, mixed-use development, replacing the old Red Top Cab headquarters and dispatch center, and two small commercial buildings.

The first phase, comprised of two buildings with a total of 333 apartment units on N. Hudson Street and 13th Street N., was completed in the spring 0f 2021. Construction broke ground on the pair of buildings in March of 2019 and the complex, dubbed The Earl Apartments, was sold to another property owner last July.

New milestone reached in Virginia Hospital Center expansion

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Virginia Hospital Center’s under-construction outpatient center has reached a new milestone.

After installing more than 2,000 steel beams, workers recently put in place the beam that tops the building’s highest point, project manager Skanska announced yesterday (Monday).

The installation “topped out” the 7-story facility adjacent to VHC’s campus at 1701 N. George Mason Drive. Representatives from Skanska, VHC and the construction company commemorated the milestone by signing this steel beam.

The hospital expects the outpatient pavilion to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to its project webpage.

“The topping-out milestone demonstrates the significant progress we have made on this important project with our final goal of providing a facility that will offer state-of-the-art care for patients in Northern Virginia,” said Dale Kopnitsky, general manager and executive vice president responsible for Skanska’s D.C. area building operations.

In mid- to late-January, Skanska expects to complete the structure of the facility, while the enclosure of the building has begun and will continue through the second quarter of 2022, a company representative said. Next month, work will begin on the interior and that will continue until December 2022.

The project, which includes a recently completed parking garage, was narrowly approved by the Arlington County Board in 2018 amid objections from some nearby residents. The 245,000-square-foot outpatient facility will feature physical and aquatic therapy rooms, an outpatient lab and pharmacy, surgery and endoscopy treatment rooms, and women’s imaging suites. After the move, the hospital will be able to add about 100 beds to its existing building.

The newly finished, 1,600-car parking garage includes three below-grade levels and six above-grade levels, as well as an indoor walkway connecting to the hospital.

A time-lapse video shows progress on the building through early summer.

Earlier this year a handful of families in the area told ARLnow they were dealing with discolored water, which they attributed to ongoing construction at VHC. Community leaders said at the time that the response to the “mini-Flint-like issue” — a reference to the Michigan city’s large-scale water crisis — had been frustratingly slow.

In response, Arlington County and VHC said they were working to resolve the discoloration, which they tied to the installation of a new water main.

Last month, Virginia Hospital Center purchased for $34.5 million a building at 1760 Old Meadow Road in McLean, where it will set up an orthopedic outpatient surgery center, Washington Business Journal reported.

Rattling steel plates and a gas leak on Columbia Pike are the work of a 5G contractor, officials say

By Matt Blitz
1/3

(Updated, 4:40 p.m.) Loose steel plates on Columbia Pike that are keeping residents up at night with the sounds of cars driving over them are the work of a general contractor doing 5G work.

The same contractor also damaged a gas line on the Pike causing a large gas leak last week, according to Washington Gas.

The plates were recently installed on the 1800 block of Columbia Pike, prompting complaints from residents who say that they are rattling and banging loudly when passing vehicles drive on them. The plates are the result of work done by contractor Crown Castle, a spokesperson for the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services tells ARLnow.

“We’ve determined those annoyingly loud plates on Columbia Pike to be the work of a 5G contractor,” spokesperson Peter Golkin tells ARLnow. “Our Construction Management and Permits folks have been investigating and will work to get the plates secured and end the racket as soon as possible.”

The racket was first brought to both ARLnow’s and the county’s attention by rattled citizens on social media.

Crown Castle blames the rattling steel plates on a general contractor working for the telecom infrastructure company. The steel plates have since been removed and replaced it with asphalt, a company spokesperson has confirmed to ARLnow.

“Crown Castle continues to expand our infrastructure in Arlington to provide connectivity to the community. One of Crown Castle’s general contractors was conducting work to support network enhancements for our enterprise and wireless customers, including 5G,” wrote a company spokesperson. “The temporary steel plate has been removed and has been replaced with asphalt. Final restoration will be completed in the coming weeks as we coordinate with the county and account for holiday schedules.”

Washington Gas tells ARLnow that the contractor is also responsible for damaging a gas line near S. Scott Street during the course of this work. That resulted in Columbia Pike between Quinn Street and S. Walter Reed Drive being shut down for several hours.

“Washington Gas recently conducted repair work to a natural gas line that was damaged by a third party contractor on Columbia Pike,” a spokesperson for the natural gas provider wrote.

Crown Castle confirmed to ARLnow that its general contractor damaged the gas line.

“We coordinated with Washington Gas and the county to quickly address and repair the situation and restore service,” the spokesperson wrote.

A short distance away from the newly-repaired gas line, the rattling steel plates remained until at least Friday afternoon, when an ARLnow photographer observed the scene. While there, the photographer saw that crews had removed some of the plates to continue work below.

DES said at the time that it was investigating and asking the contractor to fix and secure the plates as well as lower the noise level in general. Golkin said the county appreciates the outreach from residents.

“We want [to] thank the nearby residents for alerting the County directly and through social media,” he said.

Douglas Park house to be rebuilt as net-zero energy home for disabled adults

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

(Updated at 10:50 a.m.) A three-story, county-owned group home in Douglas Park is set for demolition early next year.

In its place, Arlington County will oversee the construction of an environmentally friendly home for six adults with disabilities, at a total cost of more than $5 million.

Built in 1924, the house at 1212 S. Irving Street has undergone several renovations and has operated as a group home since the mid-1970s, according to a county report. Today, the 3,800-square foot, seven-bedroom house accommodates five individuals.

But the county says the house needs to be rebuilt.

“This existing residence is aged and in deteriorating condition and will be demolished and replaced with a new two-story family home of approximately 3,000 [square feet],” according to the project page.

The $4 million construction contract for the net-zero group home was approved by the County Board in October. Demolition could begin in January 2022, as could the installation of a geothermal well field that will power the home’s heating and cooling systems, says Claudia Pors, a Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman.

“Right now the contractor (MCN Build) doesn’t want to begin demolition of the current structure until they have materials to build the new home, and demolition isn’t anticipated to begin for another 6-8 weeks,” she said.

The new home will have six bedrooms, including accessible bathrooms and closets, an area for staff and accessible communal living spaces with built-in furnishings and appliances, per the county report. It will be equipped with various audio-visual technologies to support individuals with complex medical support needs.

“Upon completion, the new home will provide a primary and permanent residence for up to six adults with developmental disabilities,” the report said. “It will be constructed to meet the changing needs of the residents across their lifespans, regardless of physical and behavioral support needs.”

Arlington’s Department of Human Services will operate and maintain the house, while a contracted residential provider will have the primary responsibility for caring for residents.

The new 1212 S. Irving Street will be a net-zero energy residence, meaning it generates as much energy as it consumes. It will also be the county’s first Viridiant Net-Zero certified building, Pors said.

“Some of the construction features include an airtight building envelope and high-performance windows and doors that prevent outdoor air from coming in, or loss of conditioned air; less than 50% of impervious area on the property, so stormwater can be absorbed by the ground naturally; and landscaping with non-invasive species,” she said.

Solar panels and geothermal systems will power the building, while energy recovery ventilators will recover heat or cold air, she said. The interior will also feature LED lighting, low-flow plumbing features and Energy Star appliances.

The project is $900,000 over budget, according to the report.

“The total project budget for the 1212 S. Irving St. Group Home project is $5,205,735,” the report says. “This amount is $900,000 over budget, due to the current unstable market conditions, longer construction duration from lagging supply deliveries, and the addition of a sixth bedroom and a kitchenette to satisfy DHS current programming requirements. The construction cost was over a $1 million more than the independent cost estimate received in November 2020.”

Amazon touts HQ2 construction progress as Bezos makes big donation to local nonprofit

By Jo DeVoe
1/15

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) With 800 workers completing one floor every 10 days, the first two buildings of Amazon’s HQ2 are set to reach their full height in April.

Construction began on the 2.1 million-square foot Met Park campus — the first phase of the massive Pentagon City project — in January 2020 and is still on-track to be completed in 2023, Amazon officials said during a hard hat tour today.

Separately, shortly after the tour ended, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Day 1 Families Fund announced a $2.5 million grant to longtime Arlington nonprofit Doorways, intended to “end homelessness for families in the Arlington area.”

Donations to local nonprofits was also a theme of the remarks from Amazon officials to the gathered crowd of media members and elected officials, including outgoing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti. They spoke of the company’s community involvement, its pace of hiring workers for HQ2, and construction progress.

“Three years ago, we made a commitment to create 25,000 and an investment of more than $2.5 billion,” said Brian Huseman, Amazon’s Vice President of Public Policy. “I’m excited to announce to you today that we are on track for that. As of today, we have more than 3,500 Amazon employees working at HQ2 and more than 2,500 open roles, which is double where we were a year ago today. HQ2 is on track and it’s here.”

Amazon now intends to fulfill its goal of 25,000 jobs by 2028.

Once an abandoned warehouse, the site of Met Park will eventually feature two solar-powered, 22-story office buildings and more than 50,000 square feet of retail space, including a childcare, as well as a 2-acre public park and a 700-person meeting center free for the community to use.

“Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, I’m truly proud to share that we’ve hit all our critical milestones and we’ve kept the project on schedule while keeping the workers safe as well as our community,” said Jeff King, the vice president of construction for Clark Construction. “Just last month, we surpassed the halfway mark with our concrete operations. We set the timber roof over the event center… Our exterior façade commenced in September. And in the last couple weeks, we started revitalizing Metropolitan Park.”

So far, workers have reached level 15 on the pair of office buildings and are getting ready to frame level 16, he said. Once completed, the buildings’ rooftops will feature a café terrace, a dog run terrace and an urban farm terrace.

A timber roof was recently installed over the event center, which mostly be available for events such as conferences, Amazon’s Senior Manager of External Affairs Patrick Phillippi said. The terms of shared use have yet to be ironed out.

Officials highlighted the sustainability of the construction project as well, from using concrete that sequesters recycled carbon to diverting 84% of all construction materials from landfills.

Over the last three years, Amazon has donated $34 million to local nonprofits such as La Cocina VA, Arlington Food Assistance Center and Bridges to Independence, and schools, such as the “Think Big Space” innovation lab under construction at Wakefield High School.

Huseman said Amazon has donated more than $500 million in low-rate loans and grants to preserve 2,300 affordable homes in the HQ2 region, with more coming. As part of the Met Park development, Amazon is donating more than $20 million to Arlington County to fund the creation and preservation of committed affordable housing units, primarily through the development of additional units at the nearby Crystal House apartment complex.

Separate from these donations, local nonprofit Doorways — which works to lift locals out of homelessness and support victims of domestic violence — announced today that it also received an Amazon-related windfall: $2.5 million from Bezos’ families fund grant, which is doling out $96.2 million to 32 nonprofits across the country.

(more…)

Construction underway on Coptic Orthodox church in Green Valley

By Jo DeVoe
1/11

Construction is advancing on a permanent home for Saint Timothy and Saint Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church in Green Valley.

The Arlington-based church — which goes by the abbreviated STSA Church — currently rents space at George Mason University’s Virginia Square campus at 3351 Fairfax Drive.

In 2018, it purchased a vacant lot for $2 million at 2640 Shirlington Road on which it plans build a permanent structure. The county approved an easement related to the property, located between townhomes and the ABC Imaging print shop, this February.

Work started early in September and now, the dense trees that covered the site are gone. Fr. Anthony Messeh, the church’s priest, tells ARLnow crews have finished clearing the site and finished pile driving, and have now turned to sheeting and shoring.

“We are excited to be a part of the community,” he said. “We’re not here to invade, but hopefully, to continue to serve the community and be a part of what’s happening there.”

He says the building will be ready by the end of 2022. When finished, STSA Church will have a traditional Orthodox church space and a contemporary worship space, separated by an atrium, as well as rooms for age-specific ministries and staff office space. There will be a parking garage below and a floor for commercial office space above, topped by a garden terrace.

Messeh says the office would be offered for rent to offset the cost to build the parking structure.

“When people hear a church is moving in, the first question is, ‘Where is everyone going to park?'” he said. “We wanted to be good neighbors. We didn’t want ‘We’re parking in front of your house’ to be our first exposure to the community.”

STSA, which offers in-person liturgy and Sunday morning services, has sought out a permanent gathering place since it began operating in 2012. For now, the congregation and the priest are feeling the limitations of a rented space in a university setting.

“For us, it’s less about outgrowing the size of the space and more in terms of the mission of the church,” Messeh said.

A permanent home would provide a more fitting space for STSA’s community service work, such as its mentorship program with area public elementary schools and its Christmas party for children with blood disorders from Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital. Additionally, the church’s growing children’s ministry currently uses college classrooms, which do not have age-appropriate furniture, he said.

Lastly, the wafting incense and Byzantine icons characteristic of Orthodox worship can’t be replicated in a rented space. Messeh’s limited to pictures of icons and plastic statues at GMU and can’t use incense — which could set off a fire alarm.

“There’s a look and feel that we do our best to recreate [but] it’s not a real, authentic Orthodox experience,” he said. “After 10 years, we need that.”

Amazon HQ2 construction still on schedule, as work starts on revamped Metropolitan Park

By Jo DeVoe
1/9

Construction on the first phase of Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City has reached a new milestone, as crews turn to revamping the adjacent green space.

Work on the office complex, located at the corner of 13th Street S. and S. Eads Street, remains on schedule, according to an Amazon spokesperson. The site is comprised of two, 22-story office buildings dubbed Met Park 6 and 7/8 and the forthcoming park area.

Clark Construction, which is overseeing the development, officially got started on the green space — also named Metropolitan Park — last week, according to an email the company sent Friday. Fencing around the site has been expanded to surround the existing park to maintain public safety during this work.

“We anticipate excavation activities will begin in the park area in mid-November,” the email reads.

The existing park space was mostly used as a place for dogs to run around and relieve themselves, though this summer it was home to a farmers market. The new $14 million park — designed by the firm behind New York City’s famous High Line — will feature more than two acres of public open space, including signature landscapes such as a forest walk, an edible garden and children’s play garden, as well as a dedicated dog run and community tables.

“Crews will excavate the existing park, removing 10,000 cubic yards of soil over the next several months,” Jeff King, Clark’s vice-president of construction, said in a video update last month.

This work will move from the edge abutting S. Fair Street to the edge bordering the office buildings, he said. This winter, crews will install drainage and irrigation systems and haul in new dirt to support the future park’s varied topography and vegetation.

“Our construction schedules time with planting seasons, with the first planting set to take place in spring 2022,” King said.

For dog owners nearby, the loss of the green space means frequenting other local parks.

“I know many of our neighbors use the park space daily,” King said. “We recognize that the shared community asset provides the space to walk your dogs, enjoy the outdoors and socialize.”

Knowing this, he said Clark Construction and Amazon spent several months this year sprucing up Virginia Highlands Park.

Clark Construction workers make improvements to Virginia Highlands Park (via Clark Construction)

King said the efforts were to ensure “it’s a great place and a respite for outdoor activities and community gatherings while met park is under construction.”

Amazon helped fund the creation of temporary dog parks at Virginia Highlands Park, along the 15th Street S. side of the park, which were installed earlier this year. Dog owners also have access to a few other parks within a mile of the fenced-off park, including Grace Murray Hopper Park (1401 S. Joyce Street), the temporary “Gateway Green” park (101 12th Street S.) and Long Bridge Park.

Area parks and their distance from Metropolitan Park (via Clark Construction)

Meanwhile, construction crews are completing one floor of the two office buildings about every week and a half, King said.

“Our crews have made significant progress on the site,” he said. “We anticipate topping both 22-story office buildings out in spring of 2022.”

Installation of the building’s façade will continue over the next 12 months, he said. Inside, crews are installing electrical and mechanical systems, sprinklers and drywall.

In its email, Clark noted there will be intermittent traffic stops in the coming weeks on the corner of S. Elm Street and 15th Street S. for deliveries.

Portions of 13th Street S. between S. Eads Street and S. Elm Street, as well as portions of S. Elm Street between 15th Street S. and 14th Street S., will be closed periodically to maintain concrete pump and truck access. Flaggers will assist with traffic flow, and road users will be able to access driveways, loading docks and entry points for adjacent buildings.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

APS Appoints New DEI Chief — “The School Board appointed Dr. Jason Ottley as the new Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at its Oct. 28 School Board meeting. Dr. Ottley has been serving as Interim Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer since Sept. 1.” [Arlington Public Schools]

Ed Center Project Taking Longer — “The firm that has been overseeing construction at the former Arlington Education Center will get another funding bump, as the project lingers longer than expected and requires more oversight. School Board members on Oct. 28 were slated to be briefed on the plan to provide another $277,083 to McDonough Bolyard Peck, which is serving as construction manager adviser on the project. Final approval of the funding is slated for November.” [Sun Gazette]

Time to Compost Your Pumpkins — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Reincarnation is real. Toss rotting pumpkins in the green curbside cart and they’ll come back to life as nutritious compost.” [Twitter]

Fewer Day Laborers at Shirlington Site — “The users, who live mostly on Columbia Pike and Alexandria, have shrunk to 10-20. ‘The outdoor site is no longer there, and it’s only a matter of time before jobs disappear from there,’ Tobar said.” [Falls Church News-Press]

ANC to Recreate 1921 Procession — “Arlington National Cemetery said Wednesday that it will host a public memorial procession and military flyover on Nov. 11 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of Unknowns. The procession, which visitors can observe, will begin at the main entrance to the cemetery on Memorial Avenue near the welcome center.” [Washington Post]

Honor for Wakefield Driving Teacher — “The Virginia Association for Driver Education and Traffic Safety has named Wakefield High School’s Tony Bentley the Behind the Wheel Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made at the state meeting, held online on Oct. 1, which featured 140 driver-education teachers and representatives from the Virginia Department of Education.” [Sun Gazette]

Staff of Rosslyn-Based Politico Unionizes — “The news staffs of Politico and E&E News went public Friday with the news that that they have formed a union. Around 80 percent of the newsrooms’ combined staffs are on board… Politico is based in Virginia, a right-to-work state, so employees will likely have the choice of whether or not to join if the union drive is successful.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Monday, Nov. 1 — The first day of November will be sunny, with a high near 60. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph. Sunrise at 7:35 a.m. and sunset at 6:07 p.m. Tomorrow there will be a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53.

Phase two of development at Red Top Cab site could start by end of year

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Construction could start on the second phase of the Red Top Cab development in Clarendon within the next month or two.

“We are hoping to start the project before the end of the year. It all lies in the County’s hands as we continue to pursue our permits,” said Kelly Shooshan, CEO of Arlington-based developer Shooshan Company.

This is the second of two phases for the project, dubbed “Clarendon West,” by Shooshan and and partner Trammell Crow Residential. In 2015, the Arlington County Board approved a proposal for a three-building mixed-use development, replacing the old Red Top Cab headquarters and dispatch center, and two small commercial buildings.

The first phase was comprised of two buildings on N. Hudson Street and 13th Street N., with a total of 333 apartment units. Shooshan says construction broke ground on the pair of buildings in March of 2019 and was completed this spring, with leasing having started in February. The complex, dubbed The Earl Apartments, was sold to another property owner in July.

The second phase at the corner of Washington Blvd and 13th Street N. is comprised of one multifamily building with 269 units, according to plans filed in December 2020. Shooshan says will likely be completed by the end of 2023 or in early 2024.

Last Saturday, project representatives — who said construction is expected to start in November — made a pitch for one extra hour of work on Saturdays. They said it would shave up to two months off of the end date. The approved construction hours are 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

“This request has gone through multiple iterations based on outreach with the community,” said attorney Matt Roberts of Bean, Kinney & Korman. “It’s going to improve the construction schedule for the project, which is going to have a direct and immediate benefit to the community by providing less time overall for construction.”

Starting an hour earlier allows workers to get in a full day’s worth of work sooner, said Adam Stone, representing Trammell Crow Residential. Construction sites with earlier start times are more competitive because workers can get done and get home earlier in the day, he said.

Their request differed from what Shooshan had initially requested the Board to consider: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

These hours, which county staff analyzed, drew opposition from the Lyon Village, Ballston-Virginia Square and Clarendon-Courthouse civic associations, and St. Charles Catholic Church, according to a county report. The homeowners association for the Bromptons at Clarendon townhomes and two local residents, however, said the extension was fine.

Roberts said the church reversed its position when Shooshan returned the Sunday construction time to 10 a.m.

Following the recommendation of county staff the County Board denied what Board Member Libby Garvey called an “eleventh-hour” request for extended hours. Members were skeptical that the community would actually benefit from longer work hours and a shortened schedule.

“We’re dealing with a lot of construction in Arlington, it’s really difficult for residents to be going through that,” Garvey said. “I know while an hour on a Saturday might not seem like much to people, that might be a pretty big difference for people who live in the area.”

BREAKING: Two construction workers hurt at Arlington elementary school

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) Two workers were hurt after a construction accident at an Arlington elementary school.

It happened around 10:30 a.m. at Key Elementary School, in the former Arlington Traditional School building at 855 N. Edison Street. Firefighters and police are on scene.

Initial reports suggest part of a wall collapsed and the workers were struck by falling cinder blocks. Both are being rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.

“It is related to the construction of the new kitchen,” APS spokesman Frank Bellavia said of the accident. “Two workers were injured… No students were near the site as it is only accessible by construction workers.”

Workplace safety officials are being requested to the scene to investigate the incident.

A portion of N. George Mason Drive in front of the school may be at least partially blocked by the emergency activity.

The principal of the school sent the following message to families this morning.

Dear Escuela Key Staff and Families,

I am writing to notify you about a construction accident which occurred in the area under renovation in the kitchen at Escuela Key this morning. No students were involved or near the site. The area where the construction is occurring is in the kitchen, which is sealed off and separate from students at all times. Two workers were injured and have been taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. I wanted you to be aware due to the increased police and fire department activity at the school this morning.

Thank you,

Marleny Perdomo
Principal

County Hoping to Wrap Up Green Valley ‘Town Square’ Project By End of Year

By ARLnow.com
1/6

It’s behind schedule, but John Robinson, Jr. Town Square in Green Valley should open by the time the calendar turns to 2022.

Formerly known as Nauck Town Square before it was renamed last year after a long-time Green Valley civic leader, the new public park is intended to be a central hub of activity in the neighborhood. It will feature an outdoor stage, a plaza, tables and other seating areas, at a construction cost of around $5 million.

Originally, after the construction contract was awarded in mid-2019, the project was expected to be complete by the end of last year. Given the pandemic and other factors, however, it is still in progress.

Some local residents have expressed concerns about a pause in construction activity, but a county spokeswoman said things should ramp back up soon.

“Arlington County is excited about the new John Robinson, Jr. Town Square, with a goal of opening by the end of this year,” Arlington Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development spokeswoman Elise Cleva told ARLnow last week. “At this time, County permitting is concluding, and the contractor should resume work by the end of the month.”

“There are some uncertainties about the timing of the utility relocation and some work will continue after the opening,” Cleva continued. “However, barring any unforeseen delays, we still anticipate that the town square should be open so visitors can enjoy the square and open space by the end of the year.”

Asked about the delays, Cleva cited several factors.

“There isn’t a single, simple cause for delay,” she said. “It’s a combination of factors stemming from the complexity of the project, which requires coordination among several County departments and external partners.”

Cleva called the project and its timely completion “a countywide priority.”

“The project, designed by the award-winning landscape architect and artist Walter Hood, is a countywide priority with multiple departments and includes road realignment and improvements, sidewalk and pedestrian enhancements, relocation of utilities, and public art,” she said.

View More Stories