Courthouse

Coming Soon: Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill

By ARLnow.com

Look out, Clarendon Ballroom and Eventide Restaurant. Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill is expected to arrive on the scene within a matter of weeks, hoping to become the go-to destination for outdoor food and drinks in the Courthouse-Clarendon area.

The restaurant, which is being built atop the Dehli Dhaba and Subway restaurants at 2424 Wilson Blvd, promises to serve classic American cuisine at moderate prices. There will be a large main dining room with high ceilings as well as a rooftop deck — that is, if the necessary permits come through. No official word on expected capacity, but the eatery’s permit application calls for 104 seats.

“Value and variety” will be the restaurant’s food credo, a rep tells ARLnow.com. In addition to a frequently-changing menu, a weekend brunch service is in the works. So far, management has been mum about the restaurant’s planned wine, beer and liquor offerings.

Construction is still underway at the restaurant, but we’re told that they’ve already hired a “great staff” that’s “ready to go.”

Management is hoping to open the doors by the end of August (Update: late September or early October).

BREAKING NEWS — Worker Falls To His Death At Courthouse Hotel

By ARLnow.com

A worker has fallen to his death at the Arlington Court Suites Hotel in Courthouse. The incident is being investigated as an “industrial accident,” according to Arlington police spokesperson Det. Crystal Nosal. It is the second death from a fall in Arlington in as many days.

The worker fell seven stories, through a glass atrium and into the hotel’s front lobby. No word yet on how the worker fell, but ironwork appears to have been underway on four balconies above the atrium.

A pickup truck from Newington, Va.-based Hallmark Iron Works was parked outside the hotel.

“Out of respect for the family, we will offer no comment,” said a woman who answered the phone at the company’s headquarters.

Police say the victim was a 35-year-old man. Co-workers told WUSA9 that he was a new father. They also said that the man’s safety harness had been bothering him today, and that he was apparently not tied in.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.

WARNING: Readers may find some photos (after the link) disturbing.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Summers Doing Big Business During World Cup — Summers Restaurant in Courthouse was so crowded during yesterday’s World Cup match between the U.S. and Algeria that the fire marshal showed up, according to NBC Washington. The 300-capacity venue was deemed 25 people over-capacity.

Zimmerman Urges State to Reconsider Metro Defunding Threat — “The state should not break the promise made to its residents and regional partners,” WMATA and Arlington County board member Chris Zimmerman wrote in an op-ed on the Washington Post’s website. Zimmerman and fellow Northern Virginia WMATA board member Catherine Hudgins say that if the state withdraws $50 million in funding, as it has threatened to do if it doesn’t get two seats on the Metro board, then a cooperative $300 million per year infrastructure improvement plan “will fall apart.”

Flickr pool photo by brianmka.

Team USA Wins, Arlington Celebrates

By ARLnow.com

From Rosslyn to Ballston today, pockets of soccer fans could be seen celebrating Team USA’s amazing stoppage-time win against Algeria in the World Cup.

At Piola in Rosslyn, a sizable crowd jumped to their feet when Landon Donovan knocked in the game’s only point following a rebound off Algeria’s goalkeeper. Fans watching the game at Summers Restaurant in Courthouse, who had been bracing for a tie that would have sent the U.S. back home, celebrated wildly.

Along Wilson Boulevard, two cars passed by with horns honking and with passengers holding American flags out windows.

Having grabbed the top spot in Group C, the U.S. team will advance to the next round to face the runner-up of Group D. That game will be held Saturday afternoon.

Arlington Farmer’s Market Celebrating 30th Anniversary

By ARLnow.com

Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the Arlington’s Farmers Market, and the county has some special events planned to celebrate.

Shortly after the market opens at 8:00 a.m, county board member Mary Hynes will host a ceremony honoring the founders of the market.

There will also be giveaways, kids’ activities, gardening demonstrations, and appearances by local chefs, who will be sharing cooking tips.

In the wake of several farmers market vendors being shut down by health inspectors two weeks ago, safety-minded county officials will also be distributing flyers to market customers and vendors.

The content of those flyers, after the jump.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief.

(more…)

UPDATED: County Reviewing Farmers Market Health Policies

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:40 p.m. — A spokesperson for the county confirms that several vendors were shut down by Arlington health officials over the weekend. As a result of the closures coming to light, the county is “conducting a thorough review of both the action and the codes/policies that apply to farmers market food safety,” says Kurt Larrick of the Arlington County Department of Human Services.

An Arlington County health inspector busted a baker and a well-known local restaurant at the Arlington Farmers Market in Courthouse Saturday morning.

The Washington City Paper reports that the stand run by Maryland-based Atwater’s was shut down because its bread loaves were not individually-packaged.

Other stands were shut down as well, including a stand featuring free samples from Ballston’s Willow Restaurant.

Willow’s stand was shuttered by county officials because the restaurant did not pay the $150 in special event permit fees required to operate the stand, according to a person connected to the restaurant. Willow runs the stand as a public service and as a promotional vehicle — they don’t actually sell anything — and can’t afford to pay the fees week after week, our source says.

And Then The Clouds Lifted

By ARLnow.com

A brief thunderstorm that brought torrential rains to the area has knocked out power to more than 1,600 Dominion customers in Arlington.

The storm also knocked out traffic lights on Four Mile Run Drive, George Mason Drive and Wilson Boulevard. Police are directing traffic at a number of intersections, including several in the Courthouse area.

County offices at Courthouse Plaza are currently without power. A county communications system has also been affected by the outages.

Update at 3:40 p.m. — Power has been restored to county offices in Courthouse. A number of traffic lights are still flashing.

Beware the Courthouse Creeper

By ARLnow.com

He is apparently known to Metro employees as “the guy who stands at the bottom of the escalators every morning looking up girls’ skirts.” And Erica Walters, the local blogger behind Books Are My Boyfriend, says she had an up-close, personal and very disturbing encounter with this creepy dude at the Courthouse Metro station this week.

Erica writes that she was going up the escalator at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday when the man suddenly took a photo up her skirt with a cell phone camera, grabbed her and walked away.

To make matters worse, as tears were streaming down her face she asked a “nicely dressed older woman” for help. The woman’s reaction? To shake her head and keep on walking.

Erica goes on to say that she spotted the man on the Courthouse escalators again on Thursday. This time, she had the presence of mind to turn the lens on him. She snapped her own cell phone camera photo, then filed a report with Arlington police (who she says have been “immensely helpful”).

She also talked to a Metro employee, who said she recognized the man in the photo as someone who has a track record of sexual harassment in the station (see the quote above). It’s not clear whether anybody at Metro has ever tried to do anything about it.

Photo via Flickr. No association with the story is implied.

UPDATED — Man Dies After Accidental Plunge

By ARLnow.com

A man was killed this afternoon when he fell nearly four stories off the ledge of an elevated apartment terrace onto a concrete driveway below. Police are still investigating the incident but preliminary reports suggest the fall was accidental, according to Arlington Police spokesperson Det. Crystal Nosal.

It happened just before 4:00 this afternoon at The Prime at Arlington Courthouse apartments (1415 North Taft Street). There were several witnesses who gave statements to police.

A nurse who was near by reportedly tried giving CPR to the man, who was bleeding and unconscious. His body was later taken to a local hospital.

The man was walking several dogs at the time of the incident. It’s not known what role, if any, that may have played in the accident. The dogs are now in the custody of animal welfare officials.

Several people who have commented on this story say the man fell from the apartment complex’s dog park.

One person wrote: “The ledge back there in the fenced-in off-leash area is not very tall, it really could be an accident. Horrible.”

Update at 12:45 p.m. on 5/27 — Police have identified the victim as 29-year-old Arlington resident John Christopher Hamilton.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating a death that occurred on Wednesday, May 26, 2010.

At approximately 3:50 p.m., police and medics responded to the 1400 block of N. Taft Street for a man who had fallen from a roof terrace. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to injuries from the fall. He has been identified as John Christopher Hamilton, 29, of Arlington.

The preliminary investigation indicates the victim was attempting to step over a low railing on a rooftop terrace when he fell to the street below.

Anyone who has information about this incident is asked contact Detective Rosa Ortiz at (703) 228-7402. Det. Ortiz can also be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

Wondering What’s Replacing Hollywood Video in Courthouse?

By ARLnow.com

Now that the Hollywood Video in Courthouse has closed, you may be wondering what is going to replace it. At Saturday’s county board meeting, we got a preview.

An expansive, five-story residential complex with ground-floor retail is planned for the site. In addition to stores and restaurants on the sidewalk level, it will feature about 200 residential units, two open courtyards and an underground parking garage.

1900 Wilson Boulevard, as the project is known, is a being spearheaded by ZOM Mid-Atlantic, which bought the prime plot of land two years ago for nearly $22 million. Currently, the site is home to Hollywood Video, this small office building and a sizable surface parking lot.

The project will also involve the construction of a brand new road. The developer’s plan calls for a stretch of North Troy Street to be built between Wilson and Clarendon Boulevard, breaking up the “superblock” that now extends uninterrupted from Rhodeside Grill to Wendy’s.

The board spent more than 75 minutes discussing the project’s site plan on Saturday. Board members are expected to vote on the plan at their June 12th meeting.

View More Stories