Crystal City

Construction Worker Pulls Gun During Argument

By ARLnow.com

Police are looking for a construction worker who reportedly pulled a gun during an argument near Crystal City.

Initial reports suggest other construction workers were able to wrestle the gun away from the man after he brandished it during an argument at a construction site at Old Jefferson Davis Highway and S. Clark Street.

The man fled on foot wearing an orange reflective vest and a hard hat, which police have since located. Police are setting up a perimeter to try to find the man.

It’s unclear if the man was working at the Long Bridge Park construction site or on one of several other projects in the area.

Update at 9:45 a.m. — The search has been called off.

Bozzelli’s Now Serving Pizza in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

The selection is a bit limited at the moment, but Bozzelli’s Italian Deli in Crystal City (2600 Crystal Drive) is now serving pizza.

The addition will bring Bozzelli’s, which opened in November, into direct competition with one of the few other street-facing quick-serve options on the southern end of Crystal Drive, Pizza Autentica (2450 Crystal Drive).

Bozzelli’s is serving plain cheese, pepperoni and veggie pizzas for now. Fancier options like the white pizza are still a few days away, an employee said. In addition to the pizza, Bozzelli’s is also now offering mini cupcakes and other sweets in Crystal City.

One repeat customer who may be sampling the new menu items is Crystal City resident and former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain. We’re told McCain has been known to swing by the restaurant on occasion.

Photo via Facebook

Photos from Crystal City’s Photo Show

By ARLnow.com

FotoDC’s month-long FLASH photo exhibit will kick off in Crystal City tonight.

Located on the top two floors of an office building at 2450 Crystal Drive, the show features 250 photos from 55 local photographers, a library of 150 photography books and a wine bar run by the Washington Wine Academy.

Photographers and reporters got a sneak peak at the exhibit last night. Here some of our photos from the event.

DISCLOSURE: Crystal City BID, the sponsor of FLASH, is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

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As part of FLASH, ARLnow.com will be hosting a photo contest dubbed “Flickr Flash.”

The contest will challenge photographers to take photos during the first two Crystal City 5K Friday races in April and submit them to a Flickr group for recognition and prizes. Ten finalists will be chosen and will be voted on by ARLnow.com readers. The top three vote-getters will be announced at a FLASH event and will receive gift cards from local restaurants.

Police Investigate String of Break-Ins in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police are investigating a series a break-ins at the Crystal House apartments on South Eads Street in Crystal City.

Building management sent the following email to residents earlier this week to update them on the investigation and to provide tips for keeping the community safe.

Dear Crystal Houses Residents:

I have received further information from the detective investigating the apartment break-ins that took place at our community, and I wanted to provide you with an update.

The police have now released a description of the suspects. They have asked that we please be on the lookout for two African-American males in their 20s, approximately six feet tall, one with dreadlocks. If you see anyone matching this description or have any information regarding this matter, please contact the Arlington County Police Department immediately. If you believe you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911.

As a reminder, we encourage you to let us know if you see anything suspicious taking place at our community as soon as possible. In addition, there are some things we can all do to help deter crime from our community:

  • Always use your key to enter the building, rather than buzzing in. This allows our concierge to check in guests and require them to sign in. Please note that if you do not use your key, and the Resident Concierge buzzes you in, you will be asked to sign in on the guest log. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
  • Never leave valuables in plain sight in your car or in your apartment home.
  • Keep your doors properly secured at all times, even when you are at home. Please utilize your deadbolt lock and chain.
  • Do not allow anyone you do not know to follow you into the building without using a key. Please be aware when allowing individuals to enter the elevator from the loading dock area without a key.
  • Report any suspicious or criminal activity immediately to the police department or call 911.

Arlington County Police are working diligently to apprehend these suspects that have been implicated in similar crimes at several nearby communities. If you have any specific information to share with the police, you may contact Detective Guevara at 703.228.4172. We will continue to cooperate with the authorities in this matter. Thank you again and please feel free to contact me or any member of our community management staff if you have any questions or concerns.

Yesterday several commercial break-ins — including a break-in at a secure government office building — were reported in Crystal City, but the crimes are not believed to be related to the apartment break-ins.

Update at 10:05 a.m. — Per the reported break-ins yesterday: Arlington Police say that glass was broken at two Crystal Drive storefronts, but nothing was taken. There was no record of the reported government building break-in.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Gears Up for Pothole Repairs — Arlington County and VDOT are preparing for a big spring pothole push. Crews have been out 5-6 days per week filling potholes, but as things warm up they may be able to start making more permanent repairs. You can report a pothole over the phone at 703-228-6570. [Sun Gazette]

Man Who Threatened Metro Sentenced — The Arlington View man accused of threatening to blow up Metro trains and Georgetown sidewalks has been sentenced. Awais Younis, 25, pleaded guilty in federal court to sending threatening communications. Younis, who said he never actually intended to carry out the threats, was sentenced to time served, a two-year supervised release, anger management courses and mental health counseling. [WTOP]

Rosslyn Blasting Starting Soon — The Rosslyn Metro entrance project has hit bedrock and will soon start blasting. The blasting will take place nightly between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m. for several months. Arlington County says the contractor is taking steps to minimize noise and vibration from the blasting. [TBD]

Crystal City Office Building to Be Renovated — An old 1960s-era office building at 1411 Jefferson Davis Highway will be renovated into “prime Class A office space” after BRAC forces its current tenant, the National Guard, to move out at the end of the year. [Washington Business Journal]

Englin Will Seek Re-Election — Del. David Englin, whose district includes part of South Arlington, says will not be seeking higher office this year. Instead, Englin announced yesterday that he will be running for re-election.

Flickr pool photo by Rukasu1

New Fitness Club Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

An 18,000 square foot fitness club may be coming to the southern end of Crystal City.

Fitness First, which operates a club in the Verizon building in Courthouse, is asking the county board to approve the conversion of unoccupied office and retail space for health club use at 2450 Crystal Drive.

The building, which houses DeVry University and recently became the home of a new Pizza Autentica restaurant, sits between 23rd Street and the ramp from Reagan National Airport. If its site plan amendment is approved, Fitness First would occupy the last available ground floor retail space in the building.

County staff is recommending the board approve the conversion as well as a greatly reduced parking ratio that would only require about 40 reserved garage parking spots. The spots would be monitored to see if additional parking becomes necessary.

The Fitness First location in Courthouse charges a $19.95 monthly fee. The company has 17 locations in the D.C. area.

No word on when the Crystal City location might open should the board approve its site plan request this weekend.

Arlington PD Still Investigating DMV Awards Melee

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police are still looking for the people responsible for turning the DMV Music Awards show in Crystal City into a large-scale brawl.

Despite the fact that 1,500 people attended the event, dozens of offers responded to the scene, and some of the fights were caught on video, police still have not made any arrests, according to department spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal.

Investigators are asking anybody who witnessed or video taped an assault at the awards to come forward by contacting Det. John Donaggio at 703-228-4167.

Photo Tour of Swank New Crystal City Hotels

By ARLnow.com

They’re two hotels with separate identities and philosophies, but they share a building, an owner and a sleek, modern aesthetic.

The new 300-room Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel and 325-suite Residence Inn Arlington Capital View will open to the public on Wednesday, but public relations staffers have been busy showing off the properties over the past week. Located on the south end of Crystal City, the hotels offer rooms with expansive views of Reagan National Airport and the Potomac River.

We’ll talk about what each hotel offers guests in a minute, but first let’s discuss the stuff that locals can take advantage of.

The Renaissance is home to an airy, 96-seat restaurant and bar called SOCCi (pronounced so-chee). The eatery, which is accessible from Crystal Drive, features modern Italian cuisine, a “pet-friendly outdoor seating area” and a chef’s tasting room.

The Renaissance is also home to one of the few Espressamente Illy coffee bars in the United States. The cafe has an outdoor patio and offers espresso beverages, sandwiches and lite fare. Your coffee can be enjoyed in the cafe or in the adjacent lobby area, which has WiFi and plenty of places to plug in laptops. The cafe will compete with a Starbucks that does brisk business just a block away on Crystal Drive.

For guests, the upscale Renaissance will offer rooms with high-speed internet, high-def TVs, iPod docking stations and “spa-like bathrooms.” The extended-stay Residence Inn will offer rooms wiht free WiFi, kitchens with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances and complementary grocery delivery.

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Long Bridge Park Takes Shape Near Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

We’re about one year into the construction of Long Bridge Park and some of the park’s features are starting to take shape.

The long rectangular buildings that will eventually house concession stands and restrooms for the park’s multi-use athletic fields now line Old Jefferson Davis Highway. Large, bulldozed stretches of red dirt will at some point become the lush, green Esplanade and rain garden. A lone steel entrance gate sits in a construction parking lot, awaiting completion of a field around it.

Construction on the first, $50 million phase of the park, located just north of Crystal City, is expected to wrap up in September. Design work on a second phase, which includes an aquatics, health and fitness facility, started last month.

The park will have breathtaking views of the Potomac and the D.C. skyline, but don’t don’t expect to attend any outdoor concerts there. The noise from planes taking off and landing at nearby Reagan National Airport is deafening.

The Long Bridge Park construction project kicked off last March, with the official groundbreaking ceremony held a month later. Since then, heavy equipment has only made the ill-kept road that runs next to the park site even more treacherous.

Old Jefferson Davis Highway, which connects Crystal City with Boundary Channel Drive, is a disaster zone, with potholes the size of Honda Civic tires. Although it’s eventually slated to be repaved, but until then it probably should only be traversed with a truck or SUV.

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Melee Breaks Out at Hip Hop Award Show in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Update on 3/7/11 — Another video of the brawl has been posted on DMVLife.com.

Update at 3:05 a.m. — A video posted on AllDMVHipHop.com (NSFW) shows a group of nearly a dozen people fighting inside the hotel.

A huge brawl broke out at a local hip hop award show in Crystal City Saturday night, sending several people to the hospital.

Multiple fights broke out at the 2011 DMV Music Awards at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, authorities said. Reports of more than 20 people fighting amid an audience of more than 1,500 prompted Arlington County police to take the rare step of sending every available unit to the scene.

“We’re going to need everyone,” an officer radioed to the dispatch center just after 9:30 p.m. “Apparently the whole place is out of control.”

Police arrived after most of the fighting had been broken up. Arlington officers were joined by units from Alexandria and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, a witness said. Some officers were armed with assault rifles, riot shields and other tactical gear, according to multiple witnesses.

The violence sent at least five people to local hospitals, according to Arlington Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal. Among the injured were a hotel employee and an individual who suffered “severe trauma to left eye.”

As of 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, no arrests had been made, according to Nosal. At that time police were still conducting an “active investigation” inside the hotel, Nosal said.

Local resident Doug Wendt witnessed the aftermath of the melee from outside the hotel. He reported this from the scene:

Approximately 30+ police cruisers converged upon the scene within minutes, as well as multiple paramedic units. While uniformed officers – some wearing tactical gear – and plainclothes detectives searched the hotel for suspects and persons of interest, victims were being treated on the streets outside the hotel by emergency medical personnel. Medical staging areas were set up on South Clark Street in front of the Hyatt, as well as at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott hotel. Police units clogged Crystal Drive and South Clark Street as patrons streamed out of the hotel after the event was ended as a result of the incident.

According to TBD, the general manager of the hotel said security for the event was provided by “police, a private company, and the hotel’s own security staff.”

No word yet on why the fighting started.

Photo courtesy Doug Wendt. Hat tips to Doug, Alan and John.

Scaffolding Falls From Top of Crystal City Building

By ARLnow.com

A large piece of scaffolding apparently used for washing windows fell about 15 stories from the top of a Crystal City office building this afternoon.

The scaffolding fell onto some trees in a courtyard below. Amazingly, nobody was injured and the building did not appear to have suffered any damage.

It happened at the SAIC building, at 200 12th Street South in Crystal City. Firefighters were called to the scene around 1:30 this afternoon.

Despite the scare, a few brave window washers were still working aloft at an adjacent building in the office complex.

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