development

Is River Place’s time coming to an end in Rosslyn?

By Matt Blitz
1/4

The following deep dive was funded by and first sent to members of the ARLnow Press Club. Join today to support local journalism and to get the exclusive Early Morning Notes email with previews of the day’s stories.

River Place in Rosslyn is perhaps one of the most well-known multifamily complexes in the county.

The series of four buildings containing about 1,720 units between Route 50 and Wilson Blvd make up the cooperative complex that was built seven decades ago. Despite its age, River Place remains valued by residents, owners and real estate agents.

In conversations, phrases like “oasis of affordability,” “jewel of Rosslyn,” “prime location,” and “views that… can’t be beat in the market” get tossed around with regularity.

But what makes River Place truly unique is that it very well could be on borrowed time.

It’s a fact that has been known for awhile, as detailed in this 1982 Washington Post article. The complex was built in the early 1950s on top of 13 acres of land owned by a developer. That land is, essentially, rented from the developer through an agreement that’s known as a “ground lease.”

In 1953, a 99-year lease was agreed to, meaning River Place’s lease runs out in 2052 — 30 years from now. That timeframe, of course, holds a good deal of significance for those looking to take on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in order to buy a property inside of the complex.

Today, the underlying land is owned by local real estate development firm Monday Properties.

When the lease expires in 2052, Monday Properties will be able to do whatever it wants with the well-located land in Rosslyn. Theoretically, Monday Properties — or a new developer, if Monday ends up selling the land — could demolish the by-then century-old River Place.

This potential would leave unit owners out in the cold and their investment, essentially, a pile of bricks.

Monday Properties hasn’t disclosed its plans just yet.

James Marandi, president of the River Places Owners Association, tells ARLnow that neither he, the association, nor the committee assembled to deal with the ground lease situation has had any “recent” conversations with the company.

Monday Properties wouldn’t discuss the situation with ARLnow, either. When reached for comment, a company spokesperson said in an email that Monday Properties does “not have a comment on this story.”

An Arlington County spokesperson tells ARLnow that there isn’t much the county can do.

“​​This is a private property matter, which limits what the County can do,” the spokesperson said. “This is a matter between the building occupants and the landowner.”

This uncertainty has left some unit owners and residents thinking, perhaps even anxious, about an uncertain future that’s now not as far off as it once was.

“We are not necessarily nervous yet. Thirty years is a long way away,” Marandi tells ARLnow. “But we do realize that the lease expires and something has to be done.” 

The unresolved ground lease situation also could have a direct impact on the accessibility of lower-priced housing stock in Arlington, a long-running concern that the county is now trying to grapple with.

As of Friday afternoon, there appeared to be 15 River Place condos for sale on Zillow. All of the units were listed for sale under $300,000, with most under $200,000.

The average price for a home in Arlington, as of earlier this year and including townhomes and condos, is more than $800,000.

In theory, this could make River Place one of the best buys in the Arlington market. But the expiring land lease makes it potentially inaccessible for some.

(more…)

Height dominates discussion of development proposal for Clarendon parking lot

By Matt Blitz
1/2

(Updated at 7:10 p.m.) A planned development roughly between Clarendon and Courthouse could go as high as 16 stories, though county staff and some nearby residents are asking for it to be shorter.

At its meeting last week, the Arlington Planning Commission voted in favor of advertising an amendment to the General Land Use Plan which governs development for what is now a parking lot at 2636 Wilson Blvd.

The County Board is now set to vote at its meeting this Saturday on whether to advertise public hearings on the GLUP change.

The change calls for rezoning from “service commercial,” which allows the building to be up to 4 stories, to “Office-Apartment-Hotel.” This designation would allow the development to be between 6 and 16 stories high.

But the crux of the conversation last week was exactly how many stories should the development actually be allowed to get to.

The proposed project, dubbed “Courthouse West,” would redevelop a parking lot that’s just east of the Clarendon Whole Foods store. The lot currently houses a number of “ghost kitchen” trailers. A PNC Bank branch is also part of the development site, per documents filed with the county.

Ballston-based CRC Companies wants a 16-story apartment building there, as would be allowed by the new zoning designation.

However, county staff is calling for the development to be rezoned as a “medium” office-apartment-hotel development with a maximum height of up to 12 stories. And members of the public, at least those who filled out a recent online survey, want it to be even shorter than that.

In a survey first disseminated in December, three options were provided — 6, 10, and 17 stories — and about half of respondents, in total about 175, choose the six-story option.

After nearly two and a half hours of discussion and public comment last week, the commission voted against staff recommendations and in favor of advertising the 16-story option.

A number of commissioners noted that the vote was intended to allow continued discussion about 16 stories and not take it off the table; it didn’t necessarily constitute a recommendation for the development to go that high, they said.

County staff’s recommendation of 12 stories is essentially a compromise. There’s an understanding that the development could have the right to go to 16 stories, but staff doesn’t want to set a “precedent” since so many other buildings in that part of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor are shorter.

During the public comment section, a number of nearby residents went into detail about why they didn’t want a 16-story, or even a 12-story, building on that specific parcel of land that lies halfway between the Clarendon and Courthouse Metro stations. Among the reasons were concerns about traffic, pedestrian safety and school crowding.

John Carten of the Lyon Village Citizens’ Association called the survey that went out to the public “very flawed and biased” because it only offered three choices. He says the residents he represents want a six-story building at maximum.

“Twelve story buildings would tower over houses in Lyon Village,” he said. “This will open the door to other developers who want the same density.”

(Carten and the association have also been sharply critical of the potential for more development on the other side of the largely Metro-accessible neighborhood that could result from the ongoing Langston Blvd planning process.)

Still, other residents noted that a 12- or 16-story apartment building would contribute more affordable housing and better take advantage of the neighborhood’s transit options.

(more…)

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema aiming to have its Crystal City premiere in October

By Matt Blitz
Rendering of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Crystal City (Photo courtesy of Cojeaux Cinemas)

The new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Crystal City is hoping to open in October.

The Texas-based movie theater chain expects to complete construction on its nine-screen, 50,000-square-foot complex at 1660 Crystal Drive by late September, co-owner Joseph Edwards tells ARLnow, meaning it could open to the public in October.

Franchisee Cojeaux Cinemas will operate this location, as is the case with the other Alamo Drafthouses in Virginia and D.C.

The October debut is a bit of a push from its original timeline. Last year, it was initially hoped the movie theater would open by late spring. Edwards told ARLnow back in February that supply chain issues and “construction feasibility” were the cause of the several-month delay.

At the moment, the exterior of 1660 Crystal Drive remains rather blank, but signage is currently being manufactured, Edwards says. Interior construction, though, is progressing.

“The inside is moving along nicely and starting to look like an Alamo Drafthouse. We have risers ready and drapes installed in the auditoriums,” he says. “We will begin installing seats, screens and projectors in early July then as the kitchen continues to take shape through July, equipment will begin delivering in August.”

Many of the features at the Crystal City theater are already installed in the D.C. locations. That includes Barco Laser projectors, a QSC sound system, and what’s being deemed the “Big Show” — a large format auditorium with a 66 foot screen and more than 70 speakers.

A few other items have been updated since the theater chain first announced its expansion into Arlington last year, says Edwards. There will be a rollout of new recliners complete with a swivel table (as opposed to fixed) and server call buttons.

The theater recently applied for a state permit in order to serve alcohol at a themed bar, complete with cocktails, wine, and local craft beers on tap. The bar’s exact concept has yet to be announced, however.

Cojeaux Cinemas had been looking to bring an Alamo Drafthouse to Arlington for about a decade before signing on the dotted line with property owner JBG Smith in 2017. The theater is opening in a newly-renovated retail plaza known as Central District, which also includes a Solidcore, a CVS, and a now-confirmed Amazon Fresh. It’s 3-4 blocks from the future, 25,000-employee Amazon HQ2.

The Crystal City location is one of four Alamo Drafthouses that are set to open in various parts of the U.S. over the next 18 months. It will be the third in Northern Virginia.

Sneaker shop Legend Kicks finds a new home on the Pike

By Matt Blitz
Legend Kicks has moved across the Pike (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

Legend Kicks has found a new home across the Pike, after moving because of Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center’s pending redevelopment.

The sneaker reseller and clothing store has moved from its home for the past four years at 2609 Columbia Pike to a storefront about a half block away at 2514 Columbia Pike, a few doors down from the Celtic House.

The shop opened its doors at its new location this past weekend, according to an Instagram post.

The step was necessitated by imminent demolition and redevelopment of Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center. In March, the Arlington County Board approved replacing the one-story, aging retail strip with “The Elliott,” which will feature 247 market-rate apartments, a renovated CVS, a relocated Burrito Bros, and a new grocery store that could end up being an Amazon Fresh.

Legend Kicks first opened on Columbia Pike in 2017, but in April 2018 the store fell victim to arson. It reopened four months later a few doors down. Now, four years later, Legend Kicks is on the move again, but this time it’s because of redevelopment.

In an Instagram video from late last week, owner Layth Mansour claimed he was only given a few days to move.

“The first Legends got burned down. The second Legends I put so much money into, but then I got a letter saying that someone bought the whole building and I got three or four days to move,” Mansour says in the video. “Literally, I got a new place in, like, two days.”

Legend Kicks owner Layth Mansour on Instagram talking about Legend Kicks’ move (image via @legends_va/Instagram)

That timeline may not be totally accurate. ARLnow reported in January that all tenants received a notice that told them they needed to vacate by May 31. In those preceding six months, a number of businesses have since closed or moved including the Columbia Pike Partnership, the Black Heritage Museum, and Atilla’s Restaurant.

ARLnow has reached out to Mansour and Legend Kicks several times but has yet to hear back.

Mansour also owns the alcohol-free restaurant Eska on Columbia Pike. In April 2021, he took over the troubled, former location of Purple Lounge with the pledge to make it “family-friendly.” However, more than a year later, that restaurant has yet to open despite hopes it would be in business by February 1.

With Legend Kicks moving out, the only remaining tenant remaining in Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center is CVS. It’s not immediately clear when the store will make the planned shift to a trailer in the parking lot next door.

Though no demolition permit application has been filed for the now-mostly abandoned building, a county spokesperson says that work should begin late this year after all the needed permits are obtained.

If that timeline is followed, The Elliott could be completed and be move-in ready by early 2025.

Green Valley apartment development headed to likely approval

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A largely vacant lot in the Green Valley neighborhood is set to become a four-story apartment building.

The Arlington County Board is scheduled to consider the proposal at its meeting this weekend. County Manager Mark Schwartz is recommending approval of the project, which has support of the local civic association.

The developer, Shirlington Investments LLC, is proposing a 30-unit residential building at 2608 Shirlington Road, an approximately 14,000 square foot property that currently serves in part as a surface parking lot. Three of the units will be designated as committed affordable units.

The proposal includes around 35 parking spaces in a partially below-ground garage, plus a private courtyard terrace and pool on the second floor, a small rooftop deck, and a more than 1,000 square foot green roof.

As we previously reported, the property is surrounded by warehouses, low-rise townhouses, a barbershop and a funeral home. It’s located north of Shirlington and south of Green Valley’s recently-opened John Robinson, Jr. Town Square.

While many development proposals end up getting some pushback from the local community, this particular project and developer received “enthusiastic” support from the Green Valley Civic Association.

“We first want to commend to you the conduct of this developer in working with the GVCA,” civic association president Robin Stombler wrote in a letter to the county’s Planning Commission. “We greatly appreciate that they sought our advice in the design of the building, discussed with us their plans, and actively considered how to address areas in need of possible mitigation.”

“The GVCA values affordability for housing in our community,” the letter continued. “In order to meet its obligation, the developer will commit 10% of its 30-unit building to households earning up to 60% of the area median income. This pledge for affordability will last for a term of 30 years.”

The letter went on to note that the building’s “attractive, contemporary” design “matches well with the community’s industrial theme.” Additionally, it lauds the developer for pledging to pay civic association dues for each of the building’s households for the next ten years.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rainy evening on Crystal City’s 23rd Street restaurant row (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New Renderings of Days Inn Development — “The plans to replace the Days Inn on Arlington Boulevard with 251 multi-family units and around 3,000 square feet of retail are coming into focus. New plans filed with Arlington County last week provide the first renderings for The Arva, the eight-story project designed by STUDIOS Architecture.” [UrbanTurf]

Yorktown Girls Lax Wins State Tourney — “After qualifying for the state tournament for the first time in 2019 and enjoying success by going 1-1 and losing in the semifinals, the Yorktown Patriots were hungry for much more in that competition. This spring, the girls lacrosse team indeed got considerably more, by winning the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state tourney with a 3-0 record and capping its best season in program history.” [Sun Gazette]

Woman Assaults Officers in Pentagon City — “1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 9:00 p.m. on June 11, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly subject. Upon arrival, officers met with security who advised the female suspect had been smoking inside the building and they wanted her banned from the property. Officers located the suspect and asked her to leave the premises. During the incident, the suspect became combative and struck an officer in the face. The suspect continued to attempt to strike the officers, and with the assistance of an additional responding officer, she was taken into custody.” [ACPD]

Buses Causing Damage in Ballston — “Another Arlington light pole bites the dust, this time in Ballston. Police are on the scene. A tour bus that was here earlier, possibly the striking vehicle, has since left… More bus mayhem in Ballston: a tour bus ran over and damaged some of the landscaping in front of the Westin hotel, per a reader who sent this photo.” [Twitter]

Cobbler Moving to Alexandria to Expand — “After twenty years in Pentagon Row, family-owned leatherworking shop Best Foot Forward is moving to the Bradlee Shopping Center in Alexandria early next month… ‘My dad started it as a one-man business. Now we’re looking to expand and Bradlee would be twice as big.'” [ALXnow]

Va. Realtors Worried About Market — “Members of the Virginia Realtors trade group report declining sales conditions and more concern about the future, owing to higher interest rates, more inventory and perhaps the sense among some residents that it’s time to batten down the hatches rather than take on the responsibility of a new home.” [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Bear Now in Fairfax County? — “A bear was sighted in the Belle Haven area on Thursday (June 9), and one Nextdoor user snapped some photos of it crossing George Washington Memorial Parkway near Belle View Boulevard… The Fairfax County Police Department says its Animal Protection Police and wildlife management specialist were alerted to bear sightings in the area over the weekend. The department has also received recent reports of a young bear moving through McLean.” [FFXnow]

Missing Middle Modifications in Portland — “The Portland City Council unanimously approved a long list of seemingly technical zoning tweaks that ease the city’s rules on construction of… housing types like townhomes, fourplexes, and cottage clusters… The program got hearty praise at the time as the nation’s most ambitious low-density zoning reform. It’s spawned an infant industry of developers building smaller, more affordable ‘missing middle’ housing. Nevertheless, the results thus far have been fairly modest, producing only about 100 additional units since the program went into effect in August 2021.” [Reason]

It’s Tuesday — Rain and storms, potentially severe, in the morning. Clearing in the afternoon. High of 82 and low of 73. Sunrise at 5:44 am and sunset at 8:36 pm. [Weather.gov]

Papa John’s relocated across the Pike, leaving customers confused

By Matt Blitz
Papa John’s Pizza has relocated to S. Glebe Road (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

The relocation of Papa John’s Pizza on Columbia Pike has left hungry customers confused.

Last month, a new Papa John’s location opened just off the Pike at 1014 S. Glebe Road. It moved into the former home of the donut shop Sugar Shack, the closing of which left a proverbial hole in the center of some local residents’ hearts.

The pizza shop essentially relocated from the now-demolished Westmont Shopping Center, which is in the midst of a major redevelopment. The Papa John’s there closed last summer and it took about a year for it to reopen across the street.

However, Papa John’s website still lists the old address — 3233A Columbia Pike — as the location of the shop. That address currently does not exist and is now a construction site.

This has left a number of customers confused about where to go to pick up their pizza, says general manager Alex Reyes. While the phone number is accurate on the website, the address is not and Reyes says he gets lots of calls from customers baffled about where to find their food.

What’s more, he says business has been unusually slow at times, likely a result of potential customers thinking that it’s closed.

Reyes has contacted Papa John’s corporate asking them to update the website with the correct address and has been told they are working on the problem.

ARLnow has reached out to Papa John’s as well but has yet to hear back as of publication.

With a couple of shopping centers on Columbia Pike undergoing redevelopment, a number of businesses have closed recently, including Atilla’s Restaurant, which had been on the Pike for nearly five decades, H&R Block, and Mom’s Pizza. Atilla’s, like Papa John’s, is on the hunt for a new space, we previously reported.

What role do garden apartments play in Arlington’s current housing landscape?

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

Take a drive through Fairlington and you will see sprawling acres of modest Colonial Revival-style condominiums with manicured lawns.

Once, they were garden apartments and townhouses, built between 1942 and 1944 to house the masses of defense workers who flocked to Arlington during World War II.

The complex is one marquee example of Arlington’s World War II-era garden apartments. Other examples include Arlington’s first complex, Colonial Village, and its second, Buckingham Village.

While denser than exclusively single-family-zoned neighborhoods, they are roomier, greener and lower to the ground than mid- to high-rise developments along Arlington’s Metro corridors. That is, they fit the definition of “Missing Middle” housing stock that Arlington County is looking to increase.

Today, Arlington is once again facing a housing crunch, one that is expected to tighten as Amazon hires more workers and companies spring up in its orbit. Garden apartments were once a solution to Arlington’s housing problems 80 years ago. But as Arlington County considers a plan for allowing “Missing Middle” housing in all residential area of the county, the “Missing Middle” of 80 years ago — these low-rise, gentle density developments — are worth a look.

Arlington’s housing history

Garden apartments first came online in the 1920s and were billed as a more spacious and light-filled alternative to denser, taller tenement housing, says George Mason University Mercatus Center fellow Emily Hamilton, who studies housing and development.

“Their setting, in park-like areas, was also shaped by the ‘garden city‘ movement, which started in the UK and was influential in the U.S. and based on the belief that urban housing should be surrounded by greenery, even in the city,” Hamilton said said. (Reston is nearby example of a planned “garden city.”)

But that trend didn’t pick up in Arlington until 1935, when 245 Colonial Revival-style buildings were built on 55 acres and named Colonial Village, writes Gail Baker, a former member of the Arlington County Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board. Construction began on Arlington’s second complex, the 100-acre Buckingham Village, in 1937, and was completed in the 1950s.

Hamilton says demand shifted toward single-family homes in the mid-century, as living standards and federal financing made buying a house more feasible.

As a result, garden apartments became a “starter option” for families, according to historian Charlie Clark.

“A lot of Arlingtonians who are middle-aged homeowners got their start in the garden apartments in the 40s and 50s,” he said. “Then, they ambitiously rose the economic scale, and wanted a single-family home with a yard, and ended up in other neighborhoods.”

By the 1970s, as the regional population grew and Metro was built these garden apartments faced development pressure. Colonial Village was broken up: some units were conserved, others were converted in condos, and still others were razed and turned into office buildings.

The county preserved Buckingham through an affordable housing deal and the units at Fairlington Villages were converted into condominiums and sold. One selling point was that their Colonial Revival façades were maintained, Baker writes.

Fifty years later, garden apartments are some of the last affordable dwellings to rent in the county in part because the buildings are dated, Hamilton says. And development pressure is mounting, as these buildings are reaching the end of their useful lives.

“It’s interesting,” Clark said. “They were probably considered middle-class when they were built, but they probably have declined a little bit in terms of economics.”

A collection of them near Rosslyn, on N. Ode Street, will be redeveloped as a high-rise affordable housing complex. Meanwhile, the owners of a similar complex along Columbia Pike will be redeveloping its property with townhouses.

Arlington County pre-empted speculative redevelopment of a third garden apartment complex, the Barcroft Apartments, by brokering a deal with Amazon and developer Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, which agreed to preserve 1,334 units on the site as committed affordable units for 99 years.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The sky is reflected off glass office windows in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s Bike to Work Day — “Bike to Work Day is back… This free event is open to everyone. Arlington will have ten pit stops and BikeArlington will host five pit stops in Rosslyn, Ballston, Columbia Pike, Shirlington, and Clarendon.” [BikeArlington]

Unleashed Dog Leads to Bluemont Brandishing — “At approximately 4:45 p.m. on May 18, police were dispatched to a report of a person with a gun. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was walking in the area when an unleashed dog ran towards him while barking. A verbal dispute ensued between the victim and dog owner, during which the suspect, who is known to the dog owner, became involved. The victim continued on his route, during which the suspect reapproached and allegedly brandished a firearm and threatened the victim.” [ACPD]

Metro Restoring Some 7000-Series Cars — “A seven-month train shortage that has brought lengthy waits for commuters is closer to ending after Metrorail’s oversight agency approved a request to reinstate some rail cars that were pulled from service because of a rare wheel defect. Transit officials submitted a plan to the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission to restore a limited number of 7000-series cars.” [Washington Post, WMATA]

Slight Increase in Homeless Population — “Though down by more than half compared to a decade ago, Arlington’s homeless total rose from 2021 to 2022, according to new data. ‘There’s work to do,’ said Arlington County Board member Matt de Ferranti, parsing the new data during the May 17 board meeting. The… homeless count (conducted Jan. 26 with data recently released) revealed a total of 182 people living in shelters and on the streets in Arlington, up 6 percent from 171 a year before.” [Sun Gazette]

Op-Ed: Arlington Could Be National Model — “Arlington’s Missing Middle draft framework is extremely ambitious and might serve as a model for the entire country if the county board gets the policy details right to enable new construction.” [GGWash]

Group: ‘Missing Middle’ is ‘War’ — “With the release of the Missing Middle Phase Two Report on April 28, and the accompanying consultant analysis, the county is declaring war on single-family areas of Arlington… Developers, who have essentially run out of room among our 26 square miles, have pushed for Missing Middle up-zoning that will be politically and legally impossible to unwind, even if it falls short of stated goals or produces negative results.” [Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future]

Big Development Kicks Off in F.C. — “West Falls, a major mixed-use development near the West Falls Church Metro station, broke ground Thursday, less than a week after the development team closed on $391 million of financing. In this first phase of its long-planned development, the project, spearheaded by D.C.-based Hoffman & Associates and joined by real estate giant Trammell Crow Co., will comprise five buildings totaling about 1.2 million square feet.” [Washington Business Journal, Patch]y

Veep Coming to Falls Church — “Kamala Harris coming to [Meridian High School in Falls Church] tomorrow to talk electric school buses? The school didn’t name Harris in an email to parents about the event tomorrow, but they said it will stream live at [whitehouse.gov].” The event is scheduled for 3:40 p.m., which means motorcades through Arlington are likely this afternoon. [Twitter]

Plan for Yellow Line Bridge Work — “The City of Alexandria is preparing for a Yellow Line shutdown in Alexandria later this year due to bridge and tunnel rehabilitation and bringing the Potomac Yard Metro station into the system… Blue Line trains will be running frequently from the airport with a replacement ‘Yellow Line’ route running to New Carrollton during the September-October.” [ALXnow]

It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 90 and low of 65. Sunrise at 5:53 am and sunset at 8:20 pm. [Weather.gov]

Columbia Pike Partnership and Black Heritage Museum moving down the Pike due to redevelopment

By Matt Blitz
1/4

The Columbia Pike Partnership and Black Heritage Museum of Arlington are moving down the Pike due to the imminent redevelopment of Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center, both announced yesterday (May 18).

The two local organizations are set to move by the end of the month into the first floor of the Ethiopian Community Development Council building at 3045 Columbia Pike, only a five minute walk from its current home at 2611 Columbia Pike. Among their new neighbors is a Subway sandwich shop.

They are moving because the shopping center is set for demolition and redevelopment. In March, the Arlington County Board officially greenlit turning the aging retail strip into “The Elliot.” The new building will feature 247 market-rate apartments above a grocery store (maybe an Amazon Fresh), a renovated CVS, and a relocated Burritos Bros.

What it won’t include is a number of the current tenants, including the partnership and the museum.

“When the news came that we would need to move, our Board of Directors decided it was important for the organization to have a presence on the Pike — people need to find us, and we need to stay in touch with the community as well,” CPP’s Amy McWilliams tells ARLnow. “After a long hunt, we found the space at 3045B Columbia Pike, and realized it could house the Columbia Pike Partnership as well as the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, continuing our collective partnership.”

Last year, the Black Heritage Museum moved into the offices of the partnership, then called the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization. Sharing the space was supposed to be temporary as the museum looked for a permanent home.

That’s still the plan for this new space, says the museum’s president Scott Taylor, as the museum continues to search for a new location — possibly in its old home.

“We have just recently signed a two year contract with our new landlord. We will continue to strive for a permanent location,” says Taylor. “There is even some talk about us going back to 3108 Columbia Pike as the county has acquired that property and may allow us some room there when they complete the new project there.”

CPP and the museum hope to have the space open to the public by June 18.

With all businesses needing to vacate the shopping center by May 31, several others have closed or announced their next moves in recent months.

H&R Block closed earlier this year while CVS will move into a trailer during construction and, then, back into the new building when completed. Atilla’s, a Turkish restaurant and grocer that’s been there since the 1970s, is closing next weekend and is in search of a new location.

Legend Kicks, which re-opened in its current location in 2018, is also set to close and possible move, but it’s unclear where.

ARLnow reached out to the business and its owner, who also owns the still-yet-to-open Eska just down Columbia Pike in the former location of the Purple Lounge, but has not heard back as of publication time.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The U.S. Air Force Memorial and surrounding construction at twilight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Cristol Calls Out Displacement ‘Lie’ — “Time will tell, as it always does, but Arlington elected officials say the public and some activists are mistaken if they believe there will be wholesale displacement of residents of the Barcroft Apartments complex in South Arlington. At a May 14 meeting, County Board Chairman Katie Cristol – not one normally known for getting rattled while on the dais – decried as a ‘lie’ the displacement rumors at the sprawling, 1,334-unit apartment complex.” [Sun Gazette]

Crash Last Night on GW Parkway — From Alan Henney: “Another auto went over the wall on the northbound side of the GW Pky prior to the Key Bridge in Arlington. Amazingly driver is out uninjured after his auto slid down the embankment.” [Twitter]

Marymount University Commencement — From Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S.: “It was my tremendous privilege to give the commencement at @marymountu, a university that like many around the U.S. hosts Saudi students. It was my absolute honor to receive an honorary doctorate, thank you to the faculty and Dr. Becerra for this special day.” [Twitter, Sun Gazette]

Metro CEO and COO Resign — “The WMATA Board of Directors has accepted Paul Wiedefeld’s decision to make his retirement effective today. In addition, Chief Operating Officer Joe Leader has resigned, effective immediately.” [WMATA, DCist]

New Skyline Development Proposal — “Madison Marquette has filed plans to convert two Baileys Crossroads office building into live/work lofts, advancing a vision to resuscitate the huge multibuilding cluster known as Skyline Center. By repurposing the mostly emptied office spaces — which meet planning and code requirements to serve as apartments and/or offices for small firms — Skyline can once again become ‘the gravitational center for the area.'” [Washington Business Journal]

Body Cams for Falls Church Police — “Police officers with the City of Falls Church will now be equipped with body-worn cameras beginning this month.” [WJLA, City of Falls Church]

It’s Tuesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 77 and low of 59. Sunrise at 5:55 am and sunset at 8:17 pm. [Weather.gov]

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