development

APAH breaks ground on Ballston affordable housing development

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) Work has started on a long-stalled affordable housing development at the Central United Methodist Church (CUMC) site, across from the Ballston Metro station.

The $84 million multi-use redevelopment, dubbed Ballston Station, will replace the church (4201 Fairfax Drive) with an 8-story building comprised of 144 committed affordable units, CUMC’s new sanctuary space and an early childhood education center for about 90 kids.

Project financing closed yesterday (Wednesday) and construction will start “immediately,” according to developer Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), which will own and operate the residential space. It expects to complete the project in the spring of 2024.

“Ballston Station will bring 144 greatly needed affordable apartments to an incredible location right in the heart of Ballston with direct access to transportation and jobs,” said Carmen Romero, APAH’s President and CEO, in a statement.

The project has changed hands, increased in scope and experienced financial setbacks since it was originally approved in 2017.

APAH took over for Bozzuto Development Company in 2019, increasing the number of units and setting them all aside for affordable housing. Last fall, it received a three-year extension for construction.

Meanwhile, after multiple applications for a Low Income Housing Tax Credit were unsuccessful, APAH had to find other ways to make the project financially sustainable. This includes a $19 million county contribution from its Affordable Housing Investment Fund.

“Arlington County is pleased to support and be part of this outstanding project,” said Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti in a statement. “Ballston Station moves us closer to achieving the county’s ambitious housing goals by providing quality, affordable apartments.”

APAH also received nearly $9 million from an Amazon-funded state housing grant and changed the mix of apartment units.

Fifteen units will be reserved for residents earning 30% or less of the area median income (AMI), with 60 units for those earning 50% AMI or less and 69 at 60% AMI. The project includes 24 two-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom units.

The revamped church space will include a commercial kitchen for CUMC’s food distribution ministry, which today provides hot breakfast, lunch and groceries, medical care and referrals to more than 200 people.

“This new building will also support our mission to worship God, serve others, and embrace all,” Rev. Sarah Harrison-McQueen said in a statement.

It will be also home to a Tiffany stained glass window, called “Christ in Blessing,” on loan from Arlington County. The window has never been displayed since being salvaged by the county, as it needs a liturgical setting and restoration. The restoration will be paid for by the church.

With demolition imminent, the Central United Methodist congregation has temporarily moved to a church space at 4701 Arlington Blvd in Arlington Forest.

APAH completed a new affordable housing development in Rosslyn this summer and broke ground last year on a housing project to replace the American Legion Post 139 in Virginia Square.

Ballston Silver Diner looking to open its doors this summer

By Matt Blitz
1/2

The new Silver Diner in Ballston is planning to open its doors this June, a company spokesperson tells ARLnow.

Signs and stickers advertising the regional chain’s summer opening are now on the windows of 750 N. Glebe Road, near the intersection with Wilson Blvd.

First announced in 2017, the 6,700- square-foot restaurant will join Target (which opened in the summer of 2020) and Enterprise Rent-A-Car on the ground floor of the recently-built Waycroft apartment building.

In July of this year, the Arlington County Board approved the restaurant’s two-part application requesting approval to install lighted architecture features and operate a sidewalk café, which is expected to be 961 square feet with 68 seats.

Silver Diner “anticipates operating the restaurant 24 hours a day… [but] to limit the operation of the outdoor café to 2 a.m,” notes a county staff report.

A company spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow that plans remain the same from when the restaurant first submitted the application to the county over the summer.

When the Ballston location opens next year, there will be two Silver Diners within about a mile of one another.

The one in Clarendon on Wilson Blvd remains in operation, though both the Silver Diner and the Lot beer garden are expected to be replaced at some point by new development that’s currently planned as a 224-room hotel and a 286-unit residential building. The redevelopment is part of raft of development plans that could significantly change Clarendon.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Crew boats in the Potomac River at twilight near Rosslyn (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Homes Coming to Large N. Arlington Property — “The Febrey-Lothrop estate in the county’s Dominion Hills neighborhood, located at 6407 Wilson Blvd. not far from the Fairfax County line, will soon see work begin on nine two-story homes, according to county permit records. The permit applications were filed last month by the property’s new owner: KLTOLL AIV LLC, a company controlled by New York-based Kennedy Lewis Investment Management…. Elise Cleva, a spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, noted in an email the plans aren’t set in stone and ‘could change at any point if the owners decide not to construct all nine or if any issues prevent them from constructing the intended number of houses.'” [Washington Business Journal]

Demolition of 19th Century Home — “The circa-1889 Fellows-McGrath House in East Falls Church was being demolished [Monday], making way for a new home or homes. Photo courtesy of Charlie Clark.” [Twitter]

Bomb Squad Response in Courthouse — From yesterday afternoon: “There’s a suspicious package response on the 1300 blk of N. Courthouse Road, a block from the county government and police headquarters. Police requested the bomb squad respond to the location around 10:15 a.m., per ACPD. Sounds like the closed roads will reopen soon.” [Twitter]

Police: Drunk, Armed Man Arrested in Rosslyn — “N. Lynn Street at Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 4:08 a.m. on December 5, police were dispatched to the report of a male asleep behind the wheel of a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers located the running vehicle, made contact with the sole occupant who was in the driver’s seat and observed a firearm in plain view on the passenger’s seat… During a search of the vehicle prior to towing, ammunition was recovered. [The suspect], 45, of Accokeek, MD, was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence, Refusal of Breath/Blood Test and Violent Felon in Possession of a Firearm.” [ACPD]

Tucker Carlson Interrupts Dems at Meeting — “The Dec. 1 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting was held in person, but also broadcast online via YouTube for those unable to attend. Technological gremlins… were in evidence. The meeting began about 15 minutes past its scheduled 7 p.m. start time when the YouTube connection proved unstable. Far worse, indeed horrific, from a Democratic point of view: Midway through the meeting, the screen that was used for PowerPoint presentations at the meeting suddenly started serving up the sounds of… Tucker Carlson on FOX News.” [Sun Gazette]

Wakefield Football Coach Steps Down — “Wayne Hogwood’s successful nine-year tenure the winningest head coach in the history of the Wakefield High School football program has come to an end. Hogwood stepped down in recent days because of family matters. He has three young children who are heavily involved in multiple youth sports, and Hogwood wants to spend time for the next couple of years, or so, being involved with watching them play during the fall and helping his wife transporting the three to games and practices.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Tuesday — Cold weather is back and snow is on the horizon. Today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 41. Sunrise at 7:14 a.m. and sunset at 4:45 p.m. Tomorrow there is a slight chance of rain, snow, and sleet before 7am, then rain and snow likely between 7am and 4pm, then snow likely after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. [Weather.gov]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ballston Development Has a Bike Benefit — From Transportation Commission Chair Chris Slatt, about a just-proposed residential development in Ballston: “The lynchpin of that alternative access is easy access to Wakefield Street from Fairfax Drive for bikes, which could be achieved through this redevelopment.” [Twitter]

Arlington Ranks No. 17 for Life Expectancy — “While the national trend is alarming, there are parts of the country where life expectancy is far higher than the national average. In Arlington County, Virginia, for example, life expectancy at birth is an estimated 85.9 years — about seven years longer than the comparable national average of 79.2 years.” [InsideNova]

TV Station Comes to Local School — “Meteorologist Brian van de Graaff visited Ashlawn ES in Arlington, VA for our Lunchbox Weather program. He had a lot of fun with the students, showing them the our StormTrak7 vehicle decked out with weather instruments. We hoped they enjoyed seeing themselves in our roof cam and learned a little bit about the weather on a COLD day!” [WJLA]

It’s Black Friday — The most-hyped shopping day of the year is going to be breezy. There is slight chance of showers before 10 a.m., otherwise it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 46 and a northwest wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. Saturday will be sunny, with a high near 44 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 51. [Weather.gov]

JUST IN: Wharf developer announces major residential project in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The developer behind The Wharf in D.C. is planning a residential development with more than 500 homes in Ballston.

The 530,000 square foot project at 4600 Fairfax Drive would replace the existing Holiday Inn hotel and the aging office building behind it. In its place would be a seven-story apartment building and a four-story “penthouse” building, consisting of 475 apartments and 29 “townhome-style multifamily units.”

Hoffman & Associates, which developed the massive Wharf project and is also working on the 1.2 million square foot West Falls project in Falls Church, is entering the Arlington market in partnership with Ballston-based Snell Properties.

“We look forward to bringing this dynamic residential project to the Ballston neighborhood,” said Robin Bettarel, Senior Vice President of Development for Hoffman & Associates. “4600 Fairfax Drive will offer incredible connectivity in this vibrant community while providing residential options that meet the community’s needs with an innovative and sustainable design.”

The development would bring some additional foot traffic to the western side of N. Glebe Road, where businesses have struggled to gain a foothold. One area of contention might be its location along busy N. Fairfax Drive, which becomes an on- and off-ramp to I-66 just west of the site.

The site is five blocks from the Ballston Metro station, but would be two blocks from a long-discussed western entrance to the station, if it’s built.

Hoffman said in a press release that it is submitting its initial site plan application, which will kick off a community process that will culminate with county commission meetings and an Arlington County Board vote. If approved, the developer expects to break ground in 2024.

The full press release is below.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Construction cranes for Amazon HQ2 tower over Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Initial Plan Filed for Americana Site — “JBG Smith has filed a conceptual site plan application with Arlington County for 1400 Richmond Highway [the Americana hotel site in Crystal City], proposing a by-right 19-story building with 650 residential units above retail. There will also be 325 parking spaces across two below-grade parking levels.” [UrbanTurf]

Apartment Fire in Ballston — A fire broke out in the kitchen of a fourth floor apartment at the View at Liberty Center building in Ballston yesterday evening. The fire was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, but water damage was reported in the apartments and ground floor retail space below. The incident prompted a large fire department response and closed lanes on Wilson Blvd and N. Randolph Street. [Twitter]

Vax Rate Lags Among Younger Adults — “Pleading, cajoling, finger-wagging and threatening still don’t seem to be doing the trick in getting the 24-to-34-year-old age group in Arlington on board with COVID vaccinations. Data last week show that while 71 percent of county residents in that age group have received at least one jab of the vaccine… Countywide, just under 79 percent of 223,000 Arlington residents ages 5 and older have received at least one dose.” [Sun Gazette]

Thanksgiving 5K Along N. Pershing Drive — “The Arlington Turkey Trot 16th Annual 5k Fun Run will take place on Thursday, November 25, 2021. The Arlington County Police Department will conduct the following road closures from approximately 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.” [ACPD]

Arlington Gets Perfect LGBT Equality Score — Updated at 8 a.m. — “Arlington garnered a 100-percent rate in the 10th annual Municipal Equality Index, reported by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The average score for 11 major localities in Virginia was 88 on a zero-to-100 scale, compared to a national average of 67. Arlington was among 110 communities earning a perfect rating, up from 11… when the survey debuted.” [Sun Gazette]

Metro Woes Extend to 2022 — “Metro customers can expect to see current (reduced) rail service levels through December 31, Metro announced today.  With no timeline established to return the 7000-series fleet in the interest of safety, and 6000-series railcars awaiting parts due to global supply chain challenges, incremental service improvements will be made during December as parts arrive for older model railcars.” [WMATA]

Snow Possibility in Forecast — From the Capital Weather Gang: “DC first flakes? Watching possibility of disturbance/clipper passing thru cold air Sun-Mon timeframe. It could shift or fizzle and probably not a big deal even if it hits, but first feature this season we’re watching with some curiosity.” [Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — Sunny today, with a high near 43. Northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Sunrise at 7 a.m. and sunset at 4:49 p.m. Tomorrow will be sunny, with a high near 47. [Weather.gov]

Don’t be surprised to see a helicopter lifting stuff from a roof in Pentagon City on Tuesday

By ARLnow.com
Construction underway at Pentagon Centre in Pentagon City in January 2021 (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s not a common sight, particularly in such close proximity to the Pentagon.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, a helicopter — neither military nor law enforcement — will hover over Pentagon City. It will be there to “remove some rooftop mechanical equipment” from the Pentagon Centre mall building, across S. Hayes Street from the larger Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall.

The chopper will be landing on the top level of a Pentagon Centre parking garage as part of its work, Arlington County said today via social media. The work is expected to start around 8 a.m.

Non-governmental helicopters and other private aircraft — aside from jetliners arriving and departing National Airport — are only allowed inside the restricted airspace around D.C. by special government waiver. Once such waiver was granted recently for drone flights to count deer in Arlington.

Pentagon Centre is in the midst of a major, multi-year redevelopment project.

Death knell tolls for Victorian home in East Falls Church

By Vernon Miles
1/6

(Updated on 11/22/21) The way has been cleared for the demolition of a home built in 1889, near the East Falls Church Metro station.

The Fellows-McGrath House, located at 6404 Washington Blvd and profiled in the Falls Church News-Press earlier this year by local historian Charlie Clark, was home to Harry Andrew Fellows. Fellows was Mayor of Falls Church and in 1932 became the first chairman of the newly formed Arlington County Board. The home was later a bed and breakfast known as “Memory House,” according to a real estate listing.

There is also a 130-year-old chestnut tree on the site that may be destroyed in the redevelopment now that demolition permits have been approved for the site.

Earlier this year, Clark reported that the home was purchased by Manassas-based FNM Investments LLC for $1.1 million and determined to be “uninhabitable.”

A demolition permit has since been filed and approved for the property. A county spokeswoman said such permits for private homes are outside of the discretion of the County Board.

“On August 18, the County approved a Land Disturbing Activity (LDA) permit for the Fellows-McGrath House… and on September 3, the County approved a demolition permit,” said Erika Moore, communications specialist for Arlington County. “Both LDA and Demolition permits are approved administratively. Neither the County Board nor the County Manager has authority to stop their issuance when all requirements are satisfied.”

Like the Febrey-Lothrop estate, which was demolished earlier this year, the Fellows-McGrath House’s run-down state makes the land it sits on more valuable to developers than the house itself.

“Manassas realtor Masum Kahn, who bought the house after eight months on the market to build modern homes, has not set a demolition schedule,” Clark reported in September. “Though he would consider selling ‘for the right price.'”

Local preservationist Tom Dickinson, after an unsuccessful bid to save the Febrey-Lothrop, launched a similarly doomed effort to save the Fellows-McGrath House.

“This sad situation about the subject property only serves to reinforce the fact that the County Manager and County Board could not care less about preserving and conserving unique, significant historic homes and property in Arlington,” Dickinson said. “Unlike our neighboring jurisdictions in Alexandria and Fairfax, Arlington is completely oblivious to the civic, community, and even economic value tied to historic properties… [it’s] another sad and unjustified loss to the entire community to see a magnificent, totally restored, unique 1889 Victorian crushed and bits and pieces hauled to a landfill.”

Dickinson said he filed an application with the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board to designate the property as historic, but the application was tabled — and the fate of the house was likely already sealed given that the owner had already filed for a demolition permit.

Now, Dickinson said he is advocating for changing state laws so that Arlington County’s historic designation process no longer needs to race against its own administrative permit approval process.

“We are working to amend state laws in order to eliminate this Catch-22 that was also the death knell for the late, lamented Febrey Lothrop Rouse estate,” Dickinson said. “If passed, this amendment would prohibit the issuance of a demolition permit for any property under review for local historic district designation.”

Locals look to save Crystal City’s Restaurant Row ‘soul’ amid nearby redevelopment

By Jo DeVoe
Restaurants in Crystal City (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated on 12/7/21 at 2:30 p.m.) With a bevy of development looming, a band of residents, restaurateurs, landowners and business leaders are trying to preserve the “soul” of Crystal City: “Restaurant Row.”

For many years, a collection of small, independently owned restaurants have operated along 23rd Street S., between S. Eads and S. Fern streets, including the locally famous LGBT nightlife spot Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant.

But the people who frequent and run these business wonder where the long-term viability of this corridor fits into the flurry of development nearby: Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City, JBG Smith’s extensive development pipeline in Crystal City, and Arlington County’s Crystal House Apartments affordable housing project, among others.

As all these projects take shape, the group has reprised a rallying cry from two years ago, reiterating that Restaurant Row needs some attention — but not the kind that stamps out its unique character.

“With all this stuff happening, what about 23rd Street, the sole soul for Crystal City for decades?” said Rob Mandle, the National Landing Business Improvement District Deputy Executive Director, in a recent Crystal City Citizen Review Council meeting. “What are we going to do over the course of the next five years while the rest of National Landing transforms?”

Those are still open questions for members of the CCCRC, who earlier this month met with restaurant owners and landowners to discuss ideas for investing in Restaurant Row, which was identified in the Crystal City Sector Plan as a “major community asset with local businesses that should be preserved or protected.”

This line has puzzled county planner Matt Mattauszek for two years.

“What does that mean, ‘preserve and protect?’ What are the exact mechanics of that?” Mattauszek said. “I don’t think anyone on our side wants to lose any opportunities in terms of that protection element while maintaining it as a destination.”

Ultimately, he said the community needs to develop a clear set of priorities before the county can help.

Members of the CCCRC and local landowners have long- and short-term ideas for preserving and updating Restaurant Row.

Aurora Highlands resident Michael Dowell says he wants conditions that facilitate updates to the aging buildings that preserve their feel. Otherwise, worsening infrastructure will force out tenants and make the buildings ripe for redevelopment.

“The thing we want to preserve is that community feel of 23rd Street restaurants,” he said. “They’re human scale, they have a lot of local ownership, and there is a huge variety there.”

Some said the area needs more street parking, a long-time concern for residents that has resurfaced as the county embarks on its Crystal House development project. As part of the project, a parking lot between 22nd and 23rd Street S. will be turned into townhomes known as “Crystal House 5.”

An aerial view of existing Crystal House Apartments and renderings (via Arlington County)

Speeding is also a problem, said Darren Buck, an Aurora Highlands resident and Transportation Commission member. He suggested a comprehensive rezoning effort from S. Ives Street to Route 1 that would bring in a traffic signal and better lighting and create a streetscape that establishes Restaurant Row as a destination.

(more…)

County seeks developer for Amazon-funded affordable housing project in Crystal City

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

Arlington County has started the process of finding a developer to lead the Crystal House Apartments redevelopment project in Crystal City.

The county seeks a “robust, experienced and trustworthy master development partner” to replace surface-level parking with 738 apartment units, most of which will be affordable housing, by January 2028, according to its request for qualifications.

Arlington aims to choose a developer in the third quarter of 2022.

“Housing affordability is essential to achieving the County’s Vision and is vital to the social and economic sustainability of our community,” the county said in the request.

Arlington’s call for developers marks the latest step forward in its plans to build affordable housing on behalf of Amazon at 1900 S. Eads Street.

Amazon put up $381.9 million so that the nonprofit Washington Housing Conservancy could purchase the 16-acre site in late 2020 and stabilize rent there for 1,300 units. The purchase was part of its commitment to create and preserve affordable housing as rents rise amid its growing HQ2 presence.

In July, Amazon donated the land and development rights to the county.

Crystal House Apartments is currently comprised of two 13-story buildings built in 1961, with a total of 828 units and 765 parking spaces, of which 601 are surface parking. These surface lots are slated for redevelopment.

At least 75% of the new units will be committed affordable units, while the other 25% will be market-rate and may include rental and ownership opportunities.

As part of the project, two public parks will be built: a 31,456 square-foot park at 20th Street S. and S. Eads Street and a 23,986-square foot park at 22nd Street S. and S. Fern Street.

A protected bike lane will run along S. Eads Street, stormwater utilities will be relocated and a public pedestrian pathway through the site will be built.

Arlington plans to knock out two projects with this request for qualifications. The same developer would take on a redevelopment opportunity near the larger site, but not part of the Amazon project. This parking lot, dubbed the Crystal House 5 parcel, would be replaced with at least 81 affordable units.

Arlington expects headway on Crystal House 5 after the developer meets Amazon’s 2028 goal.

Including Crystal House 5, the 16-acre site will get 819 new residential units, between 555 and 650 of which will be affordable.

“It is still being determined how affordable units, if proposed on the Crystal House 5 site, would count towards affordability goals, and it is anticipated this will be clarified by the RFP stage,” the county said.

Together with the existing buildings, there will be 1,647 units and 1,181 parking units.

The request asks developers to submit their background and experience by Dec. 1. Arlington will then choose its top contenders, who will be invited to submit bids next spring.

Hat tip to Stephen Repetski

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Grand Opening for Big Rosslyn Development — “Real estate developer Penzance welcomed Arlington County officials to the grand opening of The Highlands, a mixed-use project in Rosslyn at the top of the hill on Wilson Boulevard. The Highlands, a 1.2-million-square-foot development, consists of three high-rise residences — named Pierce, Aubrey and Evo — with views of the D.C. area and several amenities. ‘We’re proud to be here today welcoming these 890 new residences, exciting retailers, Fire Station 10 and the beautiful Rosslyn Highlands Park.'” [Patch]

Reward Boosted in Ballston Murder Case — “The Ratigan family is announcing an increase in their reward fund from $25,000 to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for Scott Ratigan’s homicide on January 17, 2020. Detectives continue to follow-up on any and all investigative leads in this case and remind the public that any information, regardless of how small it may seem, could be the tip that leads to justice on behalf of Scott and the Ratigan family.” [ACPD]

Retired Police K-9 Dies — “With great sadness, ACPD announces the passing of retired K9 Drago, a 14 year-old old German Shepard, Belgian Malinois mix. He loyally served Arlington from 2008 to 2019 as a patrol and narcotics detection K9. We kindly ask that you keep him and his handler in your thoughts.” [Twitter]

APS Getting Ready for Kid Vax Approval — “APS continues to work with the County on plans for rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine to students ages 5-11 once it is approved, which we anticipate very soon. Once approved, we will inform the community about the availability of doses and how to schedule appointments. Arlington County Public Health anticipates holding clinics and scheduling vaccinations by appointment, hopefully by mid-November. We will keep families informed as new information is received.” [Arlington Public Schools]

Man Seen Stealing GOP Signs — “We’ve received reports of stolen yard signs, and — while we appreciate your updates — almost none of those are actionable because the tipsters don’t provide us any physical/visual evidence. But kudos to one resourceful sleuth, who provided us with these fairly clear photos of a guy taking down Youngkin signs in Arlington last night.” [Arlington GOP, Twitter]

In Defense of Audrey’s Age Answer — “Apparently what happened is that the paper wanted candidates to fill out online questionnaires, and the computerized program didn’t allow respondents to skip the ‘age’ question. So Clement wrote in a younger figure as something of a protest in requiring candidates to answer a question she feels is inappropriate. From this, the Post tried to make a big deal. Turns out the Posties, as is often the case, missed the context. Clement wasn’t lying to them, as they contend. She was f*cking with them. A big difference.” [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Artist Performs on NPR — From National Public Radio: “The Tiny Desk is back… sort of. The first concert recorded at Bob Boilen’s desk since March 2020 is 2021 Tiny Desk Contest winner Neffy!” [Twitter]

It’s Thursday — Today will be partly sunny, with a high near 65, getting progressively cloudier throughout the day. Sunrise at 7:31 a.m. and sunset at 6:11 p.m. Tomorrow (Friday) will be rainy and windy, with storms and flooding possible. Expect a high near 63.

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