development

Clarendon Center Construction Coming Along

By ARLnow.com

Construction crews seem to be making fast progress at the Clarendon Center properties. What were just hollow stacks of floors earlier this year now have bricks, windows and architectural accents.

The two structures — the regal-looking south building and the art deco-y north building — are expected to take on retail tenants as soon as December, and that seems very much possible given the pace of construction.

The concave ground floor space with the large windows and the high-ceilings in the south building (left) will be the new home of Circa, which now has a dedicated web site for the Clarendon location.

The ground floor space in the center of the photo of the north building (right) will be the home of Pete’s New Haven Apizza, which will have a considerable amount frontage on Clarendon Boulevard.  Tangy Sweet and Red Velvet Cupcakery will be in the corner space on the far left side of the photo.

Still no word on what may be coming to the big 10,000+ square foot space on the other side of the south building (not pictured). The current wishful thinking is that it may one day house a grocery store.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Brooks Visits Pacers — Shoemaker Brooks visited the Pacers Running Store in Clarendon yesterday. The company brought along prizes and a double-decker bus.

Arlington PD Officially Announces Project Lifesaver Program — As we first reported in June, Arlington will be joining the Project Lifesaver program, which provides electronic tracking devices to help locate individuals who tend to wander due to cognitive problems. The department made the official announcement in a press release last night. Families interested in enrolling their loved ones into the service should call 877-434-6384.

Arlington Tennis Phenom Advances in U.S. Open — Arlington’s own Denis Kudla, 18, is one of three U.S. boys to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S Open junior boys’ tournament in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. More from the Washington Post and the NY Times.

Update on Arlington Mill Community Center — Via DC Mud, we learn that the county is trying again to find a developer to build a mixed-income residential complex behind the planned Arlington Mill Community Center on Columbia Pike. The developer most recently chosen for the residential project backed out, leaving the county to fish for more proposals. The palatial recreation center could break ground early next year, and an existing building is set to be demolished next month, DC Mud reports.

Ground-Level Retail Enlivening Fern Street in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

It used to be a sleepy street full of warehouses and warehouse stores. Now the three blocks of Fern Street between 12th and 15th Streets are starting to come to life thanks to high-end apartments and a growing roster of ground-level retailers.

The block’s main attractions at this point are the Costco on the north side of the street and the Gramercy and Millennium at Metropolitan Park luxury apartment buildings on the south side. The relatively recent addition of a Dunkin’ Donuts has helped the block attract some more lunch and breakfast foot traffic — adding to the brave souls who patronize an old greasy spoon called Nell’s Carry Out, which resides in a trailer across from the old DHL warehouse.

Slowly but surely, though, more retail is arriving. A dry cleaner and a bank moved into retail bays at the Gramercy around the same time as Dunkin’ Donuts. A UPS Store is under construction down the block. And the U.S. Post Office that’s currently on Eads Street will eventually be moving to the ground floor of the Millennium.

There’s plenty more space to fill. One retail bay of special interest is a specially-designated restaurant space in the Millennium. The building’s leasing agent has been entertaining nibbles from some restaurateurs. We hear that Lost Dog Cafe has expressed interest, as has an Italian restaurant, identity unknown.

A half block off Fern Street is a privately-constructed park with lots of potential. The neatly-landscaped open space — courtesy of Kettler, the developer behind the Gramercy and the Millennium — is big enough to be much more than the defacto dog toilet that it currently serves as. In June, Kettler used it for a party that included “live music, local vendors, a tricycle race, food, drink and a variety of fun activities.” Next summer, management tells us, it will host a series of outdoor concerts.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Unemployment Steady in Va., Down in Arlington — Arlington has kept its crown as the locality with the lowest unemployment in Virginia. The unemployment rate in Arlington fell slightly in July, from 4.3 percent to 4.2 percent. Unemployment remained steady statewide, while rising in 8 out of 14 of the state’s metro areas.

Few Foreclosures For Sale in Arlington — Local Realtor Laura Rubinchuk reports that there are only 17 foreclosed homes for sale, out of the hundreds of homes on the market in Arlington. She compiled a list of the foreclosures here.

Half of Planned Park on Hold — A delay in the redevelopment of a small shopping area next to the new Penrose Square on Columbia Pike is forcing Arlington County to consider building only half of a planned 3/4 acre public park. Construction of the park is still a ways away, though. It’s not expected to start until mid-2011. Much, much more (1,000+ words worth) from TBD.

Flickr pool photo by afagen.

Crystal City Trying to Attract a Grocery Store

By ARLnow.com

Update at 12:55 p.m. — We’re told development at the space at 2121 Crystal Drive, referenced here, is a long-range goal and not set in stone. Vornado’s current and on-going effort to attract a grocery store is focused on existing spaces in Crystal City.

Crystal City has been without a grocery store for more than five years. But now, as developer Vornado works to attract more residents to the area, it’s also working hard to attract a new grocery store.

The Safeway that had served as Crystal City’s lone grocery store closed its doors in March 2005. The store had been an anchor tenant of the Crystal City Underground for 38 years, but decided to close when surface parking was eliminated as part of the revitalization of Crystal City.

Now, we hear, Vornado is touting the success of Crystal City’s Freshfarm market in an effort to attract a new grocery store. We don’t know much about the closely-held discussions with retailers, but we do know a likely site for a future store — the park in front of 2121 Crystal Drive.

The park is actually owned by Vornado, which wants to liven up the block by replacing the open space with low-rise retail and, possibly, condos. In order to do so, however, Vornado would need to convince the county board that the open space being developed would be replaced by more open space elsewhere in Crystal City.

We talked to Crystal City Business Improvement District President Angela Fox and County Board Vice-Chairman Chris Zimmerman about the potential development earlier this summer. Check out the video from that lively discussion (don’t worry, it’s short) after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

More on Bayou Bakery — On Tuesday we broke the news that David Guas finally picked out the perfect spot for his Bayou Bakery concept: the old Camille’s space in Courthouse. Now the venerable Tom Sietsema has scooped us and a half dozen other local reporters who had been waiting patiently for an interview about the Louisiana-inspired cafe. Guas tells Sietsema that the Bakery will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and will feature, among other things “muffalettas, layer cakes, root beer floats, blue plate specials,” and a beer selection.

The End of Free Parking in Clarendon? — Starting August 31, the Department of Human Services parking garage in Clarendon will no longer be free to the public between 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. With DHS moved out of the building, a private parking lot operator will be taking over. Even though garage parking rates in Clarendon are reasonable, the loss of free parking could result in even more cars coming into the Lyon Village neighborhood looking for street parking at night. More from TBD.

More Trader Joe’s Rumors — That persistent rumor that Trader Joe’s will be coming to Clarendon? We’re now hearing it too. And for everyone’s convenience, we’ve picked out the perfect spot for a new Trader Joe’s. Check out the unoccupied 10,319 square foot retail space in the Clarendon Center project (space #9). It could be a great location for a grocery store, don’t you think? But a higher-up with the developer denied that Trader Joe’s has any plans to move in.

Flickr pool photo by MichaelTRuhl

Rent on the Rise in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

It’s getting more expensive to live in Pentagon City. Rent is expected to grow 4 to 7 percent over the next five years, according to online real estate publication GlobeSt.com. That follows a 4.9 percent increase in rent over the past year, according to a report from RED Capital Group.

The rise in residential rent comes at a time when a number of Pentagon City apartment complexes have sold at sky-high valuations. The Hampton Apartments at 1425 South Eads Street recently sold for $33.5 million, and the Metropolitan at Pentagon City luxury high-rise at 901 South 15th Street just sold for $125 million, according to the GlobeSt.com article.

RED’s report states that between the first quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, Pentagon City posted the fastest rate of multifamily rent growth of any Northern Virginia submarket. The 4.9 percent year-over-year growth in Pentagon City compares to 2.4 percent growth along Columbia Pike and -1.4 percent rent growth along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.

The effective first quarter rent was $1,902 in Pentagon City, compared to $1,700 in Rosslyn-Ballston, $1,407 along Columbia Pike and $1,327 in Falls Church. Apartment vacancy in Pentagon City decreased from 8.8 percent in 2009 to 6.2 percent in 2010.

Arlington Economic Development Director Terry Holzheimer says part of the reason for the increase in effective rent in Pentagon City may be due to the pricey new luxury apartment buildings which have recently started leasing in the area, bringing up the average. He said market fundamentals — higher-than-usual unemployment, stagnant personal income growth — don’t seem to support significant rent increases.

But higher rents on existing apartments have been pushing some residents out of the area. The Lenox Club apartment building at 401 12th Street South has been raising rent across the board by a minimum of 5 percent this year, according to a building representative. The rent increase has prompted a crush of moving van traffic as residents flee for cheaper buildings. That, in turn, has prompted management to bring in sign spinners to help attract new tenants.

It’s not clear what effect BRAC job losses will have on rent in Pentagon City, especially at a time when housing inventory continues to increase. As of the first quarter of 2010, 308 apartment units were under construction.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Heat It Up — Mother nature will attempt another run at triple digit temperatures today. The predicted high is 98 degrees. A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued for the region.

Mail Carrier Charged With Stealing Mail — An U.S. Postal Service employee at the Arlington Main Post Office has been charged with stealing mail. Alva Jackson is accused of swiping envelopes she thought might contain gift cards. Jackson, who worked as an Arlington mail carrier, was caught with 134 stolen pieces of mail in her house, according to charging documents. More from the Washington Examiner.

Cherrydale Condo Complex Back on Track — Construction of the Bromptons at Cherrydale condos (3800 Lee Highway) is expected to be completed by January 2011, a relief for neighbors who from 2006 to 2009 had to stare at the building’s half-finished facade. Construction stalled in 2006 when Arlington County determined the construction was of such poor quality that it temporarily shut down the project. More from TBD.

New Office Building Coming to Virginia Square — After seven years of development limbo, it appears that the Arlington Funeral Home in Virginia Square will finally be redeveloped. Plans to turn the site into a luxury condo building fell through in 2008 when the company that owned it at the time filed for bankruptcy. Now, the property has been sold to a local firm that plans to turn it into an office building. The company plans to include ground-floor retail, a public park and a public theater in the development, which will make it eligible for bonus density from the county. More from the Washington Business Journal.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

The Old vs. New Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Crystal City is in the early stages of a transformation that is turning it from a gloomy strip of monolithic office and apartment buildings into a vibrant, modern urban village. Among the changes in the works are a new entrance to the Metro station, a dedicated transit way along Crystal Drive, the removal of older buildings and the realignment of several streets.

In the third of a series of videos, Arlington County Board Vice Chairman Chris Zimmerman and Crystal City Business Improvement District President Angela Fox discuss some of the differences between the “old” Crystal City and the “new” Crystal City, as seen from the perspective of 23rd Street.

What Kind of a Restaurant Would You Like to See in Rosslyn?

By ARLnow.com

Considering that it’s one of the area’s biggest commercial centers, Rosslyn is a bit lacking when it comes to places to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. And that’s not to mention the dearth of fun places to hang out at night (with the possible exceptions of Continental and the handful of restaurants with outdoor seating up Wilson Blvd).

But here’s the good news. We have the ear of a real estate firm that’s looking to attract a new eatery to the area. Something moderately-sized — bigger than a lunch counter but smaller than a Cheesecake Factory.

So you tell us: in your wildest restaurant dreams, what would you like to see come to Rosslyn?

The Future Crystal City: A Vision of ‘Manhattan on the Potomac’ Realized?

By ARLnow.com

Earlier this year, the Washington Post’s John Kelly shot down Rosslyn’s attempt to brand itself “Manhattan on the Potomac.” You won’t find the word “Manhattan” anywhere in the 156-page Crystal City Sector Plan, but it certainly comes to mind when one sees an artist’s rendering of tall buildings and wide sidewalks surrounding the renamed “Jefferson Davis Boulevard.”

A thriving “see and be seen” street life and a dedicated cultural district are among the goals of planners who hope to convert Crystal City from the workaday home of monolithic government office buildings to an urban oasis of gleaming trophy office towers, shiny new apartment buildings and busy retail corridors.

To achieve the vision of a pedestrian-oriented urban community, however, major investments will need to be made in Crystal City’s inadequate transportation infrastructure — specifically, the roads.

Currently, Crystal City is surrounded by Crystal Drive on one side, Jefferson Davis Highway on the other, and a disorganized jumble of parallel streets in between. It’s unclear who decided that Clark and Bell Streets should be separate, discontiguous traffic traps, virtually devoid of easily cross-able intersections, but it was obviously someone who, at the time, considered the Crystal City Underground to be the end-all be-all of pedestrian-friendliness.

The sector plan calls for the streets to be combined and “realigned” into a singe, tree-lined “Clark-Bell Street” that will traverse Crystal City top to bottom. Achieving such a realignment will be one of the plan’s biggest challenges. Entire buildings will need to be acquired and torn down to make it happen.

Jefferson Davis Highway, meanwhile, will be utterly transformed into an urban boulevard and will be appropriately renamed “Jefferson Davis Boulevard.” Traffic will be “calmed,” pedestrian crossings will be made safer and, if all goes as planned, the thoroughfare’s current capacity will be maintained.

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