Glebe Road

Replacement Already in Line For Applebee’s in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated at 1:30 p.m) The space vacated by Applebee’s in Ballston less than three weeks ago will not be empty for long.

The restaurant at 900 N. Glebe Road closed on May 27. Applebee’s closing followed the closure of the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille in the same space in April 2016.

Despite the challenges of filling the large restaurant space on the western side of Glebe Road with customers, a new eatery called Bistro 1521 is set to move in soon.

Solita Wakefield, a partner in the business and the restaurant’s general manager, said that Bistro 1521 will serve traditional Filipino cuisine like lumpia, adobo and pancit (noodles), plus fusion dishes mechado with a Spanish flair.

Wakefield was previously a co-owner of Bistro 7107, a Filipino restaurant on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City, which recently closed, according to Yelp. There are no other large sit-down Filipino restaurants in Arlington, Wakefield said, and only a handful elsewhere in the D.C. area. She expects to win over both Filipino customers — including those who work at the Philippines embassy — as well as those new to the cuisine.

Bistro 1521 is located in the same building as Stageplate Bistro, on the first floor of the the Virginia Tech Research Center. It occupies a large restaurant space, with seating capacity for 220 inside and 60 on the outside patio.

“It’s going to be grand,” Wakefield said.

Wakefield plans to keep the interior of the former Applebee’s largely unchanged, with the addition of some Filipino paintings and other decorations. She also plans to keep Applebee’s regularly-scheduled events, like cornhole, trivia night and painting night.

Wakefield is hoping that the business permits are approved in time for the restaurant to open in July.

Hat tip to Todd B.

Lee and Glebe Intersection Upgrades Underway

By Kalina Newman
1/4

The first phase for the upgrades on the intersection between Lee Highway and N. Glebe Road are well underway after construction began March 6.

A spokeswoman for the county’s Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) said the installation of spaces for underground utilities should be done by the end of the year.

After that is complete, utility cables will be transferred underground from the overhead poles. Each individual wooden overhead pole will then be removed and any remaining existing overhead utilities will be rearranged.

Improvements include wider sidewalks, upgraded traffic signals, enhanced left-turn lanes and the installation of left-turn lanes for N. Glebe Road. The area will also get four new bus shelters with real-time arrival information, new streetlights and crosswalk markings.

Currently the construction hours are 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays.

Workers may close a single lane of traffic in one or both directions along Lee Highway, Glebe Road or both during construction. Vehicles turning left or right might also be detoured as construction moves into the intersection itself.

Additionally, some bus stops in the area will be relocated and some sidewalks will be closed or rerouted to allow for construction. Off-street parking in the area may also be reduced in the coming months.

DES says it does not expect any changes to be made to the current design plan for the project.

Japanese Restaurant to Replace Pike Sports Bar

By Chris Teale
1/3

A Japanese restaurant is coming to the Westmont Shopping Center at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road, replacing the Sports House Grill.

According to permit applications filed with the county, Takohachi Japanese Restaurant will move into the space at 3249 Columbia Pike.

As of Thursday, building permits for interior demolition were in the window of the spot between a State Farm agent and a Mattress Firm store.

The Sports House Grill was at the center of some controversy in recent years. In 2013, the County Board denied its application to renew its live entertainment permit to continue karaoke nights.

Neighboring civic associations, the police department and Virginia ABC all opposed the renewal due to concerns about crime. Neighbors had raised concerns about vandalism, violence in the parking lot and alleged drug sales.

No word yet on an opening date.

Crime Report: Man Wearing Capri Pants Exposes Himself

By ARLnow.com

A man wearing capri pants exposed more than just his ankles in Arlington’s Nauck neighborhood Sunday, according to this week’s Arlington County Police crime report.

The incident happened just before noon on May 28, on the 2400 block of S. Glebe Road. Police say the man exposed his genitals to a woman, then left the scene.

More from ACPD:

INDECENT EXPOSURE(Late), 2017-05280093, 2400 block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 1:20 p.m. on May 28, officers responded to the report of a late indecent exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on May 28, an unknown male subject exposed himself to a female victim. The subject is described as a white male, approximately 5’8″-6’0″ tall and weighed 170-190 lbs. He was wearing brown capris pants, an unknown color t-shirt, and black sunglasses. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Local Girl Featured on Today Show — Ellie McGinn, the 8-year-old Fairlington resident who’s battling a rare, degenerative disease, was featured on the Today Show on Tuesday. Ellie and her parents have been raising awareness and funds to search for a cure. [Today Show]

Tree Down on Glebe Road — A tree fell across N. Glebe Road this morning, blocking traffic between Chain Bridge and Military Road. Crews were able to clear the fallen tree and reopen the road by 7 a.m. [Twitter, Twitter]

Safety Changes for School Buses — Some Arlington school buses will be retrofitted over the summer with a brake interlock device, which prevents the parking brake from being disengaged before the brake pedal is pressed. The safety measure is being mandated statewide by the Virginia Department of Education. [InsideNova]

Car Break-in Spree Over Weekend — Yet another series of car break-ins was reported over the weekend. Police say more than 20 mostly unlocked vehicles were broken into. Police are reminding residents to lock their cars and to remove valuables from plain sight. [Twitter]

BREAKING: Suspect Shot and Killed, Officers Hurt on I-395 Off-Ramp

By ARLnow.com
1/11

Update at 4:20 p.m. — Virginia State Police have issued the following statement about the charge for which Boak was wanted: “The Virginia State Police entered the misdemeanor arrest warrant into the Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN) on behalf of the Virginia Department of Corrections Probation and Parole. The warrant issued to the Probation & Parole Officer on May 2, 2017, in Fairfax City General District Court was for a violation of Code of Virginia 18.2-251.4 – Drugs/Alcohol: Screening Tests/Substitute Sample.”

Update at 9:55 a.m. — The suspect has died, according to an ACPD press release. He was identified as 28-year-old Daniel George Boak of Centreville. Police say he pinned an officer against another vehicle with his truck before the shots were fired.

Earlier: A man has been shot by police and at least two Arlington County Police officers have been injured on the Glebe Road exit of I-395.

The shooting happened just after 4:30 p.m. The suspect was in a black pickup truck that was heading southbound on I-395 when police attempted a traffic stop after a “hit” from a police license plate reader, according to scanner traffic.

Initial reports suggest the suspect was in heavy traffic and refusing to pull over, when officers exited their vehicle and approached. An officer was then struck by the vehicle, at which point a second officer fired shots at the driver, according to ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

The suspect is reported to be in critical condition. Officers attempted life-saving measures on the suspect before medics arrived.

The police officer who was struck suffered a leg injury, according to the fire department Twitter account, and was transported via ambulance to Virginia Hospital Center. The officer’s injuries were described by Savage as “serious but non-life-threatening.”

The officer who fired the shots suffered “minor” injuries, Savage said. At least two additional officers were evaluated at the scene by paramedics, according to scanner traffic.

Traffic is very heavy but still moving on southbound I-395. The Glebe Road exit and at least one lane of northbound Glebe Road is blocked.

“This will be an ongoing investigation,” said Savage. “It’ll be active for a couple of hours, I can imagine.”

The fire department’s mobile command unit and ambulance bus were dispatched to the scene. Coolers of water were brought in due to the hot, mid-90 degree weather weather.

Man Dies After Glebe Road Moped Crash

By ARLnow.com

An Alexandria man has died after losing control of his moped and crashing into a sign.

The crash happened in rainy weather around 5:40 p.m. Saturday, on S. Glebe Road near ramps to and from I-395.

From an Arlington County Police Department press release:

At approximately 5:40 p.m. on April 22, police were dispatched to the 2400 block of S. Glebe Road for the report of a single-vehicle crash involving a moped. Arlington County Fire Department medics administered CPR before transporting Virgiliro Lopez, 45, of Alexandria, VA to George Washington University Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Detectives from the Critical Accident Team (CAT) responded to the scene. The initial investigation revealed the driver was traveling southbound on Glebe Road when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a traffic sign in the median. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has additional information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective T. Parsons at [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously to Arlington County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.

Glebe Road was closed or at least partially blocked for more than an hour following the crash, while police investigated. NBC 4’s Darcy Spencer tweeted the following photo from the scene.

TRAFFIC ALERT: N. Glebe Road Closed at Lee Hwy for Gas Leak

By Chris Teale
1/5

Police have closed a section of N. Glebe Road where it intersects Lee Highway after road construction crews hit a gas line.

Crews accidentally hit the line near the Wells Fargo bank, leaving a distinct odor of gas in the surrounding area.

Officers have shut the northbound lanes of N. Glebe Road near the accident, while firefighters are on scene out of an abundance of caution.

Workers from Washington Gas are at the scene to fix the leak. The road construction continued as normal on other sections of N. Glebe Road.

Drivers should seek alternate routes and expect delays.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Downed Power Line Closes N. Glebe Road

By Katie Pyzyk
1/2

Update at 8:40 p.m. — Glebe Road remains closed in both directions. Multiple Dominion units continue to repair the downed wires. Police officers at the scene couldn’t say how much longer the road will be closed, but they guessed it could easily be another hour.

Earlier: Emergency crews have closed part of N. Glebe Road north of Marymount University due to a downed power wire.

Police and fire crews are on the scene and have shut down N. Glebe Road between Williamsburg Blvd and Dittmar Road.

Emergency crews are waiting for Dominion Virginia Power to repair the line.

A police spokesperson says responders are investigating a leaning tree at the scene. There’s no word yet on whether the tree may have caused the power lines to topple.

Police Investigate Three-Car Crash Along Route 50

By Tim Regan
1/5

(Updated at 10:30 p.m.) Police and firefighters responded to a serious three-vehicle crash on Arlington Blvd (Route 50) Thursday afternoon.

The collision happened on Route 50 near Glebe Road sometime after 4 p.m. One person was trapped and knocked unconscious in the crash, according to scanner traffic.

Rescuers freed the victim from the car and transported him or her to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital. It was not immediately clear how extensive that person’s injuries were.

Authorities shut down a portion of Route 50 shortly after the crash.

Dunkin’ Donuts Coming to Former KFC Space on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A Dunkin’ Donuts location appears to be coming to the now-empty building at 70 N. Glebe Road that used to house a KFC.

Building permits for the construction work were approved last month, county records show. The KFC closed just over a year ago, initially claiming that it was “closed due to maintenance” and would “re-open shortly.”

The property on which the stand-alone restaurant building sits is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, which is based nearby at 200 N. Glebe Road. The property includes eight parking spaces and a drive-thru window.

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