Glebe Road

County Board approves $2.5M to replace aging water main below N. Glebe Road

By Jo DeVoe
A water main on N. Glebe Road set to be replaced (via Arlington County)

A 96-year-old water main along N. Glebe Road near Ballston is set to be replaced, starting later this year.

The pipe segment runs about a third of a mile from N. Randolph Street to N. Pershing Drive, between the Buckingham and Ashton Heights neighborhoods.

Arlington County says that this work is needed to improve the flow of water to area fire hydrants, dubbed “fire flow,” and support demand in the neighborhood. Over the weekend, the Arlington County Board approved a contract for $2.1 million with A&M Construction Corporation to execute the project.

The county included some $424,400 in contingency funding in case the contractor finds “unsuitable soils or unknown existing underground utilities,” among other risks, according to a county report.

This project is “part of [the] county’s effort to replace old unlined cast iron pipes which are subjected to internal and external corrosions that reduce the fire flow capacity,” the document said. “In the past few years, the main had an excessive number of breaks that prompted the need for replacement.”

Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokesman Peter Golkin tells ARLnow that there is currently no construction schedule, “as it takes some time for [the purchasing department] to execute such a contract.”

“But based on previous comparable projects, this one won’t begin until this summer and more likely in the fall,” he said.

Golkin says the county expects the work will take 1.5 years to complete and will affect 26 properties: 19 residential and seven commercial.

“Water interruptions will be coordinated in advance with those impacted,” he said.

The replacement work will require single-lane closures on Glebe from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.

Crews will likely work overnight once they reach an intersection. More information on these traffic impacts will be relayed to residents via the project website, which will launch closer to the start of construction, and through the Buckingham and Ashton Heights civic associations, per the county.

Car runs into house, another overturns in Sunday crash

By ARLnow.com
A car crashed into the side of a house as a result of a crash that also left an SUV overturned (photo courtesy anonymous)

Arlington County police responded to a major crash along S. Glebe Road yesterday afternoon.

The crash happened around 3:15 p.m. Sunday on Glebe near the intersection with 6th Street S., about a block south of Fire Station 1. An SUV overturned and a sedan ran into the side of a house as a result of the crash.

Initial reports suggest that the sedan driver was at first unresponsive and stuck in the car, while an occupant of the SUV was bleeding profusely from the head. None of the injuries were reported to be life threatening.

Northbound lanes of S. Glebe Road were shut down for an hour or so as a result of the crash response and cleanup.

JUST IN: More than 3,500 without power in Arlington as winds continue to whip

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Strong wind gusts have brought down trees and knocked out power in parts of Arlington tonight.

More than 3,500 Dominion customers were without power in Arlington as of 10:45 p.m. The power company’s outage map shows sizable outages in the following local areas:

  • Long Branch Creek, including the intersection of S. Glebe Road and S. Arlington Ridge Road
  • Glebewood and Waverly Hills, along N. Glebe Road just south of Langston Blvd, where ARLnow observed power crews and a tree down
  • Old Glebe, Chain Bridge Forest and Rivercrest in far northern Arlington, along the N. Glebe Road corridor

There were also smaller outages in the Dominion Hills and Bluemont neighborhoods. Estimates of when the power would be back on were not available on Dominion’s website.

The outages come amid wind gusts of up to 60 mph in the D.C. metro area, which is under a High Wind Warning. National Airport recorded a 60 mph gust around 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Damaging winds are expected to continue through about midnight, forecasters said.

Throughout Northern Virginia, Dominion reported more than 43,000 customers without power.

https://twitter.com/PeggyDomEnergy/status/1642354836413767680

ACPD: Airbags stolen from multiple vehicles in parts of N. Arlington

By ARLnow.com
File photo

At least five cars were damaged by airbag thieves in a pair of North Arlington neighborhoods yesterday.

The thieves made off with airbags from three of the vehicles, all of which were Hondas, according to Arlington County police. The thefts were reported Thursday morning along N. Glebe Road, just north of Langston Blvd, and in the nearby Waverly Hills neighborhood.

More from today’s ACPD crime report, below.

LARCENY FROM AUTO/VEHICLE TAMPERING (Series) (Late), 2023-03160084/03160162/03160165/03160186, 2000 block of N. Woodstock Street/4400 block of Cherry Hill Road/26th Street N. at N. Glebe Road/N. Utah Street at Cherry Hill Road/2500 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 10:32 a.m. on March 16, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. During the course of the investigation, it was determined five vehicles had their driver’s side windows shattered and airbags were stolen from three of the vehicles. All involved vehicles are Honda models. No other items were reported stolen. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

West Glebe Road bridge partially reopens to vehicle traffic

By Vernon Miles
1/3

The West Glebe Road bridge partially reopened yesterday, though pedestrian and bicycle traffic will have to wait to make use of the span over Four Mile Run.

The bridge had severely deteriorated, requiring partial closures over the years until the bridge was fully closed last summer.

Work then began to replace the deteriorated roadway substructure, while reusing existing piers to shorten the construction time and keep costs down, according to Arlington County.

The bridge partially reopened yesterday (Wednesday) with one lane open in each direction.

According to the county website:

As of March 8, 2023, the West Glebe Road bridge is open to motor vehicle traffic, with one lane open in each direction. Pedestrian and bike traffic will continue to detour on the temporary bridge to the east of the main bridge.

The bridge is expected to fully open in summer of 2023, after completion of work on parapets, substructure, and streetlights.

The county says the next phase of construction will see the bike lane, curb and sidewalk put into place.

The Four Mile Run Trail underpass on the north end of the bridge remains closed until reconstruction is completed.

UPDATED: I-395 ramp blocked after report of man pointing gun at another driver

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated on 2/17/23) A ramp from S. Glebe Road to I-395 was blocked Thursday afternoon due to a report of a man with a gun.

Shortly before 3:30 p.m., a 911 caller told police that another driver was pointing a long gun at them after a crash. Numerous Arlington County police units rushed to the scene, detained those involved and are now sorting out what exactly happened.

No injuries have been reported. The ramp reopened around 4:30 p.m.

ACPD provided more information about the incident in a crime report on Friday.

BRANDISHING, 2023-02160183, I-395 at S. Glebe Road. At approximately 3:21 p.m. on February 16, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the suspect and took him into custody without incident. The investigation determined the victim and suspect had been involved in a traffic collision, during which the suspect exited the vehicle and allegedly displayed a firearm on his waistband. No injuries were reported. During a search of his person incident to arrest, a firearm was recovered. [The suspect], 45, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Brandishing.

After 70 years, Arlington Chess Club still king of local scene as membership grows

By Matt Blitz
Arlington Chess Club members in November 2022 (photo courtesy of Arlington Chess Club)

Membership in the seven-decade-old Arlington Chess Club has increased by more than 40% since prior to the pandemic.

The club has seen an influx of new members since coming back to in-person play in August at Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church, near Ballston, president Adam Chrisney told ARLnow. The club has been around since the 1950s, which likely makes it the oldest chess club in the D.C. area.

There are now nearly 225 members of the Arlington Chess Club, a 40% increase since early 2020, according to Chrisney. During the regularly-scheduled Friday night meet-ups at the church, 30 to 35 people on average show up. That number, though, has reached 60 a few times recently.

At the club’s monthly weekend tournaments, held at the Marriott Residence Inn in Ballston, participation is up “at least 20%” since those also returned in late summer.

The increased numbers mirror national trends, with chess’s popularity reaching heights not seen in 50 years.

Chrisney believes the renewed interest is related to two factors: folks increasingly taking up chess online, but then seeking out in-person play opportunities, and the streaming success of The Queen’s Gambit.

In the early days of the pandemic, people were sitting at home with not much to do. So, they went online to get their chess fix.

“Online chess was an activity that saw a huge amount of participation,” Chrisney said. “And I think people, once they got out [more], realize there were face-to-face opportunities to play chess.”

The Queen’s Gambit, meanwhile, which reached its zenith of popularity in the pandemic’s early days. The Netflix hit demonstrated that chess could be “sexy and cool,” Chrisney said.

The Arlington Chess Club was founded in 1954 by Col. John D. Mattheson, per the club’s website. It’s believed to be the oldest continuous club in the region and widely considered the strongest in terms of standard of play.

“The club has also produced more than its fair share of Virginia State Champions,” reads the website.

Chrisney is actually the only third president of the club in its nearly 70-year history. Despite its longevity and sterling reputation, the club does face long-term challenges. A permanent and affordable venue and a multi-member active board that runs operations are the two things that Chrisney believes the club needs to remain viable.

As much as he enjoys being the club’s president, it’s a volunteer position that requires a serious commitment. Plus, he misses playing.

“I used to be one of the more active players in the D.C. metropolitan area and [now] the amount I play is about 10% of what it used to be,” Chrisney said. “I want to get back to playing.”

Another long-term goal of the club is to get more age and gender diversity. While Chrisney didn’t have exact numbers, about 20% of the club is under the age of 18. That used to be a bit higher prior to the pandemic.

For years, the club was known as a place for young players “on the rise” to come to hone their skills.

“We probably see a larger quotient of prodigies than the other clubs,” Chrisney said.

Additionally, Chrisney would like to make a push to attract more female players with chess still being “mostly… a male activity.” He estimates less than 5% of club members are women.

He cited Chess Girls D.C., the non-profit that encourages more young women to play chess, as a potential future partner that could bring in more players to the club.

While a permanent venue, a more distributed volunteer workload, and added diversity in membership are all goals, Chrisney said there is no lack of interest in the Arlington Chess Club.

“We have been going strong since the 1950s,” he said. “And there’s no sign of dissipating.”

A pet urgent care is hoping to fetch an early spring opening in Buckingham

By Matt Blitz
New animal urgent care set to open in Buckingham in April (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 6 p.m.) A new urgent care for animals is opening this spring in Buckingham.

Urgent Animal Care of Arlington at ​​249 N. Glebe Road is aiming to open its doors “early April,” co-owner Dr. Kayleen Gloor told ARLnow via email. That is pushed back a bit from the hoped-for “winter 2023” opening.

It’s moving into a space that was formerly occupied by a branch of SunTrust Bank, which closed in 2019. In terms of the art deco neon signage the shopping center is known for, Gloor said the clinic’s signage “will follow all regulations and requirements of the shopping center and will conform.”

The veterinarian urgent care comes from the team behind Clarendon Animal Care, which has locations in Clarendon, on 10th Street N., and on Columbia Pike.

The urgent care will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and until 6 p.m. on weekends, we’re told.

This is Gloor and co-owner Dr. Natasha Ungerer’s first “daytime urgent care,” which is different than an emergency veterinary clinic.

Like for humans, urgent care is intended for animal patients in need of immediate care that does not rise to the level of an emergency situation. That could include limping, rashes, minor vomiting or diarrhea, ear infections, or coughing, per a graphic that the clinic has on its website.

Emergencies might include difficulty breathing, not eating or drinking for two days, seizures, and serious trauma. The closest emergency veterinary clinics to Arlington are located in Fairfax County. There are several existing pet urgent cares in Arlington, including one in Clarendon.

Gloor said the reason they choose N. Glebe Road in the Buckingham neighborhood is due to the proximity to their other pet-centric businesses as well as “zoning regulations within the county.”

New family-owned Afghan kabob eatery opens in Ballston

By Matt Blitz
Grill Kabob is now open in Ballston on N. Glebe Road (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new Afghan kabob restaurant in Ballston has officially started serving.

Grill Kabob at 708 N. Glebe Road opened this past weekend, a restaurant employee confirmed.

This is the 13th area location of the local chain of family-owned eateries. The design, decor, and menu are all similar to its other locations with the menu focusing on Afghan-styled kabobs along with salads and sandwiches.

Ownership did tell ARLnow last spring that the menu might change over time depending on the popularity of certain items at the Ballston location.

ARLnow first reported that Grill Kabob was opening a new location in Ballston back in April 2022. The initial plan was to open in the summer. ARLnow has reached out to ownership about the delay but has to hear back as of publication.

Co-owner Wais Shoja said the reason that they chose this site was because of all the new apartment buildings and the abundance of  office space, as well as the Metro accessibility and the neighborhood’s continued development. While the first Grill Kabob opened in the Springfield Mall more than two decades ago, Shoja said the focus since has been to open locations near residential and office areas.

Ballston has seen an influx of development over the past few years, along with a number of other restaurant either opening recently or planning to.

Across the street from Grill Kabob, Gyu San Japanese BBQ is set to start sizzling likely later this year. Coffee shop Slipstream is aiming to open around the corner from there within the next few months as well, a spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow recently.

A few doors down from Grill Kabob, the new Ballston Silver Diner opened last month.

There’s also the impending redevelopment of the Macy’s site, also located just across the street from where Grill Kabob just opened.

Gold’s Gym on S. Glebe Road replaced by LA Fitness

By Matt Blitz
New LA Fitness on S. Glebe Road (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new LA Fitness has replaced the shuttered Gold’s Gym on S. Glebe Road.

The Gold’s Gym at 2955 S. Glebe Road, at the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center near Gunston Middle School, closed mid-last month, an employee confirmed to ARLnow. Within a few days, though, it was converted it was into an LA Fitness — including a banner announcing its presence — and reopened.

A number of employees were kept on as well as much of the equipment, providing gym-goers with a similar experience as before.

It’s unclear exactly why this Gold’s Gym was closed and converted into LA Fitness. ARLnow has reached out to both companies but has yet to hear back from either as of publication.

In 2020, Gold’s Gym filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by the European fitness operator RSG Group for $100 million.

The closing of the Gold’s Gym on S. Glebe Road leaves the company with three gyms remaining in Arlington. That includes Rosslyn, Clarendon, and Ballston, the site of a parking lot scuffle late last year that ended with D.C.’s deputy mayor resigning from his post. The Gold’s Gym in Courthouse closed in 2019.

As for LA Fitness, exactly a mile from the new S. Glebe Road location is another LA Fitness gym on S. Clark Street in Crystal City. There was also an LA Fitness in Pentagon City until that one closed in 2015.

Elsewhere, another gym is set to open in Clarendon later this year. Life Time, which dubs itself a “luxurious athletic country club,” is expected to start welcoming gym-goers within the next few months in The Crossing Clarendon development.

The former owner of Atilla’s on Columbia Pike is a new partner in a Glebe Road restaurant

By Matt Blitz
1/2

The former owner of Atilla’s on Columbia Pike has combined forces with his brother for a new restaurant.

Back in May, the well-loved Turkish restaurant Atilla’s and its next-door grocery store closed on Columbia Pike after nearly five decades of operation due to the building’s impending demolition. At the time, Atilla’s management told ARLnow that they were looking for another close-by space where they could open a new business that would focus on carry-out and retail.

But those plans appear to have changed somewhat.

Instead, Atilla’s owner Zulkuf Gezgic is now working with his brother at a relatively new restaurant on S. Glebe Road called Akivva Grill.

That restaurant opened at 2921 S. Glebe Road in the fall of 2021, but it was about two months ago when Gezgic “combined” his business with his brother’s.

Akivva, located about two miles away from Atilla’s former home, is a “different concept” than his previous eatery, Gezgic told ARLnow, but the Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine is similar to Atilla’s.

At the moment, he’s “unsure” if he’ll open another Atilla’s. Gezgic said he decided to not open an altogether new restaurant but, rather, work with his brother on an already existing one because Akivva was already an “established brand.”

The former location of Atilla’s is still standing, though it’s expected to be torn down soon to make way for a new residential development. Currently, there’s a sign on the door directing people to the new location.

Sign on the door of the former location of Atilla’s Restaurant on Columbia Pike (photo courtesy of Gabe Paal)

The restaurant’s original owner, Atilla Kan, opened the restaurant on Columbia Pike in the mid-1970s.

In 1998, he sold it to Gezgic but Kan stayed on making bread, hummus, and other items for the majority of the next two decades. Because of that, the menu didn’t change that much from when it first opened nearly 50 years ago.

But what did change was the neighborhood, with impending development up and down Columbia Pike prompting several other businesses like Atilla’s to close. Next door, The Salsa Room moved to Tysons in 2020. Last year, both the Columbia Pike Partnership and the Black Heritage Museum closed and relocated down the street.

In May, the Atilla’s long-time manager Sarah Engi told ARLnow that it felt like many of Arlington’s older, small businesses were being pushed out.

“I’m sad. We are losing family,” Engi said. “Big companies are moving in and smaller businesses are leaving. Things are changing. It’s really sad.”

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