A 34-year-old resident of the Los Angeles area is in jail here after an incident involving police in Crystal City.
Officers were dispatched to the Americana Hotel, along Richmond Highway, around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a trespasser in a hotel room. After police arrived, the suspect resisted arrest and spit on an officer, according to Arlington County Police.
The responding officer called for backup as the suspect resisted, per scanner traffic.
More from an ACPD crime report:
ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2020-03240048, 1400 block of Richmond Highway. At approximately 9:31 a.m. on March 24, police were dispatched to the report of a trespasser. Upon arrival, it was determined that prior to police arrival, an employee of a hotel located the suspect asleep inside a room and instructed him to leave, however he refused and began acting disorderly. Arriving officers made contact with the suspect, who continued to yell and refused to identify himself. As they attempted to place the suspect into custody, he actively resisted and spit on an officer. Eric Slocum, 34, of Manhattan Beach, Ca., was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery on Police, Obstruction of Justice, Trespassing and Drunk in Public. He was held on no bond.
Rendering of the proposed buildings for the Key Bridge Marriott site (via Arlington County)
Rendering of the proposed buildings for the Key Bridge Marriott site (via Arlington County)
A site map for the redevelopment of the Key Bridge Marriott includes several roadways on the site and an esplanade around the north side (Image via Arlington County)
The current Key Bridge Marriott hotel is one of the oldest in the company’s portfolio
Key Bridge Marriott site in Rosslyn (photo via Arlington County)
Key Bridge Marriott site in Rosslyn (via Arlington County)
A new development that will build new housing in Rosslyn while renovating one of the region’s oldest hotels got the green light from the Arlington County Board over the weekend.
The board approved the redevelopment of the Key Bridge Marriott site by a 4-0 vote. The project will include the renovation of the hotel — one of Marriott’s earliest hotels, which first opened in 1959 — as well as the construction of three new 16-story residential buildings, with about 300 rental apartments and 150 condo units.
With the site perched above the Potomac River, near Key Bridge, many of the new homes will have enviable views of the river and D.C.
The project also includes the construction of two new street segments, as well as the contribution of land and funding for a new public park.
More from an Arlington County press release:
The aging Key Bridge Marriott hotel at 1401 Lee Highway will be partially demolished and renovated, and three new residential buildings will be added to the site under a plan approved by the County Board.
“This plan adds much-needed housing in Rosslyn, new public open space and a major renovation of the Marriott Hotel, greatly enhancing the aesthetics and functionality of this highly visible site in Rosslyn,” Board Chair Libby Garvey said.
The Board voted 4-0 to approve the redevelopment plan. […]
In addition to renovating the hotel’s 445 rooms, developer KBLH, LLC, will build three 16-story residential buildings, with a total of 451 units, on the 5.5-acre site on the north side of Lee Highway. One of the new buildings is expected to offer rental apartments and the other two are planned as condominiums. The modernized hotel’s new façade will face Lee Highway and Gateway Park.
The plan, which evolved significantly before and during the public review process, also calls for two new streets that will connect with an esplanade open to the public on the north end of the site, accessible to pedestrians and cyclists but not cars. The esplanade will offer views of the Potomac River and Georgetown and connect to the bike path leading to Key Bridge. A crescent-shaped park will be built on the site’s Fort Myer Drive frontage and will provide an improved bicycle and pedestrian path to Key Bridge. Most of the park is on National Park Service property and will require federal approval for improvements.
The developer has committed to achieving LEED Gold certification for the residential buildings and LEED Silver for the hotel and will install ENERGY STAR and WaterSense appliances. Among other community benefits, the developer would contribute land for a new public park on the site, fronting on Fort Myer Drive, $870,075 to help plan and build the park, and a contribution of $1.75 million to the County’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund.
In a bit of relief for hard-hit restaurants and hotels, Arlington County’s Treasurer says tax payments due between now and the end of April can be deferred temporarily.
Treasurer Carla de la Pava said in a statement that her office will not impose penalties and interest on late tax payments, though tax returns are still due. The decision mostly affects meals taxes, paid by restaurants, and hotel taxes, and requires payment by May 31.
More from the Treasurer’s Office:
Carla de la Pava, Treasurer of Arlington County, has determined that late payment penalty and interest will not be imposed on local taxes with a payment due date between March 13 and April 30, 2020, if such taxes are paid in full by May 31, 2020. This decision primarily but not exclusively affects Arlington County Meals, Food, and Beverage Taxes and Transient Occupancy Taxes, which would ordinarily be due March 20 and April 20. Taxpayers should still file the required returns even if they are not paying the tax until a later date. Taxpayers are encouraged to pay their taxes on time if they have the financial means to do so. Any taxes previously paid will not be refunded. Taxpayers should direct questions to [email protected]
The four buildings set for Potomac Yard Land Bay C, as of 2017 (image via DCS Designs)
The four buildings set for Potomac Yard Land Bay C, as of 2017 (image via DCS Designs)
Land Bay C would also have a park known as North Plaza (image via DCS Designs)
The buildings would include office and retail space (image via DCS Designs)
The four buildings set for Potomac Yard Land Bay C, as of 2017 (image via DCS Designs)
Potomac Yard land bays, as of 2017
A long-delayed development project in the Potomac Yard area is likely to go back before the Arlington County Board this year with some changes.
Developer Meridian is expected to seek a modification to the earlier plan to build four office buildings on the empty plot of land along Richmond Highway, south of Crystal City, known as Potomac Yard Land Bay C.
The site plan was originally approved in 2007, per our earlier reporting, to include four buildings over an underground parking garage. It includes more than 1 million square feet of office space, 41,000 square feet of retail space and a half-acre park known as North Plaza. The window to start work on the site, located near the Lidl headquarters, was extended by three years by the state legislature in 2017.
A county spokeswoman tells ARLnow that half of the planned complex may be switched from office to residential use, with an option to also build a hotel instead. The change was foreshadowed in a conceptual site plan submitted to Arlington’s planning department. (Such plans are submitted for feedback from county planners and precede formal site plan filings.)
“The conceptual site plan for Potomac Yard Land Bay C proposes to convert the approved office GFA to residential use, with an option for hotel use as well,” said Dept. of Community Planning, Housing & Development spokeswoman Gina Wimpey. “The conceptual site plan is still under staff review, and we don’t know if or went the application will file a preliminary site plan, which would be the next step after the conceptual site plan. The conceptual site plan covers only the eastern half of Land Bay C, not the western half.”
A planning division presentation to the County Board last week suggested that planners were expecting the new site plan to be filed in time for County Board approval by the end of the year.
Rendering of the proposed buildings for the Key Bridge Marriott site (via Arlington County)
Rendering of the proposed buildings for the Key Bridge Marriott site (via Arlington County)
A site map for the redevelopment of the Key Bridge Marriott includes several roadways on the site and an esplanade around the north side (Image via Arlington County)
A plan to redevelop the Key Bridge Marriott is moving forward, but some Arlington officials have lingering concerns about parking and impervious space at the site.
At a Transportation Commission meeting earlier this month, project representatives laid out plans to demolish a portion of the existing 582-room hotel and redevelop the 1401 Lee Highway site with three residential buildings and a smaller, renovated hotel space.
The remodeled hotel would include 449 rooms, bordered by a 150-unit condominium building to the east and a 300-unit apartment building to the west above an existing parking structure. A representative said the redevelopment would include a “slew of interior changes” to the hotel.
Part of the plan involves the addition of a new bike path connecting to the Key Bridge, near where improvements were made to the Custis Trail last year. While there was widespread praise for the new bicycle connection, some on the Transportation Commission had reservations about the project. Chair Chris Slatt said he still wanted to see a Bikeshare station added and wanted to see a lower parking ratio on the site, partially to allow for less impervious surface area.
“There’s work that can be done on circulation areas of the site to make them less impervious,” Slatt said. “It really feels like there’s a lot of pavement [and] a lot of sidewalk. I look down at this plan view and I expect to see a lot more of those tree circles than I do.”
The project is also being discussed by the Site Plan Review Committee at a meeting next Thursday, Jan. 30. It will go back to the Transportation Commission for a vote after that, before going to the full Planning Commission and ultimately the Arlington County Board for approval.
A parking lot behind the Highlander that sparked county controversy.
No work is happening yet, but there are signs that plans to replace the Highlander Motel in Virginia Square with a new CVS store are getting closer to fruition.
A permit application was filed last month for the property at 3336 Wilson Blvd for a new building, to house CVS. Thus far no permits have been issued.
The application follows years of legal wrangling between Arlington County and local businessman Bill Bayne. In 2018 the Virginia Supreme Court cleared the way for Bayne to redevelop the 56-year-old budget hotel, after the county refused to allow him to use the parking lot behind the motel for store parking.
Bayne subsequently sued the county in federal court for alleged civil rights violations, but that suit was dismissed in October, with the judge citing Arlington County’s sovereign immunity as a reason for the dismissal.
Bayne told ARLnow that the legal fight cost him at least $250,000, if not more.
“It’s over… it is what it is,” he said.
As of Monday morning, no bookings were available online for the Highlander’s $69/night rooms past January, but Bayne told ARLnow that was an error that would be corrected; rooms could be booked past then if you call the hotel, he said.
Bayne said the hotel is planning to stay open for at least another year and there’s no set closing date, though he acknowledged that he’s continuing to pursue the redevelopment.
Bayne is also the owner and co-owner, respectively, of two other long-time local businesses: the Crystal City Restaurant gentlemen’s club and Crystal City Sports Pub, both on 23rd Street S. Changes may be on the way for the former — Bayne said he’s considering changing the name of Crystal City Restaurant to “National Landing Strip,” given the new branding for the collective Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard area in the wake of Amazon’s HQ2.
“I’ve thought about doing it… it’s certainly crossed my mind,” Bayne said of the possible name change.
The only thing keeping Bayne from changing the name, he said, is sentimentality. Bayne’s father bought the business in 1963 and renamed it “Crystal City Restaurant” from “Arlington Luncheon” to reflect what was then the new name for the neighborhood along Route 1.
County Board Approves Legislative Priorities — “The Arlington County Board today finalized its 2020 General Assembly Legislative Proposals… Arlington’s proposals include requests that the General Assembly renew without a sunset clause the .25 percent transient occupancy tax on hotel rooms that funds travel and tourism promotion in Arlington.” [Arlington County]
Groups Call for County-Owned Power Company — “Eighty years after the idea was first broached, several progressive groups are embarked on a likely uphill effort to have the Arlington government develop its own energy utility. The Arlington Green Party is the latest to sign on to the effort, which was proposed by Our Revolution Arlington.” [InsideNova]
New Operator for Shelter on the Pike — “Arlington has finalized new contracts for operation of the County’s two homeless shelters for single adults beginning in January 2020. A-SPAN will continue to operate the Homeless Services Center in the Courthouse Neighborhood, and New Hope Housing will take over from Volunteers of America – Chesapeake & Carolinas to operate the Residential Program Center on Columbia Pike.” [Arlington County]
Thousands Participate in Wreath Laying — “Despite the cold and the rain, thousands of volunteers came to make sure our country’s fallen heroes were honored with wreaths during the 2019 National Wreaths Across America Day at Arlington National Cemetery. There was no mistaking what this meant to families whose loved ones are buried at Arlington National. One of those families watching volunteers flood the cemetery told FOX 5 they couldn’t interview without crying.” [Fox 5]
Trump Campaign Strategizes at Local Hotel — “Over a 90-minute PowerPoint session at a hotel in Arlington, Va., on Thursday, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, campaign manager Brad Parscale and other senior Trump campaign officials presented dozens of national political reporters their theory of how Trump can win again in 2020.” [Axios]
Nearby: Seven Corners Bridge Rehab Complete — “The rehabilitation of the one-way bridge linking the eastbound Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) service road to Wilson Boulevard (Route 613) is complete, improving safety for drivers and pedestrians and extending the overall life of the bridge.” [VDOT]
Confusing Lane Markings on I-395 — “Drivers are complaining about mis-matched lane striping on… 395 South near Shirlington.” [NBC 4, Twitter]
New Taco Restaurant Eyeing Arlington — Wild Tacoz, which recently opened in the Falls Church area, is aiming to become a local chain with future locations in Arlington and elsewhere. [Tysons Reporter]
Pedestrian Struck Near Clarendon — “A woman was just struck by a car on N. Pershing Drive at Fillmore Street in Lyon Park. Only minor injuries reported. Police and firefighters on scene.” [Twitter/@ARLnowDOTcom]
Dems Push for Higher Wages at DCA — “Delegates have signed a letter urging the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority to ensure contracted workers at Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport reach $15 per hour by 2023. Their $12.15 hourly wages are far lower than D.C.’s $15 minimum wage and many East Coast airports.” [Press Release]
Crystal City Hilton Sold — “Starwood Capital Group has made its second acquisition in the area around Amazon HQ2 this year. The Miami-based firm acquired a 393-room hotel in Crystal City from a fund affiliated with JBG Smith for $73M.” [Bisnow, Washington Business Journal]
Housing May Dominate Budget Discussion — “Board members directed, as part of their fiscal 2021 budget guidance to County Manager Mark Schwartz, that budget plans include an option to increase affordable-housing funding to as much as $25 million, a 56-percent increase from the $16 million Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) funding approved for the current fiscal year…. [but] raising expectations of affordable-housing advocates could pit them against proponents of other budget priorities.” [InsideNova]
Local Defense Attorney to Serve as Fairfax Prosecutor — “Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney-elect Steve Descano… announced last Wednesday (Nov. 27) that he intends to have Terry Adams, a private defense attorney in Arlington, take on the role of Chief Deputy, lauding his 14 years working on criminal and civil cases in Virginia.” [Tysons Reporter]
ACFD Assists With School Project — “Tower 104 assisted students [at] Science Focus School today with their annual egg drop. The students were able to collect some data & a good time was had by all.” [Twitter/@ArlingtonVaFD]
A thus-far unidentified man is facing numerous charges after allegedly fighting a hotel employee and police in Crystal City early Friday morning.
The incident happened around 2 a.m. Friday, just after Thanksgiving, on the 2300 block of Richmond Highway.
Police say a man who was loitering around a hotel lobby tackled an employee who tried to kick him out, then fled, then came back and “began chasing [hotel] employees.” Police arrived as the man tried to flee the scene again, and the man bit and scratched an arresting officer, according to Arlington County Police.
More from an ACPD crime report:
ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2019-11290015, 2300 block of Richmond Highway. At approximately 2:00 a.m. on November 29, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male suspect was inside a hotel common area when he was approached by staff inquiring if he was a guest. The suspect was determined not to be a guest and, upon an employee confronting him, the suspect allegedly tackled the employee to the ground and assaulted him, before fleeing on foot. The suspect then returned to the business and began chasing the employees. Arriving officers observed the suspect attempting to flee the business on foot and yelled for him to stop, however, he disobeyed lawful commands and continued walking away. The officer made contact with the suspect and attempted to place him in handcuffs, however, he actively resisted. A brief struggle ensued, during which the suspect attempted to bite the officer and scratched the officer, causing a laceration. During the course of the investigation, it was determined the suspect had also stolen an employee’s personal belongings. The suspect refused to identify himself, was booked under the name John Doe and charged with Assault and Battery on Police, Assault and Battery (x2), and Grand Larceny.
Meanwhile, another assault on police was reported over the weekend, in nearby Pentagon City. A juvenile female theft suspect, who was wanted for other alleged crimes in D.C., spit on an officer, according to a crime report.
ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2019-11300164, 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 5:38 p.m. on November 30, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Arriving officers observed two subjects matching the descriptions provided in a lookout on the metro platform. Officers made contact with the individuals, and during the course of the investigation, the female suspect was determined to be wanted out of Washington, D.C. While attempting to take the suspect into custody, she allegedly disobeyed lawful commands, actively resisting and flailing her body. With the assistance of additional arriving officers, she was taken into custody, however, she continued to act disorderly. While awaiting medical clearance at the hospital, the suspect continued to act disorderly and spit on an officer. Petitions for Assault & Battery on Police, Fugitive from Justice, Obstruction of Justice were obtained for the juvenile suspect.
New rendering of the proposed hotel in Ballston (Image via Arlington County)
New rendering of the proposed hotel in Ballston (Image via Arlington County)
Diagram indicating where the proposed hotel will stand in Ballston (Image via Arlington County)
Diagram indicating where the proposed hotel will stand in Ballston (Image via Arlington County)
Example rendering of the Ballston hotel’s rooftop jacuzzi (Image via Arlington County)
Concept designs for the multi-color light installation along the side of the hotel (Image via Arlington County)
The hotel itself is designed like a trapezoid with another structure notched into the side (Image via Arlington County)
Early plans for the new hotel being proposed in Ballston include locally-run bars, a rooftop jacuzzi, an artistic LED light display, and possibly an urban farm.
Vienna-based developer Schupp Companies is proposing to build the 10-story, 180-room hotel at the intersection of N. Randolph Street and 5th Road N. along with a two-story underground parking garage with space for 91 cars, as first reported by UrbanTurf.
The latest plans for the building at 501 N. Randolph Street call for a bar, restaurant, and a lounge area in the 12,829-square-foot ground floor area, according to copies of the documents ARLnow obtained by Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The rooftop is also slated to have another bar with a jacuzzi surrounded with lounge chairs and plants, per the plans.
“The view lines are going to be spectacular,” said Ray Schupp, president and owner of Schupp Companies. “On the roof, a small local bar with good views would be really, really great.”
“I think local entrepreneurs do the best job there,” he said of the rooftop establishment. “The rooftop will be for sure be a local entrepreneur. We’re looking at someone who really cares about what they’re doing. We’ll just lease the space for them.”
When asked, Schupp said he was also considering dedicating some rooftop space to the growing trend of urban farming, which would make the hotel one of the only buildings in Arlington to feature a rooftop farm. Schupp added a bee hive might be difficult, but growing herbs for the bars or restaurant could be “a great idea.”
The hotel will replace long-time Italian restaurant Tutto Bene which closed in 2014. It was originally slated to have 240 rooms.
Plans lay out several aesthetic plans for the exterior of the hotel, including “multi-colored light” display on a strip of windowless-wall visible from the recently renovated Ballston Quarter mall. Schupp told ARLnow that the design will be modeled after the displays mounted on the company’s Hyatt hotel development in Courthouse, but will be tailored to fit the “high-tech” image of Ballston.
The developer is aiming to paint the Ballston hotel’s a “soft but vibrant green similar to GMU’s Arlington campus building,” per the plans. But on the panels that face N. Randolph Street, the company is considering adding a metallic, shimmering coat to the paint.
“I think a shimmering look will be good as the sun sets,” said Schupp.
The long-shuttered Italian Restaurant Tutto Bene, as seen here in a 2018 street view image captured by Google Maps, could be replaced by a 10-story hotel (Image via Google Maps)
Location of proposed hotel development in Ballston (image via Google Maps)
Tutto Bene in 2014
(Updated at 10:30 a.m.) A new hotel with several hundred rooms could be coming soon to Ballston.
Vienna-based developer Schupp Companies recently submitted plans to build a 10-story hotel with 240 rooms at 501 N. Randolph Street and 4019 5th Road N., according to the Arlington County website. Previously, the lot was home to celebrated Italian restaurant Tutto Bene before it closed in 2014, after 26 years in business.
The description on Schupp Companies’ website indicates that the developer purchased the land in 2015, and touts the “over one million visitors” to the nearby renovated Ballston Quarter mall and the Medstar Capitals Iceplex.
A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to requests for more information about the project. On Tuesday UrbanTurf reported that the plans had recently changed and now called for 180 rooms, though that could not be immediately confirmed.
The county’s Site Plan Review Committee is scheduled to discuss the plan in two weeks, on Thursday, October 24. The public meeting will be held from 7-9 p.m. in the Bozman government center building (2100 Clarendon Blvd) in Courthouse.
If approved, the hotel would sit near another proposed redevelopment project: the Ballston Harris Teeter on N. Glebe Road, where developers are planning to build a new Harris Teeter space underneath a new, 732-unit residential building.
