local business

Ill-Fated ‘Goth’ Restaurant in Va. Square Torn Down

By ARLnow.com

It couldn’t have looked more out of place. An old building near the Virginia Square Metro station, dressed up in black paint and Gothic-style accents.

What would have been a restaurant, bar and lounge called “Haze” is now being reduced to a pile of rubble. Arlington County purchased the property at 3540 Wilson Boulevard one year ago with the intention of tearing it down, and the demolition is finally happening today.

The property will be used to connect Maury Park and Herselle Milliken Park, two tiny swaths of recreational space located on the same block between N. Monroe and Lincoln streets. So what happened to Haze?

Last year we were told that the owner undertook renovations on the building before any county permits were issued or even requested. Obviously, a county that put the kibosh on a dog mural located next to a dog park is going to take issue with a business trying to pull a fast one with a gaudy black bar across from an apartment building. The owner finally decided to shutter the restaurant-that-never-was instead of trying to to get the building back into compliance.

At least for now, the prime Wilson Boulevard property will be used as a park.

“The entire parcel will be used as park space in the near term, although the immediate frontage on Wilson Boulevard may be reconsidered in the long term if the remaining retail/commercial parcels on the block are consolidated and redeveloped,” Arlington Park Division Chief Lisa Grandle told the Ashton Heights Civic Association last year.

H/t to Bill Colton

Morning Poll: Why Wegman’s?

By ARLnow.com

It seems that every time we run a story on a new retailer coming to Arlington, someone chimes in in the comments, saying that they’d much rather have a Wegman’s.

We asked folks on Twitter why the supermarket chain is so popular and heard a lot of different explanations. If you’re a Wegman’s fan, what are your top three reasons for wanting to shop there?

Discount Tattoo Removal Shop Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A new discount tattoo removal shop is coming to the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Pollard Street in Ballston.

Called “Zap a Tat,” the shop is “a new concept in laser tattoo removal,” according to a help wanted ad on Craigslist. The store will attempt to undercut other tattoo removal services on price, according to the Linked In page of its owner, a Harvard MBA alum.

Zap a Tat will “provide high quality laser tattoo removal at a reasonable price,” according to the Linked In page. “We are testing our concept and will begin roll-out soon thereafter.”

The Ballston storefront, at 820 N. Pollard Street, is “our first retail location,” according to the Craiglist ad.

Tattoo removal is a booming business. About a quarter of the population between the ages of 18 and 50 has at least one tattoo, according to study published in 2006.

Hat tip to Tim J.

Arlington-Based Company Expanding Overseas

By ARLnow.com

Courthouse-based Opower is expanding its home energy efficiency business overseas.

The Arlington company announced a partnership today with one of Britain’s largest utility companies. Opower will supply home energy management software to the customers of First Utility, the U.K.’s largest independent energy provider.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell hailed Opower in a statement announcing the deal.

“In addition to developing our diverse domestic sources of energy, we must learn to use the energy we generate as efficiently as possible,’ McDonnell said. “This innovative Virginia company is leading the way in creating new tools to help us do that. It is one of the many energy businesses located in Virginia contributing to making the Commonwealth ‘The Energy Capital of the East Coast.'”

Opower’s says its software “helps people better understand how they’re using energy in their homes so they can make smart choices and reduce usage.”

The company, which was visited by President Obama last year, has grown from 7 employees to over 200 employees in just two years.

Pike Planning Workshops Wrap Up Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Tonight county representatives will present the results of a week-long public planning and design process intended to help plan the future of Columbia Pike.

The “Work in Progress Presentation” will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 tonight at the Sheraton National Hotel (900 S. Orme Street). Planners will reveal the work that has been completed through a neighborhood planning day  — or “charrette” — last weekend and a series of “open design studios” during the week.

The process was designed to allow residents to participate in the planning of the on-going Columbia Pike corridor revitalization.

Earlier this month, a panel organized by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization gave a preview of what the future of Columbia Pike’s development might look like.

Panelists suggested that real estate investors are currently most interested in buying older, fully-leased apartment complexes on the Pike, renovating them and re-leasing for considerably higher rents. If there is new construction on the Pike in the current real estate climate, it will likely be limited to townhouses and 4-5 story wood frame apartment/condo buildings, they said.

Consultants who are advising Arlington County on ways to preserve affordable housing on Columbia Pike said that the county should eliminate the zoning that currently allows developers to convert garden-style apartments on the Pike to condos without County Board approval. They said that much higher density — 70-80 units per acre, compared to the current 25 unit per acre average — is required to support affordable housing.

(more…)

‘Melody Tavern’ Coming to Potomac Yard

By ARLnow.com

A new bar/restaurant is coming to the Market Square at Potomac Yard development (3650 S. Glebe Road) near Crystal City.

“Melody Tavern” will serve healthy, modern American fare and will host live music and comedy acts, according to owner Michel Daley. It will target the more mature “professional set,” he said.

Daley, formerly the co-owner of D.C. waterfront hotspot Zanzibar, says the restaurant will be opening in the large, 7,000 square foot space once occupied by the now-shuttered McGinty’s Pub. He anticipates a September or October opening date.

The restaurant will have fewer flat screen TVs than McGinty’s, Daley said, but will still show sports and other programming during times when no live entertainment is booked. There will be a weekly, live jazz brunch on Sundays as well as occasional live jazz and blues performance at night.

Daley said he’s confident Melody Tavern will be a “destination” that will attract customers to the relatively new retail square, which he admitted is somewhat “off the beaten path.” He said two other new restaurants in the square — the Asian fusion eatery Heebeen and pizza-and-pasta joint Paisano’s — will be opening soon and will also help to add vitality to the area.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Daley said. “I couldn’t have found a better spot.”

At first, the restaurant will only be open at night on weekdays. It will eventually open for lunch during the week when tenants start moving into a new office building across the street, Daley said. Like McGinty’s, Melody Tavern is expected to seat more than 150 people inside the restaurant and outside on its 1,000 square foot outdoor patio.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sign Vigilante Arrested — “Arlington anti-sign vigilante” Robert Lauderdale is facing a felony grand larceny charge for allegedly stealing 240 apartment leasing signs from the Crescent Apartments near I-66. Lauderdale says he removes the signs to reduce clutter along his street and unilaterally enforce Arlington’s sign regulations. He was arrested, taken to jail and booked earlier this month after police showed up at his apartment in the wee hours of the morning. [Falls Church News-Press]

Virginia Is ‘Top State for Business’ — Virginia is once again “America’s Top State For Business,” according to CNBC. “Virginia is a perennial favorite with its strategic location, friendly business climate and diverse economy,” the channel said. The Commonwealth also captured the title in 2007 and 2009. [CNBC]

‘Flash Mob’ At Arlington Central Library — It lacked the spontaneity of a true “flash mob,” but the Bowen McCauley Dance company’s performance of “Mamma Mia” at Arlington Central Library over the weekend was, at least, cool to watch. [YouTube]

FBI Investigating Arlington Nat’l Cemetery Problems — The FBI is investigating possible criminal wrongdoing connected to the mishandling of remains and records at Arlington National Cemetery. The agency is looking into possible contracting fraud and falsification of records, among other potential crimes. [Washington Post]

Wag More Dogs Seeks Appeal of Mural Lawsuit

By ARLnow.com

An Arlington dog grooming and boarding business is asking a federal appeals court to consider whether Arlington County’s sign ordinance is constitutional.

In February, a U.S. District Court Judge dismissed a lawsuit against Arlington County filed by Wag More Dogs (2606 S. Oxford Street). With the assistance of the the Institute for Justice, a Ballston-based libertarian public interest law firm, Wag More Dogs owner Kim Houghton had claimed that the county’s crackdown on the store’s colorful wall mural, which faced the Shirlington dog park, was unconstitutional.

Today, Houghton and the Institute for Justice announced that they have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to take the case — which revolves around the method by which Arlington County decides what is ‘art’ and what is an impermissible commercial sign.

“The U.S. Constitution gives everyone the right to speak and the right to earn an honest living,” said Robert Frommer, the attorney who’s representing Wag More Dogs. “Kim is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to vindicate both of these rights and let her share her artwork with the dog park once again.”

The appeals court will now decide whether to hear the case.

Update at 6:40 p.m. — Arlington County Attorney Steven MacIsaac has released a statement about the appeal.

In February, the U.S. District Court agreed with Arlington that this issue is about commercial sign regulation, and the judge found Arlington’s sign ordinance to be fair and reasonable. In her ruling, Judge Binkema said that the mural is a “classic form of branding and advertising,” and meets the definition of a sign , which is, therefore, subject to the County’s sign ordinance. The judge found that the County’s sign ordinance is a valid, content-neutral restriction on the size of signs in the M-1 zoning district, even noting that , by saying the ordinance was content-based, Wag More Dogs was “barking up the wrong tree.”

We are aware that the owner has filed an appeal to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, and has just now filed her brief. We will now file our response in accord with court rules.

Arlington Second Only to Manhattan In…

By ARLnow.com

Civic boosters once tried to brand Rosslyn as “Manhattan on the Potomac.”

The connection between Times Square and N. Lynn Street pretty much stopped at the WJLA news ticker, but there is one actual similarity between Manhattan and Arlington as a whole.

Among U.S. counties nationwide, Arlington is second only to Manhattan in terms of average wage per job.

Recent figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show that Manhattan workers make an average of $109,028, compared to the $102,373 average income of Arlington workers.

According to the Business Journals, Manhattan and Arlington “are the only two major U.S. counties where average compensation is higher than $100,000 per job.”

Sandwich Board Signs, Sidewalk Cafe Umbrellas Making a Comeback?

By ARLnow.com

At the annual State of the County address yesterday, Arlington County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman said action on parts of his Small Business Initiative is coming soon.

Zimmerman said that he expects to see an initial draft of a rewritten sign ordinance next month, with final Board approval by the end of the year.

Addressing the substance of the sign ordinance, Zimmerman said he wants an ordinance that “at a minimum, ends the prohibition on A-frame signs [and] relaxes restrictions on the umbrellas used for sidewalk seating.”

Allowing A-frame — or “sandwich board” –signs would be a victory for business owners in Arlington, who have bemoaned Arlington’s strict enforcement of its prohibitive sign ordinance. The ban on sandwich board signs in makes it particularly difficult to promote restaurants specials and store sales to passersby.

Unadorned sidewalk cafe umbrellas are currently allowed under county code, but allowing branded umbrellas would benefit restaurant owners who want to make their eateries more visible during the warm weather months.

In addition to sign ordinance changes, Zimmerman said he hopes the Small Business Initiative will find a way to improve coordination among the various county government units that handle business matters.

“We heard, again and again, a real frustration with the lack of centrality and consistency of information,” Zimmerman said.

Clarendon Alliance Names New Executive Director

By ARLnow.com

The Clarendon Alliance has a new executive director.

Matt Hussmann is taking over the top spot at the neighborhood booster group. Hussman’s resume includes gigs with the Downtown Nanaimo Partnership Society, in British Columbia, Canada, and more recently with the Downtown DC Business Improvement District.

“I’m delighted and excited to begin work in Clarendon,” Hussman said in a statement. “This is a terrific neighborhood with a lot of attractions. It’s growing and changing, but I think it still retains its character as an urban village. The Clarendon Alliance has a long and successful tradition, and I’m proud to have the opportunity to work to make a great organization, and a great commercial district even better.”

Hussman’s first day, June 27, will coincide with the Alliance’s move to a new office on the ground floor of the Clarendon Center South building at 11th Street N.

Hussman will replace departing executive director Susan Anderson, who left for the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office.

The Clarendon Alliance was formed in 1985 to help guide the revitalization of the Clarendon area. It is partially funded by Arlington County. Additional funding comes from memberships and events.

Photo by Tom Petty

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