Pentagon City

New ‘Arlington Junction Park’ near HQ2 could be built later this year

By Jo DeVoe
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After a few years of planning, a new public park in Pentagon City is headed to the Arlington County Board for approval.

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board is set to consider adopting some changes to land use and zoning and property lines for two patches of land known as the “Teardrop Parcel,” once intended to be used as a maintenance facility for the streetcar that never was.

The report says these changes will allow the county build the new 0.7-acre park “efficiently and as anticipated in 2023.” The planned park, to be named “Arlington Junction Park, will be located the intersection of S. Eads Street and Army Navy Drive.

“The long-term vision of the proposed park is as a green, public casual use space in a densely developed urban context, to support a welcoming, biophilic community and establish a new public space connection in Crystal City,” according to a county report.

To get started, county staff are requesting the County Board rezone the property, as the parcel’s current designation would hamper plans to install environmentally friendly 15-foot-tall “Dark Sky” pylon lights. The report suggests not moving forward with this lighting would be a nuisance and hazard to park users and nearby residents.

“Lighting designs that are Dark Sky compliant may minimize urban glare and are more environmentally sensitive. As referenced as an urban safety principle in the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), clear sightlines, landscaping and sufficient lighting can enhance park visibility and reduce crime opportunities,” the report says.

The park’s other features will include a boardwalk as well as central promenade, to be bordered by berms planted with pollinator meadows, a rain garden and trees to provide a buffer between the park and Army Navy Drive. There will be an outdoor fitness area with exercise stations, built-in benches, a “dog spot” and two lawns for gatherings.

Renderings of the new park along S. Eads Street in Crystal City (via Arlington County)

The green space is located near the Verizon telecommunications facility at 400 11th Street S. and across the street from the planned second phase of Amazon’s permanent HQ2. Two high-end apartment buildings, both constructed by developer LCOR, are close by as well: Sage Modern Apartments (480 11th Street S.), where leasing began last October, and The Altaire (400 Army Navy Drive).

Developer contributions from these two projects are funding the park’s $3 million budget.

The lighting issue is the most recent example of ways the zoning code can make it harder to develop parks, the report says. In the last few months, county staff started studying a longer-term way of simplifying this process, but are asking the County Board to approve the rezoning work-around to get started on Arlington Junction Park in the short term.

Over the course of this year, staff will explore giving the County Board authority to modify building height, setback and parking standards through use permits for county parks, per the report.

SCOOP: Chef Tim Ma is bringing back a popular sandwich shop to Pentagon City’s “cube”

By Matt Blitz
Chef Tim Ma is opening two new concepts inside of the cube at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Local chef Tim Ma is reviving a popular sandwich shop and bringing it to the former Bread and Water “cube” in Pentagon City.

Ma’s well-regarded Chase the Submarine, which closed in Vienna about five years ago, is making a comeback at Westpost on S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City, the chef confirmed to ARLnow. It’s a joint venture with Scott Chung, who co-owns Bun’d Up, also located in Westpost.

The sandwich shop is moving into the relatively small “cube” space in the development’s plaza which was home to Bread and Water until this fall.

This will be Ma’s second Westpost restaurant. Chinese-American take-out eatery Lucky Danger opened on the other side of the development in July 2021.

Construction is essentially done, Ma said, and he’s just waiting on permits. The hope is to start serving within a few weeks, meaning likely later this month.

Along with that, Ma is also planning another concept in the cube.

At night, sandwiches will transform into cocktails with a new wine and cocktail bar called No Chaser. That isn’t expected to open quite yet, with Chase the Submarine opening first and No Chaser coming later this year.

Window stickers are already on plastered on the building, advertising both the new eatery and the cocktail bar.

Ma, who grew up in Centreville and previously owned Water & Wall in Virginia Square, said that all of this came together very quickly.

When Bread and Water closed in October, Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) suggested the space to him. FRIT owns the mixed-use development, as well as the Village of Shirlington.

Lucky Danger has been doing quite well at Westpost since it opened about 18 months ago, Ma said, and FRIT has continued to be a “fantastic partner.”

“I’ve been very happy with my return to Arlington and, generally, very hopeful about the [dining] future of the area,” he said.

So, they decided to take the space and, then, just had to figure out what to put there. They turned to an old favorite.

“My team and I always talked about bringing [Chase the Submarine] back,” Ma said. “It was truly one of my favorites.”

Ma said, at least for the time being, this version of Chase the Submarine will be a more “consolidated” version than the previous one in Vienna. There will be fewer hot sandwiches and some different cold sandwiches.

The exact menu and website have not been released publicly quite yet, but that’s expected to be out in the coming days. He said he’s excited to be partnering with Chung, with whom he worked on a night market this past fall.

As part of the agreement to open the two new concepts, Ma extended Lucky Danger’s lease to keep it in Westpost for the foreseeable future. That future includes the opening of Amazon’s HQ2 this year, a few blocks away in Pentagon City, as well as expected development across the street on the Riverhouse property.

“I’m here to stay for a long time,” Ma said.

Soul Wingz taking flight at the Pentagon City mall

By Matt Blitz
Soul Wingz at Pentagon City mall (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new locally-owned soul food restaurant is now open at the Pentagon City mall.

Soul Wingz appears to have opened last week, per its Instagram account, after several days of practice runs the week prior. It’s located next to Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, near the entrance to the Metro.

The new restaurant serves up chicken wings, pork chops, fried fish, shrimp and grits, hush puppies, and other items.

ARLnow first reported that Soul Wingz was coming to Pentagon City back in July. The restaurant started as a pop-up in 2008 and opened a food truck in 2016. Then, a brick-and-mortar location near D.C.’s Howard University opened last year.

It took “6 years of negotiations and meetings with several potentials investors” to get the Arlington location off the ground, reads an Instagram post from late last month.

The mall has seen some turnover over the past couple of months months, as 2022 transitioned into 2023. Noodle eatery Yong Kang Street closed in November while Rosa Mexicano opened in early December.

Maizal, a Latin American street food stand, and corn dog eatery Kong Dog are both expected to open soon at the mall.

Where intra-county gondola travel could work if this aerial transit startup comes to Arlington

By Jo DeVoe
Swyft Cities gondola system (via Swyft Cities/Twitter)

We may not get a gondola over the Potomac River anytime soon, but a new startup may make intra-county gondola travel a reality someday.

Swyft Cities promises to provide one- to five-mile aerial connections around “densely developed areas, including corporate campuses, airports, universities and tourism districts,” according to TechCrunch, which named the startup the winner of a transit-oriented pitch contest earlier this year.

Swyft says it offers low-cost, automated kit-of-parts gondolas that private organizations and governments can set up. Its founders are commercializing the gondola solution they developed while working at Google to connect the tech company’s campuses, per its website.

On social media, the company recently received some praise but also some flak for overcomplicating public transit. There were also some predictions that the concept will never get off the ground.

The startup says it will deploy its first systems next year. Should it turn to Arlington and its adoring fans of short-distance aerial transit, here’s where Swyft infrastructure could work.

Current view of Route 1 (via National Landing BID)

Crystal City

If any company could stand up a gondola, it’s JBG Smith. The developer is already spearheading efforts to make Route 1 safer for pedestrians and to bring 5G connectivity to Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard, creating the nation’s first at-scale “Smart City.”

Automated gondolas could clinch transit safety and make the “smart city” even smarter. Bridging Route 1 with a gondola would probably be easier, faster and safer for pedestrians than VDOT’s current plans to bring elevated portions at-grade.

Or, Swyft could run a gondola parallel to the proposed pedestrian path to Reagan National Airport, making the “CC2DCA” connection even more convenient.

The Helix and all three office buildings, viewed from the south (via Arlington County)

Pentagon City

Amazon could take cues from Google when building its HQ2. Imagine the collaborative work that could take place as employees glide from the glassy double-helix to nearby office towers. It could also provide unparalleled views of the helix — whenever it is open to the public.

Swyft CEO Jeral Poskey told TechCrunch that the company is first targeting closed campuses.

“As you look to densify things, you have a lot of congestion and difficulty moving around, and this applies to a lot of universities, airports and other places within a one to five mile scale,” he said.

Sunset along Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

On Columbia Pike 

Maybe the streetcar was canned for a reason. And maybe that reason was so a gondola could one day reduce congestion and stimulate revitalization, without taking up the same lane as vehicle traffic.

Swyft says the gondolas could cost up to $10 million per mile, according to TechCrunch. While the number calls to mind initial quotes for tunnels built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company — which at this point look too good to be true — a gondola at this price on the Pike would cost a fraction of the $500 million streetcar that never was.

The startup’s CEO says the competitive pricing is supposed to allow the private sector to build aerial transit without government funding. That may make it a better sell to the Arlington County Board.

(more…)

Busy day for ACPD amid vehicle thefts, foot pursuit and an officer nearly run over

By ARLnow.com
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

It was a busy Monday for Arlington County police, as a string of incidents kicked off the holiday week.

Starting that morning, ACPD responded to a pair of car thefts in the Bluemont neighborhood and what might have been an attempted carjacking in the nearby Dominion Hills neighborhood.

From the lastest police crime report:

GRAND LARCENY AUTO/ATTEMPTED GRAND LARCENY AUTO, 2022-12190049/12190058, 5600 block of 8th Street N./1000 block of N. Liberty Street. At approximately 6:42 a.m. on December 19, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was making a delivery in the 5600 block of 8th Street N. when she observed the suspect vehicle pull up alongside her parked vehicle. The unknown male suspect exited the passenger side of the vehicle and attempted to enter into the victim’s vehicle, during which the victim confronted him. The suspect then entered back into the suspect vehicle and fled the scene. The suspect vehicle is described as a silver SUV. During the course of the investigation, it was determined between approximately 5:13 a.m. and 6:13 a.m., two vehicles with keys inside were stolen in the 1000 block of N. Liberty Street. The vehicles are described as a 2017 silver Ford Explorer and a 2022 white Toyota Prius. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 6’0″, wearing a black mask, black jacket, gray jeans and black shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

That evening, in Pentagon City near the mall, an officer conducting a traffic stop was nearly run over by a suspect in a BMW trying to flee from another traffic stop, according to ACPD.

That led to a brief car chase that ended when the suspect crossed the suspect crossed the bridge into D.C. The chase was caught on video by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter.

From ACPD:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING OF POLICE, 2022-12190190, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 4:55 p.m. on December 19, an officer attempted a traffic stop for a vehicle displaying improper registration. The driver refused to stop and fled at a high rate of speed, nearly striking an officer on a separate traffic stop at Army Navy Drive and S. Hayes Street. Officers initiated a pursuit of the suspect vehicle onto I-395 NB. The pursuit was terminated after the suspect vehicle fled into Washington D.C. The suspect is described as a Black male with a medium to slender build wearing a jacket with the hood pulled up. The investigation is ongoing.

A short distance away in Pentagon City, around 7:30 p.m., police found four stolen vehicles in the parking lot for Virginia Highlands Park. They then chased six potential suspects on foot, arresting and charging four in connection to the stolen vehicles.

All of the charged suspects were between the ages of 18-20 and from either D.C. or Maryland.

From the crime report:

RECOVERED STOLEN VEHICLES, 2022-12190216, 1600 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 7:29 p.m. on December 19, police received an alert for a stolen vehicle in the area and located it parked and unoccupied. During the course of the investigation, officers determined three additional vehicles in the parking lot were also reported stolen. Officers approached a group as they returned to the vehicles and the group ran. A foot pursuit was initiated and officers detained six individuals. Based on the investigation, four of the individuals were arrested and charged. Aziyah Johnson, 18, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of Burglarious Tools. Malik Blocker, 19, of Temple Hills, MD was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. Xavier Mitchell, 18, of Laurel, MD was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Receiving Stolen Goods. Marquis Hailstorks, 20, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Possession of Burglarious Tools.

The apparent aftermath of the chase and arrests was also posted online.

Woman flees police in U-Haul after significant theft of clothing and beauty products

By ARLnow.com
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(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) A theft suspect in a U-Haul managed to flee from police in Pentagon City last week.

The theft happened just before 4 p.m. at or near the Pentagon Row shopping center. The suspect, a woman, reportedly stole a large quantity of clothing and beauty items before fleeing in a rental truck driven by second suspect, a man.

An Arlington sheriff’s deputy then spotted the truck stopped near Virginia Highlands Park and took the driver into custody, at which time the female suspect allegedly started driving off. Arlington officers followed the truck onto I-395 but did not give chase after the driver refused to pull over, given police department policies about chasing non-violent suspects.

Virginia State Police appear to have caught up to the truck as it traveled south in the I-395 Express Lanes, based on traffic camera feeds viewed by ARLnow at the time, but it is unclear what happened after that.

A Virginia State Police spokeswoman deferred to Arlington County police for comment. An Arlington police spokeswoman deferred comment on the actions of the VSP troopers.

“I can’t speak to specifics regarding Virginia State Police and would defer to their agency for additional information,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

ACPD released the following report about the incident.

LARCENY, 2022-12080166, 1100 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 3:57 p.m. on December 8, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect allegedly entered a business, concealed merchandise and exited without paying. An employee observed the female suspect enter a rental truck, driven by the male suspect, and flee the area. A responding officer located the vehicle stopped in the area of 15th Street S. and S. Hayes Street and took the male suspect, who was outside the vehicle, into custody without incident. The female suspect, who had [remained] inside the rental truck, then fled the scene in the vehicle. A lookout was broadcast and an Arlington County Sheriff’s deputy observed the suspect vehicle traveling on S. Hayes Street and attempted a traffic stop. The female suspect refused to stop and fled onto I-395. The suspect is described as a White female, 30 – 40 years old, with brown curly hair, wearing jeans, a multicolor sweater and black shoes. Attempts to identify the male suspect were unsuccessful and he was booked as a John Doe on charges of Grand Larceny, Identity Theft and Public Intoxication. The investigation is ongoing.

Arlington celebrating Hanukkah with menorah lightings this month

By Matt Blitz
Rabbi Mordechai Newman lights the menorah at Chanukah on Ice 2012 at Pentagon Row (file photo)

Arlington is set to celebrate the festival of lights with two menorah lightings later this month.

Hanukkah begins the night of Dec. 18 this year, but the menorah is going to be lit a bit early this year in Pentagon City.

The annual “Chanukah on Ice” event at the Pentagon Row ice skating rink is set for Thursday, Dec. 15 at 5:30 p.m. Organized by the Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington, the evening will feature skating, hot latkes, kosher hot dogs, a raffle, and the lighting of a six-foot menorah.

This family-friendly celebration will also include ice skating, latkes, kosher hot dogs, a raffle, and the lighting of a six-foot menorah for the fifth night of Hanukkah. It will take place from 6-8 p.m.

In case of heavy rain, the rink will be closed.

This fire and ice event has been going on for at least a decade and, often, local officials show up to help light the menorah.

Another Hanukkah celebration is planned a few days later in Clarendon.

“Light Up Arlington” is set for Tuesday, Dec. 20, the third night of Hanukkah, at 1307 N. Highland Street. This event is also being hosted by Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington and being held outside, in front of its community center.

There will be latkes, donuts, chocolate gelt, dreidels, hot cocoa, the lighting of a nine-foot menorah, and “lively” Hanukkah music. It begins at 6 p.m.

This event is free, but there’s limited capacity.

Residential investors are especially interested in these five areas of Arlington

By Jo DeVoe
Construction on an upsized home on N. Dinwiddie Street in Halls Hill (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

In Green Valley, resident Portia Clark says she and her neighbors are bombarded with calls and letters from realtors and potential investors about buying their homes.

“We were once a very stable community of homeowners who bought our homes to live here and pay them off,” she said. That increasingly seems to be changing.

There, as in Halls Hill — also known as High View Park — homes are being changing hands as the older generation passes away and their inheritors decide to sell. Some want to buy in more affordable areas, while others cannot afford to make necessary repairs or take over the mortgages, she said.

“At one time, we were the last affordable neighborhood in Arlington to buy a house in,” said Clark, president of the Green Valley Civic Association. “Investors are buying affordable homes, to tear them down and rebuild or have been building townhomes, condos or homes they are renting out.”

Green Valley and Halls Hill — both historically Black communities — are among a handful of Arlington neighborhoods with higher investment rates, according to a home ownership report published by the county in October. The report analyzed home-ownership market trends and barriers to buying.

The county report looked at the number of home loans for investors versus the total loans lent out for every census tract in Arlington. Pentagon City and Aurora Highlands, Radnor-Fort Myer Heights and Halls Hill had investment rates exceeding 12.5%. Investor purchases made up between 10% and 12.5% of financed purchases in Green Valley and Lyon Park, while other neighborhoods had lower rates of investor interest.

Loans issued to investors in 2021 by neighborhood in Arlington (via Arlington County)

Neighborhoods like Clark’s are have lower owner-occupancy rates and higher rates of property purchased for investment purposes, but overall 86% of Arlingtonians in single-family homes are owners, according to Erika Moore, a spokeswoman for the Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development.

Reasons for higher investment rates vary by neighborhood, per the report. The county attributes investment in Pentagon City and Aurora Highlands to Amazon’s HQ2, and investment in Radnor-Fort Myer Heights to interest in the River Place co-op, where an expiring ground lease makes properties more attractive to investors than to individual homebuyers.

When asked if staff had any guesses as to why Halls Hill, Green Valley and Lyon Park attracted more investors, Moore said the data staff collected was unclear.

Realtor Eli Tucker says these neighborhoods all have “pockets” of less expensive properties, typically multifamily homes, and many of the investors in Arlington are builders. That tracks with Arlington’s consistent rate of homes torn down, rebuilt and sold at a premium.

Tear-down and rebuild trends since 2012 (via Arlington County)

In Halls Hill, Green Valley and Lyon Park, the less expensive options include apartments and smaller duplex and townhouse properties, which often have no or low HOA fees. These neighborhoods also attract renters.

“[These] are very good rental locations and properties, but tend to be passed over more by principal buyers,” he said. “They can generate higher return-on-investment for investors than many other locations and property types that generate a lot more competition from principal buyers.”

Owner-occupancy rates by neighborhood (via Arlington County)

As for River Place, Tucker says it attracts investors whereas most cooperatives tend to restrict investors looking for rental income. The ground lease set to expire in 2052 creates two investor-friendly conditions.

First, the timeline means fewer mortgage options, which means buyers must pay with cash, which favors investors. Second, it means unit values are going down, instead of up.

(more…)

Pentagon City noodle eatery Yong Kang Street is now closed

By Matt Blitz
Yong Kang Street at the Pentagon City mall is now closed (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Yong Kang Street has served its last meal at the Pentagon City mall.

The Taiwanese restaurant that was situated right off of the food court closed last month, a mall spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow. They didn’t share why the restaurant closed and what might be coming in its place.

“Unfortunately, Yong Kang Street is no longer serving its tasty noodles and dumplings at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, however we’re working to bring a new and exciting option that shoppers are sure to enjoy,” mall spokesperson Todd Jerscheid wrote in an email to ARLnow.

The eatery, known for its noodles and dumplings, was named after a road in Taiwan famed for its street food.

Yong Kang Street first opened at the mall, otherwise known as Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, in the fall of 2018 after being announced earlier that year. The restaurant also had locations in Houston and Las Vegas, but it appears those are also both closed.

It did seem popular, though, with one reader emailing ARLnow to say it was their “favorite Chinese place in the area so I’m devastated!”

Yelp reviewers also mostly agreed, with a majority rating the restaurant four or five stars.

“Oh. my. goodness,” reads a five-star review from over the summer. “I haven’t had good Chinese food in so long and I definitely didn’t expect to find it in the mall of all places!”

While some lost one of their favorite restaurants, the Pentagon City mall is gaining a couple of new eateries. Rosa Mexicano is now open for lunch and will be opening for dinner as well later this week, per a restaurant employee.

Maizal Grill is also planning on opening soon, next to Rosa Mexicano.

Tree lightings, holiday markets, and Santa visits bringing cheer to Arlington in coming weeks

By Matt Blitz
Ballston Quarter’s outdoor Christmas tree (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s holiday time and the lights are coming on in Arlington.

Over the next several weeks, a slew of tree lightings, Santa visits, markets, and holiday celebrations are happening around the county. That’s in addition to last night’s Shirlington tree lighting and the Santa photo shoots already underway at the Pentagon City mall.

Next week, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District is set to turn on the lights at its annual tree lighting ceremony, which now takes place at Central Place Plaza near the Metro station. It’s happening on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. and will be aired on ABC 7 with a countdown from local reporter Kidd O’Shea.

There will be musical performances from Cherry Blossom Organ Trio and HB Woodlawn’s Choir, as well as raffle prizes, holiday cocktails, free photos, and a coat drive benefiting PathForward.

Other upcoming Rosslyn holiday activities include:

  • Dec. 7 at 6 p.m.: Rosslyn Cinema featuring”Elf” at Bennet Park Atrium

Santa is making his way to Ballston, meanwhile, and will be taking holiday photos with well-behaved children every weekend until Christmas starting this Saturday, Dec. 3, as well as the entire week between Dec. 19 and Dec. 23.

Santa will be stationed on the first floor of the mall near the Wilson Blvd street entrance.

Additional Ballston holiday events include:

The annual Peppermint Mocha Competition put on by the National Landing BID returns this weekend as well.

On Saturday, Dec. 3 starting at 11 a.m., three local businesses — The Freshman, Commonwealth Joe, and Beauty Champagne & Sugar Boutique — will compete to see which has the best peppermint mocha.

Other holiday activities in Crystal City and Pentagon City include:

There are also holiday markets at Wakefield and Washington-Liberty high schools as well as a number of Christmas tree sales across Arlington.

DEVELOPING: Metro service suspended at Pentagon City due to small fire

By ARLnow.com
The Pentagon City Metro station (file photo)

Update at 2:55 p.m. — Metro is single-tracking past the station and expected to resume normal service soon, with fire department units clearing from the scene.

Blue Line service has been suspended at Pentagon City due to a small fire producing smoky conditions at the station.

Arlington County firefighters are on scene. The fire — reportedly caused by trash catching on fire behind a wall — is reported to be out but there’s still residual smoke in the tunnels.

The fire department activity is also said to be affecting traffic in the area.

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