Rosslyn

Four Arlington Transportation Projects to Receive Regional Funding

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Four major transportation projects in Arlington will receive tens of millions in regional funding, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority announced today.

The projects, all of which are in the planning stages, will bring multimodal upgrades to Crystal City and Rosslyn, as well as to the W&OD Trail. In all, the NTVA is providing more than a half billion dollars in funding to 21 projects around the region.

“On the evening of July 9th, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority adopted the FY 2020-2025 Six Year Program, the Authority’s fifth funding program and the most competitive to date,” the regional governmental body said in a press release. “$1.44 billion in multimodal transportation funding was requested by 13 Northern Virginia localities and agencies – including Arlington County – with $539 million in Authority regional revenues available.”

“The Authority unanimously voted to fund 21 of the 41 transportation projects submitted for funding consideration,” the press release continues. “Arlington County was awarded $29.874 million in regional revenues on the following projects aimed at reducing congestion and getting people to their destinations faster.”

The projects being funded in Arlington include:

The “CC2DCA” pedestrian bridge from Crystal City to Reagan National Airport, which is envisioned as providing a “High Line“-like experience as it spans the GW Parkway and makes walking to the airport more feasible for those in the National Landing area.

The project is set to receive $18 million from NVTA, of the total estimated project cost of $36.2 million.

The project will create a pedestrian connection between Crystal City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). It would provide an additional transportation access point to the airport, which is less than one-half mile away from Crystal Drive, but is practically inaccessible by foot today. In addition to the potential reduction in vehicular traffic between the two destinations, the project is located roughly two blocks from the under-design Crystal City Metrorail Station East Entrance and provides a direct connection to bus service on the Crystal City-Potomac Yard Transitway. The CC2DCA Intermodal Connector is intended to connect to the future relocated VRE commuter rail station. The CC2DCA Intermodal Connector project builds upon a recently completed feasibility study prepared by the Crystal City Business Improvement District (CCBID). This project will further evaluate alternatives, complete environmental documentation and approvals, engineering design, and ultimately construct a pedestrian connection between Crystal Drive and the terminals of DCA. The NVTA funding would be leveraged with both State and local funds to completely fund design and construction of the project; the Commonwealth has committed $9,500,000 to the CC2DCA Intermodal Connector.

Rosslyn Multimodal Network Improvements, which is an extension of the Core of Rosslyn study. The study, which was completed last year, calls for major changes to Rosslyn’s road and pedestrian network, including removal of the Fort Myer Drive tunnel under Wilson Blvd and upgrades to crosswalks, sidewalks and bike lanes.

The project is set to receive $11.9 million from NVTA, its full estimated cost, though the project description does not mention the tunnel removal.

Design and construct a suite of complementary bicycle and pedestrian improvements largely taken from the recommended implementation projects in the draft Core of Rosslyn study. Collectively as a package, the projects significantly improve access to employment, housing, and transit within the Rosslyn regional activity center, and improve regional connections between Rosslyn and Georgetown, DC.

The long-planned VRE Crystal City Station Improvements project, which would building a new, upgraded Virginia Railway Express station in Crystal City, the last VRE stop before D.C.

The project is set to receive $15.8 million of its estimated total $49.9 million cost.

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Plan for Complete Street Changes Includes Lane Removals in Dominion Hills, Potomac Yard

By ARLnow.com

The final plans are in for a trio of road projects in Arlington, and two out of three involve the removal of travel lanes.

The projects — in Rosslyn, Dominion Hills and Crystal City/Potomac Yard — are all part of the county’s 2020 road repaving schedule. Each has been singled out for changes to the lane striping via the county’s Resurfacing Projects for Complete Streets program, which aims to make streets safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians via inexpensive means during the regular repaving cycle.

The first project is planned in Rosslyn along Clarendon Blvd, from N. Rhodes Street to N. Oak Street, near the standalone Starbucks. The plans call for new sections of buffered and protected bike lanes, green paint for bike lanes through intersections, upgraded signage, and no reduction in travel lanes — though it will remove seven of 78 on-street parking spaces.

The Clarendon Blvd project is set to start construction this month.

The second project will reconfigure Potomac Avenue in the Potomac Yard area of Crystal City, from Crystal Drive to the county line. The project calls for upgraded bike lanes, an interim on-street pedestrian zone along a construction site, new turn lanes, and 34 new parking spaces. One of two travel lanes in each direction will be removed, though the road has relatively light traffic.

The Potomac Avenue project is also set to start construction this month, and is reportedly now underway.

Finally, the last project will make changes to Wilson Blvd through the Dominion Hills neighborhood, from Bon Air Park to the county line. It calls for the addition of turn lanes, dedicated school and transit bus stop lanes, curb extensions for shorter crossing distances, buffered bike lanes, and marked bike lanes through intersections. It adds one parking spot to the stretch but removes one of two travel lanes in each direction.

The removal of lanes follows a prior, similar project along sections of Wilson Blvd from Bluemont to Bon Air Park, which was somewhat controversial at the time but only resulted in minimal traffic impacts for the average rush hour commuter.

The Wilson Blvd project is set to start construction later this summer or in the early fall.

The design process for the three projects involved two virtual open houses and rounds of public feedback, through which a number of modifications to the plans were made.

File photo (top). Street view images (1) (2) and (3) via Google Maps.

Rosslyn Startup Shifts from Travel App Developer to Online Identity Verifier

By Vernon Miles

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. Monday Properties remains firmly committed to the health, safety and well-being of its employees, tenants and community. This week, Monday Properties is proudly featuring 1000 and 1100 Wilson (The Rosslyn Towers).

Rosslyn startup Airside Mobile is rebranding to just Airside as part of a pivot from being a travel app developer to a company focused on securing data and privacy in online interactions.

“Airside was founded shortly after the first generation iPhone was launched,” the company said in its blog. “We hopped at the opportunity to develop ultra-secure mobile technology, including the award-winning Mobile Passport App. However, the ‘Airside Mobile’ label no longer applies to our broader set of capabilities and offerings that extend beyond mobile apps to SDKs, APIs, and more. Our new name maintains the continuity of our brand while also allowing more breadth and depth for our products and services.”

In an interview with the podcast State of Identity, Chief Commercial Officer Jessica Patel said that international changes brought about by COVID-19 have emphasized the need for secure online interactions.

“The world has changed so much in these last couple of months,” Patel said. “There are some industries in the short term that have gone fully virtual that people might not have expected, like technology supporting fully virtual education. Obviously virtual healthcare and the overall health-tech space has evolved and become a bigger need in these more recent weeks… There are some of these industries that were not nearly as virtual as they are today [and there is] a need for digital identity to play a major role.”

Patel said she doubted that many of the industries that had to shift to virtual interactions will ever go back to the level of in-person interaction before the pandemic.

“When I think about changes all kinds of industries will have to make there’s going to be moves to offering digital interactions instead of physical,” Patel said. “There’s going to be a real push to implement more contactless solutions. I think that’s where leveraging digital ID and biometric technologies are going to play a huge role in a lot of these verticals.”

Over the last few months, the company has offered its digital suite of products to organizations on the front lines of fighting the pandemic, free of charge.

“If your organization is on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 and you believe that a digital identity solution would support your cause, please contact us,” the company said in a press release. “We’re here to help. Airside is uniquely positioned to respond to this need because we can protect the data with best-in-class encryption, ensure a high level of privacy for the individual and the organization, and utilize our FedRAMP-certified environment to handle increased transactions for your fundamentally important cause.”

Patel said the company’s experience in verifying identities while maintaining privacy is opening doors to expanding into a variety of financial, retail, and travel interactions. The company offers products like software development kits businesses can use for their own products or document scanning and chip reading products. Some of those, Patel said, are sold as monthly or annual licenses, while others are product sales.

“As we look to grow how we’re supporting consumers, we’ve grown beyond a customs application into a broader digital identity solution,” Patel said, “whether in banking, travel, insurance, education technology… we’re seeking to a be a ubiquitous form of digital identity that continues to put the control of sensitive information in the consumer’s hands.”

It’s a message that seems to have resonated with investors, with the Washington Business Journal reporting last week that Airside has raised $13.6 million in new funding.

Photo via Airside/Facebook

Man Staggers to Police HQ After Being Stabbed at Party

By ARLnow.com

A man stabbed multiple times at a party in the Rosslyn area managed to stagger up to police headquarters in Courthouse to get help.

The stabbing happened Saturday evening on the 1700 block of N. Troy Street, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

“At approximately 6:53 p.m. on June 27, an officer was approached outside Police Headquarters in the 2000 block of 14th Street N. by an individual who had been stabbed multiple times,” ACPD says. “Officers immediately began to render aid to the victim until medics arrived and transported him to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.”

“The investigation determined that the victim was attending a social gathering when a verbal dispute between known individuals began to escalate,” the crime report continues. “The victim attempted to intervene, however the suspect then allegedly produced a knife and struck the victim multiple times. The victim was able to run away from the gathering, where he then sought assistance from police nearby. The investigation is ongoing.”

A passerby described a bloody scene outside of ACPD HQ.

“I was walking by the police station last night and saw police and the ambulance with the guy,” the tipster said. “There was blood everywhere on the steps of the police station. Looks like the guy way stabbed a bunch of times in the chest and stomach. Later they had to bring in a fire truck to wash the blood away.”

The victim is expected to survive.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Juneteenth Rally in Courthouse Today — “Please join the Arlington Black Employees Council for a 2020 Juneteenth Peace Rally on Friday, 11a-12p, outside at the Bozman Gov’t Center. The event will include a George Floyd tribute and recognition of victims of violence.” [Twitter]

Police Investigating Columbia Pike Robbery — “At approximately 1:24 a.m. on June 17, an officer was flagged down by the victim stating they had just been robbed. The investigation determined that the victim had exited a business when two unknown suspects approached him. One of the suspects struck the victim with an object appearing to be a firearm, causing him to fall to the ground. The suspects searched the victim’s person and fled the scene without taking anything from the victim.” [Arlington County]

ACPD Helps the Homeless During Pandemic — “In April, Arlington launched a homeless outreach coalition to help identify unsheltered individuals at high risk for COVID-19 and connect them with available resources and services. The coalition is comprised of stakeholders from the Police Department, Department of Human Services, and Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN). ” [Instagram]

Coronavirus Signage in Rosslyn — “The Rosslyn Business Improvement District decked out the neighborhood with a variety of light-hearted messages as part of an awareness campaign launched this week to encourage social distancing as the region loosens stay-at-home restrictions imposed to fight the spread of Covid-19. Through the messages — which are stamped to the sides of trash cans, in the windows of office buildings and on public benches — the BID hopes to remind people not to let their guard down.” [Washington Business Journal]

Backyard Blues Fest on Saturday — “CPRO is planning an alternative Backyard Blues Festival on June 20 from 5-7 p.m. Arlington community radio station WERA 96.7 FM will play a curated selection of blues while various local restaurants will offer special discounts on food and drinks, which can then be enjoyed in one’s backyard or patio with the radio cranked up.” [ARLnow]

Nearby: Falls Church Closes for Juneteenth — “In keeping with Governor Northam’s declaration designating Juneteenth as a state holiday, the City of Falls Church will also observe the holiday. City of Falls Church Government administrative offices will be closed. Employees who staff essential programs and services will work as scheduled.” [City of Falls Church]

Vice President’s Maskless Visit to Trump HQ in Rosslyn Criticized

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) Around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, a motorcade arrived at a Rosslyn office building.

Out stepped former Arlington resident Mike Pence. The vice president then made his way up to the offices of the Trump-Pence 2020 reelection campaign to rally the troops amid falling poll numbers.

After it was over, he sent out a tweet: “Stopped by to see the great men and women of the Trump-Pence Team today! Thank you for all of the hard work, keep it up! #FourMoreYears #KAG”

The tweet showed Pence standing in front of a sea of staff members in the Arlington office, with everyone flashing Trump’s signature double thumbs-up.

The problem: staffers were not social distancing and no one was wearing masks, a likely violation of Virginia’s mask requirement for indoor public spaces, as pointed out by local Democratic operative Ben Tribbett. Shortly after he did, Pence’s tweet was deleted.

The incident made some national headlines. While the spread of coronavirus has slowed in Arlington, it has not gone away, and other states are seeing a surge in cases.

Arlington’s Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), a stalwart critic of the president, piled on with more criticism.

“This isn’t ‘law and order,'” Beyer said, in reference to Trump’s antagonistic tweets. “It’s a huge problem.”

Arlington and Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said in a statement Thursday afternoon that no laws were broken that her office can prosecute. She said workplaces are exempted from rules about large gatherings, while the mask requirement is enforced by Virginia Dept. of Health, not local law enforcement.

The full press release about the incident from Beyer’s office is below.

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Ben’s Chili Bowl Appears to Have Closed for Good in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/5

One of the D.C. area’s most iconic Black-owned businesses has closed its Arlington outpost, seemingly for good.

The Ben’s Chili Bowl location at 1725 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn has closed. Its signs and much of its interior have been removed, and the phone line has been disconnected.

Ben’s has struggled amid the pandemic, though its D.C. locations — the original on U Street NW and, as of a few weeks ago, the newer H Street NE location — have been open for takeout and delivery.

No signs or social media posts about the Rosslyn location’s closure could be found. Attempts to reach a member of the Ali family, which has owned Ben’s since its founding in 1958, were unsuccessful.

The Rosslyn location was the first Ben’s Chili Bowl outside of D.C. not located in a sports stadium. It opened in 2014 amid much fanfare, including a ribbon cutting with Arlington County officials and the since-imprisoned Bill Cosby.

The closure — and removal of the restaurant’s panda statue — was noted on social media late last week.

Another Ben’s Chili Bowl location in Reagan National Airport closed during the pandemic, according to the airport website, though there is no indication that the closure is permanent.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Top Luxury Living in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.

On this week’s edition of the Neighborhood Spotlight, we want to share some of our favorite options for luxury condominiums in one of the D.C. area’s hottest neighborhoods, Rosslyn.

If you are looking for where to live if you work in Arlington, it’s hard to beat the Rosslyn neighborhood. With convenient access to two separate metro stops, and as an important business heart of the county, most places to live in Rosslyn come with short commute times and plenty of Arlington’s best entertainment options to explore once work hours are over. And best of all, there are some amazing options for luxury condos in Rosslyn, so you can enjoy all that the area has to offer from the comfort of your stylish home.

Last year, the expert agents of the Keri Shull Team created virtual tours of 3 of the most luxurious highrises in all of Arlington, located right in the heart of Rosslyn. Each one of these condos has a full suite of unique and eye-catching features — and any of them could be the perfect home for you!

Turnberry Tower

This 26-story highrise is the tallest residential building in the Washington, D.C. area — and it is a pinnacle of luxury, too! Turnberry Tower consists of 247 condo units, spanning from 1-4 bedroom options, with unbeatable views of the region’s iconic landmarks like the Key Bridge, Washington Monument and National Cathedral.

Inside of the building, residents can enjoy amenities such as a 24-hour valet, white-glove concierge services, an indoor swimming pool, complimentary cinema room, and an exclusive luxury spa and fitness center. The condos themselves are similarly high-end, with high ceilings, top-of-the-line cooking appliances, and direct-entry elevators for ultimate privacy and convenience.

Waterview Condos

Sitting on the bend of the Potomac, right at the foot of the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge, is a gorgeous, 31-story highrise: The Waterview. This building serves as both a hotel and a condominium community, with the bottom 15 floors being for temporary guests and the top levels containing the permanent residents.

The building was constructed in 2008 and is crafted to the highest standards of luxury with hardwood flooring throughout, gourmet kitchens and open floor plans. Residents can also enjoy the views of D.C. and Arlington from their enormous, floor-to-ceiling windows. The community itself features a health spa and cutting-edge fitness facility, as well as an unbelievable observation deck, located on the 31st floor, complete with outdoor cooking stations and a complete 360-degree view of the surrounding area.

As an amazing feature of the Waterview’s unique mixed function, residents of the building can take advantage of the Le Meridian hotel’s amenities. This means that condo owners can have valet parking for their guests, get their dry cleaning take care of, and even order room service from the hotel right up to their home!

The Pierce

One of the most exciting new developments in the world of Rosslyn luxury living is the construction of The Pierce, a new construction condominium community on Wilson Boulevard. This building will consist of 104 units across 27 floors, each of which features some of the most elegant luxury amenities around.

Each home features world-class cabinetry in the gourmet kitchen, heated floors in the unbeatable master bathrooms, and floor-to-ceiling windows to give breathtaking views of the surrounding area.

Residents can also take advantage of the community’s shared luxuries such as a resort-style pool on the rooftop terrace, a two-story fitness center, and a clubroom that is perfect for entertaining guests and loved ones.

All of this, when combined with the Pierce’s promise of white-glove service and the unbeatable location near the Rosslyn Metro and local shopping, means that the Pierce is set up to be one of the most amazing options for luxury living in Arlington in the coming years.

Which of the extravagant amenities featured in these homes is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

If you are interested in learning more about how you can find your dream home in one of these condos, or anywhere else in the Washington, D.C. area, then you owe it to yourself to work with the best agent possible — and we want to help you! The Keri Shull Team has become the #1 real estate team in the Washington, D.C. area because we ensure that we can help you buy or sell a home faster, with less stress, and for a price that you’ll love!

To learn more about how we can help you with your real estate needs, contact the Keri Shull Team today! All you need to do is click here to schedule a time for a completely online, 100% free Real Estate Consultation with one of our expert agents!

Protest Marches Planned in Arlington Through Sunday

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:40 p.m.) A number of peaceful marches against racism and in support of Black Lives Matter are planned in Arlington through Sunday.

The first will be taking place from 5-7 p.m. today (Thursday), marching from the county parking lot in Courthouse to Clarendon to demand justice for George Floyd “and those who have been directly affected by systemic racism.” Some county offices are closing early due to expected crowds.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-09s7pLtR/

Another is planned Friday evening, in memory of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot by Louisville, Kentucky police officers in March.

Demonstrators will march from Bob & Edith’s Diner on Columbia Pike to the county courthouse, starting at 6 p.m., according to social media posts.

The third march is planned Saturday from noon-5 p.m. and is expected to be a “large scale event.” The march will go from Courthouse to the White House, via Rosslyn and the Lincoln and MLK memorials in D.C.

From an event page on social media:

Arlingtonians are coming together to stand in solidarity in a peaceful protest against racial oppression.

We will convene at the Arlington Courthouse at noon on Saturday, June 6 and march together past the Iwo Jima Memorial and across the Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial. From there, we will march up to Lafayette Park to join peaceful protests demanding meaningful and urgent reforms for racial justice.

All are welcome and loved. Bring a mask and join us!

The local branch of the NAACP will be participating, the group said in a statement. The marching will be preceded by a rally from noon-1 p.m. in front of county government headquarters at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

“Elected officials and members from the Arlington Branch NAACP, community activists, and elected leaders will be in attendance,” the organization said. “This is expected to be a large scale event and expect 250-500 attendees.”

County Board members Christian Dorsey and Libby Garvey, along with 1776 co-founder Evan Burfield, are listed a co-hosts on the Facebook event page for the Saturday march.

https://www.facebook.com/eburfield/posts/10103190602284609

Prior to the rally, a march from the Columbia Pike Branch Library to Ballston and then Courthouse is planned, starting at 10 a.m. at Welburn Square in Ballston, marchers will pause “to say the names of those who have lost their lives at the hands of police brutality and hold space to reflect as a community.”

On Sunday, another protest march is planned from 5-7 p.m., starting at Green Valley Pharmacy (2415 Shirlington Road). The march will “support #BlackLivesMatter as well as gun violence awareness.”

Meeting Tonight to Discuss Trio of 2020 Road Projects

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:40 p.m.) Arlington County will be holding a virtual public meeting tonight to discuss a trio of road projects set for later this year.

The county plans to repave and re-stripe portions of Wilson Blvd in the Dominion Hills and Boulevard Manor neighborhoods, Potomac Avenue in Potomac Yard, and Clarendon Blvd in the Courthouse and Rosslyn neighborhoods. The work is expected to take place this summer and fall, following the current public engagement process.

Arlington has been using its regularly-planned street maintenance to re-stripe roads in an effort make them safer, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. It often involves the addition or enhancement of bike lanes, sharrows and crosswalks.

At an online meeting tonight from 6:30-7:30 p.m., held via Microsoft Teams, county staff will present the concept plans for its three 2020 projects while seeking public feedback.

More from the event page:

The Master Transportation Plan identifies routine street maintenance as an opportunity to provide cost-effective and easy to implement measures to improve safety and access for all people using the street. Community engagement is a core value in Arlington, and we wanted to provide opportunities for community members to share their feedback on the concept plans for the 2020 Street Maintenance season.

Please join county staff for an online meeting on Thursday, June 4 from 6:30-7:30 pm to learn about the project, ask questions and share feedback on the design concepts for the three 2020 Resurfacing Projects for Complete Streets.

Staff will present concepts for:

  • Wilson Boulevard – N Larrimore Street to McKinley Road (Dominion Hills/Boulevard Manor)
  • Potomac Avenue – S Crystal Drive to Alexandria City Line (Potomac Yard)
  • Clarendon Boulevard – N Nash to N Oak Street (Clarendon-Courthouse/Radnor/Fort Myer Heights)

The country recently repaved and re-striped portions of Lorcom Lane and Military Road. The work was done in conjunction with construction on the new Dorothy Hamm Middle School.

An online open house in April discussed all four projects.

Poke Restaurant in Rosslyn Has Closed, Perhaps Permanently

By ARLnow.com
1/4

It’s not a great time to own a restaurant, particularly one that depends on masses of office workers crowding into a small space.

Amid the pandemic, Poke Bar in Rosslyn appears to have closed for good. The two-year-old, assembly line-style eatery on N. Lynn Street was empty this morning, with the furnishings gone.

There was no sign announcing a closure, however, and the location is still listed — albeit without a phone number — on the Poke Bar website.

It’s the latest apparent restaurant casualty in Arlington, with more expected as coronavirus takes a big toll on the industry. Others include Boston Market on Columbia Pike and Champps in Pentagon City, both of which have permanently shuttered before an expected reopening of the region gets underway.

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