Rosslyn

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

More Signs of Coronavirus Preps — Emptier shelves at local grocery stores, less traffic on the roads: there are signs that locals are taking the coronavirus threat seriously. During the first hour of yesterday’s evening rush hour, traffic on I-395 was relatively light. Last night, there was barely any canned soup left on the shelves at the Lee-Harrison Harris Teeter. [Twitter, Twitter]

Some Churches Close, Others Announce Changes — Episcopal churches in the D.C. area have suspended worship services, while the Catholic Diocese of Arlington announced a series of measures intended to help prevent the spread of disease. [Washington Post, Press Release]

Events Are Being Cancelled in Arlington — “Out of an abundance of caution, the Rosslyn BID has decided to cancel our Arts & Beats series this March and April. We are hoping to run these events later this year and we will be evaluating future events on a case-by-case basis.” [Twitter]

Arlington Conferences Cancelled — “Code for America was scheduled to host its annual summit at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, from March 11 through 13. A Code for America spokesperson told Technical.ly that this would have been the first time the nonprofit was hosting the annual summit in the D.C. area, as it normally takes place in San Francisco. Code for America release a statement on Friday announcing the summit’s cancellation.” [Technically DC]

Local Real Estate Still Hot, Though — “Listing service Bright MLS said closed sales throughout the Washington metro area were up 13% from a year ago to a 10-year high… In Arlington County, Virginia, the median overall price of what sold was $635,000, up 12.4%. But the median price of a stand-alone house that sold in Arlington last month was $1.14 million, up 19.2% from last February.” [WTOP]

Arlington Works on Tree Preservation — “It’s not just housing affordability and increased traffic Arlington County officials are concerned about in the wake of Amazon.com Inc.’s arrival. They’re also watching out for the trees. County officials are proposing to add one urban forester position to the Department of Parks and Recreation. The new hire is needed to expand tree preservation efforts and work through the surge of site plans developers are pitching in the area of Amazon’s HQ2.” [Washington Business Journal]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

This Week’s Crystal City Garage Races Postponed — “Attention garage racers and friends: Tomorrow’s Crystal City races are postponed. We are operating with an abundance of caution after an employee of a tenant in the 201 12th St. S. complex was quarantined because of COVID-19. The complex common areas were cleaned and disinfected, today, but we are holding off before racing again.” [Facebook]

Deep Clean for Rosslyn-Based News Outlet — “Politico has asked several reporters who covered CPAC to self-quarantine over coronavirus concerns. It’s also sanitizing/disinfecting its office.” [Washingtonian, Twitter]

Winter is Over, Unofficially — “Winter was barely perceptible in Washington this year, and now, we can put a fork in it. We see no more potential for enduring cold or substantial snowfall. Spring is here.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Whitlow’s Rooftop Opens — “Rooftop opens for the season tonight at 5 p.m.! How’s that for a Monday?” [Twitter]

Neighborhood College Applications Open — “Learn how to become a neighborhood advocate and effect change through Arlington County’s free Neighborhood College program, which will meet on eight consecutive Thursday evenings beginning April 23.” [Arlington County]

Developers Pitch in to Help Housing Nonprofit — “Absent a budget from a central housing authority, APAH ‘can’t afford not to’ maintain solid relationships with developers — who donate, serve on its board and train future APAH staffers. ‘We’re blessed by their generosity,’ Janopaul says, citing Arlington builders Tim Naughton of AvalonBay Communities Inc., John Shooshan of the Shooshan Co. and Andy VanHorn at JBG Smith.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Photo courtesy Josh Folb

Rosslyn Startup Reshaping AI for 5G Pulls $5 Million and Defense Industry Attention

By Vernon Miles

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. Monday Properties is proudly featuring a rare leasing opportunity at 1101 Wilson Blvd: 5 contiguous floors with exceptional views, building signage opportunity and brand new amenities. Enjoy all the perks of easy access and ample parking; a variety of food trucks at your front door; and enviable walkable amenities. Join YEXT and other leading tech companies at this vibrant location.

Rosslyn-based tech startup DeepSig recently raised $5 million to help develop artificial intelligence that can effectively integrate with 5G wireless systems.

“The additional funding will accelerate DeepSig’s AI and machine learning (ML) software development and deployment to improve performance and security while reducing power consumption and cost in 5G and other wireless systems,” the company said in a press release.

The company aims to build its AI from the ground up to focus around 5G coverage, rather than adapting decades-old algorithms. DeepSig says its software will be able to detect the local coverage conditions and “improve user data rates and dramatically reduce the amount of hardware and hence power.”

The new funding also shows that the company has caught the eye of some local military contractors, with some of the investment coming from Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture arm of aerospace contractor Lockheed Martin.

“The advanced technology developed by DeepSig can optimize communications within a wide spectrum environment,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Applying deep learning and artificial intelligence to the application of real-time signal processing is an impressive capability. We are pleased to be a part of this endeavor and work to integrate the software into programs.”

Photo via @deepsignl/Twitter

Synchronized Skating Documentary Produced By Rosslyn Resident

By Shreeya Aranake

An Arlington resident has produced a new documentary about the mesmerizing world of synchronized skating.

“Life in Synchro,” partly filmed at the MedStar Capitals IcePlex in Ballston, will be screened locally at the DC Independent Film Festival on Saturday, March 7. Rosslyn resident Nicole Davies produced the film while fellow American University alum Angela Pinaglia directed it.

The female-dominated sport, in which teams of eight to 20 skaters perform formations and step sequences in-sync to music, is little-known to most people, the filmmakers said. When Pinaglia was doing research for the film, she could not find any previous documentaries or films based on synchronized skating.

We talked with both filmmakers about the documentary and the sport.

How did you get involved in the project? 

Nicole: I have been a synchronized skater since I was nine years old. Angela and I met at American University and we were working together for the school communication summer program. I was always talking about synchronized skating and Angela didn’t really care until about three years ago. Angela saw it for the first time in Arlington. She realized then when she saw it how special it was.

Angela: When you’re in the ice rink you can literally feel a wall of wind as sixteen skaters are skating past you on the ice, so it’s a very immersive experience. I turned to Nicole afterwards and I said this is really cool, [and that] we should do a documentary.

(more…)

New Streets Coming With New Marriott Redevelopment in Rosslyn

By Vernon Miles
1/3

The redevelopment of the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn will come with some changes to the local streetscape.

The plan is to redevelop the current site into three separate buildings: a condominium building, a hotel, and an apartment building.

N. Nash and N. Meade Streets are proposed to be extended north through the site to help separate and provide better accessibility to the three buildings.

“The development proposal calls for the establishment of two new street sections to serve the new residences and the existing hotel,” a county staff report said. “Both streets will intersect with Lee Highway in approximately the same locations as current driveways used to access the Marriott Hotel.”

The new streets are scheduled to be considered at the upcoming Saturday, Feb. 22 County Board meeting.

Though built for use primarily by the private development, the new streets would be accessible to the public. Part of the staff report included some insight into the behind-the-scenes discussions that go into naming streets.

The development has proposed to name the two streets Potomac Lane and River View Lane. Since 1932, Arlington County has had a street naming system in place and has used that system for all new street additions. To avoid public confusion, staff recommends that all new publicly accessed streets should be named in accordance with the County’s street naming system. The western-most of the two new streets will connect to Lee Highway at the location of North Nash Street and therefore should also be named North Nash Street. According to the Arlington street naming system, the eastern-most of the new streets should have a single-syllable name that begins with the letter “M.” There are two single-syllable “M” street names currently in use in the County system, they are “Moore” and “Meade”. Based upon the new street’s proposed physical location, Meade is the more appropriate name as there already is an intersection of Lee Highway and North Moore Street elsewhere in Rosslyn.

In addition to the new condo and apartment buildings, the development plan calls for demolishing part of the existing, 582-room hotel and remodeling it into a 449-room hotel. The Key Bridge Marriott is the second Marriott ever built and the company’s longest continuously operating hotel; the first was the former Twin Bridges Marriott Motor Hotel near Crystal City.

New Home of H-B Woodlawn Closed After Sprinkler Mishap

By ARLnow.com

Students who attend the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program and the Shriver Program, at the new Heights Building in Rosslyn, are staying home today.

The building is closed, Arlington Public Schools said in an email to families (below), after a contractor accidentally broke a sprinkler line, causing the library, gymnasium and some classrooms to flood. The closure may stretch into Wednesday if repairs and cleanup from the water damage are not completed in time.

APS plans to notify families by 6 p.m. tonight whether school will be back in session tomorrow.

The $100 million building opened just in time for the start of the school year this past September. More from APS:

The Heights Building, including H-B Woodlawn, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program and administrative offices, will be closed Tuesday, February 18, due to an accidental break in a sprinkler line caused by a contractor performing work on Monday. The break caused water damage in the library, gymnasium and adjacent classrooms. Repairs and clean-up are in progress. Unless otherwise directed, essential personnel should report to work at their scheduled time on Tuesday, and custodians should report to work at 6 a.m. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips and other scheduled activities for H-B Woodlawn and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program at The Heights Building are also cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience and will keep families informed of the status. Families will be notified by 6 p.m. on Tuesday regarding the operating status for Wednesday, February 19.

Update at 4:30 p.m. — The building and the programs will remain closed on Wednesday, Arlington Public Schools just announced.

Hat tip to anonymous. Photo via Arlington County.

Two D.C. Men Arrested for Rosslyn Vehicle Break-ins

By ARLnow.com

Two men from the District have been arrested and charged with with breaking into at least three cars and stealing items.

The break-ins and thefts occurred earlier this month on the 1400 block of Key Blvd in Rosslyn. Arlington County Police say they obtained warrants for the suspects after “utilizing various investigative resources, including witness accounts and surveillance video.”

Last week ACPD revealed that 882 cars in Arlington had been broken into since July. Amid the ongoing crime spree, police are continuing to urge members of the public to lock their car doors and remove valuables from plain sight.

More from a police press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Property Crimes Unit is announcing 18 felony warrants have been obtained for two suspects responsible for a series of larceny from auto cases in the North Rosslyn neighborhood. Deondray Osborne, 30, of Washington D.C. and Raphael Osborne, 28, of Washington D.C. have each been charged with Grand Larceny (x3), Conspiracy to Commit Grand Larceny (x3) and Destruction of Property (x3). Both are being held in Washington D.C. pending extradition to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The investigation determined that on February 2, 3, and 10, the suspects forced entry into three vehicles parked in the 1400 block of Key Boulevard by smashing the cars’ windows. The suspects then allegedly stole personal property, to include a purse, wallet and electronics, before fleeing the scene in a red hatchback sedan. Utilizing various investigative resources, including witness accounts and surveillance video captured in the area, detectives developed information on possible suspects. The suspects were identified and taken into custody by the Metropolitan Police Department on the evening on February 12, 2020.

The identification, apprehension and subsequent charging of these suspects is the direct result of strong partnerships and collaboration between the Arlington County Police Department, Metropolitan Police Department and Arlington’s Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management.

Safety Tips and Crime Prevention Measures

Larcenies from auto are often crimes of opportunity with thieves targeting items left unattended or out in plain view. Members of the public are reminded to close and lock all windows and doors when you park. Pull on the door handle to verify it’s locked. Take all valuables out of your vehicle. If you must leave items in your car, place them out of sight – preferably in your trunk.

Report Information and Incidents to Police for Investigation

In two of these cases, alert members of the public reported suspicious activity to law enforcement or security personnel in the area after observing vehicles with broken windows. Community members are encouraged to remain alert for suspicious activity such as individuals who appear to be looking into parked vehicles or trying door handles. Report information for law enforcement investigation by calling the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222.

If you are the victim of a larceny from auto or auto tampering, file an online police report or call the Emergency Communications Center.

Fava Pot Bringing Egyptian Street Food to Rosslyn

By Ashley Hopko
1/3

International foodies in Rosslyn will have another eatery option with the upcoming expansion of Fava Pot.

The restaurant — Egyptian Street Food by Fava Pot — is expected to open in September, just in time to celebrate the local chain’s 3rd anniversary, according to owner Dina Daniel.

The restaurant is rooted in Falls Church, where it has a sit-down location, and it also just opened a new pop-up in Union Market this past November. Before that, the eatery started as a food truck, which still frequents lunchtime hotspots Rosslyn, Courthouse, Ballston and Crystal City.

Daniel hasn’t yet announced exactly where the eatery will be located in Rosslyn.

“We are still in negotiations,” she said, adding that they will likely announce its exact location in two to three weeks.  Still, she said that the eatery will have both sit-down options and food for take-out.

Unlike the Falls Church sit-down location, the Rosslyn location will be geared towards working professionals who have fast-paced workdays, according to Daniel.

“It is meant to be a quick bite but not fast food,” she said.

Over the years, Fava Pot has been the recipient of numerous awards and was recognized nationally for its food truck cuisine. All Fava Pot’s ingredients are made fresh in-house, according to Daniel.

Daniel said her favorite item is the Táamya, which she considers to be the eatery’s specialty. She called it an “Egyptian falafel” — the tiny ball has a crunchy exterior with a soft veggie-filled inside. Unlike other types of falafels, the snack is made with fava beans instead of chickpeas.

Yesterday (Feb. 13), Voice of America Asia featured Fava Pot on its YouTube channel as part of its Food Bites mini-series.

As an Egyptian immigrant, Daniel acts as a cultural ambassador for the community, helping people to experience new cuisines and understand more about Egyptian culture.

“I believe America has misconceptions of Egyptians,” she said, noting that Egypt has a distinctive cultural identity from the rest of the Middle East. The walls of the Falls Church location are covered with the stories of famous Egyptians, including athletes, academics and musicians.

To give back, some proceeds from the restaurant will go toward Coptic Orphans, an organization that assists underprovided kids in Egypt.

Rosslyn Restaurant Hosting Hot Pepper Poppers Eating Contest

By Shreeya Aranake
1/3

The recently-opened Taco Rock in Rosslyn is hosting a “Flammin Hot Poppers Challenge” later this month.

The “offbeat, one-of-a-kind eating contest” will be held on Monday, Feb. 24 from 7:30-10 p.m at Taco Rock (1501 Wilson Boulevard).

Participants will eat as many jalapeño pepper poppers as they can in 10 minutes, without consuming any other food or beverage, a press release said. The winner will take home the Taco Rock Title Belt and a $100 cash prize. Those who come in second and third place will win a medal and a Taco Rock gift card.

“Each contestant will be served up a plate of jalapeño pepper poppers,” said the press release. “They must eat as many flaming hot poppers as they can in ten minutes, one popper at a time, to within one quarter inch of the jalapeño cap.”

Entry to the competition is $10. The event will be free for spectators.

Photos courtesy Taco Rock

President Trump Made a Surprise Visit to Arlington Today

By ARLnow.com

President Trump made a surprise visit to his reelection campaign’s office in Rosslyn around lunchtime today.

The president was accompanied by his son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, and campaign manager Brad Parscale. For about an hour he took meetings and greeted campaign staff, congratulating them on a more than $60 million fundraising haul in January.

Arlington County Police assisted with the motorcade from the White House to the campaign office.

Trump posed for a photo with staffers, who work out of what’s been described as a “Republican National Committee annex” in “a glass-skinned tower overlooking the Potomac River.” The address is not publicly available.

https://twitter.com/TeamTrump/status/1228032843282026503

Photo via @TeamTrump/Twitter

VIDA Fitness Eyes March Opening in Ballston, 2021 Opening in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/2

High-end D.C.-based fitness chain VIDA Fitness says its expansion into Arlington is just a couple of months away from coming to fruition.

VIDA announced today that it expects its new 29,000 square foot health club in Ballston to open in “mid to late March”

The club is located at the bottom of a new, 22-story mixed-use tower at 4040 Wilson Blvd. It will feature “over 100 state-of-the-art machines, 25 personal trainers and other high-end amenities,” as well as a spa, spin studio, “Fuel Bar” and co-working area.

The Ballston gym will be the brand’s first non-D.C. location, but it’s not the only facility VIDA, an ARLnow advertiser, has planned in Arlington. A second location, at the new “Highlands” development in western Rosslyn, is now expected to open in 2021, according to VIDA.

More from a press release:

The 29K SF premier health club facility, conveniently located next to Ballston Quarter and the Ballston Metro, will consist of three levels and will feature the lifestyle centers affiliate companies such as SweatBox, Aura Spa, and Fuel Bar.

Some of the highlights of the new location includes:

  • Over 100 state-of-the-art machines, 25 personal trainers and other high-end amenities;
  • A weight room with the latest equipment for strength work, including extensive free weights, an open layout for endless stretching;
  • Second-floor level dedicated to group fitness classes which includes yoga, pilates, barre, Zumba, Body Pump and more;
  • Aura Spa where members can indulge in one of the many signature treatments such as facials, massages, waxing, body scrubs, as well as CBD oil and cupping treatments;
  • Sweat Box – newest and most innovative workouts featuring jam-packed cardio and strength interval training;
  • A spin studio featuring 30 brand new coach by color bikes which allow you to set your bike based on your fitness level and get a personalized challenge in a fun, interactive class;
  • Luxury locker rooms featuring modern and luxury amenities, plus steam and sauna rooms;
  • Co-working area for members located by the Fuel Bar who need to take care of a little work before or after their workout session;
  • Complementary events and happy hours for members

“In our search for new locations, Ballston is a perfect fit”, said David von Storch, President, and Founder of Urban Adventure Companies. “It’s an active, health-oriented, well-educated submarket that we think will respond well to what we offer. We want to make sure that we open in locations where we believe that we can foster a new sense of community for those committed to fitness and wellness as an important part of how they live. We are excited to expand what we offer to this neighborhood. Ballston, we’re are all in!”

VIDA Fitness worked with leading architecture firm OTJ Architects on the Ballston design. The Ballston location is scheduled to open mid to late March. VIDA Fitness is also planning to open its second Northern Virginia location in Rosslyn in 2021.

Individuals interested in becoming a member or want to learn about upcoming pre-opening community events can visit VIDABallston.com for more information. The location is also planning a community Open House in early April.

View More Stories