Rosslyn

UPDATED: Police searching for suspect after slashing in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
Response to slashing incident on 19th Street N. in Rosslyn

Update on 10/13/23 — Arlington County police have released the following crime report about the incident. The suspect remains at large.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-10120097, 1800 block of N. Lynn Street. At approximately 10:56 a.m. on October 12, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect and male victim were involved in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a knife, resulting in a laceration. Responding officers located the victim in the 1000 block of 19th Street N. and immediately began rendering emergency medical assistance. Medics transported the victim to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The suspect fled the scene following the assault and a canvass of the area for the suspect yielded negative results. The suspect is described as a white male with a slim build, approximately 25-35 years old, 5’9”-6’0” tall with black facial hair and wearing all black clothing. The investigation is ongoing.

Earlier: Arlington police and medics are on scene of a slashing incident in Rosslyn.

A victim suffered a severe arm injury after a man slashed him with a knife, initial reports suggest. It happened around 11 a.m. and the victim was found near the intersection of 19th Street N. and N. Kent Street.

Police applied a tourniquet to the victim’s arm and he’s now being transported via ambulance to a local hospital, according to scanner traffic.

ACPD is also investigating a report that a knife-wielding man — perhaps the same suspect — chased another victim in the area. That victim reportedly fled into the McDonald’s on N. Lynn Street and hid in the bathroom prior to police arrival.

While officers sort out what happened they requested that the H-B Woodlawn building in Rosslyn be placed in “secure the school” mode, according to scanner traffic.

Arlington startup raises nearly $1 million with help of local tech accelerator

By James Jarvis

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Three Ballston Plaza. 

Arlington-based Pryze is expanding after raising nearly $1 million in venture capital.

The startup is focused on boosting productivity and retention for “deskless” workers through material incentives. Co-founders Natalia Micheletti and Tim Hylton said the funding success was only possible with the mentorship and guidance they received from a local tech accelerator, Unstuck Labs.

One night in 2017, while working as a store manager for the retail chain Great American Cookies, Micheletti watched through the security camera as smoke began to billow from one of the seven cookie store’s ovens.

Micheletti quickly called the store to alert a distracted employee, who was engrossed in his phone. By the time he answered, it was already too late: two dozen cookies had burned to a crisp.

Realizing the financial consequences of such mishaps, store owner Tim Hylton quickly did the math with Micheletti. He found that if each of his seven stores lost a single tray of 24 cookies per week — each cookie costing $1.79 — the annual hit to the company could exceed $180,000.

With this realization — and the smell of burnt cookies still lingering — Micheletti started working to find a solution.

Micheletti presented Hylton with a simple napkin sketch outlining a concept for an app designed to keep tabs on employee phone usage during work hours. The app aims to incentivize hourly workers to focus on their tasks by offering points that could be redeemed for prizes ranging from gift cards to airline tickets and gaming consoles.

“And that’s where she started to create the idea of Pryze,” Hylton said. “It kind of moved from just this drawing that she created on a napkin to, ‘Well, let’s see if we could take some of the things that you’ve talked about and some of the things that you started to put down and see if they actually really work.’”

Excited about the idea, Hylton and Micheletti began surveying local business owners around Northern Virginia. Micheletti says most reported that phone usage negatively impacted their businesses and expressed a willingness to invest in a solution if one were available.

Co-founders Natalia Micheletti and Tim Hylton of the Pryze app at the Unstuck Labs office in Rosslyn (staff photo by James Jarvis)

In 2018, Hylton sold his cookie business so that he and Micheletti could turn their full attention toward making Micheletti’s napkin doodle a reality. After sinking about $90,000 of their own money into website development and consulting that first year, however, Micheletti and Hylton started to get discouraged.

“Coming from the restaurant world was so different coming into the tech world. I was just like, ‘How do people do this? If you’re not a millionaire… how do you even launch? How do you learn everything you need to learn quickly,” Micheletti said.

After doing some research, Micheletti came across a tech accelerator program based in Arlington called Unstuck Labs.

Micheletti said Unstuck had “a good track record” so they decided to give it a shot.

“So, the first meeting we went to… we had this napkin with this idea scribbled on it, and we’re like, ‘This is it. We sell cookies. How can we be millionaires,” Micheletti said, recalling a conversation with Untuck’s co-founder and CEO, Wa’il Ashshowwaf.

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Is a Rosslyn office opening behind tonight’s mysterious, elaborate fireworks display?

By ARLnow.com
Fireworks over the Potomac Thursday night (photo via @StefJohnson21/Twitter)

A lengthy fireworks display took D.C. and Arlington residents by surprise tonight — leaving locals guessing as to who was behind it.

The fireworks went off around 7:30 p.m., launched from a barge on the Potomac River between the Kennedy Center and Roosevelt Island, near Rosslyn. The nearly 15 minute display was on the scale one might expect for the Fourth of July.

The display, however, was not publicized in advance.

Even D.C.’s city council took to social media to express surprise, while digging up an entry in the Federal Register for a Coast Guard safety zone for the fireworks.

Following the fireworks, an ARLnow reader floated a theory of who was behind the display.

“I don’t have inside knowledge to confirm it, but I’d be willing to bet the source of the fireworks was Genetec opening their new ‘DCXC: Genetec Experience Center’ on 1000 Wilson Blvd,” the reader, who asked to remain anonymous, told ARLnow.

Genetec is a Montreal-based security and technology company. The Washington Business Journal reported in August that it had signed a lease for a new “flagship” showroom on the 25th floor of the Rosslyn twin towers building — and planning an October opening.

Someone who attended the event took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say that the fireworks were, in fact, for Genetec’s grand opening.

“The view from the new office on the rooftop was amazing,” the person wrote.

Today: Art walk and taco crawl offer two ways to tour Arlington

By James Jarvis
People taking photos of artwork at Mason Exhibitions in Arlington (via Mason Exhibitions/Facebook)

If you’re a fan of art and tacos, today is your lucky day.

This afternoon (Thursday), from 3-7 p.m., local art galleries in the Ballston and Virginia Square neighborhoods will open their doors for the annual Arlington Art Walk.

Meanwhile, Rosslyn Business Improvement District is staging “Rosslyn’s first-ever Taco Crawl” from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Here is how to participate in each event today.

Arlington Art Walk

The art walk, sponsored by Arlington Economic Development, is free to everyone and features 12 local galleries and artists throughout the Ballston and Virginia Square neighborhoods between N. Glebe Road and Washington Blvd.

“The ‘Arlington Art Walk’ is a self-guided art experience that connects local galleries, artist studios and cultural events,” Arlington Economic Development says on its website. “During the walk, gallery hours for participating organizations will be extended so that our friends, neighbors and artists may come see what we’re up to.”

The walk kicks off at Mason Exhibitions, located at 3601 Fairfax Drive, next to Quincy Park. Art aficionados can pop into nearly a dozen participating venues and see outdoor, permanent installations from Arlington Public Art along the way.

Map showing the locations of participating galleries and artists during the 2023 Arlington Art Walk (via Arlington Economic Development)

Exhibits are on display at the following places:

  • Arlington Independent Media
  • ARC 3409 Art Studios
  • Arlington Art Truck
  • Arlington Public Library Maker’s Studio ‘The Shop”
  • Cody Gallery
  • Fred Schnider Gallery
  • Mason Exhibitions Arlington
  • Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Northside Social Arlington
  • WHINO
“Rosslyn Taco Crawl” flier (via Rosslyn BID)

Rosslyn Taco Crawl

If the art walk leaves you hungry, the Rosslyn BID and DC Fray are hosting a guided taco tour in Rosslyn to celebrate National Taco Day, which the U.S. celebrated yesterday.

Tickets for the Taco Crawl are $15 and come with tacos at every stop.

Check-in takes place at Central Place Plaza, which will also feature live music and games to enhance the walking experience.

Photo (top) via Mason Exhibitions/Facebook

Army Ten-Miler to cause road closures near Rosslyn and Pentagon City this weekend

By James Jarvis
Runners participating in the Army Ten-Miler (courtesy photo)

The annual Army Ten-Miler race will trigger a series of road closures in Arlington this weekend.

More than 26,000 runners will start and end the race near the Pentagon, racing through parts of Rosslyn, D.C. and Pentagon City, according to Maida Johnson, deputy director of the Army Ten-Miler.

“The 39th annual Army Ten-Miler race will occur on Sunday, October 8, 2023,” the Arlington County Police Department said in a news release. “The race begins at 7:50 a.m. on Route 110, crosses the Key Bridge into the District of Columbia, returns to Virginia via the 14th Street Bridge in the northbound I-395 HOV, and ends in the Pentagon reservation.”

Starting at 5 a.m., several law enforcement agencies will close sections of I-395, I-66 and Richmond Hwy, as well as Army Navy Drive and S. Fern Street, per the release. This includes ACPD, Virginia State Police, U.S. Park Police, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

Metro will open at 7 a.m. on Sunday, per an Army press release. Blue Line trains will bypass the Pentagon stop from 7-8 a.m. and riders can exit at the Pentagon City Metro station during these times.

Otherwise, Metrorail plans to operate a normal schedule on Sunday and several Metrobus lines will experience temporary detours between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m., a WMATA spokesperson told ARLnow.

The best spectator locations include the finish line, Key Bridge, Independence Avenue, Army Navy Drive and S. Eads Street, close to the finish line, the Army press release says. A free express shuttle for spectators will run between the Pentagon North and South lots.

Army Ten-Miler course map (via ACPD)

A full list of planned road closures, from the ACPD press release, is below.

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An Arlington-based startup accelerator has moved into new digs in Rosslyn, with room to grow

By James Jarvis

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Three Ballston Plaza. 

An Arlington-based company that helps startup founders turn their ideas into viable ventures has a new permanent home in Rosslyn.

Founded in 2017, Unstuck Labs is a small venture capital and consultancy firm that provides founders of small tech startups with mentorship, office space and, sometimes, investment.

Until recently, Unstuck operated from various co-working spaces across Arlington. With the help of Arlington Economic Development, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District and the county’s Innovation Fund grant, Unstuck moved to an office in Rosslyn, where Co-founder and CEO Wa’il Ashshowwaf says he hopes to add more programming.

Ashshowwaf says Unstuck is not a typical accelerator program.

Whereas most accelerator programs provide founders with a “curriculum” on how to set up their company, Ashshowwaf says Unstuck treats the program more like an apprenticeship.

“Think about sitting in a classroom versus doing an apprenticeship. Like someone can tell you, ‘This is how you fix a car,’ but our apprenticeship is going to be like, ‘Okay, let’s open the hood and fix it,’” he told ARLnow.

The program lasts 12 weeks, during which Ashshowwaf says the company assists founders in everything from designing a logo to pitching to potential investors — including Unstuck.

Although Unstuck does not guarantee it will invest in participating startups, Ashshowwaf noted that “86% of the founders got some kind of seed funding… within three months of the program.”

“The goal is you come in on day one, and no one really cares about you. You have your idea. By week 12, people care about you. You have an idea. You have a customer. You have revenue, and you’re invested in,” he said.

Unstuck Labs Co-founder and CEO Wa’il Ashshowwaf waves to attendees following a ribbon-cutting event in Rosslyn this September (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Even if the product “doesn’t work,” Ashshowwaf says it is not the end of the world. For Unstuck, a failed product launch is less a setback and more a learning opportunity that can lead to a more successful venture down the line.

“If the idea doesn’t work, that’s not a failure because in 12 weeks, you would learn, ‘Okay, that didn’t work.’ You didn’t spend two years of your life doing that. And then you can move on to the next thing,” Ashshowwaf said.

In addition to its accelerator program, Unstuck offers free workshops, such as “Startup Patent Survival Skills, and weekly meetups where entrepreneurs can discuss their current projects. Ashshowwaf says he hopes to host 50-100 free workshops and weekly meetups a year now that Unstuck has its own office.

Ashshowwaf says the free workshops cultivate an “ecosystem” where entrepreneurs can collaborate and help each other get “unstuck,” instead of navigating the often daunting process alone, he said.

“Someone has an idea. Says, ‘Okay, I want to build a startup. I want to build a business.’ So they’ll ask friends and their family, then they usually jump to a company and say, ‘Hey, can you build the app? How much? Oh, $100,000? How do I find the money?’ And it’s a very disjointed process,” he said.

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Jazz festival and 9/11 Memorial 5K to cause street closures on Saturday

By James Jarvis
1/2

Several roads in Pentagon City and Rosslyn will be temporarily closed this Saturday for the Arlington 9/11 Memorial 5K and 2023 Rosslyn Jazz Fest.

While jazz enthusiasts sway to soulful tunes, just a few miles away, emergency responders will be lacing up their running shoes for the Arlington Police, Fire, Sheriff, & ECC 9/11 Memorial 5K race in Pentagon City.

From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., two roads will be closed for the music festival:

  • Langston Blvd, eastbound from Fort Myer Drive to N. Moore Street
  • Fort Myer Drive access road, from 19th Street N. to N. Moore Street

The festival will take place from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and feature several jazz acts, including Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Pedrito Martinez Group, Oh He Dead and DuPont Brass, as well as food trucks and games.

Road closures around the Pentagon City and Crystal City will begin at 5 p.m. to prepare for the Arlington 9/11 Memorial 5K, which has raised money for 9/11-related charities since its inception in 2002.

The race, which kicks off at 6 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m., will start and end at the DoubleTree Hotel in Pentagon City. All road closures in the area will be lifted by 8:30 p.m.

Street closure maps for the 2023 Rosslyn Jazz Fest and Arlington 9/11 Memorial 5K (via ACPD)

More on road closures about the 5K from a police press release:

The Arlington County Police Department will close the following roadways around the Pentagon and in Crystal City to accommodate the event:

From approximately 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

  • Army Navy Drive, from S. Eads Street to 12th Street S.

From approximately 5:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.

  • S. Eads Street, from Army Navy Drive to 12th Street S.
  • S. Fern Street, from Army Navy Drive to 12th Street S.
  • S. Hayes Street, from Army Navy Drive to 12th Street S.
  • Army Navy Drive, from S. Joyce Street to S. Eads Street
  • S. Joyce Street, from Army Navy Drive to Columbia Pike
  • Columbia Pike, from S. Oak Street to Washington Boulevard
  • S. Washington Boulevard, from Arlington Boulevard to Columbia Pike
  • S. Washington Boulevard, from SB George Washington Parkway
  • Route 110 S., from I-66 and Wilson Boulevard to Army Navy Drive
  • Marshall Drive, from Iwo Jima Access Road to Route 110 S.
  • Southgate Road, from S. Nash Street to Columbia Pike
  • The ramp to Army Navy Drive from NB I-395 Exit 8A, Arlington Ridge Road, and N. Washington Boulevard
  • The ramp from NB I-395 Exit 8C to Pentagon City / Crystal City

ACPD said motorists should expect traffic and “extended travel times” in the surrounding areas. The department advises seeking “alternative routes to reduce road congestion,” including taking Metro.

The Rosslyn Metro Station is located within walking distance of the jazz festival while both the Pentagon City and Crystal City Metro stations are in walking distance of the race. Paid parking is available at the Pentagon City Mall garage.

Police say additional street parking near both events will be restricted and motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs.

From rail yards to residential towers: Rosslyn’s half-century transformation

By James Jarvis
1/16

(Updated 10:30 a.m.) Where the prosaic golden arches of the stand-alone McDonald’s once perched, a residential high-rise now joins the many skyscrapers defining Rosslyn’s changing skyline.

Some old landmarks have been incorporated into new high-rises, including the McDonald’s now beneath Central Place Tower on N. Lynn Street and the former Fire Station 10 at the base of The Highlands.

Others, such as Tom Sarris’ Orleans House, a fixture for nearly 50 years, were replaced with offices and a newer generation of businesses like Compass Coffee and Cava.

Although commercial office buildings have been a constant feature of Rosslyn’s skyline over the past 40 years, the last decade has seen a shift towards more living space.

Anthony Fusarelli, Arlington County’s planning director, says that out of the approximately 8 million square feet of new development planned in Rosslyn, nearly half is designated for residential use. Office space accounts for roughly 2.8 million square feet, retail occupies 171,459 square feet, and the remaining space is allocated for hotels.

The transformation reflects a broader shift the county undertook over the last 20 years to steer urban planning toward residential and mixed-use development to accommodate a growing population, boost economic activity and adapt to people’s waning enthusiasm for the conventional workplace.

This trend is likely to persist, not only because of changes in work patterns post-pandemic, but also because Arlington County is encouraging residential development in Metro-oriented Rosslyn to help address its reported shortage of housing supply.

Planning Rosslyn’s future

To understand how and why this shift occurred, Fusarelli pointed to Rosslyn’s history.

Sixty years ago, if someone had ascended the 555-foot Washington Monument and looked westward across the Potomac River, they would have seen a very different Rosslyn. The view would have been dominated by rail yards, pawnshops, oil storage tanks and other retail and industrial operations.

“So, just this mix of varied uses that is quite different from what we have today,” Fusarelli said.

Aerial view of Rosslyn circa 1962 (via Arlington County)

After  World War II, Fusarelli said the Arlington County Board recognized the area was valuable because of its proximity to D.C. Eager to establish Rosslyn as an auxiliary office hub for the growing federal government, the county embarked on an aggressive campaign to transform the area into a vibrant business district.

“Back in the early ’60s, Arlington established a new zoning tool called the ‘site plan process,’ which incentivized private landowners to build much taller buildings, much bigger buildings, in exchange for providing certain public benefits,” Fusarelli said.

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Public review process kicks off for hotel redevelopment proposal near Rosslyn

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

A proposal to redevelop the Red Lion Hotel near Rosslyn is beginning its journey through the Arlington County approval process.

Local development group Orr Partners took over previously approved plans from 2019 to replace the hotel and the Ellis Arms Apartments in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood with a 10-story condo building and 12-story hotel.

After taking over, Orr expanded the scope of its project. Now, it intends to build on a 2.2-acre site composed of the hotel, formerly the Best Western Iwo Jima hotel, which opened in 1958, as well as the Ellis Arms and Williamsburg apartments, which were built in 1954.

Instead of a condo building and hotel, it proposes building a 446-unit, 8-story apartment complex at 1501 Arlington Blvd, bounded by Fairfax Drive to the south and the Parc Rosslyn Apartments and Belvedere Condominiums to the north.

Existing conditions at the Red Lion Hotel site (via Arlington County)

“We think it will revitalize this neighborhood and bring critically needed housing to Arlington County,” Tyler Orr of Orr Partners said in a video. “Our company has been honored to deliver numerous projects in Arlington County over the last 35 years. In all our projects, we seek to enhance the fabric of the surrounding community, be considerate of our neighbors and give something back with any new community we deliver.”

In exchange for razing the two 14-unit apartment buildings, Orr says the company will provide on-site affordable housing.

That has to amount to at least 28 units or the same square footage lost to redevelopment, according to county planner Adam Watson. He said in a video that Orr is held to this standard because it is building on a site that is mostly designated a “special affordable housing protection district.”

Watson said county staffers are working with Orr on an affordable housing plan that replaces the lost housing.

Presentation materials from Orr say the proposal mostly includes a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, though there are 15 two-bedroom “junior” apartments and 12 three-bedroom units, which are at a premium in Arlington County.

Orr Partners intends to reach LEED Gold certification and plans to include three courtyards as well as at- and below-grade, at a rate of 0.57 spaces per unit.

“Architecturally, the base of the building is scaled to respect the heights of the residential developments along the Arlington Blvd corridor,” architect Chris Gordon said in the Orr presentation. “The design incorporates various techniques to break up the massing, through alternating materials, use of color, textures and providing interior courtyards out to Arlington Blvd beginning at third-level amenity terrace.”

He notes the structure is shaped to capture “primary views of the Capital mall” and to bring together amenities so “all residents to engage in this terrific location.”

Orr Partners is also leaving enough space in its development to allow Arlington County to reconstruct the Arlington Blvd Trail that is across street, says county planner Adam Watson. Base engineering for that project is in progress.

The county is asking for feedback on the proposal related to land use, building form, architecture, transportation, landscaping and public space and community benefits.

After the feedback form closes later this month, the first Site Plan Review Committee meeting will be held in September, followed by a second in October. Meetings for commission and Arlington County Board approval have yet to be scheduled.

Dark Star Park Day celebrates its 40th anniversary tomorrow in Rosslyn

By Hallie LeTendre
1/4

Architecture, art and the sun are all coming together Tuesday morning, August 1, for Dark Star Park Day.

Dark Star Park in Rosslyn features several concrete spheres, installed in 1984, whose shadows will perfectly align with their markings on the ground tomorrow morning only.

“Each year at 9:32 a.m., actual shadows cast by the poles and spheres align with permanent forms in the shape of the shadows on the ground beneath them,” the Arlington County website says. “The date marks the day that William Henry Ross purchased the land that later became Rosslyn.”

Located at 1655 Fort Myer Drive, the public art installation was restored in 2002. Artist Nancy Holt carefully designed the installation so that the alignment would happen at the same time every year.

“Holt worked with an astrophysicist to make the shadow alignment happen. The time it takes place was chosen simply because Holt liked the light at that hour,” the park’s webpage said.

Dark Star Park, which was formerly a gas station, became Arlington’s first public art installation.

“Encompassing landscape architecture, sculpture, and astronomy, Dark Star Park by Nancy Holt (1938-2014) is among the first major examples of integrated public art,” the county website says.

An event, held each year, marks the annual shadow alignment.

Those planning to attend tomorrow’s free event should arrive at the park around 9:15 a.m. to secure a good viewing spot, according to the Rosslyn Business Improvement District. There is limited parking available near the park.

For those who can’t attend, the Rosslyn BID Facebook page will be live-streaming the event beginning around 9:15 a.m.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Dark Star Park Day — described by Arlington Cultural Affairs as “a deeply moving experience in-person.” The weather forecast calls for sunny skies, perfect for shadow viewing.

NOW: Metro delays likely due to fleeing suspects on tracks

By ARLnow.com
File photo

(Updated at 1:10 p.m.) A suspect fleeing from police ran onto the tracks at the Rosslyn Metro station shortly before 1 p.m., delaying some trains.

The suspect ran into a tunnel in the direction of Arlington Cemetery station, according to scanner traffic. It’s not immediately clear why he or she was running from police.

Arlington County police coordinated with Metro and Metro Transit Police to stop train traffic in the area while trying to locate the suspect.

Officers were in active pursuit of the suspect after he or she exited the tunnel, leading to their being taken into custody on Memorial Bridge shortly before 1:10 p.m., according to scanner traffic.

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