Rosslyn

Rosslyn Jazz Fest Returns This Saturday, Prompting Road Closures

By Kalina Newman

The annual Rosslyn Jazz Fest returns to Arlington this Saturday.

Celebrating its 29th year, the free festival is anticipating nearly 10,000 attendees. It will feature jazz music, food trucks, and crafting from 1-7 p.m in Rosslyn’s Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway).

The festival will also prompt several street closures. According to Arlington County Police:

  • 10 a.m.-8 p.m. — Eastbound lanes of Lee Highway between Fort Myer Drive and Lynn Street closed
  • 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. — Fort Myer Drive will be closed at westbound Lee Highway
  • 12-8 p.m. — I-66 Exit 73 to Rosslyn closed

“Local traffic within the closure zone wishing to access Route 66 or the Key Bridge by way of Eastbound Lee Highway should exit Lee Highway at either Veitch Street, Rhodes Street, Quinn Street, or Fort Myer Drive and use Wilson Boulevard to reach Lynn Street,” ACPD said in a press release. “Once on Lynn Street, drivers can travel north across the Key Bridge or take the ramp from Lynn Street onto Route 66 East and enter the District of Columbia.”

Street parking will be restricted and there will be temporary “no parking” signs posted. Attendees are encouraged to use public transportation or ride-hailing apps to get to the festival. Drivers are encouraged to “be alert and prepare for delays” due to road closures and heavy pedestrian traffic.

This year, performers include Grammy-nominated New Orleans brass band Cha Wa, and an eight-piece headlining band The Suffers.

Saturday’s official lineup is:

To preview the event, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District put together a Spotify playlist of the performing artists.

Food trucks in attendance include Swizzler — a hot dog truck — and Ben & Jerry’s. There will also be two beer and wine bars along with a sangria bar.

Additionally, the Arlington Art Truck is expected to set up shop at the festival, presenting a craft series titled Ties That Bind. Multimedia artist Lorenzo Cardim will teach visitors how to sew colorful buttons onto fabrics shaped like Arlington neighborhoods.

Photo via Rosslyn Business Improvement District

Taco Rock Expected to Open in Rosslyn By End of September

By Kalina Newman
1/4

A new fast-casual taco restaurant from one of Arlington’s most prolific restaurateurs is slated to open in late September in Rosslyn, according to a spokesman.

“Taco Rock” from chef Mike Cordero will be located at 1501 Wilson Blvd, in the former Spinfire Pizza space.

The approximately 2,500-square-foot space will be rock-and-roll themed, with a large ceiling guitar and graffiti-style art throughout. There will be space for 50 diners and an 18-seat bar.

The menu will feature specialty tacos served on homemade blue corn tortillas, plus appetizers like corn elotes, ceviche, and “hot Cheeto jalapeño poppers.”

In addition, the restaurant will offer an extensive drink menu featuring tequila cocktails and Mexican beers.

Taco Rock will be Cordero’s ninth Northern Virginia establishment. Currently, Cordeo co-owns the popular Arlington bars Don Tito and The G.O.A.T, and is the force behind the just-opened Bronson Bier Hall in Ballston.

Police: Irate Man Punches Man Filming Him With Phone

By ARLnow.com

A man yelling at an employee in a Rosslyn business did not take kindly to a patron filming the encounter on a cell phone, according to an Arlington County Police crime report.

The incident happened on the 1900 block of Fort Myer Drive — the same block as the Holiday Inn hotel — around 7 a.m. this past Saturday.

“The suspect entered a business and allegedly began acting disorderly, engaged in a verbal dispute with an employee and damaged property,” police said in the crime report. “The suspect then observed a patron filming him, struck the patron with a closed fist and stole their cell phone.”

“The suspect fled the business and threw the phone, causing it to break,” the crime report continues. “Arriving officers located the suspect still in the vicinity of the business. Olubunmi Osinuga, 36, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Robbery, Destruction of Property (<$1000) and Destruction of Property (>$1000). He was held on no bond.”

Widened Section of the Custis Trail Now Open in Rosslyn

By Vernon Miles
1/5

The widened stretch of the Custis Trail through Rosslyn finally opened to pedestrian and cyclist traffic late yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.

The new improvements widen the Custis Trail along westbound Lee Highway from N. Lynn and N. Oak streets, a popular stretch of the trail that connects the Metro corridor to the Key Bridge and the Mount Vernon Trail.

After months of passing each other in the narrow confines of the slimmed-down path along Lee Highway, cyclists and pedestrians both immediately took to the new trail. The former travel lane has now been blocked off with orange barriers.

Even with the widening wrapped up, the project website said work will still continue on installing permanent signs along the trail, but with a minimal impact on trail traffic.

APS Races Against the Clock to Finish Up Construction for The Heights

By Vernon Miles
1/23

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) There’s still a lot that needs to be done in The Heights, the new home of H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program and the Shriver Program, before the school opens next week.

Construction crews are putting on the finishing touches of the building at 1601 Wilson Blvd even as teachers get their classrooms ready for the start of school next Tuesday (Sept. 3). Much of the state-of-the-art interior is completed.

Demolition for the old Wilson School at the site started in 2017, with crews working since then to build the new, five-story terraced structure. Most of the building is slated to be open and usable when school starts, though the auditorium remains under construction. Jeffrey Chambers, director of design and construction for Arlington Public Schools, explained that there’s still construction work that needs to be done and it won’t be accessible until a few weeks after the school opens.

There are other projects around the school, smaller pieces Chambers described as “finishing up the punch list,” but Chambers said any construction work that would be disruptive to students will be done after hours.

“We’re excited to open in a week,” said Dr. Casey Robinson, principal of H-B Woodlawn. “There’s lots to do and we’re having lots of fun exploring the new space.”

H-B Woodlawn is a secondary program with a focus on students playing an integral role in developing school curriculum and shaping the culture of the school. Robinson was a student at the old H-B Woodlawn and later became a teacher there, so like much of the faculty she’s still adjusting to the new location, but she and the others are approaching it with a smile.

“We’ve been telling ourselves and our students that the comfortable feeling [at the old school] took 40 years to create,” Robinson said. “It won’t happen overnight.”

But artifacts brought over from the old school have helped soften the blow of the move for Robinson, as has an elaborate mural painted across the main common area that includes images from the generations that decorated the walls of the old school. Robinson said a “town meeting” planned with faculty and students will decide how the relics should be displayed.

The lower two floors of the building will be devoted to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program — formerly the Stratford Program. The two programs will share a common area, cafeteria, auditorium and other school amenities.

“I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am [for school to start again],” said Dr. Karen Gerry, principal of the Shriver Program. “It’s surreal to be in this beautiful building and we’re excited to collaborate again with H-B Woodlawn.”

Plans for the new building haven’t always been happily received by the H-B Woodlawn community, but faculty at the school seemed determined to make the best of the new, more urban location.

“All of your familiar teachers are ready to welcome you back,” Robinson said.

Bill Podolski, director of choral activities at H-B Woodlawn, wore a shirt with an artistic rendering of the school’s former beloved home — which has been transformed into a neighborhood middle school — but seemed happy in a spacious band room with a full wall of multi-floor windows.

“We’re going to make it home,” said Podolski.

Police: Camera Found in Bathroom of Rosslyn Business

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police are investigating a camera found in a local bathroom.

ACPD says they were called Saturday evening to a business on the 1300 block of Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn — which includes an office building and a hotel — after someone found a camera “in the toilet area of a restroom inside a business.” The camera was removed and police are now investigating the incident as a case of unlawful filming.

More from ACPD:

UNLAWFUL FILMING (late), 2019-08240209, 1300 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 6:47 p.m. on August 24, police were dispatched to the late report of found property. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 4:25 p.m., a witness allegedly located a camera in the toilet area of a restroom inside a business and subsequently removed it and notified management. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

South Block Planning to Open New Rosslyn Location Next Week

By ARLnow.com
1/2

The new Rosslyn location of juice, smoothie and acai bowl emporium South Block is expected to open its doors on Monday.

Located at 1550 Wilson Blvd, the new South Block — the “Arlington born and bred” company’s 10th location — is next to BASH Boxing in the former Cafe Asia space. The 1,300 square foot space includes a mural created by local artists MasPaz and CheLove.

South Block is planning to host a soft opening in Rosslyn starting Monday, August 26. The eatery is scheduled to be open weekdays from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

“When I opened my first location, I had no idea what to expect,” said owner and Northern Virginia native Amir Mostafavi, in a statement. “I’m not sure what ‘making it’ really means! I still don’t think I’ve made it… but I hope my story inspires others to pursue their passions.”

A subsequent grand opening event is planned next month. More from a press release:

South Block’s “good vibe tribe” will be out in full force at the Grand Opening “Block Party” on Saturday, September 7 at 9 a.m. The first 100 “Block Party” attendees will receive a swag bag complete with a reusable smoothie cup, sunglasses, and some fun surprises from local community partners. There will be plenty of fun surprises for all who attend while a live DJ keeps the good vibes rolling!

WHO: South Block Rosslyn
WHAT: South Block Rosslyn’s Grand Opening “Block Party”
WHEN: Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 9 a.m. (Store opens to the public on Monday, August 26).
WHERE: South Block | 1550 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209

All proceeds on September 7 will go to South Block’s fundraising initiative, Fruitful Planet, to support the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), a community-based non-profit that provides supplemental groceries to Arlington neighbors in need. South Block created Fruitful Planet as a way to give back to those in need and build healthy communities. “We believe that small acts can make a big impact! The Arlington community has been so great to South Block… we want to do everything we can to support the community and show love back said Mostafavi.

Arts Focus: The Rosslyn Jazz Festival — A Duet Between Business & Government

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/4

This column is written and sponsored by Arlington Arts / Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

One of Arlington County’s signature events, the 29th annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival draws thousands to hear internationally-renowned musical artists.

The Artists on this year’s roster are all rooted in the unique synthesis of sounds from the Gulf Coast that evoke jazz, blues, soul, funk and Caribbean genres: the Houston-based band The Suffers, Grammy-nominated New Orleans brass band Cha Wa, singer/cellist Leyla McCalla (formerly of the Grammy award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops), and D.C.’s go-go/jazz ensemble JoGo Project.

Presented by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) and co-sponsored with Arlington’s Cultural Affairs Division/Arlington Arts, the partnership harnesses the respective strengths of the locally-focused non-profit and Arlington County Government to maximum effect.

“Creating a vibrant arts and cultural scene is a core part of our work to make Rosslyn a more attractive place for both businesses and residents,” said Mary-Claire Burick, president of the Rosslyn BID. “The Rosslyn Jazz Fest brings community together to enjoy music and culture in a way (and at a scale) that no other event in Arlington does; it has brought vitality and energy to Rosslyn for 29 years and we look forward to many more.”

Most of the on-the-ground logistics, such as permitting, promotion and vendor area coordination, are led by the BID. Using their formidable network of staff, volunteers and community connections, the BID transforms the three-acre Gateway Park and the surrounding thoroughfares into a safe, smooth-running festival-site, stocked with some of the area’s top food trucks with options to engage the entire family.

While the County had always provided production and marketing support, since 2001 the experienced programming team at Arlington Arts expanded their role to oversee all elements of the on-stage production and curating the musical line-up.

Re-envisioning the festival to highlight more national and international touring artists, attendance quickly rose from 1,200 to an average 7,000 annually.

“Like jazz itself the festival has evolved,” says Josh Stoltzfus, who programs the Festival, as Director of Cultural Development for Arlington Arts. “During the past several years, we’ve been incorporating a more diverse array of music to feature critically acclaimed global music, soul, funk and all manner of jazz-related expression.”

Now drawing upwards of 10,000 attendees when the weather cooperates, it’s not unusual to see audience members who travel from as far away as Philadelphia, Raleigh or Chicago for the event, all of which benefits Arlington’s restaurant and hotel industry as well.

Free and open to the public, this year’s Rosslyn Jazz Festival takes place on Saturday, September 7 from 1-7 p.m. at Gateway Park, 1300 Lee Highway (2 blocks from Rosslyn Metro, at the foot of Key Bridge).

For information, visit rosslynva.org/do/rosslyn-jazz-fest-2019 or arlingtonarts.org.

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Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn to Close for Night Work for One Month

By Vernon Miles

If you cruise Rosslyn streets late at night, you might want to avoid Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn over the next month.

From Sundays through Thursdays between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., Wilson Blvd is scheduled to be closed between N. Oak and N. Quinn streets.

The closures are expected to start Sunday, Aug. 18, and continue through the end of September.

The street will be closed to allow Dominion workers to upgrade power service to handle Arlington Public Schools’ new Heights Building and the redevelopment of 1555 Wilson Blvd as luxury condos and retail, according to a press release.

Cars and buses are expected to be detoured north to Key Blvd during the closures, though the sidewalk on the south side of the street will remain open for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

Art Institute Building in Rosslyn to Be Redeveloped as Residential Towers

By Airey
1/7

(Updated at 2:35 p.m.) A developer is proposing to demolish the Ames Center office building in Rosslyn, at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive, and replace it with almost 800 housing units and retail space.

Building owner Snell Properties has long planned to replace the aging office building, which formerly housed the Art Institute of Washington, with the two residential towers. Newly-submitted plans indicate Snell plans to build a 31-story tower with 424 units on the south side of the property and a 30-story tower with 364 units in the north side.

Plans indicate that the south tower will have 411,338 square feet of residential space, and the north tower will feature 382,608 square feet of residential space. Together, the two will offer 8,000 square feet of retail space on the ground level.

Currently, more than half of the Ames Center is vacant, with the remaining leases to expire before construction begins, according to a letter filed by an attorney for the developer.

The Ames Center property, which includes a church built over a gas station — once dubbed “Our Lady of Exxon” — was one of the earliest developments of it kind in Arlington, credited with kickstarting the redevelopment of Rosslyn as a commercial center in the 1960s. It was designed by the noted Czech-American architect Vlastimil Koubek.

The proposed project coincides with plans to redesign N. Fort Myer Drive and N. Nash Street, among other parts of Rosslyn, and extend a bicycle and pedestrian corridor from 18th Street N. to  N. Arlington Ridge Road.

This extended 18th Street corridor would bisect the Ames Center property, and Snell is proposing to build a walkable plaza between the two towers to incorporate the path.

Snell and nearby property owner Monday Properties previously clashed over the plan for the 18th Street corridor, with Snell saying Monday’s original plan for the 1812 N. Moore could have moved the corridor northward and disrupted the Ames Center plan. Today, a lawyer representing Snell told ARLnow today (Tuesday) that the firm is happy with the corridor.

In the meantime, Snell’s plans also indicate several “interim” changes to the streetscape surrounding the site, including:

  • Removing one parking lane and one travel lane from N. Nash Street (between 19th Street to Wilson Blvd) and adding 6-foot-wide bike lanes with 3-foot medians on both sides the street. Additionally, the developer is asking to widen the sidewalks from 12 feet to 16 feet wide.
  • Removing one travel lane from Fort Myer Drive and replacing it with a 7-foot-wide parking lane, and a 5-foot bike lane.
  • Removing two travel lanes from N. Fort Myer Drive and replacing them with a parking lane and a bike lane.

Snell also plans to build a four-story parking garage on site, with around 650 spaces for cars — equivalent to 0.81 spaces per residential unit — along with 10 dedicated spaces for retail, and 4 additional spaces. The developer is also planning space for tenants to park 317 bicycles.

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New Rosslyn Art Installation Leaves Colorful Impression

By Airey
1/7

Commuters today may have noticed a new addition to Rosslyn — namely, 800 colorful leaves hanging in the Central Place Plaza.

The leaves are part of an art project commissioned by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) for the development at 1800 N. Lynn Street. The project was designed by D.C.-based artist Linny Giffin, co-founder of The Lemon Collective in Petworth.

Giffin told ARLnow that the BID wanted a seasonal design — and something colorful.

“I wanted to work with something new and challenge myself and threw this idea out there,” she said. “This was the one that stuck.”

The leaves themselves are plastic to withstand the weather. Giffin says she hung them all at slightly different heights from the grid supporting the plaza’s glass pergola so viewers can spot different details depending on what angle they stand at.

“I have a studio but I don’t have a studio where I could paint 800 leaves to dry,” she said, adding that luckily her parents in Baltimore were able to chip in space. “I shipped everything to their house and we had to figure out a process to lay everything out in the driveway and use a spray gun.”

The project has been in the works since October, and took about a month to complete this summer.

Previously, Giffin also designed gumball chandeliers and curtains made out of ribbons for Rosslyn’s putt putt pop-up and a 50-foot “rainbow cloud” of string for pop-up store The Alcove . But the leaves presented a new artistic challenge.

“I’m used to doing large scale projects, but inside — not having to worry about wind and rain and storms,” she said.

“Linny’s work supports our efforts to develop connections between people and public spaces,” said Rosslyn BID President Mary-Claire Burick in a statement last week.

Burick said art installations like Giffin’s are part of the BID’s mission to deepen a sense of place and community within the neighborhood.

“It starts when we enhance the experience in our public spaces where thousands of people walk every day,” said Burick.

The installation will be on display in Rosslyn for the next two months, Giffin said.

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