Rosslyn

UVA Business School Expanding in Rosslyn High-Rise

By Katie Pyzyk
1/7

The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business is expanding into two floors of a Rosslyn high-rise office building.

The new “state-of-the-art learning facility” will occupy the 30th and 31st floors of 1100 Wilson Blvd — owned by Monday Properties — with administrative, conference and classroom space taking up approximately 40,000 square feet. The school already has regional staff offices in the building and holds executive MBA classes at 1000 Wilson Blvd and 1919 N. Lynn Street.

“We are pleased to continue building Darden’s presence in Northern Virginia and the metro DC area at this premier Rosslyn location,” Darden School of Business Dean Scott C. Beardsley said in a statement. “Rosslyn’s proximity to major spheres of influence in D.C., including Capitol Hill and the White House, played a significant role in our decision, with the support of the University of Virginia.”

Local architects are designing the space, which will include tiered classrooms, flat classrooms, learning team rooms, open study areas, a board room, conference rooms and office space. A large ballroom will serve as a food service and conference space.

At its meeting last month, the Arlington County Board took up the issue of Monday Properties converting office space in the building to educational use. The business school is scheduled to move into its new location next spring.

Another change coming to 1100 Wilson Blvd next year is the opening of a 5,000-square-foot rooftop deck for tenant use. The indoor-outdoor space, touted by Monday as “one of the most expansive rooftop deck amenity offerings in the DC-metro market,” will be able to accommodate events and conferences.

Disclosure: Monday Properties is an ARLnow.com advertiser. Photos via Google Maps and Darden School of Business.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Reaction to Las Vegas Shooting — Reactions from local officials are beginning to come in in response to the mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert, which is now the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. “Will the corporate gun lobby please wake up? #PrayersAreNotEnough #HowManyMore?” tweeted state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D). Meanwhile, a “gun violence prevention roundtable” planned today in Alexandria, with former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, has been cancelled “in light of today’s events.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Stats Behind Arlington’s Millennial Growth — The growth rate of Arlington’s millennial population between 2007 and 2013 was 82 percent, the highest in the nation. Meanwhile, development and transportation stats bear out how Arlington is growing and attracting young people. For instance, only 44 percent of Arlington’s population drives alone to work, compared to the 76.4 percent national average. [Bisnow]

Conservative Reporter vs. Donut Store Employee — Ashley Rae Goldenberg, a reporter for the conservative Media Research Center who goes by the Twitter handle @Communism_Kills, says she was harassed on Twitter by an employee of the new Dunkin’ Donuts store in Virginia Square. [Twitter]

Bomb Threat at Rosslyn Building — Updated at 11:15 a.m. — Someone called 911 with a bomb threat against an office building on the 1100 block of Wilson Blvd Thursday evening. That is the same block as TV station WJLA (ABC 7). No explosives were found during a police search of the building. [Patch, Arlington County]

Teen Provides Art to the Formerly Homeless — Allison Stocks, a 15-year-old sophomore at Yorktown High School, founded a nonprofit that takes donations of art and then provides it to those “making the transition from homeless shelters into permanent housing,” thus helping to cover bare walls and make their new home feel more homey. [Washington Post]

Local Gamer Raises Money for Hurricane Relief — In the wake of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, local resident Scott Jones helped raise more than $1,700 for disaster relief by broadcasting a 24-hour video game marathon from his Arlington apartment. Jones is one of numerous gamers who have used their gaming skills to raise serious cash for charitable causes. [Los Angeles Times]

Sports Pub Employees to Stand During Anthem — Late last week the Crystal City Sports Pub (529 23rd Street S.) sent a press release to broadcast outlets saying that its employees would “stand united for the national anthem” during Sunday’s football games. [WJLA]

Police Investigate Series of Thefts from Cars in Rosslyn

By Katie Pyzyk

Police responded to reports of vehicle break-ins this morning in Rosslyn.

Upon responding to an initial break-in call, police found that five cars on the 1500 and 1600 blocks of Colonial Terrace had been entered and items were stolen. All of the vehicles were unlocked.

The thefts prompted another reminder from Arlington County Police for residents to take measures to keep their cars and valuables secure.

From ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department is reminding citizens to remove the opportunity for crime by locking your vehicles. Here are some simple tips to help prevent larcenies from auto:

1. No matter if you park on a public street, in a driveway or garage take all valuables out of your vehicle. This includes keys, key fobs, purses, cash, credit cards and electronics. Don’t forget the valet key that comes with some vehicles.

2. Lock your doors and pull on the door handle to verify it’s locked. If a thief can get into a vehicle, they can also have access to a garage door opener and can gain access to your home. Always ensure the door between your garage and home is locked.

3. Call police if you see people looking into vehicles. The telltale sign that this has occurred in your neighborhood are open doors with the interior dome lights on. If you don’t see the perpetrator(s) but suspect some vehicles have been entered, call the non-emergency number at 703-558-2222. If you see a suspect in your vehicle, DO NOT APPROACH THEM and call 911 immediately.

ACFD Responds to Apartment Fire in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters extinguished a fire inside an apartment in Rosslyn around lunchtime today.

The fire broke out at the Oakwood apartments on the 1500 block of Clarendon Blvd, video released by the Arlington County Fire Department shows. Arriving units found a “small fire in [the] kitchen area” and extinguished it, ACFD said.

County fire marshals are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Police helped to direct traffic during the incident as Clarendon Blvd was blocked by the emergency response.

Central Coffee Bar to Open ‘Very Soon’ in Rosslyn

By Chris Teale
1/4

A new coffee bar in Rosslyn is set to open “very soon,” according to the cafe’s owner.

Construction is almost complete on the Central Coffee Bar in the first floor of the soon-to-redevelop RCA building at 1901 N. Moore Street, with workers starting to move furniture in. Owner Mehmet Coskun declined to give an exact timeframe, but said it should be open “very soon.”

Coskun said the spot will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, serving coffee, pastries and the like in the morning and then hosting happy hour from 5-7 p.m. He said the coffee, provided in partnership with a roastery in Annapolis, will be from the best beans available.

“We will have very fresh coffee from Ethiopia, Central America, Colombia, Mexico and we will have seasonal beans, so whatever the country harvests, we’ll make sure we’re getting the best beans,” he said. “I’m doing a lot of tastings, so we will give something different than just Starbucks for people to at least try.”

Inside, Central Coffee will have leather sofas and a 60-inch electrical fireplace to make the space of just over 2,000 square feet feel intimate. Coskun said they had initially planned on having a smaller, 1,500-square-foot space, but expanded the plans after conversations with representatives from the Rosslyn Business Improvement District.

“We have a very cozy space where you walk in and you already feel like you want to sit down and do work or pick up your laptop and enjoy,” Coskun said. “It has that cozy environment with leather couches and with that fireplace built in and that open space. The whole thing is an open space.”

Coskun, a Pentagon City resident, said he wanted to open the coffee shop to give Arlington a locally-run option beyond international giant Starbucks. He added that the company could look to expand in the county too, depending on the success of its first location.

“We do want to be Arlington County’s coffee shop,” Coskun said. “We’re looking for a second location somewhere in Clarendon, and we want to continue to grow in Arlington before we grow anywhere else. We are going to be the local guys.”

The Little Beet Opening Today in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The Little Beet is opening its new Rosslyn location at 1800 N. Lynn Street today.

The fast-casual vegetarian restaurant is the New York-based company’s second in the D.C. area. Following today’s planned 11 a.m. opening, the eatery is expected to be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekdays. (It will be open for just lunch and dinner on weekends.)

Over the weekend, The Little Beet held a soft opening and staff training session, serving free food to anyone who wandered in.

More from a press release, below.

Acclaimed fast casual restaurant concept, The Little Beet, is proud to announce its newest location opens today at 11am in Arlington, VA, just outside Washington, DC.

The latest addition to The Little Beet family is located at 1800 North Lynn Street in the base of Rosslyn’s new Central Place residential development.

“We are extremely excited to open our second DC-area location today,” says Andy Duddleston, Managing Partner of The Little Beet. “Rosslyn is a vibrant community with amazing energy, making it the perfect fit for The Little Beet.  We look forward to welcoming in area residents and business professionals alike to enjoy our healthy, seasonal menu for breakfast, lunch or dinner.”

Headquartered in New York City, with seven locations in total, The Little Beet opened its first DC outpost in November 2015 near Dupont Circle.

The vegetable-focused menu is 100% gluten free, mostly vegan, always fresh, and void of refined sugar.  The culinary team, led by Chef Gabe Kennedy, draws inspiration from global flavors and incorporates exciting, nutrient-dense ingredients into every tasty bite that benefit both body and mind.

At the new Rosslyn location, guests can select from an array of composed Chef Made Bowls with three base options including mixed greens, ancient grains or spirulina-flecked brown rice.  Guests can also get creative and choose the Make Your Own option featuring a selection of cool and warm vegetables (acorn squash, shaved Brussels sprouts, roasted kale, bok choy, etc.), high-quality proteins (beet falafel, grilled avocado, tofu, chicken, steak or salmon), house-made sauces (piquillo garlic, turmeric tahini, salsa verde, etc.), and flavorful garnishes (hibiscus pickled onions, turmeric toasted almonds or super seeds).

In addition to lunch and dinner offerings, breakfast is available Monday-Friday from 7am-10am.  The breakfast menu features an assortment of chef-made bowls, egg sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and beverages such as Almond Banana Cold Brew, Chaga Chai Tea, and more.

To add a unique creative touch to the new location, The Little Beet collaborated with Virginia-based artist Troy Summerell (aka, OnieTonie) for a custom, hand-painted mural.  With “fruits and veggies” as the theme, Troy’s bold, playful artwork is on grand display in the main dining area for guests to visually savor.

The Little Beet is committed to sustainability and eco-friendly practices.  Like its siblings, this new location features energy-efficient kitchen equipment and lighting throughout.  Plus, packaging is recyclable and biodegradable, and a composting program is utilized.

The Little Beet’s Rosslyn location is open Monday-Friday from 7am-9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from Noon-8pm.  Catering and delivery services are both offered.

Founded in 2014 in New York City, The Little Beet is owned-and-operated by NYC-based restaurant group Aurify Brands. With seven locations throughout Manhattan, Long Island, and Washington, DC, The Little Beet strives to serve real food deliciously.  The vegetable-forward, seasonal menu is 100% gluten free, mostly vegan, always fresh, and void of refined sugar. The culinary team, led by Chef Gabe Kennedy, draws inspiration from global flavors and incorporates exciting, nutrient-rich ingredients into every tasty bite that benefit both body and mind. All ingredients are carefully sourced from local farmers and food purveyors you can trust–good food never tasted so great!

With Spectrum Theatre Closing, National Chamber Ensemble Prepares For New Season in New Venues

By Chris Teale
1/3

For the first time in its decade-long history, the National Chamber Ensemble will play concerts at venues other than Rosslyn’s Spectrum Theatre (1611 N. Kent Street), starting next month.

Arlington Cultural Affairs Division director Michelle Isabelle-Stark said the county’s lease on the theater expired in July, and they took “immediate steps” to help find new spaces in which the group can perform.

So instead of performing at the theater, which it has done since its founding in 2007, the NCE will perform its five 2017-2018 season concerts at the Gunston Arts Center (2700 S. Lang Street) and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd).

The ensemble performs chamber music — classical music composed for a small group of instruments in a more intimate setting.

NCE’s season of concerts begins on Saturday, October 14 at Gunston Arts Center with a program called, “Night in the Garden of Spain” featuring a celebration of Spanish classical music and dance.

For NCE leaders, finding space similar to the Spectrum proved challenging.

“It was hard to find a space comparable to the Spectrum, because the Spectrum is a perfect size for chamber music,” said NCE artistic director Leo Sushansky. “Most of the other auditoriums in Arlington, they’re very large school auditoriums. So the Gunston Arts Center is probably the closest to the Spectrum in size, but it was only available for two concerts.”

The Spectrum Theatre is set to be torn down during the first phase of the Rosslyn Plaza Project along with two apartment buildings and four office buildings.

In its place would be 2.5 million square feet of space across five buildings, including 1.8 million square feet of office, 550 residential units, 200 hotel rooms and 45,000 square feet of retail space. And the space once occupied by Artisphere in the same building is set to be a co-working space, opening this fall.

But Sushansky said while having to play in new venues incurs extra costs from rentals, transporting instruments and the like, it will help them show off their talents to more people.

“I’m hoping it’ll bring us into different neighborhoods, bring attention to a different audience,” he said. “It will help bring about some interesting collaborations.”

But the closure of the Spectrum left Sushansky to bemoan the lack of dedicated performance spaces in Arlington outside of the county’s schools.

“The county has been very supportive all these years, and they continue to be so,” he said. “It’s just there’s a problem in Arlington with not enough performance spaces. There’s really no concert hall in Arlington. The Spectrum was the only one. Now that has gone and all that are left are school auditoriums.”

Isabelle-Stark said that such groups can be creative with their venue choices, as it gives them different environments to perform in and introduces their work to more people.

“As they say when one door closes another one opens,” she said. “[Alternative] venues for performance, such as churches, shopping malls, and airports, to name a few, provide opportunities for performers to stretch creatively and cultivate new audiences.”

Photo No. 1: courtesy photo. Photo No. 3 via Google Maps.

Construction Progressing on New Homewood Suites Hotel in Rosslyn

By Chris Teale
1/7

A new hotel replacing the former Colony House Furniture Store in Rosslyn is starting to take shape, several years after its approval by the Arlington County Board.

The Hilton Homewood Suites at 1700 Lee Highway will be eight stories high with 168 rooms. Below ground will be two levels of parking, containing 102 spaces. The Board approved the plan by developer B.F. Saul in 2013.

As of Tuesday, the hotel’s main structure appeared to be finished, with work continuing inside on the future guest rooms, parking garage, loading bay and front entrance area. The hotel is close to the Rosslyn Vue condo building, but the trees between the two properties act as a shield of sorts between them.

On a web page about the project, B.F. Saul said the hotel is “scheduled to open in the near future.” Representatives with the company did not respond to requests for additional comment.

B.F. Saul said guests can expect “a focus on comfort and functionality” in an extended-stay hotel designed to be “guests’ home away from home while in the DC region for business or pleasure.”

“Sustainability is at the forefront of its design, construction and operation,” the page reads. “The suites offer large work areas, well-appointed bathrooms, digital flat screen televisions, fully-equipped kitchens, and an upscale, yet warm, home-like décor. The hotel will feature 1,400 square feet of highly flexible meeting space, and a best-of-class, 1,100 square foot fitness facility with state of the art equipment. The hotel will also feature a pool, spa, trail bicycles, and an outdoor patio equipped with a gas fireplace and built-in grill.”

Crime Report: Woman Groped on Mt. Vernon Trail

By ARLnow.com

A man ran up to a jogger on the Mt. Vernon Trail and groped her, according to this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

The incident happened around lunchtime last Wednesday, on the trail near Rosslyn.

Police searched for the suspect but were unable to locate him.

More from the ACPD crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 2017-09130162, Mount Vernon Trail. At approximately 2:07 p.m. on September 13, police were dispatched to the intersection of Lynn Street at Lee Highway for the late report of a sexual battery. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 12:30 p.m. on September 13, a female victim was running on the Mount Vernon Trail when an unknown male suspect approached her from behind and inappropriately touched her. Once the victim called out for help, the suspect fled the area on foot. The suspect is described as a light-skinned Hispanic male, 30 – 40 years old, approximately 180 – 220 lbs with an average to medium build. The suspect is clean shaven with short black hair. He was wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt, tan khaki pants and brown sneakers at the time of the incident. Officers canvassed the area with negative results. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

(more…)

New Harvest Festival Highlights Rosslyn Fall Calendar

By Chris Teale

Central Place Plaza (1800 N. Lynn Street) in Rosslyn will host a harvest festival next month during Halloween weekend, the neighborhood’s first.

On Friday, October 27 from 4-10 p.m. and Saturday, October 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., more than 20 vendors will sell various crafts and gifts, while there will be live entertainment and activities including a pie eating contest, cornhole, a pumpkin toss, costumes contests for children and pets.

The event is part of a series of autumnal happenings in Rosslyn.

The neighborhood’s Business Improvement District is hosting Cinema & Pub in the Park at Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway) tonight — extending its summer film festival into September.

From 6-11 p.m. for the next three Fridays, beer, wine and sangria will be on offer, with food available from on-site food trucks. September 22 will be a family night, with activities beginning at 5 p.m.

The movie schedule is as follows:

  • September 15: “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”
  • September 22: “Lego Batman”
  • September 29: “Golden Eye”

On Tuesdays beginning September 19, Gateway Park will host Yoga in the Park, a yoga class for all experience levels from 6-7:30 p.m. The entire session of five classes costs $20 per person, and attendees should bring a yoga mat.

And on Thursday evenings from 6-8 p.m. starting September 21, Gateway Park will host Bonfire Concerts around its bonfire pit. Seasonal beers, ciders and wines will be available for purchase, with a different fashion truck on site each week as well as donuts from Mama’s Donut Bites and s’mores from Capital Candy Jar.

The following acts will perform:

Photos via Rosslyn BID.

DEVELOPING: The Track Is On Fire Outside of the Rosslyn Metro Station, Again

By ARLnow.com

For at least the second time this week, a large contingent of Arlington County Fire Department vehicles has descended on the Rosslyn Metro station for a report of a track fire.

Initial reports suggest there is an arcing insulator somewhere in the tunnel between the Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom stations — a seemingly persistent problem that has not been resolved by Metro’s extensive SafeTrack maintenance catch-up program.

Since a woman died on a Yellow Line train that filled with smoke near the L’enfant Metro station in 2015, ACFD sends the cavalry — a full “transportation incident” response — every time there is a report of smoke in a tunnel or fire on the tracks.

Shortly after arriving on scene, firefighters determined that there was no smoke in the Rosslyn station and that Metro’s emergency maintenance team would be taking the lead in resolving what was described as a minor track fire. Most fire department units are going back to their stations.

N. Moore Street is closed in front of the Metro station as a result of the emergency response. Metro riders should expect delays on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines.

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