shopping

Lee Center Demolition to Begin Soon

By ARLnow.com

The historic Lee Shopping Center near Route 50 and Pershing Drive is not long for this world.

The complex is being torn down to make way for a new mixed use development, and the demolition work is expected to begin at some point within the next month.

Construction crews will first salvage the shopping center’s limestone facade, for re-use in the new development. Then, the demolition will begin.

Utility work is expected to begin after that, and the actual construction of the building should start by the end of the winter, according to owner Equity Residential. The first tenants in the new complex are expected to move in by the summer of 2012.

Neighbors, including residents in the adjacent Equity-owned Sheffield Court apartment complex, are being told to expect construction hours between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekdays.

Equity has promised to work with the contractor to make sure construction vehicles enter the site through Route 50 and not through neighborhood streets.

The 2201 North Pershing project, as it’s known, will consist of nearly 200 apartments and a block-long first floor retail space that will wrap around to Route 50 / Arlington Boulevard.

Equity says it hasn’t signed up any retail tenants yet, but that hasn’t stopped locals from not-so-quietly making their wish lists known.

“The underserved South of Courthouse, or SOCO, neighborhood, has high hopes for a coffee shop, ice cream store and a small upscale grocery as well as a much needed bank,” one Barton Street resident told us in an email.

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Details About the Proposed Virginia Bag Law

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s Del. Adam Ebbin says he plans on introducing a bill that would impose a $0.05 fee on paper and plastic shopping bags, much like the current fee in place in the District.

Ebbin introduced the bill to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2009 and 2010, each time unsuccessful. He’s hoping for a different result in the upcoming 2011 legislative session.

If enacted into law, the bag fee would protect the environment, Ebbin said. Locally, he added, it would help make waterways like Four Mile Run cleaner.

When polled earlier this week, 52 percent of ARLnow.com readers supported a bag fee or ban.

Here’s the legislative summary of Ebbin’s 2010 bill, the Virginia Waterways Clean Up and Consumer Choice Act.

Paper and plastic bag fee. Imposes a fee of $0.05 on paper and plastic bags used by purchasers to carry tangible personal property from the place of purchase. Durable, reusable plastic bags and bags used for ice cream, meat, fish, poultry, leftover restaurant food, newspapers, dry cleaning and prescription drugs are exempt from the fee. Retailers are allowed to retain $0.01 of the $0.05 fee or $0.02 if the retailer has a customer bag credit program. The revenues raised by the fee will be deposited in the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund. Failure to collect and remit the fee will result in fines of $250, $500, and $1,000 for the first, second, third and thereafter offenses.

Morning Poll: Plastic Bag Ban?

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Board is seeking the authority to ban or tax the distribution of single-use plastic bags at retailers in the county, according to the Sun Gazette — but it’s an uphill climb.

Since Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, Arlington must first ask the state legislature for permission to pursue policies not specifically allowed by state law. In past years, the state government has been reluctant to grant Arlington any new taxing power.

Arlington will make its unlikely bag request during the General Assembly session starting Jan. 12.

D.C. has already imposed a tax on disposable plastic bags in an effort to limit their use. Should Arlington follow the District’s example?


Clarendon Day Details Released

By ARLnow.com

“Dust off your brown flip flops and get ready for the 13th Annual Clarendon Day,” reads the official press release for Clarendon’s biggest block party (Remy would be proud).

The always-entertaining event, taking place from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, will feature “food, music, art, fitness classes, kids’ activities, health screenings and more.”

Among the more than 15 local restaurants that will be selling food at Clarendon Day are Whitlow’s, Hard Times Café, Rocklands BBQ, Screwtop Wine Bar, Northside Social, Bakeshop, Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall, and Kabob Bazaar.

To help work off the soon-to-be-consumed food, the day will start off with the Clarendon Day Run. The run will include a 10K, 5K and a Kid’s Dash. There will also be fitness classes, health screenings and free seated massages throughout the day.

The musical portion of the afternoon will be hosted by IOTA Club and Café. Bands on tap to perform include “tropical pop” group The Constituents, swing band King Teddy’s and rockabilly group Jumpin’ Jupiter.

Kids will have plenty to do, thanks to family-friendly performances at the Kinder Haus Kids’ Stage and the Kaiser Permanente Performance stage. Kids will also be able to take photos with a couple of mascots: the Washington Capitals’ Slapshot and DC United’s Talon.

Another Clarendon Day favorite is the shopping. More than 50 vendors will be selling their wares near the Clarendon Metro.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Fairlington’s Timeless Qualities — The Washington Post profiles Fairlington, which was recently battered by severe thunderstorms (though mention of the storms is conspicuously absent from the article). If it weren’t for the modern cars parked around the neighborhood, the Post says, one could easily mistake Fairlington for a scene out of the 1950s.

Boutiques to Check Out — Support local business and discover new places to shop. Connection Newspapers has a list of a number of great local boutiques around Arlington.

Planetarium Supporters to Fundraise at Fair — The Friends of the David M. Brown Planetarium have raised more than $15,000 so far, but remain far from their $402,800 goal. To help close the gap, they’re going to set up a booth at the Arlington County Fair. More from the Sun Gazette.

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

Deals for Deeds: Like Groupon With Charitable Giving Mixed In

By ARLnow.com

Group buying websites (Groupon, Living Social, etc.) are all the rage right now. For good reason: it’s a beautiful blend of economics and serendipity. Businesses get free promotion, drive sales and foot traffic, and pay no cash out of hand. The websites, in turn, pocket a healthy percentage of each sale as almost pure profit. And customers discover new businesses for cheap.

It’s such an attractive business segment that at least a dozen copy-cat sites have popped up in recent months. Some are blatant knock-offs. Others strive to find a niche.

For Arlington resident Harrison Miller, that niche is charitable giving.

Miller is launching his new website, Deals for Deeds, this coming Wednesday, April 28.

Not only will users be able to get half off or more from a variety of D.C.-area merchants, they’ll also be able to choose one of three charities to receive 5 percent of the sales price (but no, it’s not tax deductable).

Deals for Deeds will also act as a community bulletin board of sorts, publicizing dates for upcoming community events and such. A “shout-out for good causes,” as Miller puts it.

Miller and business partner Josh Hoffman have lined up deals with a number of local merchants. Among the Arlington-based businesses to be featured on the site are fitness instructor Body by Ginny, Rosslyn beauty salon Miracles in the City and Clarendon sunless tanning salon Fit To Be Tan.

At least initially, the charities that buyers may direct their donation to are the Washington Animal Rescue League, Food & Friends and Habitat for Humanity of Washington.

To celebrate its launch, Deals for Deeds is holding a party at ACKC (1529C 14th St. NW, in D.C.) on Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend and mingle with local business owners and representatives from the site’s non-profit beneficiaries.

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