The Bed Bath & Beyond store at Pentagon Row is set to close by the end of the year.
USA Today reported Friday afternoon that the store is on a list of 63 Bed Bath & Beyond locations that will shutter by the end of 2020. The store first opened about 20 years ago, shortly after the opening of the shopping center itself.
The parent company is retrenching amid a difficult business climate for bricks-and-mortar retailers, the paper reported.
Those who mourned the closing of Finders Keepers in Westover (5906 Washington Blvd) should be happy to know a new consignment shop is coming to the same space, but with some significant new changes.
The store will serve both kids and adults. Offerings will include clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as toys, books, games, and other items.
“We’re going to have kids’ consignment as well as women’s consignment,” Scivolette said. “It’s basically two storefronts, with one whole side for kids and a kids’ play area.”
Inside, Scivolette said she has renovated the space.
“We pulled everything apart,” Scivolette said. “We just completed that, now we’re setting things into place.”
The exterior, which currently is mostly covered in plastic, is also getting spruced up. Scivolette said a new sign and a power wash are coming soon.
The new store is scheduled to open in September, possibly with a soft opening around Thursday, Sept. 10, or Friday, Sept. 11.
Though the exact details haven’t been nailed down yet, Scivolette said Blossom and Buds will implement COVID-19 safety measures. Early on, that will mean a big emphasis on selling items via Instagram, Facebook and other social media outlets. Scivolette said the store will offer contactless pickup if someone wants to buy something they spotted online.
While many locals opening new stores have had challenges, Scivolette says she’s found a silver lining.
“Opening now… it’s not ideal, but I feel like I’m not rushed,” Scivolette. “I can take the time to do what I want to do. The timing works out okay for us.”
DCA Noise Study Launched — “In a partnership that stretches across the Potomac River, Arlington and Montgomery counties have launched a joint study to mitigate aircraft noise from nearby Reagan National Airport. A team of technical experts representing the suburban Virginia and Maryland counties will study flight procedures, consult residents and propose to the Federal Aviation Administration ways to reduce noise pollution.” [WTOP]
Amazon Doubling Down on Offices — Amazon “is expanding its physical offices in six U.S. cities and adding thousands of corporate jobs in those areas, an indication the tech giant is making long-term plans around office work even as other companies embrace lasting remote employment. Amazon is preparing to add 3,500 corporate jobs across hubs in New York, Phoenix, San Diego, Denver, Detroit and Dallas.” [Wall Street Journal]
State Senators Support Redistricting Amendment — “The Arlington County Democratic Committee may have come out against the state constitutional amendment on redistricting that will be on Virginia’s Nov. 3 ballot. But the three members of Arlington’s state Senate delegation say they support it nonetheless. The amendment to create a redistricting commission represents ‘a big step forward,’ said Sen. Adam Ebbin. [InsideNova]
WWII Marker Replaced by Gun Violence Garden — “In 1952, a marker was unveiled in Arlington by the Gold Star Mothers of America… In June, a handsome new garden was dedicated in that space. It was created by the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia to honor Moms Demand Action, an organization dedicated to addressing gun violence.” [Washington Post]
Local BLM Protest Organizers Profiled — “In late May, as outrage over George Floyd’s killing in police custody roiled the nation, Anika and Yolande Kwinana decided they had to do something. Anika, 49, a program manager in the Kennedy Center’s education division, and Yolande, 28, a business development associate for Salesforce… decided to organize a smaller demonstration themselves, in Arlington.” [Arlington Magazine]
Local Beer Store Pivots to Delivery — “Les Shaver tells the story of The Brew Shop, a specialty wine and beer store in Arlington, Va., that has been exceptionally resilient despite the impact of Covid-19. In the article, How One Small Beer Shop Tapped Into Online Sales in Response to COVID-19, Shaver recounts how owners Julie Drews and Beth Helle have been able to stay ahead of the curve by quickly shifting their brick and mortar format to online and delivery services.” [Craft Brewing Business]
The new Ballston Target is now open at 740 N. Glebe Road, with a grand opening celebration planned this Sunday.
Don’t go in expecting the full department store experience, though. Target says the new location is a smaller-format store that will focus on offering essentials. The move is part of sizing Targets to fit in increasingly dense urban areas where a traditional store might not fit.
“This location will be Target’s 10th small-format location and 49th total store in the greater D.C. area, which altogether employ more than 8,500 team members,” the company said.
The Target is on the bottom floor of The Waycroft, a new mixed-use development that will also eventually be home to a new Silver Diner and more.
According to Target, the new store will include:
Apparel and accessories
Home decor
Health, beauty and personal care items
Groceries and fresh produce
An “adult beverage” assortment
A CVS pharmacy
The location will also offer a pick-up where customers can order items and pick them up at the store.
Target said in the press release that employees and guests, except for small children or those with medical conditions, will be required to wear masks.
The store will be open from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Arlington Smoke Shop owner Jowan Zuber on Fox News, Aug. 5, 2020
Arlington Smoke Shop in Green Valley (photo via Google)
The owner of the Arlington Smoke Shop in Green Valley says charges have been dropped against the alleged burglar shot by a store employee.
Jowan Zuber said this week on a GoFundMe page for the employee, Hamzeh Abushariah, that the “mastermind of the burglary” was “allowed to walk free” by prosecutors — while Abushariah remains under house arrest, facing serious charges in connection to the March 29 shooting.
Two other alleged burglars are still facing charges, after police say they broke into the store at 2428 Shirlington Road early in the morning and attempted to steal items. Abushariah was sleeping in a backroom of the store at the time, but woke up and grabbed the store’s gun. Zuber says the person who was shot is being “protected” by prosecutors.
“I can’t believe they’re protecting the criminal,” he said last night on Tucker Carlson Tonight, his second appearance on top-rated the Fox News opinion show. “I’m sure if the criminal broke into their house they would be doing 10 years in jail right now.”
Prosecutors, meanwhile, declined to confirm that charges were dropped against the suspect, who — like the other two — are juveniles.
“Based on the ethical rules which govern lawyers and prosecutors, we are very limited in what we can say about cases — and even more limited in what we can say about juvenile cases,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said Monday, in response to an ARLnow inquiry. “The only question I can answer is that the case of the adult (shooter) is still pending.”
ARLnow previously reported that the third suspect had not been charged and was still “in a medical facility” almost one month after the shooting. Zuber told the Daily Caller that he appeared in court in a wheelchair.
Despite the juvenile’s injuries, Zuber said last night that it was not fair for Abushariah to be facing charges and the alleged organizer of the crime to be free, suggesting without additional evidence that there might be a political motivation.
“This is so sad and so shocking, the justice system is not working in Arlington,” he said. “The prosecutor’s office is very upset that I came on your show and spoke the truth and now they’re looking at the whole thing a different way.”
Following a preliminary hearing on July 30, Abushariah’s case is now heading to Arlington Circuit Court. Zuber wants police to release the full surveillance video of the shooting, which he claims shows the now-free suspect “lunging” at Abushariah before the shooting. Prosecutors say the boy was shot “point blank” in the back.
“I hope that Arlington County will share the video exactly,” Zuber said.
Zuber noted that Abushariah is under house arrest and cannot work or take his kids to the park, but still has to pay more than $1,000 per month in child support and fees for his court-mandated GPS monitor. The GoFundMe for Abushariah has raised more than $10,000 since last night’s “Tucker” show, and now stands at $13,349 of a $100,000 goal.
Zuber said the handling of the burglary case sends a bad message to young people.
“Hey you can go rob and steal and the prosecutor will stand next to you and defend you,” he said. “This is sad for justice, this is injustice.”
Signs are up for a “store closing sale” at Lou Lou, a clothing boutique in Clarendon.
The store at 2839 Clarendon Blvd opened five years ago, selling fashionable clothes and a variety of accessories, like scarves, necklaces, purses and bracelets.
A store-wide sale is being held from now until Saturday, Aug. 15.
“Though we are sad to leave our clients in the Clarendon area, we are excited to offer them a great last two weeks of exclusive deals,” said company spokeswoman Michelle McNaughton, “and will continue to welcome them at our other
locations nearby in Fairfax, Alexandria, and D.C.”
Lou Lou is owned by Middleburg, Va.-based West Federal Retail, which operates 29 boutiques in the D.C. area and along the East Coast. More about the store from a press release:
Lou lou Boutiques is a local, family owned, retailer in business in the Northern Virginia area for over 15 years. Celebrating small business and local retailers is a passion of this woman’s fashion accessory brand. Through their Local Partnership program, lou lou features local artists and vendors in all store locations. Lou lou encourages their customers to continue to shop small and support our local neighborhoods. “It is truly the loyalty of our customers that make retail possible right now and we thank them for their continued to support.”
Death of WeLive? — “WeWork is exploring ending its push into communal living, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The New York-based office-sharing company is working with an adviser and holding talks about handing over operations of its WeLive location in Crystal City, near Washington D.C.” [Bloomberg]
No Fair This Summer? — “Whether the Arlington County Fair will be held as scheduled in August, and how it might change due to the impacts of COVID-19, remain an open question. ‘We continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and are committed to following the facts and recommendations provided by public-health officials,’ organizers of the fair said.” [InsideNova]
School Decision Expected by July 4 — “Arlington students, parents and teachers should know by the 4th of July what the county school system’s plan is for re-starting classes in the fall. In-person classroom instruction ‘is the goal we want to get to,’ new Superintendent Francisco Durán told School Board members on June 4, but he was not ready to commit to having students back in class when the school year begins Aug. 31.” [InsideNova]
Gyms CrossFit Weigh in on Founder’s Comments — Since the founder of CrossFit posted a controversial tweet, CrossFit gyms across the country — including in Arlington — have been posting statements to distance themselves from him. Greg Glassman has since resigned as the CEO of CrossFit. [Instagram, Instagram]
Local Nordstrom Stores Reopening Tomorrow — “Arlington residents hoping for a little retail therapy will soon have their desires granted, at least as far as one local clothing chain is concerned. The Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores in Pentagon City will reopen for customers on Thursday, according to a company release.” [Patch]
Axios Covering Fees for Protesting Employees — “Arlington County-based digital media company Axios distributed a companywide email stating that it would cover bail or medical bills for employees who have participated in recent protests associated with the police killing of George Floyd, The New York Times first reported Tuesday.” [Virginia Business]
Ballston Macy’s Property for Sale — “The Macy’s department store in Ballston is being offered for sale and possible redevelopment as the national retailer moves forward with plans to close underperforming locations across the country. Cushman & Wakefield recently began marketing the store at 685-701 N. Glebe Road to buyers on the company’s behalf.” [Washington Business Journal]
Arlington Firms in Fortune List — Five Arlington-based companies are in the latest Fortune 1000 list of the largest companies in the U.S., including: AES (#310), CACI International (#549), E*Trade Financial (#755), Graham Holdings (#795) and AvalonBay Communities (#912). Amazon, which is building its second headquarters in Arlington, is #2. [Fortune]
More Millions for Snag — “Snag Holdings Inc., the Arlington parent company of hourly jobs board Snag, has raised $8 million in new funding, according to a new Securities and Exchange Commission filing… The company had raised about $10 million in debt funding in February 2019 and has raised a total of about $141 million over its lifetime.” [Washington Business Journal]
Synetic Pivots to Plague Play — “Synetic Theater’s final production of the 2019-20 season will feature a work that may be more than 650 years old, but has a certain resonance in the modern day… Written in Italy in response to The Black Plague of 1347-51, ‘The Decameron’ is structured as a collection of 100 tales told by a group of young people sheltering in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the pandemic.” [InsideNova]
Pentagon Officer Back Home After COVID Battle — “Patrick Bright is one of the most grateful people in the D.C. region tonight. He’s home from the hospital after a grueling six weeks fighting COVID-19… Friday’s homecoming was enough to inspire a hearty greeting from a convoy of Pentagon police officers who welcomed Bright — one of their own — home.” [Fox 5]
Emergency Power Proclamation Modified — “County Board members this week are expected to adopt an updated proclamation of a community emergency.” The new proclamation removes “a provision that potentially would have shunted aside the county government’s Long Range Planning Committee and various review committees that consider the implications of new development.” [InsideNova]
Social Distancing Decline in Arlington? — “On April 20 in Arlington County, Va., nearly half of cellphones that SafeGraph provided data for were staying at home. Over the next couple days in that suburb of Washington, D.C., the number declined to one-third — as low as it was during the middle of March. It has since increased but is still down from its peak.” [NPR]
Masks Now Required at Costco — “Costco has announced new guidelines for its stores and is requiring all customers — age 3 and older — to wear masks before entering stores beginning Monday, May 4.” [MSN]
MU Launches Program for New Economy — “Marymount has launched ‘Upskilling for the What’s Next Economy,’ a unique and comprehensive range of modular graduate certificates and degree qualifications that will provide students with technical, management, entrepreneurial and leadership skills and get them back to work.” [Marymount University]
Most of Foundation’s COVID Funds Exhausted — “Sixty-five Arlington nonprofits have received a total of nearly $800,000 in emergency response support from the Arlington Community Foundation COVID-19 Prompt Response Fund. On Giving Tuesday Now and throughout the week of May 4, the Community Foundation hopes Arlington residents and businesses will help replenish the fund to meet continuing urgent, crisis-related needs.” [Press Release]
Progress on I-66 Sound Walls — “Glad to see @VaDOT making progress on the installation of new noise barrier walls along I-66E in Arlington and Falls Church.” [@HopeforVirginia/Twitter]
School Board Candidates Worry About Accessibility — “Arlington Public Schools needs to do a better job of designing facilities that provide improved accessibility, candidates for School Board say, and should go well beyond consideration of physical disabilities in its design process.” [InsideNova]
Sims Scores Second Sitting Senator’s Support — “U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Cory Booker have announced their official endorsements for Arlington Virginia School Board candidate Terron Sims II.” [Press Release]
Campbell Elementary Teacher Featured on TV — “An Arlington County teacher is coming up with creative ways to keep her students engaged during distance learning. News4’s Leon Harris introduces Nicole Croce.” [NBC 4]
Large crowd gathered at the Columbia Pike Plaza shopping center for a giveaway (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Large crowd gathered at the Columbia Pike Plaza shopping center for a giveaway (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Large crowd gathered at the Columbia Pike Plaza shopping center for a giveaway (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Large crowd gathered at the Columbia Pike Plaza shopping center for a giveaway (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Traffic jam on Columbia Pike caused by giveaway at a local market
Traffic jam on Columbia Pike caused by giveaway at a local market (via Google Maps)
Traffic jam on Columbia Pike caused by giveaway at a local market
(Updated at 5 p.m.) Arlington County Police are now on scene of a big traffic jam on Columbia Pike reportedly caused by a food giveaway.
Initial reports suggest that the Mega Market Express, at 5001 Columbia Pike in the Pike Plaza shopping center, is giving away hundreds of meals as part of a promotion announced on Facebook. Police were not informed of the giveaway in advance, according to scanner traffic.
A large crowd has gathered around the store and Columbia Pike is jammed with traffic in both directions. Streets approaching the Pike like S. Dinwiddie Street are also at a standstill.
“This is absolutely insane,” said ARLnow staff photographer Jay Westcott, after arriving on scene. “No one is practicing social distancing.”
Officers are working to spread out the crowd and get traffic moving again. As of 5 p.m., the store had closed and was beginning to hand out certificates to let people pick up their giveaway items at a later time, according to scanner traffic.
Arlington’s emergency alert system is encouraging people to avoid the area.
INCIDENT: Traffic Delays LOCATION: Columbia Pk at S Dinwiddie St IMPACT: Individuals are encouraged to avoid the area. Construction and an event have caused significant delays. Please avoid the area on foot or in a vehicle and maintain physical distancing pic.twitter.com/mLg7zZaouD
@ARLnowDOTcom I believe this is a food bank happening now near Arlington Mill. I suspect unanticipated demand. Did not see any police officers. pic.twitter.com/HxHNag4nVK
Owners of Olive Oil Boom pose with Arlington County Police officers
Olive oil, balsamic vinegar and gourmet gift store The Olive Oil Boom is closing for good.
The store at 2016 Wilson Blvd in Courthouse, which opened in 2015, plans to close soon, after a 15% off sale for both in-store customers and emailed pick-up orders.
“After five booming years, we made the hard decision to permanently close our doors (or as they say in Texas “capping” the oil well),” owners Judy and Lynn Westfall said in a message to customers Tuesday. “We have enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people during this time and have made so many friends, feeling part of the community — however, we must move on.”
While the coronavirus has hit local retail businesses and restaurants hard, the Westfalls said the decision to close was made before the outbreak, but the current situation reinforced it.
“We made the decision to close in December as we want to spend more time with our family,” they told ARLnow via email. “However, Arlington has been a difficult environment for a small business due to high costs. As events have unfolded, it would be increasingly difficult to obtain many of our products which are sourced overseas in countries like Italy and Spain.”
“We appreciate all the support we have received from other local retailers and restaurants and wish them the best during this difficult situation,” the owners added. “We have enjoyed every minute of having this beautiful store! We will miss being part of the community, seeing our friends (both dog and human alike), and supporting the local organizations (e.g., Arlington K-9 unit), but hope to still see some of them around and support in other ways.”
They added that the response to the announcement has been swift, with orders and well wishes gushing in.
“We are overwhelmed with just the two of us with emails, orders, well wishers, phone calls,” the Westfalls said. “It’s heart-warming but exhausting.”
The store was temporarily closed this morning due to the crush of orders they’ve received, said Judy. The last day in business will likely be in mid-May, ahead of the May 31 end of the store’s lease, though that depends on how much inventory remains.
“We can’t thank our customers enough, we’re getting really nice comments,” an exhausted Judy Westfall said in a brief phone call Wednesday morning. “It’s making me cry.”
Closing Our Doors Soon. Last Call!Thanks for the Memories.Dear Loyal Customers and Friends,After five booming…
