Ballston's 'Southern Gateway' Set for Transformation

Plan focuses on the transition area from Ballston proper to nearby residential areas, calls for more pedestrian-friendly blocks.

The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved a plan designed to remake the southern gateway to Ballston from an automobile-oriented area to one that's more pedestrian friendly. The idea is to focus on the transition from Ballston proper to the nearby residential neighborhoods. “This is an exciting plan, four years in the making, that will guide future development of Ballston for years to come,” Chairman Walter Tejada said in a statement. “We thank the community and the many stakeholders who contributed their time and creativity to help develop a long-range plan that will help transform Ballston into another great urban village.” The document the board approved Saturday is an addendum to the North Quincy Street Plan, which was adopted in…

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Phoenix Fitness Opens in Ballston

Phoenix Fitness opened earlier this month at 5130 Wilson Boulevard.

Phoenix Fitness, a studio owned by three personal trainers, has opened in Ballston. “We all had the same dream of owning a studio,” co-owner Stephen Kidd said. They had worked at larger gyms before deciding to branch out on their own just over a year ago. It took a while for them to find the right location, but they settled on the Federal Lock & Safe building at 5130 Wilson Boulevard. “We wanted to get away from the congestion of a big box gym,” Kidd said. At the moment, the studio is offering sessions with personal trainers. By February, they hope to offer boxing and other specialty classes. “We are more of a niche studio,” co-owner Sharney Wiringi said. “Studios like ours are popping up more. People want to get out of monthly memberships…

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Ballston Bar Crawl to Benefit Hurricane Sandy Relief

The bar crawl includes seven bars in Ballston on Saturday.

Drink for a good cause this weekend at a Ballston bar crawl benefiting those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. Seven Ballston bars are participating in the Saturday afternoon event, which begins at the Front Page and makes its way to Union Jack's, Rock Bottom Brewery, Bailey’s Pub & Grille, A-Town Bar and Grill, Carpool and First Down Sports Bar. Proceeds from the event go to Delaware Coast Aid, which, according to its website, is a group that helps raise money for restoring the coast. The organization works with the Delware-based nonprofit Center for Inland Bays  that promotes education, protection and recovery efforts. “It’s a great cause and a great way to unite all the restaurants in Ballston,” said Emily Garber, events and …

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Decision-Making Software Leads Company to Call Ballston Home

Decision Lens weighed access, amenities and other factors in Ballston against those in Clarendon, Rosslyn and other Arlington County locations.

A Ballston-based business that develops decision-making software turned its product on itself in recent years when looking for the best place to relocate — and ended up deciding on Ballston. Decision Lens' collaborative software virtually brings together people and information so that every stakeholder has a say in developing criteria for a decision and determining priorities, said John Saaty, the co-founder and chief executive officer of the company. "Everybody in the company can get involved and have a voice," he said. Saaty and his brother founded Decision Lens in Falls Church in 2005. The business moved to a small office in Ballston a couple years later. Soon, it had grown to about 50 employees and needed bigger space. The company …

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Moran Continues Fight to Keep NSF in Arlington

Congressman's office doesn't want Northern Virginia to compete with Maryland.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Moran has made it clear he wants the National Science Foundation to stay in Ballston — and his office is now working to make sure Northern Virginia remains competitive by keeping Maryland out of the picture. "You've got a brain trust that's been established in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. It hurts their synergy and is bad for Arlington and the region to split that up," Moran Chief of Staff Austin Durrer stated in an email. The NSF's two leases for its space in adjacent buildings in Ballston expire next year. The General Services Administration, which manages the agency's office space, has been accepting bids for potential sites from across Northern Virginia. The administration is under pressure to find cheaper …

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Opening Arguments Under Way in Ballston Hit-and-Run

A 22-year-old woman was hit by a car and severely injured on Dec. 30, 2010, in Ballston.

A Fairfax man is standing trial this week in connection with a hit-and-run collision that left one woman nearly dead.  Police say John Christopher Reynolds struck and nearly killed a 22-year-old woman in Ballston just after midnight on Dec. 30, 2010, in the 4200 block of Fairfax Drive. Reynolds was arrested in March 2011 and charged with a felony hit-and-run and DWI maiming, also a felony. He was 24 at the time of his arrest and resided in Fairfax. Opening arguments began in Arlington County Circuit Court on Monday. Up to 30 witnesses could be called in the jury trial, Commonwealth's Attorney Theo Stamos said. One piece of evidence that may be considered is a distraught 911 phone call placed by the victim's friend, Stamos said. If …

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House Hunt: Mar. 24-25

If you're in the market for some real estate this weekend - or if you're just browsing - make plans to stop by one of these open houses.

There are plenty of open houses on both sides of the Potomac to keep you busy this weekend. Happy Hunting! Washington, DC 3018 Porter St. NW. One bedroom, one bath, $299,555. Open Sun. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. 1750 S St, NW (Dupont). One bedroom, one bath, $479,000 with $188/month condo fee.  Open Sun 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Arlington, Va. 1020 N. Highland St., 22201. Two bedrooms, two baths, $579,000. Open Sun. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  1418 N. Rhodes St., 22209. Two bedrooms, three baths, $769,900. Open Sat. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Sun. 1 pm. to 4 p.m.   3179 Key Blvd., 22201. Three bedrooms, two baths, $1,135,000. Open Sun. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

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Clarendon Cycles

Spring Already? 2012 Bike Projects Already Underway

Signs of spring come as new bike share stations and bike racks are installed around Arlington.

The big Capital Bikeshare expansion down the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor announced last year was scheduled to begin in “the spring”. Well, it must be spring, as the new stations are already starting to appear. On top of that, almost 40 new bike racks were recently installed all over Arlington.  With good weather and a bit of luck, it seems the spring infrastructure push for bikes is well underway.  Over the past weekend, the Virginia Square Metro station saw the addition of a 19 space Capital Bikeshare station. The Central Library also received an 11 space station. These two stations represent the furthest westward expansion of the Capital Bikeshare system to date. New stations will be installed as bikes arrive from the manufacturer. The …

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Mark Blacknell

10:22 pm on Thursday, March 15, 2012

Thanks, Ben. And I'm very much in agreement - there's nothing incompatible with enjoying a bike and wanting better maintained streets. As to the Secret Cyclist Cabal, we keep getting together to plan our utter domination of Arlington, but then we get sidetracked by good beer and fun instead.   more ›

Clarendon Cycles

Capital Bikeshare Rolls into Courthouse and Clarendon

Residents outside of the Rosslyn end of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor finally see some new Capital Bikeshare stations.

Capital Bikeshare’s long-anticipated expansion down the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor finally got moving last week, with a new station near the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and Uhle Street in Courthouse. This marked the start of a small short-term expansion, which will be followed by a much bigger one in the spring and summer. Some Arlington Capital Bikeshare members have expressed frustration with the slow pace of the rollout in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. The originally anticipated expansion schedule has been slowed by procurement processing delays, some site challenges, and Capital Bikeshare’s expanded public outreach regarding station placement. Arlington hasn’t yet been able to benefit from the dense network that Washington enjoys…

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The Residence Inn by Marriott Ballston at Founders Square Breaks Ground

The 183-unit, all-suite tower is expected to open in 2013.

Various Arlington County and hospitality industry officials broke ground today on The Residence Inn by Marriott Ballston at Founders Square. The 150,000-square-foot building consists of an 11-story hotel plus 1,800 square feet of ground floor retail space. The 183-unit, all-suite tower will be LEED silver certified and is expected to open in early- to mid-2013. The facility will be the first extended-stay hotel in the Ballston community, according to a news release.

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