December 2007 CPRO e-Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arlington’s new “green” taxi company, EnviroCab, has chosen Columbia Pike for the location of its communications center. Interior improvements are currently being made at their new home, the storefront at 2617 Columbia Pike. The County Board recently granted approval to the company to field a fleet of 50 fuel efficient, low emission hybrids. The owners are area residents Hans Hess and Cord Thomas who said they chose the Pike because “South Arlington has been somewhat underserved for taxi service.” Besides, Thomas said, “this is an up-and-coming area, and we are an up-an-coming company.” For more information go to their website at www.envirotaxicab.com.

 

 

 

Spontaneous applause broke out at the conclusion of the November 15 SPRC meeting on the proposed redevelopment of the Arlington Mill Community Center site. “I don’t think I’ve heard that before,” said a smiling Inta Malis, who chairs the SPRC and the County’s Planning Commission. “The community is clearly pleased with how responsive the County and their private partner have been to the issues they raised,” she said. In the latest iteration the co-developers proposed to pull the northern edge of a 5-story residential building more than 30 feet back from the property line bordering the Park Glen Condominium community, and to build a new access road on that part of the parcel for use by both Park Glen and residents and users of the new development. They also propose to close the southern portion of Arlington Mill Dr. which will enable a new public plaza along the Pike to be stretched toward Four Mile Run Park. This project will include a new community center, some ground level retail, a mix of approximately 200 affordable and market rate rental apartments, and underground parking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With construction on the Halstead now reaching the third story and beyond, groundbreaking at Siena Park complete, and demolition upcoming for the new Penrose Square development, our ability to envision the future of the Town Center area continues to sharpen. On Wednesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. Master of Architecture candidates from Catholic University will present final concepts for redevelopment of another key piece of Town Center—the large parcels between Columbia Pike and 9^th St. South, from the public plaza at Penrose Square to S. Walter Reed Drive (the Fillmore Shopping Center and the parcels immediately to the north and west). The session, open to the public, will take place at the Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16^th Street South. This presentation represents the culmination of a semester long study of the site led by local architect and Associate Professor Temple Washington. In developing their ideas the students sought to apply the Form Based Code that guides Columbia Pike’s redevelopment.

 

Fresh from their rousing performance at the Wolf Trap annual Holiday Sing-A-Long on December 2, our very own Columbia Pike Community Chorus and Columbia Pike Musikids will present The World Sings…December! This concert celebration of December festivals with music from around the globe–Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Las Posadas–will be held on Sunday December 16^th, 2007 at 4:00 pm. The performance will be held at Trinity Church, 2217 Columbia Pike. The concert is FREE (donations welcome), child care is available, and a reception will follow the performance. For more information, contact Barbara Stefan, Music Director, at musicmin@tecarl.org or 703-920-7077.

 

 

Penrose was one of two winning neighborhoods in Arlington County for the Green Living Challenge, a ten-month contest with actions for residents to take to protect the environment and make Arlington a healthier, more sustainable community. The Green Living Challenge was launched in January and challenged Arlington residents to complete as many of sixteen different green lifestyle actions as they could before October 31, 2007. Penrose followed Ashton Heights in achieving the most points. Congratulations to all who participated and for making a difference!

 

 

How did home sales in zip code 22204 stack up in November 2007 verses October 2007? In short, single family home sales were up, while fewer town homes and condos were sold. In November there were a total of 29 properties sold, including 13 single family properties and 16 townhouses or condominiums. In the prior month 33 properties sold, 9 of which were single family homes and 24 were town homes or condominiums. (Data compiled from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS). With continued lower interest rates & the popularity of close-in living the market for properties in 22204 should continue to remain healthy in December 2007. If you are looking for additional information or to learn more about this region’s housing market & economy visit George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis at: http://www.cra-gmu.org/forecasts.htm. This updated provided by CPRO member Nick Kuhn of McEnearney Associates who can be reached at 703-717-6338 or NickKuhn@Realtor.com.

 

 

 

As always, the CPRO staff welcomes your input. Email your suggestions, questions, comments, and offers of assistance to jwhittaker@columbiapike.org or call 703-892-2776. Know someone who would like to receive the CPRO e-Newsletter? Please send us email addresses and we will add them to our distribution list. As always, for more information about what’s happening on the Pike go to www.columbiapike.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new Columbia Pike Business Opportunity Network will hold its second gathering at 8:00 a.m. on Dec. 5 at the Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16^th St. S. Attendees will hear a preview of future retail opportunities in buildings currently under construction along the Pike corridor, as well as learn about the status of other revitalization efforts. The group will also discuss ways to promote their businesses and the Pike as a whole. The event is FREE and all are welcome. Please register at www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com/bizlaunch/events, or call CPRO at 703-892-2776. The Columbia Pike Business Opportunity Network is a joint initiative 0f CPRO and Arlington Economic Development’s Bizlaunch, with support from partners such as the Arlington Chamber of Commerce; the Hispanic Committee of Northern Virginia; Arlington Small Business Development Center (SBDC); the Business Development Assistance Group (BDAG); the Ethiopian Community Development Council’s Enterprise Development Group (ECDC EDG); and the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Many thanks to our event sponsor, Security One Bank!!

 

 

 

Major Milestone at Siena Park Celebrated

 

 

Excitement was in the air on the morning of November 14 as a large group of stakeholders brandished shovels, spray painted gold for the occasion, and broke ground for the new Siena Park on Columbia Pike at S. Wayne St. in Arlington. Margaret Smith Ford of Woodfield Investments, the developer of the 6-story mixed-use project, welcomed county officials, neighborhood leaders, and the developer’s team for the long-awaited milestone. An important piece in the Pike’s revitalization, Siena Park will include more than 32,000 sq. ft. of new retail space, 14,500 sq. ft. of office space, 188 apartments, and more than 400 parking spaces on three underground levels. It replaces a long-vacant Safeway grocery store and a large surface parking lot. To see a rendering of Siena Park click on the following link:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liberty Tax, a leading international tax service recently opened its newest office at 5011 Columbia Pike in Columbia Pike Plaza . For more information call 571-970-5921.

The H&R Block tax preparation office at 2607 Columbia Pike has opened its doors for the season, through April 17. Following the tax season H&R Block uses that space as a training center for their tax professionals.


Ra Ink, a new tattoo and piecing parlor is open for business on the second floor of 3213 Columbia Pike. For more information go to www.rainkstudio.com



CPRO Board Looks to Improve and Expand Columbia Pike Farmers Market

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Arlington Career Center , located at 901 S. Walter Reed Dr. will become one of Virginia ’s first career and technical academies under a new state program, according to an announcement last Friday by Governor Tim Kaine. Under the initiative the Career Center will receive a $20,000 planning grant followed by a $100,000 award upon approval by the Board of Education and the State Council of Higher Education. The local center will focus on 5 main areas: automotive, digital media, information technology, emergency medical services, and engineering. Programs in Stafford, Newport News, Suffolk, Russell, and Halifax also won grants which are being funded by the National Governors Association, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Intel Corporation.

CPRO Launches Newly Designed Website

 

 

 

 

Columbia Pike 200^th Anniversary Planning Effort to Begin

Did you know that Columbia Pike will soon be 200 years old? Chartered by Congress in 1808 as the Columbia Turnpike Road and officially opened the following year, the Pike’s historical journey includes federal soldiers marching from Washington DC to battle sites in Virginia during the Civil War. As we look to the future of a revitalized Columbia Pike, commemoration of this important corridor’s rich and evolving history is in the early planning stages. Please email pholcomb@columbiapike.org with your ideas and suggestions for the Pike’s 200th Anniversary activities and events!

 

In another effort to provide information about transit options and the Streetcar Project, DelGiudice, CPRO Executive Director Jim Whittaker, and former Federal Transit Administration official Franz Gimmler addressed the Jan. 9 gathering of the Committee of 100 held at Marymount University . The presentation and question and answer session were videotaped and will be aired on Comcast Channel 69 and Verizon Channel 38 in the days and weeks ahead.

The proposal for a Columbia Pike Streetcar System came out of the extensive public planning efforts that produced the community’s vision for a revitalized Pike, the "Form Based Code" which prescribes the kinds of development that can occur here, and the Columbia Pike Street Space Planning Task Force Report. The specific plan for a 4.7 mile line that will run from Skyline to Pentagon City , operate in mixed traffic lanes, and be supplemented with buses during peak periods, was endorsed by the Arlington and Fairfax County Boards in April and May of 2006.



Follow the link below to access frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the Columbia Pike Streetcar Project.