Pike to Celebrate its 13^th Annual Blues Festival on Sat. June 21

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->The sounds of great music and the smells of delicious food will fill the air on the first official day of summer at the area’s favorite street party-- the Columbia Pike Blues Festival, Sat. June 21 from 1:00 to 8:00 pm. Several blocks of S. Walter Reed Dr. just north of the Pike will be blocked off to make room for this year’s expanded event. Thanks to our presenting sponsor Dog Paws University, our benefactors Yuengling Beer, PikeRide and the Car-Free Diet, the Washington Forrest Foundation, and others, admission is FREE. Community groups and dozens of colorful vendors will line the street, and the children’s activity area will feature a moon bounce, face painting and arts and crafts. A great variety of lunch, snack, and dinner choices will be yours from Big Daddy’s BBQ, Rincome Thai, to Bob & Edith’s Diner, plus Indian and Mediterranean cuisine, Italian ice, funnel cakes, ice cream and more. The music kicks off at 1:00 pm with Danny Blew & The Blues Crew, who will be followed by Karl Stoll & The Dangerzone. The Melanie Mason Band is next at 3:00 pm, and at 4:00 pm we will welcome Tom Principato to the stage. Next up will be Memphis Gold, and then at 6:30 pm our headliner Roomful of Blues (pictured above) will bring it on home. You won’t want to miss this signature event! For more information go to www.columbiapike.org.

County Board to Consider Arlington Mill Project
The Use Permit and amendments to the Master Transportation Plan for redevelopment of the Arlington Mill Community Center property will go before the County Board at their carry over meeting on Tuesday, June 24 at 6:00 pm. Plans for the Form Based Code compliant project were recently refined as part of a design review and value engineering, reducing the mixed-use building at 4975 Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie from 6 stories to 5, and the number of residential units from 203 to 192. The project also includes a 30,000 sq. ft. community center, a 9,000 sq. ft. gymnasium, a public plaza, 3,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and underground parking. The plans were approved by the Planning Commission on June 4 with some conditions including the need for additional work on trail connections and the location of transformers. For an image of this and other development projects on the Pike go to: http://www.columbiapike.org/UPDATE/93207.html

World Gym Signs Letter of Intent for Space at the Halstead
According to the website of KLNB, the broker handling the leasing of retail space at the Halstead (corner of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed Dr.) World Gym intends to lease 6,000 square ft. on the ground floor of the building facing 11^th St. S. As the only health club in the Pike’s Town Center area, this will be a welcome addition. Other companies that are in discussions with KLNB for space at the Halstead include a café, a salon, and a sandwich shop. Parties interested in retail space may contact Julie Cyphers of KLNB at (703) 722-2707.

Public Meetings to be Held Regarding Washington Boulevard Bridge Replacement, Four Mile Run Restoration Project, and the Penrose Town Square
Washington Boulevard Bridge Replacement--The public is invited to learn about the proposal to replace the Washington Boulevard Bridge and other related interchange modifications at a meeting to be held on Tuesday, June 17^th between 6:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M at the Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 125 South Old Glebe Road in Arlington. The presentation of the project will begin at 7:00 P.M. For more information go to www.virginiadot.org/projects/nova/27-244WorkingGroup.asp

Four Mile Run Public Restoration Project--Arlington County and the City of Alexandria have produced initial design guidelines that will guide the visual and physical character of future improvements in the Four Mile Run Corridor. The public is invited to an open house meeting on Wednesday, June 18 from 6:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m. at the Arlington County Park Operations Building, 2700 S. Taylor St. to learn about the exciting changes in store. For additional information, visit the project web site at www.novaregion.org/index.asp?NID-214.

The public can see the latest plans and get an update on the master planning process for Penrose Square at a community meeting to be held on June 10^th, 7:00 p.m. at the Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16^th St. S. This town square will be located at the intersection of Columbia Pike and South Barton Street (currently the surface parking lot of the Adams Square Shopping Center), in front of the Penrose Square mixed use development. Preliminary concepts for the new public space include paved activity and performance areas, an interactive water feature, public art, turf mounds, and shaded outdoor seating areas. The square will also be home to a new Super Stop station, which will support the current Pike Ride system as well as the streetcar planned for Columbia Pike. The Master Plan will be presented to the County Board for approval at their July 19, 2008 meeting. For more informationgo to: http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/ParksRecreation/scripts/planning/ParksRecreationScriptsPlanningInDesign.aspx

Columbia Pike Featured in New Book on Urban Planning
Columbia Pike is one of eight case studies profiled in Getting Density Right: Tools for Creating Vibrant Compact Development, a new book published by the Urban Land Institute. The book describes innovative revitalization tools used throughout the nation to better support compact development, including visioning, planning, and new regulations.

DCRealEstate.com Says “Destination” is the New Buzzword for Columbia Pike
A lengthy June 3 article on the DCRealEstate.com blogspot applauds Columbia Pike’s revitalization and highlights the Streetcar Project as well as the Columbia Village, Siena Park, and Penrose Square developments. To see the article go to http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2008/06/columbia-pike-streetcar-named-desire.html

Columbia Pike Condo Offers Green Roof Overview and Tour
On Saturday, June 21, 11am - 12:30 pm, come hear from The Palazzo Condo Association about how they were able to conserve energy, reduce stormwater runoff, and conserve energy by installing an 8,000 square foot green roof on the top of its building. Learn about their experience with this innovative green technique, what they had to do to get approval to implement it, and get a first hand look at it yourself. This free event is one of a series of Green It Workshops sponsored by Arlington County’s Fresh AIRE initiative. The Palazzo Condo is located at 5353 Columbia Pike. Meet at the building entrance, no reservations required. For more information, call 703-228-3160.

Pedestrian Bridge Upgrade Project to Begin
The pedestrian bridge across Rt. 50 that connects the Arlington Heights neighborhood to Ashton Heights and Lyon Park to the north is about to be renovated. In the next week or so the bridge will be closed and lane closures will begin to allow crews to perform the upgrades. The lane to be closed will alternate daily and closures are expected to last 5 weeks. The $500,000 project includes replacing the bridge’s metal decking and fencing, improving railings, installing new lighting, and roofing and painting the bridge. For more information contact Myllisa Kennedy at 703-3152.

Looking for Opportunities to Get Creative? Take part in the Labyrinth Journey with the Faith Renaissance Art Studio!
Artist Pauline Daniels is offering a four-session ceramic artworks class exploring the labyrinth. Students will work with clay and glazes, and have the opportunity to bring together art and spirit in a relaxed studio environment. No art experience is necessary! Classes will be held Saturdays July 12- August 2 from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. For more information email arts@arlingtonumc.com, and watch for updates at www.faithrenaissance.org.

Wakefield Teacher Lauded; Students Win Scholarships
In more good news for Wakefield High School, Felix Herrera who teaches English as a Second Language there received the Victoria D. de Sanchez Hispanic Teacher of the Year award at Marymount University’s Education Dinner in May. And, at an awards reception to be held yesterday the Arlington Community Foundation awarded $70,000 in scholarships to 30 Wakefield students past and present. The awards will help these young scholars begin or continue to pursue their college educations at institutions including the University of Virginia, William & Mary, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, Princeton, Catholic University, and Northern Virginia Community College.

Real Estate in 22204 Still Selling Well
Residential properties in the 22204 zip code area of Arlington County are selling! In total 158 properties were sold in the 1^st quarter of 2008. 65 single family homes went under contract in the first quarter 2008 with an average list price of $509,080 and sold price of $499,238, and were on the market for an average of 91.5 days. Meanwhile, 45 town home, duplex, row house (including condo town homes) properties were contracted for at an average list price of $367,156 with 89 days on market. And, 48 condos received contracts with an average list price of $238,620 and average days on market of 92. While the statistics for the first quarter of 2008 are off a bit from the same quarter in 2007, it is important to note that the area continues to be in demand. Statistics provided by Nick Kuhn, Associate Broker, McEnearney Associates, based on data from the MRIS. If you would like a market update tailored to your community, civic or condo association, contact Nick at 703-671-5225, NickKuhn@realtor.com or visit NickKuhn.com.

New Small Business Opens on the Pike
Ruth Beauty Studio, 1509 Columbia Pike, recently opened its doors for business. Business owner and Columbia Pike resident Ruth Ambaye spent 11 years as a make-up artist at Nordstrom’s before realizing her dream of owning a beauty salon. Call 703-685-0316 for an appointment. RuthBeauty Studio is located next to Dama Bakery where you can get both delicious Napolean pastries and traditional Ethiopian baked goods.

Forest Glen Invites Neighbors to its 50^th Anniversary Party
On Sunday, June 8 at 3:00, the smallest civic association in Arlington kicks off a big celebration of its 50^th anniversary. Located within walking distance of the Pike, Forest Glen invites all neighbors to share in the fun. Free entertainment will be provided by Madlantic and food and drink will be available. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. To get there, go to the Long Branch Nature Center, walk left (away from Carlin Springs) and make a right uphill…and follow the music! For more info, contact Julie_angelis@hotmail.com.

Community Chorus Concert to Benefit Black Heritage Museum
On Sunday, June 15^th at 4:00 p.m., come hear The Columbia Pike Community Chorus present Changed My Name, a cantata composed by Linda Twine that celebrates the lives of Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. The concert is free; voluntary donations will benefit the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington. The performance will be held at Trinity Church, 2217 Columbia Pike, Arlington. For more information, contact Barbara Stefan, Music Director at musicmin@tecarl.org or 703-920-7077.

Expanded Farmers Market Enjoying Strong Season
CPRO is proud to bring you the Columbia Pike Farmers Market which takes place each Sunday through November from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in Pike Park, at the corner of S. Walter Reed Dr. and Columbia Pike. Come out and see old friends, greet new vendors and take advantage of the fresh local produce, organic meats, baked goods, dairy, flowers, coffee, tea, and handmade chocolates, salsas, soaps and more.

CPRO Members Support the Pike’s Revitalization
CPRO receives an annual grant from Arlington County that makes up almost one-third of our budget. For the remainder we rely on the support of our members, as well as organizations and companies who sponsor our events. Please consider becoming a CPRO member today. To access a membership form please follow the link below. Thank You! http://www.columbiapike.org/membership/index_E.html

Contact Us
As always, the CPRO staff welcomes your input. Email your suggestions, questions, comments, and offers of assistance to Jim Whittaker at jwhittaker@columbiapike.org; Pam Holcomb at pholcomb@columbiapike.org; or Amy McWilliams at amcwilliams@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