<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->The Pike was swingin’ and swayin’ as the largest crowd ever turned out for the 13^th annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival on June 21. Great music, delicious foods, and hot and sunny weather combined to make it the perfect way to celebrate the first day of summer. Even the predicted thunderstorms knew better than to rain on the Pike area’s favorite street party. For fun photos of the Festival click here.
Festival goers enjoyed six hours of music by Danny Blew & the Blues Crew, Karl Stoll & the Dangerzone, Melanie Mason Band, Tom Principato, Memphis Gold, and Roomful of Blues (click here for musician photos).

Please help us thank the sponsoring organizations for helping to make the Blues Festival possible. These included Columbia Pike pet services company Dog Paws University; Yuengling Beer; the Washington Forrest Foundation; and Arlington Commuter Service’s PikeRide and Car Free Diet. For a full list of sponsorsclick here.

County Board Approves Arlington Mill Project

On June 24 the Arlington County Board approved plans for the long-awaited redevelopment of the Arlington Mill Community Center site on the Pike at S. Dinwiddie St. The Form Based Code compliant project includes a 5 story residential building and a 6 level mixed use building. It includes a 30,000 sq. ft. community center, a 9,000 sq. ft. gymnasium, a 14,500 sq. ft. public plaza, 3,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 192 residential units, and underground parking. In addition, a portion of S. Arlington Mill Dr. at the Pike will be converted to expand the public plaza and will have access for emergency vehicles only. A new portion of 9th St. S. will be built at the northern end of the project to provide access to the neighboring Park Glen condominiums as well as parking and loading for the new development. To see a rendering of the project as approved click here.

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.) Lost Dog Cafe intends to lease 2,400 square ft. on the ground floor of the new building on Columbia Pike. Since 1985 Lost Dog has developed a loyal following for their original restaurant in the Westover neighborhood in North Arlington. Previously, World Gym signed a letter of intent for 6,000 sq. ft. at the Halstead. Parties interested in other retail space at the Halstead may contact Julie Cyphers of KLNB at (703) 722-2707.

We’ve known for a long time about the great prices and tasty food that restaurants along Columbia Pike offer. Now, thousands of Washingtonian magazine readers do too! Three restaurants on the Pike have been placed on Washingtonian magazine’s list of “100 Best Bargain Restaurants.” Congratulations to Bangkok 54 (“the area’s chicest Thai eatery”), El Pike/Pike Pizza (“one of the area’s best places to experience Bolivian cooking”), and Thai Square (“the focus is cooking, which pumps new life into familiar dishes”) for being featured in the magazine! Be sure to visit these favorites soon: Bangkok 54- 2919 Columbia Pike; El Pike/Pike Pizza- 4111 Columbia Pike; and Thai Square- 3217 Columbia Pike.

A new Allstate insurance office has opened at 3045-A Columbia Pike (next to the Subway sandwich shop). The agent’s name is Tsiege Paulo. In addition, the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) is proud to announce that 6 new companies have joined their small business incubator located at 901 S. Highland St. These are:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·B-K Lass Protection Services- a subsidiary of B.K. Lass Enterprises, Inc. – Quality security and investigation services to MD/VA/Washington DC area.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->HealthSmart – Consulting services on health IT, Medicare reform, hospital payment reform, and a wide range of chronic disease prevention and promotion programs.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Boost, LLC – Pace tracking product for runners

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->TTISPRO, LLC – IT training and software development

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->ParkClean, LLC – Low pressure washing system that blasts anything clean in an environmentally safe way

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Bethel Driving School

For more information call Chona Bravante at (703) 685-0510. Please join us in welcoming all these new business people to the Pike!

The next breakfast gathering of the Columbia Pike Business Opportunity Network will occur on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 8:00-9:30 a.m. at the Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16^th St. S.). Speakers will include Ingrid Morroy, Arlington’s Commissioner of Revenue, who will talk about new systems and services that are now available for businesses. This is a great way to meet other entrepreneurs and promote your business. This event is FREE courtesy of our sponsor, SIGN*A*RAMA of King St., but space is limited so you must register to attend. E-mail pholcomb@columbiapike.org or call 703-892-2776 to reserve a spot.

Would you like to reduce your commute and enjoy a better workday environment in the Columbia Pike corridor? Consider moving your office or shop to this quickly revitalizing area. More than 18,000 sq. ft. (dividable) of office space is now available in the B.M. Smith building at 2300 S. 9^th St. Interested parties should contact Ken Matzkin of Buck & Associates at 703-528-2288 x18. In addition, two small offices of 630 and 830 sq. ft. or one of 1460 sq. ft. are now available on the second floor of 927 S. Walter Reed Dr. On the ground floor of the same building, the storefront at 2803 Columbia Pike is available for lease. It offers 1100 sq. ft. of retail space plus a 500 sq. ft. basement. For either of these opportunities contact William J. Reap at (703) 892-4966. Also, 2350 sq. ft. of retail space is available in the Fillmore Shopping Center at 2609 Columbia Pike. Inquiries may go to Mr. Burka at 703-920-5477.

On Tuesday, June 17^th VDOT held a Design Public Hearing at Thomas Jefferson Middle School to present and discuss with the community the design for the Washington Boulevard (Route 27)/Columbia Pike (Route 244) interchange improvements and bridge replacement project. This project was originally presented at a public hearing in 1998 but due to funding constraints the project was placed on hold in 2002. A reduced-scope project was subsequently re-initiated and with input from the community (a “Bridge Working Group”) on both operational and aesthetic-related issues a new design was developed. Maintaining full access to and from S. Queen St. was a priority for the community and this was accomplished with the new design. The new bridge will also accommodate the planned Columbia Pike streetcar. VDOT is currently soliciting proposals from design-build firms and expects to award the contract in early 2009. Construction will take approximately 30 months and completion is slated for December 2013. The current estimated cost is $54.8 million.

You may have noticed a new median being constructed on Columbia Pike at S. Scott Street! This is a pedestrian refuge island in the center of the roadway and will include a pedestrian-activated traffic signal. Meanwhile, VDOT has approved the construction phase of the long-awaited streetscape improvements on the Pike between S. Garfield and Oakland Streets. Next steps include acquiring a VDOT permit, putting the project out to bid, awarding a contract, and construction work. Meanwhile, electrical service connections from the new underground electricfacilities to individualproperties are continuing. The connections of the Litman Law Office building and Oakland Apartments are being completed and construction will continue heading east on the Pike. All of the underground connections need to be completed before overhead wires and poles can begin to be removed.

The Alcova Heights Citizens Association Neighborhood Block Party is Sunday, July 13 from 4-7PM in the 800 block of S. Lincoln St. AHCA will provide burgers, hot dogs, and non-alcoholic drinks. There will be kids’ activities, music, horseshoes, and a volleyball game! The rain plan is a pot luck at St. John’s Baptist Church (1905 Columbia Pike) from 5-7PM. Neighbors are asked to bring a side dish or dessert.

Columbia Pike’s own Mark Rhea, co-founder and Artistic Director of The Keegan Theatre is directing the Tony Award winning 1965 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha, playing at Church Street Theater in Washington DC. Man of La Mancha tells the story of Don Quixote and his fellow prisoners as they await their hearings with the Spanish Inquisition. Don Quixote will be played by David Jourdan whose band has played multiple shows at the Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse. The show will be running from the July 10 to August 16. Tickets: $35 Call 703-892-0202 or visit www.keegantheatre.com for more information.

Looking for a fun night out with your family? Each Sunday from 5PM to 9PM the Old Arlington Grill will offer dinner and an ever changing selection of family friendly films on the Grill’s big screen. Parents can get out for a dinner while the kids are entertained in the restaurant at the same table. Adults can talk amongst themselves or enjoy the entertainment with their kids. Along with the movie the Grill also presents family menu specials. Old Arlington Grill is located next to the Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike).

The Commonwealth of Virginia has declared August 3-9 Farmers Market Week, and what better way to celebrate than to enjoy Columbia Pike’s own market, brought to you by CPRO. The Columbia Pike Farmers Market 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. Also, we are pleased to be partnering with the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) who now receives donations of unsold produce from our farmers each Sunday. For a full list of vendors who participate in our market click here.

Cut paper artwork by Cesar Antezanawill be on display in the Gallery at Arlington United Methodist Church, 716 South Glebe Road, from July 2 through August 10. Argentinean-born Antezana will present a bilingual (Spanish and English) gallery talk on Sunday, August 3, at 12:15. For more information email arts@arlingtonumc.com.

What a difference an extra pair of hands makes! CPRO’s staff is pleased to be joined this month by Libby Lyon who comes to us via Arlington Career Center’s PRIME Program. Libby is a Junior at Wakefield High School, and lives with her family in the Claremont Neighborhood of South Arlington. “I am so happy to be here. I am learning so much and feeling more connected to my Columbia Pike community,” Libby said, “and I’d highly recommend volunteering at CPRO!” Interested in following in Libby’s footsteps? Call CPRO at 703-892-2776, email Pam Holcomb at pholcomb@columbiapike.org, or stop by the office at 2611 Columbia Pike.

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

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