VDOT Announces 20-Mile Widening of Route 7 Done
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), and Fairfax County recently marked the completion of significant enhancements along seven miles of Route 7 (Leesburg Pike).
The Route 7 Corridor Improvements Project commenced in 2019 with the goal of improving safety, easing traffic congestion, and fostering greater mobility for all road users. Last month, the new eastbound and westbound lanes on about five miles of Route 7 between Riva Ridge Drive and Jarrett Valley Drive opened to traffic three months ahead of schedule.
One of the key achievements of this project is the expansion of Route 7 from four to six lanes between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive, covering a distance of approximately 20 miles.
Additionally, shared-use paths have been built on both sides of the entire seven-mile segment of Route 7, connecting Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive and establishing a direct link for cyclists and pedestrians between the Fairfax County Parkway Trail and Tysons, significantly improving accessibility. Plus, for users of the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail there’s a brand-new route under the rebuilt Difficult Run bridge, offering a safe way to cross Route 7, just in time for National Trails Day.
F.C. City Urges Applications For Non-Profit Funding
The City of Falls Church welcomes applications from eligible nonprofit organizations based within the City that support the arts, culture, theater, and history. The application deadline is June 28, 2024, and funds must be utilized before May 16, 2025.
Applications may be submitted for project grants or operations support grants. Applicants may request up to $5,000 in project grants with a total of up to $19,000 available provided by the City and up to an additional $4,500 matching funds provided by the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Operational grant funding cannot exceed 25 percent of the organization’s total operational expenses budget (maximum of $15,000); the amount is based on the actual expenses from the previous year. The application and details on eligibility can be found at fallschurchva.gov/AHGrants.
Previous grants supported the Tinner Hill Music Festival, helped to create an original play at Creative Cauldron, and funded scholarships for high school students interested in pursuing careers in the arts.
After an initial review by the Recreation and Parks Department to ensure eligibility, the application will be reviewed by the Arts and Humanities Grant Review Committee. The committee will submit a recommendation to the Recreation and Parks Department, which will then present the recommendation to the City Council for final approval in a public session of the Council.
1st of 3 Office to Residential Towers in Skyline Complete
According to a report in ArlNOW, the first of three towers in a major office-to-residential conversion project has opened in Skyline.
Three Collective, a trio of older, 16-story buildings converted to apartments on the 5000 block of Leesburg Pike, will ultimately lease 675 units with one-, two- and three bedroom configurations. Resident amenities include a large indoor dog park, a bowling alley, a VR gaming lounge and arcade, “social kitchens” and an indoor/outdoor amphitheater, a press release says.
“Three Collective has quickly become the gold standard for office-to-residential conversions,” said Wendi Stallings, principal of the interior design firm Private Label International. “Being part of the team that created such an impactful property was an honor. The strategic offering with the right amenity mix creates a permanent competitive edge. We hope more conversions can follow suit.”
The Fairfax County project is among a growing number of conversion projects in the D.C. area, as work-from-home trends drives office vacancies. While Arlington does not have any adaptive reuse projects in the works right now, county staff are currently studying ways to encourage them, with guidance from the Arlington County Board expected later this year.
Media Matters Laying Off Amid Legal Assaults
The Media Matters for America media watchdog organization has announced that it’s laying off at least a dozen staffers, according to Editor and Publisher news. Its president blamed a “legal assault on multiple fronts,” including a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s X and the legal actions by Republican state attorneys general that followed.
“This is the latest example of billionaires and pandering politicians abusing the legal system to retaliate against their critics and harm the public’s right to know. The result is that the American public loses access to information in a critical election year,” said Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Director of Advocacy Seth Stern.
“States that don’t have laws in place to combat strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs, should pass them. Those that do should strengthen them. And Congress needs to pass a strong anti-SLAPP bill at the federal level right away,” Stern added. “This isn’t a partisan issue. While this time it’s a right-leaning billionaire going after a left-leaning organization, the shoe could easily be on the other foot next time.”
Anti-SLAPP laws — which allow for lawsuits that retaliate against speech to be disposed of in their early stages and for defendants to recover attorney’s fees — have been useful in defending against other frivolous lawsuits driven by Musk. But filing the Media Matters lawsuit in a federal court in Texas allowed Musk to avoid an anti-SLAPP motion.
