New Ballston Pedestrian Bridge
Ballston says "goodbye" to the old pedestrian bridge and "hello" to a brand new one to be built in conjunction with the Ballston Quarter redevelopment. The bridge will span across Wilson Boulevard and connect Ballston Quarter to the Ballston Metrorail station on Fairfax Drive. Demolition of the existing pedestrian bridge will make way for a public plaza that is a tremendous community benefit of the Ballston Quarter redevelopment.
Last month, the Arlington County Board unanimously voted to approve key amendments and an encroachment agreement allowing design and construction documents for the new pedestrian  bridge to proceed. The collaborative development process included the design team from studioTECHNE|architects, a County Manager-appointed Technical Advisory Committee, the Forest City development team, County staff and the Arlington Public Art Committee. The approval process also provided a platform to engage neighborhood residents and incorporate their responses and comments into the overall design. The result of this creative process was a community-inspired bridge unique to the Ballston community.
Once the existing pedestrian bridge is removed, the mall façade that faces Wilson Boulevard will be transformed and the exist
ing entrance to the mall will be eliminated. A 3,386 sq. ft. public plaza will be created at street level on Wilson Boulevard with steps and seating areas leading into another 2,500 sq. ft. o
f sunken, public plaza space with outdoor restaurant seating and event space.
Forest City, developer of Ballston Quarter, will construct the new bridge with funding provided through the partnership between the County and Forest City. The reconstructed bridge will have public access easements that do not exist today, and it will be more functional and aesthetically pleasing than the current bridge.
Improvements in the new design include the following:
- Climate-controlled space with less slope that will improve safety and comfort of bridge crossing;
- Opportunities for sitting and viewing areas along the traverse of the bridge;
- Planters and sitting areas integrated into the bridge design at the sidewalk; and,
- An architecturally memorable design that blends function and artistic expression and creates an iconic civic presence in the heart of Ballston.
The existing bridge is expected to come down next month. The new bridge will open with the completion of the Ballston Quarter project in September 2018.
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Total Wine & More's newest location right here in Ballston opened its doors to the public last week! The Ballston store is their 143rd location in the United States and its first location in Arlington. The chain booze outlet is located at 800 N. Glebe Road right behind Mussel Bar and with close to 15,000 sq. ft. of space, they offer an unparalleled selection of fine wines and beers for you to enjoy. Customers will find low prices and receive excellent service from their expertly trained staff. The Ballston location includes a walk-in cigar humidor with controlled temperature and humidity, growler station where you can fill growlers with fresh American craft or imported beer, and free 1-hour pickup so you can order online and your order will be ready for pick up in one hour or less. There is also a small Education Center where you can sign up for fun and educational wine and beer classes and it is open to the public for community, business and social events. Stop by the store or visit their website to see this week's specials on wine & beer and enjoy daily tastings this Wednesday through Sunday.
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Minds
WellNest, although Clarendon-based, is looking to make a splash in Ballston. A clean one that is! This startup company, founded by local mind Phil Harper and his wife, makes arranging home cleaning a simple process while also providing quality and detailed service. WellNest Home Cleaning is a 100% digital eco-friendly health conscious cleaning service, that means that you can do everything online from booking an appointment, getting a price quote, scheduling, rescheduling, secure payment, everything's done online in an easy fashion from your phone or browser. Before the cleaner leaves the home, he or she uses a 60-point checklist to ensure that every detail on the list has been taken care of during the cleaning and they also leave a personalized note to reflect on the quality of service that the customer receives. WellNest uses an online booking platform that makes it easy to arrange a home cleaning. Go online today to book your first appointment and use the code: Promo code -- BALLSTON25 for $25 off a cleaning.
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Meet
The Ballston Farmers Market comes to a close for the season this Thursday and we will be going out with a BANG! The Ballston BID and Freshfarm will be hosting a final Mega-Market at Welburn Square from 3-7pm with Beer & Wine Garden, live music courtesy of Jumpin' Jupiter, pumpkin decorating, face painting and trick-or-treating for the kids. Arlington Arts Center will also be bringing themed activities for the kids to enjoy. Bring the whole family out to the final market of the season to celebrate fall and to get into the Halloween spirit! The Halloween Beer & Wine Garden, sponsored by Latitude Apartments, will provide some fall fun for the adults! Monroe Bay will have a selection of their wines and bottled cider for tastings and for sale. The Ballston BID will have DC Brau Penn Quarter Porter & Atlas Rowdy on tap with our volunteers from World of Beer manning the bar. In support of our non-profit partner, A-SPAN, we are hosting a "Bras for BOO-bies" drive to collect much needed bras for client's of A-SPAN's new Homeless Services Center. We will be collecting new and lightly used bras of all shapes and sizes at the Beer & Wine Garden from 3-7pm. For every bra you bring you will receive a complementary glass of beer or wine in the Halloween Beer & Wine Garden! If you cannot attend the Halloween Market, you can still support the drive by making a
donation
to BallstonGives and A-SPAN. Come out on Thursday to celebrate the end of a great market season and support one of our community's top non-profit organizations!
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