2020: The year in review
What a year! The COVID-19 pandemic dominated our news coverage in 2020, but other things happened, too, including some redevelopment plans, a renewed focus on racial justice, and a critical election. Here are some of the highlights from the Annandale Blog: January Amazon to start construction soon on HQ2Amazon’s decision to build a new headquarters … Continued
D1 athletic training center to open in Pinecrest Plaza
D1 has leased this vacant space in Pinecrest Plaza. An athletic training studio called D1 is coming to a vacant storefront next to Lidl at Pinecrest Plaza. Franchise owner Tom Fukuda hopes to open in May or June. D1 offers athletic-based, personal and small group training for adults and scholastic sports training for kids and … Continued
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to our Annandale Blog readers. Be well. We’ll be back tomorrow with more news.
Fairfax Connector to replace Metrobus routes in Annandale
The 3A Metrobus on Annandale Road. [File photo] The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is proposing five new routes to replace Metrobus routes being eliminated. Three of the new routes serve the Annandale area. FCDOT is holding a virtual community meeting on the new routes and proposed service changes affecting other Fairfax Connector routes on … Continued
Inova to relocate Alexandria Hospital to Landmark Mall site
The new plan for Landmark Mall. The City of Alexandria, Inova Health System, and three development companies announced an initial agreement Dec. 22 to build a new hospital campus and mixed-used urban village on the site of the former Landmark Mall. Inova would invest $1 billion in the medical campus, which would be anchored by … Continued
Take a survey on your priorities for a new police chief
Fairfax County is seeking public input on the qualities and priorities for a new chief of police. Access the survey here. The current Fairfax County police chief, Edwin Roessler Jr., is retiring in February 2021. The brief survey asks such questions as “What do you consider the most important public safety issues in Fairfax County?” … Continued
Commonwealth’s attorney ends cash bail
Descano Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano is implementing several reforms – alternatives to pre-trial detention and the elimination of cash bail – with the goal of making the criminal justice system more equitable. Descano formalized his office’s commitment to not seek cash bail, a practice he initiated immediately after taking office in January. … Continued
Explore a Park: Ecological restoration and history at Fitzhugh Park in Annandale
This article is part of the Annandale Blog’s Explore a Park series. Previous parks in the series include Manassas Gap Park and Luria Park in Annandale and Lillian Carey Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. Fitzhugh Park is a 10-acre park in Annandale between the Bristow Village condominium, the Ravensworth-Bristow neighborhood, and the beltway. Features: Playground, basketball … Continued
All-girls team from Annandale High School wins Audi competition
The winning team from Annandale High School. A team of sophomores from Annandale High School won a $2,000 grant in the Audi-STEM for Her: Drive Like A Girl competition. Aisha Ismael, Katie Hutnan, Francesca Gabriel, and Tejh Hardin came up with a way to enhance the car-buying and ownership process for female customers while considering … Continued
Fairfax County Health Department to begin COVID vaccine rollout
The Fairfax County Health Department hopes to begin the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines this week or the week after. The FDA granted emergency approval of the Moderna vaccine Dec. 18, and the county expects to receive a shipment within the next few days, says Colin Brody, assistant public health emergency management coordinator in the Health … Continued
Recent crimes include robbery, assault, stolen cars
The Fairfax County Police Department reports the following crimes in the Mason District/Annandale area in the past week. There was a robbery and assault in the 7300 block of Parkwood Court at the Monticello Apartments in Falls Church. The victim was in the parking lot at about 8 p.m. on Dec. 11 when a man … Continued
Fairfax County school board adopts holistic admissions policy for Thomas Jefferson High School
The entrance to TJ is modeled after Monticello. [Keith Pham] The Fairfax County School Board has agreed to a new, holistic admissions policy for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, beginning with TJ’s class of 2025. “The board sought to develop an admissions policy that recognized historical inequities and addressed racial and socioeconomic … Continued
Free rides on Fairfax Connector and Metrobus end next month
A polycarbonate driver shield on a Fairfax Connector bus. Free bus rides on Metrobus and Fairfax Connector, in effect during the pandemic, are ending next month. Bus riders will start paying fares on Metrobuses on Sunday, Jan. 3, and on Fairfax Connector buses on Monday, Jan. 4. Rear-door boarding is also ending on those dates. … Continued
Pet grooming shop opens in Annandale
Bessie’s Pet Grooming opened Dec. 15 at 7139 Columbia Pike in Annandale. It’s in the building that formerly housed Heidi’s Nails. The interior of the building has been totally redone. Bessie’s offers a full range of dog bathing and grooming services. The owner, Mi Ok Cho (Bessie), plans to hire a cat groomer. A full-service … Continued
Park Authority puts out survey on pickleball
Pickleball [Fairfax County Park Authority] As pickleball is becoming increasingly popular, players are asking the Fairfax County Park Authority to provide more pickleball courts. In response, the Park Authority is carrying out a feasibility study and has put out a survey to gauge the public’s interest in the sport. The online survey will be open … Continued