A view of homes in Arlington County. Image by NCinDC used with permission.

Trial over Arlington’s Missing Middle reforms is underway

The future of Arlington’s Missing Middle zoning reforms is at stake in a trial underway this week. Attorneys arguing on the anti-Missing Middle plaintiffs’ behalf claim that the county failed to properly study the impacts of the changes and that public notice was inadequate. One expert notes that the trial is more likely to hinge on the latter procedural concerns, as it would be atypical for a court to void a legislative body’s decision just because the plantiffs disagree with its substance.  (Daniel Egitto / ARLNow)  

Maryland’s first Purple Line vehicle arrived this week

The first vehicle of the highly-anticipated Purple Line arrived in Maryland this week. Manufactured in Spain and assembled in Elmira, New York, the 142’-long vehicle will be electric-powered and have a standing capacity of 430. All 28 rail cars are expected to arrive by the end of 2025.  (Suzanne Pollak / Montgomery Community Media)  

One of DC’s first office-to-residential conversions, the Elle, officially opens

The 163-unit market-rate apartment building officially opened in the Golden Triangle neighborhood on Thursday. It’s the city’s first major office-to-housing conversion since the pandemic, and was completed without public funding. The developer noted that it was clear pre-pandemic that downtown was oversaturated with offices, and opted for a residential conversion after the building’s biggest commercial tenant, the Peace Corps, departed. (This article may be behind a paywall. This summary has been updated to reflect a correction in the Washington Post story.)  (Meagan Flynn / Post)  

Rent costs rise for transit-oriented two-bedroom units around the Washington region

A report from RentHop looked at the increasing cost of two-bedroom rentals located within a half-mile of Metro stations in the Washington region. Overall, median rents increased by 3.6 percent over the last year, with increases noted near 82 Metro stations. Rentals near Union Station and Congress Heights, however, bucked the trend, with decreases of 6.7 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively.  (DC UrbanTurf)  

Federal government awards Fairfax County funds for hybrid Connector buses

The Federal Transportation Administration has awarded Fairfax County nearly $51 million to fund 60 new hybrid Connector buses. It’s a step closer to the county’s goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2040. The county, however, still has a goal of replacing the Connector’s entire fleet with non-carbon-emitting buses by 2035, but lacks the infrastructure to to so. It had unsuccessfully sought additional federal funding for those infrastructure upgrades.  (James Jarvis / FFXNow)  

Commercial real estate struggles lead to “frozen” economic outlook

A CBRE/Business Journal index has sobering news for the local economy: the continuing rise in office vacancies and foreclosures, in tandem with increased interest rates and decreased demand for commercial space, is contributing to a stagnant economic outlook. However, experts say investors may soon begin to adjust to the “new normal.” (This article is behind a paywall.)  (Ben Peters / Business Journal)  

Howard County will have better transportation to Baltimore thanks to nearly $1 million grant

The US Department of Transportation’s Buses and Bus Facilities Grant Program has awarded Howard County $960,000 to enable better, more reliable transportation to and from Baltimore. The grant will fund two new heavy-duty transit buses, which will extend bus route 409 to from Howard County to Lansdowne Station in Baltimore County. (This article is behind a paywall.)  (Abby Zimmardi / Baltimore Banner)  

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