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Alamo Drafthouse Breaks Ground at One Loudoun

Chain of dinner theaters that bans cell phone use began work Tuesday on first facility in region.

A groundbreaking event at One Loudoun may seem old hat at this point — there have been several for various elements of the project — but Tuesday’s has to be among the most exciting. The developers — Miller & Smith and North America Sekisui House — have started construction on the first three buildings in the commercial area of the mixed-use development, one of which will house the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The Alamo commited to the site earlier this year. Alamo restricts talking and cell phone use during movies. It offers dining options along with multiple draft beers and a cocktail lounge. Get community news delivered into your inbox by subscribing to the Ashburn Patch Newsletter or the Leesburg Patch Newsletter. Alamo also offers …

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: Metro Creates Jobs, Eliminates Commutes

One reader supports Metro because of potential for jobs and heftier commercial tax base.

Letter to the Editor: The decision about Loudoun’s participation in Metrorail will set a land-use and economic trajectory for years to come. I urge the Loudoun Board of Supervisors to say “Yes” to Metro. This infrastructure decision will provide the basis for a 21st century workplace and a 21st century community. Dr. Stephen Fuller, Director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, recently noted: “The catalytic forces of Metro stations in Loudoun County are going to draw in from every direction.” I submit to you that this catalytic force is necessary because Loudoun lacks the ability, absent Metro, to improve road connectivity and to reduce congestion as the Northern Virginia region continues to grow. Loudoun should…

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BCan

1:18 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Oh Bob... looks like you will have to use the Metro when the Troll Road becomes too expensive for ya! LOL   more ›

Letter to the Editor

LTE: Bring Metro, So We Won't Have to Use It

Reader focuses on job opportunities rail stations in Loudoun could provide.

I have been watching the argument over the Phase II development of the Silver Line for a while now, and while all of the political name calling, buffoonery and otherwise playground bullying is to be expected, it's leaving out one important aspect - how the Rail will benefit people who aren't working for the government, or who aren't employed by the numerous government contractors in the area.  I am a consultant for several local and national businesses. I love my work. I am also a single mom with special needs kids who benefit greatly from the Loudoun Schools' dedication to serving their various quirks and disabilities. I was also, at one point, one of the stay-at-home-moms with a husband I never saw because of the commute to DC.  When it …

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Bob Bruhns

11:09 am on Monday, June 25, 2012

Your desire for a rail line should not blind your leaders to its bloated costs. Why should Loudoun County taxpayers pay a double price, plus financing, plus all of the hidden costs (road toll paydown, WMATA deferred maintenance, Rosslyn Tunnel expansion) that our leaders and our news media are covering up now, so you can have a nice ride to a job that is likely to go away soon?   more ›

MWAA CEO: No Deadline Extension for Loudoun

Three supervisors sought additional delay, possibly until December.

Trio Pushes Conditions, Delay on Metro

Western supervisors offered list of 21 terms for rail agreement.

Loudoun Supervisors Janet Clarke, Ken Reid and Geary Higgins offered a list of 21 terms they believe should be integrated with the county’s decision to participate in the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. They offered their list toward the end of a work session Monday on potential ways to finance the project. The Loudoun Board of Supervisors now has a July 4 deadline to make a decision. A lack of action by that date would commit the county to the project. Some of the conditions proposed by Clarke (R-Blue Ridge), who is the board’s vice chairman, Reid (R-Leesburg) and Higgins (R-Catoctin) include items that are in progress or require action by another entity, such as giving Virginia two additional seats on the Metropolitan Washington …

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: Metro a Burden for Loudoun

One Sterling resident believes that the even with rail to Loudoun, stations in Fairfax will reap all the rewards.

To the Loudoun County Board Members, Well done to board Vice Chairman Janet Clarke, on her analysis and summary letter. Pushing Silver line just far enough into Loudoun to be able to tax us was a bad deal for Loudoun from the beginning. Surely it's clear that it's a worse deal now. We have every right to decline to participate after the original plan was discredited. Anyone who thinks that two-mile Loudoun tax district will see property value increases like those of, for example, Tyson's Corner is in the wrong line of work. Loudoun clearly can't absorb the tax load that, for example, the huge business base in Tyson's Corner can. Tysons and Reston developers will be the major beneficiaries of the Silver line. I'm very comfortable with them …

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Kent Clizbe

9:09 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012

How about another chapter? Let's title this one "Violent Shake-down in Metro-Reality World." Yeah, that's the ticket. Why can't we have more of this in Loudoun?: "My roommate has since notified the Metro authorities (at her home station of Silver Spring after no security was present at her destination station). She also notified a Montgomery County officer upon returning home, but has not …   more ›

Chamber Backs Metro Tax Districts

Loudoun’s business community lays out terms it would support to pay for Metro.

The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce has endorsed a proposal to create tax districts to pay for Metro’s proposed Silver Line extension to Ashburn. As the Loudoun Board of Supervisors prepares for a June 18 meeting to continue discussing financing options if the board does agree to participate in the project, opponents have stepped up the rhetoric, distributing fliers to communities around the county. If Loudoun participates in the project, a decision the board must make by July 4, the costs are estimated at about $270 million for the county’s share of construction, plus ongoing operation and maintenance costs. County finance staff estimates the project would cost the county between $11 million and $18 million annually in debt service …

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t_joseph

9:43 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012

thank you abroderick. i've run into people who write things like Bob and Joe all my life - their only impact on me is concern for them. can't you just feel their pain? I suspect that for them, this is not really all about a train and money. if they learned today that Metro was dead because of their posts and everyone congratulated them on making the difference, how long do you think they would be…   more ›

OpenBand Franchise Vote Pushed Back

Customers continue to complain about service issues, while company makes case to keep operating.

In the time since the past Loudoun Board of Supervisors rejected an agreement to renew OpenBand Communications’ franchise in the county, the company and its customers do not appear any closer to coming to terms. OpenBand serves a little more than 4,000 homes in Loudoun in several communities, including Lansdowne on the Potomac, Lansdowne Village Greens, Southern Walk at Broadlands and communities within Leisure World. A series of lawsuits has been filed by some of the communities against OpenBand, while OpenBand filed, but did not serve a suit on the county regarding last year’s franchise rejection. While several suits against OpenBand have been dismissed, at least one remains, while an appeal appears imminent for another. During all the …

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