Life along the Orange Line is full of excitement, innovations and change. We don’t live in a stagnant place where all things remain the same. Our communities are vibrant and our residents, business and community leaders work together to help provide not only the basics of urban living, but also the attractive aesthetics that make this area of Arlington such a great place to be. This includes updating and renovating public spaces when the time is right. Almost a year ago I posted a blog about Ballston Common Mall, and how this major public space will be changing for the better. The project is moving forward, and set to begin next year, and completed in 2018. The latest news is that Ballston Common Mall will have a new name, Ballston Quarter.
As part of the latest International Council of Shopping Centers, which was recently held in Las Vegas, the owner of the Ballston Mall, Forest City, announced the new name, bringing the project a step closer to the work set to be done. The mall will go from a closed building to an open air market, which is better reflected in the new name. The open air plaza will run through the middle of shopping space. There is now a Ballston Quarter website which includes a new preview video showing the features to be implemented in the new design. The newly designed space even has a new slogan, “Life Uncommon”, a nice play on words, shifting thoughts from the enclosed Common Mall to a not-so-common open-air plaza.
Some of the features of Ballston Quarter will include not only the open-air plaza but there will be a sense of intimacy brought to the quarter with features such as a mews entrance along Wilson Blvd. A mews entrance is one designed to look as though you are walking into a small street where horse stables could be. It is an architecture style harkening back to a time before modern vehicles, and gives a closer sense of community. The entrance will open up into the plaza, expanding the space within. There will also be street-level shops and restaurants. Some dining places will have terrace or rooftops options as well. There will also be a tower of more than 380 apartments included in the new space. For those who already enjoy shopping at the mall, businesses such as CVS, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Macy’s, Noodles & Company, Panera Bread, Regal Cinema, Regis Hair Salon, Rock Bottom Brewery, Shiki Sushi and Sport & Health are all expected to remain open during construction. Most of the other shops and restaurants will be moving by the end of the year.
Ballston is just one of the great neighborhoods along the Orange Line, and the renovations coming to the Ballston Common Mall will make this urban village even better than before. If you are looking to buy or sell your home, myself, and the Orange Line Living team are ready to support you directly. We work with you to provide our unique and specialized services so you can turn your plans into reality. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us directly at 571-969-7653, or at [email protected].
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