The first of several trucker convoys headed to the DC area this week is expected to arrive today.
Protest organizer Bob Bolus of Scranton, PA, almost called his convoy off this morning when only a handful of trucks showed up at the starting point, but ultimately decided to proceed as scheduled around 10:30am, according to Kevin Lewis from ABC7.
Elys Game Technology, an interactive gaming and sports betting technology company, earlier this week announced an agreement for The Cloakroom (“Cloakroom”) to operate a sportsbook with located at 476 K St. NW, Washington DC, 20001. The Cloakroom is a gentleman’s club that is co-owned by Montgomery County native and resident Tony Cavasilios. “I’m bringing something to our region that has not been done anywhere. This will be the first Gentleman’s club in the country that will have a sports book inside of it.” said Cavasilios.
The partnership with Cloakroom would represent the Company’s second successful execution of its strategy to offer advanced betting technology through a white label sportsbook solution in restaurant and bar venues. Elys launched its small business strategy in October 2021 with the Grand Central Restaurant and Sportsbook (“Grand Central”) in the Adams Morgan area of Washington, DC. Since then, metrics sequentially for October, November, and December have shown significant growth period-over-period for both Elys and Grand Central.
Earlier today, Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent George Arlotto announced that he would be recommending to the Board of Education the lifting of the mask mandate in all AACPS buildings as part of his update on school system operations at tonight’s Board meeting.
The Board of Education voted tonight, 8-0, to remove the mask mandate in all public schools. Masks will now be optional in AACPS schools starting Friday, February 18th.
Back in November, we reported that the $48 million sale of River View (7979 E. Boulevard Drive in Alexandria, VA)– a 16,000 square foot home with an additional carriage home had set a new record for the most expensive home sale in DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) history. The home was bought buy Montgomery County native and owner of the Washington Commanders, Dan Snyder, according to a report by the Washington Business Journal.
The home belonged to the former CEO of Lockheed Martin, Robert Stevens, and was first listed a year ago (October 2020) for $60 million. At the time, listing agent Heather Corey of TTR Sotheby did not name the buyer, but did include that the buyer paid cash for the property (a term that means a loan was not taken out for the purchase).
Starting March 1st, DC’s indoor mask requirement will be lifted in indoor areas including, restaurants/bars, sports venues, gyms, and other areas listed in the image below.
On February 15, 2022, DC stopped requiring venues to verify that patrons are vaccinated. The indoor vaccine requirement went into effect in DC on January 15th, after being announced by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser in December. Businesses can still choose to keep the vaccination requirements in place.
The FRIENDS™ Experience is coming to Washington D.C. on March 17th. Friends is a sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. The show received critical acclaim throughout its run, becoming one of the most popular television shows of all-time, eventually becoming the #1 show in the county during its 8th season.
The FRIENDS™ Experience, began in New York at 130 E 23rd St (corner of 23rd St and Lexington Ave) and has a new location opening later this month in Phoenix with the DC location opening in March.
The Frederick County Board of Health announced that its indoor mask requirement is no longer in effect, earlier today.
The Board of Health cited case rate in Frederick County falling below 20 per 100,000 residents.
What started in 1998 with Chef Ramsay’s first-owned restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, the Gordon Ramsay brand has evolved into restaurants in three continents, six countries, and dozens of cities. The Michelin-starred Chef is now bringing his Hell’s Kitchen concept to The Wharf in nearby Washington, DC, according to a recent report by BizJournals. Per the report, “representatives for Gordon Ramsay North America recently submitted plans to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts for what would be a two-story Hell’s Kitchen at 652 Wharf St. SW.”
Most of Chef Ramsay’s North American presence has been in partnerships with Caesar’s Entertainment. His two existing Hell’s Kitchens locations can be found in Caeser’s at Las Vegas (2018) and Lake Tahoe (2020), ads well as a Hell’s Kitchen at Caeser’s in Dubai, with the upcoming DC location being the only non-casino affiliated Hell’s Kitchen restaurant.The high-energy restaurant and bar takes its cue directly from the primetime television hit seen worldwide by millions of viewers, which is slated to premier seasons 19 and 20 in the near future. The restaurant shines the spotlight on many of Hell’s Kitchen cast/chef recipes and dishes featured on the show, including many of Chef Ramsay’s signature dishes like the Pan Seared Scallops, Lobster Risotto, Beef Wellington, Crispy Skin Salmon and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
The Ballpark Loudoun has announced it will be opening next month, March 2022. The 22,000 sf entertainment venue first announced its flagship location back in April 2021, with many referring it to a baseball/softball version of the popular golf game venue, Topgolf.
The Ballpark Loudoun will be located at the new Lexington 7 building off of Route 7 at 20051 Riverside Commons Plaza, Suite 100 in Ashburn, VA and will provide training and entertainment for all skill levels. The facility is outfitted with 8 lanes, six of which feature both HitTrax & Pro-Batter technologies. It is also inviting for those looking for some BP or a fun competition with friends. Compete against your coworkers, friends or family in a full game, home run derby at your favorite stadium, or just step up to the plate and see how you fare in a pro stadium.
Governor Hogan tweeted today that he will be awarding a governor’s citation to Cpl. Annette Goodyear of the North East Police Department, the crossing guard that was struck by an oncoming vehicle last week. Goodyear risked her own safety by pushing a student out of harms way just a split second before being struck herself.
Hogan tweeted, “I will be awarding a governor’s citation to Annette Goodyear for her incredible heroism in putting herself at risk to save a young student from being hit by an oncoming car.”
PREIT, a real estate investment trust, announced that nearby Springfield Town Center has executed an agreement with Merlin Entertainments, the world’s second-largest visitor attractions operator, to launch the next generation of LEGO(R) Discovery Center in 2023. The 32,000 square foot indoor attraction has been co-created by Merlin & the LEGO Group and will be accessible on one level right off the main entrance to the property. Springfield Town Center is in Springfield, Virginia in Fairfax County, at the intersection of I-95, 395, 495, and Fairfax Parkway. There are currently 14 Legoland Discovery Centers in the United States and 13 overseas, with the closest being in Philadelphia.
“We are delighted to be opening an indoor LEGO attraction in Washington DC at Springfield Town Center. Our LEGO themed attractions have been a huge success across the globe, providing an opportunity for adults and children to spend fun and quality time together in an awesome LEGO world. We look forward to revealing more special details over the coming months ahead of welcoming our first visitors in 2023,” said Meike Lippert, Senior Divisional Director Midway Europe and Global New Openings, Merlin Entertainments. “This new attraction helps PREIT achieve its goal of creating high quality purposeful places that serve as one-stop destinations for customers at a key property in a growing market,” said Joseph F. Coradino, Chairman and CEO of PREIT. “Experiential tenants have proven to be great catalysts throughout our portfolio and we expect that, upon opening, our trade area will expand by a two hour drive time, driving traffic and sales.”