Arlington Mill Community Center
Updated 2018: August 5,Neighborhood Center: Columbia Heights West renamed Arlington Mill
The Arlington Mill Community Center opened in Fall 2013. Its design has earned the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold. It is located between South Dinwiddie Street and Four Mile Run where they meet the Pike
Multipurpose Center
Arlington Mill is a multipurpose center and provides diverse multicultural and multi-generational programs and services. The building has five floors and there is indoor parking which is free for the first 4 hours more information on parking at Arlington County. It houses a Basket Ball Court, a fully equipped Gymnasium, Game Room, Computer Labs and a fully equipped kitchen. On the ground floor there is commercial space.
Multiple Activities, Classes & Services
Arlington Mill has sports, camps. and classes for families, senior, teens and children. It also provides training for job skills and assistance in job placement. There is an Employment Center, Early Head Start, Prenatal Classes and Child Development, Senior Programs and Meals, Camps, Community Outreach and REEP English as a second language.
Information
There are information desks on the first two floors with personnel to answer your questions along with lots of handouts and brochures explaining the center's activities along with other county information.
County links
Teens also includes information for other community centers55+ Guide.
Commercial Space
Updated September 16, 2018
Phoenix Bikes
In the past they have been a couple of coffee shops that were supposed to move into this space but there plans did not pan out. See History of this Space.
Plaza
The center has a small plaza which backs onto 4 Mile Run and also has steps leading to Columbia Pike.
In addition to a playground which is used by the pre-school programs (times are listed for when it can be used by the general public) and rental bikes the Plaza is also be used to accommodate festivals, movies, a farmers market and community events. Four Mile Run can be accessed via stairs which are located near to the indoor parking entrance.
From time to time I will add some of the activities that go on in the Plaza.
Updated October 16th 2017
The Jr. League organized the children's event Parachute which was held in the Plaza last Saturday
Updated
Last Tuesday, August 22 was the Our Shared Streets Pop-Up in the Plaza at Arlington Mill .
Across Dinwiddie
The Arlington Mill has its main doors on the ground floor facing the courtyard and on the second floor facing Dinwiddie Street. Across Dinwiddie is the Columbia Pike Plaza
Across the Pike
Across the road from the Center is a 7 Eleven at 4970 Columbia Pike and behind that is Jim's Automotive at 4961 South 10th St Jim's Auto backs up onto Four Mile Run There is also Infinity Apartments across from 7Eleven at 955 South Columbus Street. Dinwiddlie becomes South Columbus once it crosses the Pike.
History
Commerical Space
The commercial space is on the first floor facing the Pike. Initially the 'Pan American Bakery and Cafe' was supposed to open here, but the lease was terminated before they moved in ... ArlNow . In January 2015 the Arlington County Board approved a 10-year lease for the restaurant and gourmet coffee shop 'Root'. ArlNow reported in May 2015 that the lease for the Root Cafe was in the process of being terminated ...ArlNow . Since then the space has been use for a few county events and for the last few months (January 2017) is serving as a Pop-Up Gallery for the photography show Living Diversity which shows the diversity of the population living along Columbia Pike. This show has attracted many visitors to the Center.What Was There Before
Before the Arlington Mill Community Center was built on this lot there had been a temporary community center. The previous building was originally built to house a Safeway Food Store which was there for many years.
