Morning Notes for July 16, 2026. Published July 16, 2026 at 7:30AM Iraqi Visit Grounds DCA - New details have emerged about Tuesday's ground stop at Reagan National, when security for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's visit halted flights for hours. "Commercial flights were postponed from taking off or landing at the D.C.-area airport from 11 a.m. ET until around 3 p.m. Over 300 flights were delayed and at least 126 flights were canceled, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware." [CBS News, Dave Statter/X] JBG Smith Exits Rosslyn - JBG Smith is poised to sell Central Place Residences, a 31-story, 377-unit apartment tower atop the Rosslyn Metro station at 1800 N. Lynn Street, to Boston-based Berkshire Residential Investments for a price expected to top $200 million. The deal would mark the Bethesda-based developer's full exit from the Rosslyn market. [WBJ] Drifting at the Pentagon - "Someone had fun at 3:30 this morning at a Pentagon parking lot on Army Navy Drive," Dave Statter posted Wednesday, sharing video of the pre-dawn drifting. He wondered whether it was the same driver who used to do the same thing at the intersection with Eads Street before police caught him near the Pentagon. [Dave Statter/X] O'Connell Runners Defend Titles - The Bishop O'Connell boys cross-country team is gearing up to defend two 2025 championships this fall. Last year's squad first won the Virginia state Catholic crown, then captured the Division I state championship for the first time in 25 years. It has many key performers returning. [RunWashington] MWAA Taps Airport Advisers - The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority awarded a combined $50 million in contracts to HNTB, Accenture and EY to help oversee coming infrastructure projects at Reagan National and Dulles. The work is expected to include replacing Reagan National's aging Terminal 1 "banjo" concourse and a $22 billion overhaul at Dulles. [WBJ] Who Pays for Power Lines - Consumer advocates and Gov. Abigail Spanberger's (D) administration are pushing state regulators to make data centers pay for the high-voltage transmission lines that serve them, part of a Dominion Energy case over how power line costs hit customer bills. The State Corporation Commission has until Aug. 1 to decide. [Virginia Mercury] Heat Slows Amtrak Trains - Amtrak has added temperature-related speed restrictions across the Northeast, including the D.C. region, as extreme heat grips the area. Trains may run at reduced speeds and face delays between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. through Friday, and affected customers have already been notified. [Fox 5] Business Optimism Ticks Up - Optimism among N. Va. business leaders is improving, though some worry about taxes and the state's new paid family and medical leave program, according to a second-quarter survey from the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and PR firm Pinkston. About three-quarters are optimistic about their company's performance, up from 67% in the first quarter. [FFXnow] Youngkin Joins Venture Studio - Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is returning to dealmaking, joining venture studio Red Cell Partners as a partner, chairman and board member, he told Axios. Youngkin, who left as Carlyle co-CEO in 2020 to run for governor, said the role will take one to two days a week and reiterated he has no plans to run for president in 2028. [Axios] It's Thursday - Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 100 and heat index values as high as 104, along with areas of smoke between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Winds will be light from the northwest at 3-8 mph. Overnight, a slight chance of evening showers and thunderstorms gives way to a partly cloudy low around 77. [NWS] There's more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region. * ARLnow.com Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.

LEO Impact Capital buys Charlotte community for $21M. This is the first investment from the firm's new impact housing fund. LEO Impact Capital, JBG SMITH's workforce housing investment management platform, has acquired Sharon Crossing, a 144-unit, garden-style community in Charlotte, N.C., for $20.7 million. LEO partnered with the nonprofit Lotus Campaign for the acquisition. This is JBG Smith's first property outside the Washington, D.C. area, and is the inaugural purchase of the $150 million LEO Impact Housing Fund, intended to preserve long-term affordability for middle-income residents. The fund specializes in capitalizing workforce housing in neighborhoods that don't qualify for federal subsidies. The communities are geared towards renters with everyday jobs such as teachers, firefighters and nurses who are unable to purchase homes. The investment vehicle is still raising money for acquisitions in areas such as Raleigh, Atlanta and Nashville and Washington, D.C. According to Yardi Matrix data, the previous owner, Ginkgo Residential, purchased Sharon Crossing in 2018 for $14.6 million. Moving forward, Ginkgo will continue to provide on-site property management services. The property also has a $10.8 million CMBS loan from Prudential Financial set to mature in December, the same source shows. Originally constructed in 1984, Sharon Crossing includes 20 buildings with one- and two-bedroom layouts. Each apartment features full kitchens and walk-in closets, and select units have fireplaces and balconies. With the partnership between LEO Impact Capital and Lotus, 30 units will be reserved for Lotus clients through its Landlord Participation Program. Shared amenities at the property include a swimming pool, pickleball court, playground and dog park. Sharon Crossing is 97.9 percent occupied with an average rent of $1,292, Yardi Matrix shows. Located at 2123 El Verano Circle in Charlotte, N.C., the community is about 9 miles away from downtown Charlotte and 15 miles away from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. LEO Impact Capital growing investments. With the acquisition of Sharon Crossing, LEO now has 11 properties in its portfolio, spanning 3,200 units across Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Washington D.C. While this was the first purchase with the LEO Impact Housing Fund, the company made an equity investment at the 118-unit Haven Columbia Pike in Arlington, Va. back in August. The investment was made through Impact Pool, another workforce housing investment vehicle. JBG SMITH is also expanding in the D.C. area. In July, the company received approval for its third adaptive reuse project to transform two office buildings in the National Landing area into a mixed-use development that will include a 195-unit apartment building. The project will bring 195 units to market, and is expected to break ground by the end of the year.

Anyone who is thinking differently about real estate and construction is welcome at Blueprint. These speakers are just the tip of the innovators coming to connect with each other. It is an honor to gather these pioneers at the home of the built world this September!