"Thank you for the dinners, brunches, glasses of wine, celebrations, date nights, and all the other moments you chose to spend with us." Jill Erber, owner of Corso Italian, wrote that line to her customers in September, according to ARLnow. It closed a 15-year run at 4024 Campbell Avenue that started in 2011 as Cheesetique.
The timing matters. Corso closed in the same year The Village at Shirlington is rebuilding Campbell Avenue around wider sidewalks, bigger dining patios and new public seating. Federal Realty expects to finish the work in November. A Shirlington regular should expect a street that looks better and is also missing some familiar storefronts, with a few of the newcomers built for the new layout.
What the renovation is building, block by block
In March, Federal Realty laid out the scope in an announcement that ARLnow published. Here's the plan, sorted by where you'd see it:
- Campbell Avenue: wider sidewalks and outdoor dining patios, plus new signs, decorative lighting, furniture and landscaping.
- North Courtyard: new seating, public art and façade work. The fountain is moving here too. It's a Beaux Arts piece from about 1986 that has stood in the Campbell Avenue median, and it's being recommissioned with a new basin, built-in seating and new landscaping around it.
- Library Plaza and the breezeway next to Jenni's Ice Cream: more seating and public art.
- Under and around the street: better paths on the North and South Vias, stormwater controls and LED streetlights. Existing trees are protected.
Arlington Magazine reported that the plan reworks curbs, crosswalks and the median, narrows the curb between S. Randolph and S. Quincy streets, and makes it easier to walk in from the north and south parking garages.
Accounts of the start date differ. A 2025 proposal targeted a January 2, 2026 start if approved. Arlington Magazine reported that work started in January, and ARLnow described construction getting underway in early March. In April, ARLnow reported that the North Courtyard would be the last phase, running August through November. In August, a Federal Realty spokesperson told ARLnow the renovations would be complete "later this year." The courtyard work and the fountain move are still on the schedule as planned work, and no ribbon cutting has been announced.
Two storefronts closed during the construction year
Corso's closure is the one tied to the construction. It shut indefinitely after flooding on August 2 damaged its dining room and basement. ARLnow reported that Erber believes the outdoor construction contributed. She said the landlord then told her repairs couldn't be finished in time for a timely reopening, and the two sides agreed to end the lease. Cheesetique Del Ray, which she also owns, is honoring Corso gift cards. No new tenant has been announced for 4024 Campbell.
A few doors down, Chip City at 4014 Campbell Avenue had closed by late September. It closed at the same time as the company's Clarendon shop, according to ARLnow, which makes it a company decision covering more than Shirlington.
Businesses that stayed open still felt the work. Dogma Bakery told ARLnow in April that parking had been hard during the work. That same report covered the new pet relief areas going in as part of the streetscape.
The patio that came back first
Astro Beer Hall at 4001 Campbell Avenue gives a preview of the finished street. In September, ARLnow described its "newly reopened 100-seat patio." Astro used that patio for Oktoberfest, spread across five evenings from September 18 to October 3, with a different brewery each night: Paulaner, Samuel Adams, DC Brau, 3 Floyds and Port City.
Astro didn't hold one big weekend. It ran several small evenings on the reopened sidewalk, and wider patios on Campbell are meant to make that easier for more businesses.
The next arrival is planned around that patio
The Roasted Vine is the newest name on Campbell Avenue. It's going into 4150 Campbell, a different space from Corso's. ARLnow reported in June that its plans include a dog-friendly patio and community events.
In a September follow-up, ARLnow said the cafe had its construction permits approved. It gave Shirlington a first taste of its coffee at Celtic Fest, and co-owner Mackenzie Ryan was aiming to open around Christmas. The plan is an all-day cafe that roasts its own beans. The house roast is The Rooster, and the dark roast is Night Moves. The menu adds sandwiches, charcuterie, and evening drinks like espresso martinis and a smoked espresso Old Fashioned. Ryan and co-owner Jody Hessler organize the Shucktoberfest beer and oyster festival in Shirlington, so they already know this street. Until it opens, the cafe plans pop-ups at farmers markets and local events.
The Shirlington calendar from now through December
Most of what's on the calendar this fall sits around the construction rather than on the unfinished patios.
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Through Nov. 1 | Merrily We Roll Along | Signature Theatre, The MAX |
| Oct. 20 – Dec. 20 | All The World's A Stage | Signature Theatre, The ARK |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 2–4 p.m. | Halloween Trick or Treat Trail, free, all ages | The Village at Shirlington, 2700 S. Quincy St. |
| Sat., Oct. 31, 3–5 p.m. | Dogma's 17th annual doggie trick-or-treat | Dogma, 2772 S. Arlington Mill Dr. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | A Very Village Holiday | The Village at Shirlington |
| Dec. 8 – Feb. 21, 2027 | The Secret Garden | Signature Theatre, The MAX |
The Trick or Treat Trail is on Saturday, October 24. The ARLnow event listing says it includes candy, costumes, prizes and a map of participating businesses, so it doubles as a walk-by check on which storefronts are open this fall. A week later, the dog trick-or-treat at Dogma raises money for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, according to its ARLnow event listing.
The December holiday market falls right after the November finish date. It will likely be the first big Village event held on the finished street, though the time on its listing is unclear, so check with the organizer before you go. It also lands in the same weeks The Roasted Vine is aiming to open.
The parts of Shirlington the construction never touched
Signature Theatre is one anchor that doesn't depend on Campbell Avenue's patios. Its schedule above runs into February.
Shirlington Library at 4200 Campbell Avenue is another. It opens onto Library Plaza, one of the spots getting new seating and art. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, according to Arlington Public Library.
A short walk from the Village, Shirlington Dog Park at 2710 S. Oakland Street is open from sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The county notes that parking there is limited. If you use the Four Mile Run Trail, Arlington County's trails page lists sewer relining work along parts of it, expected to run through fall 2026.
For the Courthouse-to-Ballston version of this kind of calendar, see our Arlington summer map. Our Arlington neighborhood page has the wider picture.
If you own near Shirlington and you're wondering whether a new streetscape, new tenants and a working fountain in the North Courtyard change how buyers see your block, I'm glad to go through it with you, including on a weekend. Anthony C Ford is easy to reach. Contact Anthony Anytime.
