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When one food hall closes, another one opens.

OK, maybe that isn’t quite the saying, but that’s what’s happening in Rosslyn. Upside on Moore, a new food hall by Arlington native and restaurateur Nick Freshman, will soon take over the former Assembly food hall space at Rosslyn City Center.

“There are a lot of reasons why food halls make sense,” says Freshman, whose hospitality consultancy, Mothersauce Partners, also helped develop the concepts for Thompson Italian in Falls Church and a number of other restaurants and bars in the greater DMV. “They’re exceptionally good at placemaking. A food hall is like a smaller version of a stadium or museum in that it can really anchor a neighborhood and allow growth to radiate from it.”

Rosslyn, with its dense concentration of residential high-rises and office buildings, is an ideal spot for a food hall, he says, particularly one that’s adjacent to a metro station. Workers are slowly returning to the office, and the neighborhood is home to major businesses such as Nestle USA, Raytheon, Accenture and Deloitte. Soon it will welcome the global real estate giant CoStar Group.

“We’re just as focused on the residential, on the recreational as we are on the commercial,” Freshman adds. “Twelve thousand people live within a six-minute walk from Rosslyn. That’s extraordinary urban density.… They need something to do, they need somewhere fun to go, they need a cool place to hang out.… I think food halls are uniquely positioned to do that.”

He’s definitely riding a trend. There are about 340 food halls nationwide, up from 220 in 2019, and another 127 are under development, according to a recent report from real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield. Some of the restaurant concepts coming to Upside on Moore already have counters at D.C.’s popular Union Market.

But strategically, Upside on Moore will take a different tack from its predecessor. In addition to housing local chef-driven concepts like POTUS-approved Ghostburger, Upside will include some temporary food stalls—what Freshman calls “residencies”—with an ever-changing mix of international food vendors that rotate out every six months.

“Washington is a really global city, and we want to lean on that in our own small way,” he says. “We’ll be able to provide our customers with some variety. As much as people love food halls, they don’t want to see the same thing over and over again.” The first residencies will likely be filled this fall.

In the near term, Upside is aiming to open later this month with six homegrown anchor eateries, a bar and a coffee shop. A new outpost of D.C.-based Ghostburger will be slinging handhelds like the Barbie Girl, a burger topped with provolone cheese, pickled jalapeño, red onion, cabbage, chipotle mayo and arugula.

Also in the mix: a second Arlington location of Stellina Pizzeria, co-owned by pizzaiolos Antonio Matarazzo (an Arlington resident) and Matteo Venini, whose “neo-Neapolitan” pies include options such as the Piccante with house-made spicy sausage, and Cacio & Pepe with three cheeses and toasted black pepper.

Award-winning chef Tim Ma brings two concepts: A spin-off of Union Market’s Laoban Dumplings and a second Arlington location of Lucky Danger, the Chinese-American takeout he owns with fellow chef Andrew Chiou, serving fan favorites like duck fried rice and lo mein.

Rounding out the opening set are La Michoacana, a taqueria, and Kam and 46, a food truck-turned-stall-operator dishing out Hawaiian and Filipino fare.

For a caffeine fix, make a pitstop at Lightning Coffee, named after the Lightning Motor Oil Co. that used to sit in Rosslyn and fueled the neighborhood. Created by Mothersauce, the concept will serve brews from Central American countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

The Bar at Upside on Moore will offer wine, beer and specialty cocktails curated and created by Elli Benchimol, owner of Apéro, a French restaurant in Georgetown.

“This collection of vendors are people I am close to professionally and personally, which [gives me] confidence that they’re going to be successful operators,” Freshman says. “I think we landed on a mix that offers really compelling variety—really craveable cuisine and craveable brands.”

He believes the combination of small, local concepts and rotating international brands will be the “secret sauce” that makes Upside a winner.

“In building a food hall, you want to find vendors that play well with others,” Freshman says. “We’re sharing our space where we’re sort of competing but not competing. We have to work together.”

The décor of the revamped dining destination also reflects the local community. Mothersauce commissioned DMV artists Marc Pekala and Cory Bernat to design two large-scale murals depicting uniquely Arlington scenes. Fantastical Landscape of Rosslyn and D.C., a sweeping and stylized depiction of the landscape outside the food hall’s doors, is being painted by Andrea Limauro, whose work has appeared in D.C.’s Art Museum of the Americas and the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Vienna, Austria.

Artist Ashley Jaye Williams, who has created art for Google and the Willard InterContinental Hotel, is painting Three Sisters of the Potomac, a depiction of Three Sisters Islands—rocky land masses in the Potomac just west of the Key Bridge.

Each piece will have an accompanying QR code that brings you to a website where you can learn more about the art and artists.

The food hall space will seat about 300 diners indoors, plus another 200 outdoors. Event space on other floors of the 22-story building will allow for catering opportunities for up to 500 people.

Assembly closed its doors March 1, giving Mothersauce Partners just a few weeks to revamp the 30,000-square-foot interior and get an all-new lineup of food stalls up and running.

“Our first plan is limited sleep, extraordinary amounts of caffeine and hope that it all works out,” jokes Freshman. It will be a quick flip, “but the run-up has been months. We’ve actually been in here operating since November.”

Upside on Moore is located at 1700 N. Moore St., Arlington. Food vendors will be open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. The website (www.upsideonmoore.com) and Instagram (@upsideonmoore) will launch soon.

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A food hall in Rosslyn will soon undergo a major transformation.

Assembly, the food hall at Rosslyn City Center (1700 N. Moore Street), will be closing on Friday, March 1, a PR rep tells ARLnow. In its place will rise a new food hall called Upside on Moore.

All of the existing concepts at Assembly — from the Fog Point oyster bar to Charo’s Taqueria to Big Day Coffee — will close, we’re told. They are set to replaced by Ghostburger, Stellina Pizzeria, Laoban Dumplings, Lucky Danger, Kam and 46, La Michoacana and another coffee shop.

An opening of the revamped food hall is scheduled for Tuesday, March 19.

More from a media advisory:

Treat yourself to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ favorite burger for lunch or grab a Michelin-rated Margherita pizza before hopping on the metro. Meet a few friends for a happy hour of Chef Tim Ma’s famous dumplings or spring rolls and some nostalgic Filipino nachos or host your birthday on the terrace with all your favorite tacos.

The Bar at Upside on Moore will feature wines, beers, and specialty cocktails curated and created by Elli Benchimol of Georgetown darling Apéro. […]

The 30,000 square foot space is operated by DMV born and bred Mothersauce Partners, the hospitality group behind Thompson Italian, City-State Brewing Company, and other favorites in the DC area and beyond. The space features both indoor seating, an outdoor terrace, bar seating, and several conference rooms. The space is fully customizable for private events of all sizes and occasions. The space is fully customizable for private events of all sizes and occasions.

A website and Instagram account for Upside on Moore are expected to launch soon.

Mothersauce Partners was founded by local restaurant and nightlife vet Nick Freshman, who was also behind the recently closed Crystal City cafe The Freshman.

The Washington Business Journal reported in December that the owner of the Metro-adjacent Rosslyn City Center building had tapped Mothersauce Partners “to freshen up the design, branding and concept curation at the food hall.”

The change comes as the lunchtime and happy hour crowd in Rosslyn is expected to swell, with the arrival of another major corporate headquarters. CoStar Group is set to eventually have 650 employees working four-day-a-week in person, in the Central Place building across the street from the food hall.

Before the pandemic, it looked like Rosslyn would be home to three separate food halls. In addition to Assembly, which was opened in 2021 by Chicago-based DMK Restaurants, the neighborhood was slated to get Common Ground and Happy Endings Eatery, both in the Central Place development.

The former never opened and the latter has rebranded as The Happy Eatery, de-emphasizing the food hall concept.

Montreal-based Genetec, which provides business security solutions, is opening a new office and operations center in Rosslyn, Va.

The company signed a lease for 9,000 square feet at 1000 Wilson Boulevard, a 31-story office tower owned by Monday Properties.

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Built in 1985 by Westfield Realty, which rebranded to Monday Properties in 2002, the 522,000-square-foot building is part of a two-tower development, which also includes 1100 Wilson Boulevard.

Genetec will take part of the 25th floor, which offers views of the Washington, D.C., skyline.

“As a landlord, we are committed to working with the county and Rosslyn BID to continually evolve as a community where people want to work, live and play,” Jennifer Burns, executive vice president of asset management and operations for Monday Properties, told Commercial Observer. “Securing this end user is a testament to our ability to attract dynamic tenants that want flexible, hybrid spaces.”

Genetec will use the space as a functioning security operations center that it calls DCXC.

“We look forward to welcoming channel partners, technology partners, and end users to our flagship experience center in the U.S.,” Kyle Hurt, Genetec’s area vice president for the U.S. and Canada, said in a prepared statement. “Visitors can explore our solutions and collaborate with our on-site team to discover how Genetec best meets their security and operational goals.”

The space will also be used as a learning center for training, partner meeting spaces, and office space for Genetec’s U.S.-based team. The new center is expected to open in October.

“Rosslyn invests in the development and enhancement of critical infrastructure, such as modern office spaces, coworking facilities and connectivity to create an attractive environment for tech and innovation companies,” Burns said. “Not to mention, Rosslyn also offers vibrant public spaces, recreational areas and cultural attractions that contribute to a high quality of life for tech professionals and entrepreneurs.”

The company has similar centers in Montréal, Paris, London, Mexico City and Singapore. In 2022, Genetec increased its headcount by 17 percent, and its U.S. operations continue to grow, according to the company.

Earlier this year, Monday Properties delivered a new 12,000-square-foot conference center and lounge at 1000 Wilson. The property also features boardrooms, lounge space, a rooftop terrace and a catering kitchen, plus 55,000 square feet of on-site retail, including Sfoglina by Michelin-starred chef Fabio Trabocchi.

Genetec was represented by Jill Goubeaux of CBRE, while the landlord was represented by John Wharton of Monday Properties, as well as Yorke Allen, Lee Brinkman, Herb Mansinne and Robert VeShancey of JLL (JLL).

CoStar Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP) is expected to move its headquarters to Rosslyn, consolidating its presence in Virginia and dealing another blow to downtown D.C.

The real estate data giant, which has steadily grown its Virginia operations — most notably in Richmond — even while maintaining its official headquarters in the District, is near a deal to acquire the Central Place office tower in Arlington from JBG Smith Properties Inc. (NYSE: JBGS), according to sources familiar with those negotiations.

On Jan. 12, Virginia's State Corporation Commission accepted an application for a certificate of registration to amend the name of a CoStar entity formed in 2020 from CSGP Holdings LLC to CoStar Central Place HQ LLC. That document was signed by Scott Wheeler, CoStar's chief financial officer.

CoStar and Bethesda-based JBG Smith declined to comment.

The expected move represents another big economic development win for Virginia and another loss for D.C., on the heels of Monumental Sports & Entertainment's proposed relocation to Alexandria and Fannie Mae confirming it will cut its lease short at Midtown Center by five years — the mortgage giant has a major office in Reston and the option to relocate its headquarters there.

Representatives with Mayor Muriel Bowser's office and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development were not immediately available for comment.

CoStar, incentivized by a $6.1 million, 10-year tax abatement from the District, relocated its headquarters from Bethesda to D.C. in 2010. It bought 1331 L for $41.25 million that same year, then sold it barely a year later for $101 million, earning a $60 million profit. It has remained at 1331 L, which sold again for $87 million in 2019, under 15-year lease.

Over time, CoStar has moved to greatly expand its presence in the commonwealth, investing hundreds of millions of dollars into its Richmond-area research and operations campus — backed by Virginia incentives — and promising to deliver some 2,000 jobs. The company, which has grown largely through aggressive acquisition of the likes of Loopnet, Apartments.com, Homes.com and many others, has 5,600 employees and reported $2.18 billion in revenue in 2022, according to Washington Business Journal research.

The JBG Cos. broke ground on the 31-story Central Place residential tower at 1800 N. Lynn St. in April 2014, and the 31-story office tower, then known as the CEB Tower, at 1201 Wilson Blvd. five months later. The two combined delivered nearly 400 residences, 560,000 square feet office, 45,000 square feet of retail and restaurants and a large public plaza to a prime site directly across North Moore Street from the Rosslyn Metro station.

CEB was acquired by Gartner Inc. in 2017, just months before the Central Place office tower delivered. Cushman & Wakefield reported in July that Gartner's entire block of space at Central Place, 317,708 square feet, had hit the sublease market. Gartner had already reduced its office space in the building, having subleased 35,000 square feet across the tower's top two floors to meeting and event space provider Convene.

JBG Smith, meanwhile, has turned virtually all of its attention to the National Landing submarket, where it is the dominant developer and landowner, including for Amazon.com Inc.'s HQ2, the Virginia Tech innovation campus and Monumental Sports' proposed arena, headquarters and entertainment district. In November, JBG Smith sold Rosslyn Gateway, at 1901 and 1911 N. Fort Myer Drive, to Penzance for $52 million.

CoStar and JBG Smith both report fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 20.

The facade of the new 36-story Hilton in Rosslyn is nearing completion but it could be nearly two years before the hotel welcomes its first guests.

Meanwhile, the project’s residential counterpart, Rosslyn Towers, is close to being done, with new tenants expected to move in within a few months, the developer tells ARLnow.

“We are excited to open Rosslyn Towers at The Key this spring,” said Greg Raines, a spokesperson for Dittmar Company, the developer of The Key.

While there is no firm data yet, Raines said the plan is to start leasing the 500+ apartments in the Rosslyn Towers building, at 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive, by April 1.

Dittmar’s goal for the 331-room hotel is to hold a grand opening sometime in the last three months of 2025, says Raines.

“We are excited to deliver both properties as we believe both are best in class and are exciting additions to Rosslyn, Arlington, and the surrounding [D.C.] area,” he said.

In September 2019, the Arlington County Board approved plans redevelop the 18-story, 50-year-old Rosslyn Holiday Inn with a residential tower of up to 25 stories and a hotel with up to 38 stories, with 37,000-foot conference center and 14,000 square feet of retail. The former hotel came down in a well-documented controlled implosion.

In 2021, the Arlington County Board approved a site plan amendment to adjust the hotel’s square footage to accommodate more parking and conference space, and increase the number of residential units from 523 to 536.

Dittmar said it would provide a cash contribution of $215,000 to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund to offset the requested additional density, per a 2021 county report.

One year later, Hilton announced it had signed an agreement to run the high-rise hotel.

While the residential tower looks finished, construction crews were still putting final touches on the exterior of the hotel when ARLnow visited the site yesterday (Tuesday). Last month, the company submitted applications for elevator and fire inspection permits, according to county records.

Dittmar also plans to share details regarding a new “destination restaurant” below the residential tower in the coming weeks, says Raines.