For the Record – Northern Virginia, June 2013

The Alexandria City Council has approved the Beauregard Small Area Plan, a redevelopment project that could take 30 years to implement and would build more than 6,000 housing units along Beauregard Street, WTOP reported. The new development, to be built over 25 to 30 years, would eliminate more than 2,500 affordable housing units and replace them with condo and rental units mixed in with retail buildings and parkland. (Washington Business Journal)

Fairfax-based George Mason University featured in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.” This year’s green colleges guide profiles 320 institutions of higher education in the United States and two in Canada that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. Nine other colleges in Virginia were also featured on the list. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

The Mach37 Cyber Accelerator in Herndon will seek private investment to fund new cyber-security companies in Virginia. Mach37 will host eight to 10 companies twice a year, guiding them through their development with the support of cybersecurity professionals and investors. Those companies will then have the opportunity to present their business plans to investors. New Enterprise Associates Inc. and the Northern Virginia Technology Council are among the initial backers. Mach37 is accepting applications this month. The first session will be in September. For more information visit www.mach37.com.  (Washington Business Journal)

Mobile communications company NII Holdings has agreed to sell its Peruvian operations for $400 million. The move comes as the Reston-based firm focuses on its resources in Mexico and Brazil. NII Holdings offers mobile communication services in Latin America and operations under the Nextel brand in Brazil, Mexico, Aregentina, Peru and Chile. NII will sell its Peruvian operations to Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones S.A., based in Chile. The sale is expected to take place in the second half of 2013. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Arlington-based Rosetta Stone has acquired Seattle-based Livemocha, an online language-learning company, for $8.5 million in cash. Rosetta Stone officials said that the move will aid its transition to cloud-based language learning solutions. Livemocha’s offices will remain based Seattle. Livemocha has 16 million members and an extensive cloud-based learning platform. Rosetta Stone offers interactive technology for courses in 30 languages.
(VirginiaBusiness.com)

USA TODAY Travel Media group announced Wednesday that it has bought travel site Tripology as the company looks to expand its travel offerings. Tripology.com is an interactive travel referral service that connects travelers with travel specialists. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. USA TODAY plans to offer Tripology’s referral services across Gannett media outlets. Earlier this year USA TODAY acquired 10Best.com, which offers reviews of attractions and restaurants at locations around the world. (VirginiaBusiness.com)