Fill This Space: Reston’s Former Visitors Center

Karen Goff January 26, 2015 at 11:00am

It’s a 3,200-square-foot building in a lush lakeside setting. It’s the former Reston Visitors Center, and Reston Association is considering purchasing it for community use.

RA voted at its regular meeting on Thursday to send the idea to a community referendum, and ultimately RA members will decide whether to add the multi-million dollar building and the surrounding 2.5 acres to its holdings.

The building, which overlooks Lake Newport and is adjacent to Brown’s Chapel Park and Lake Newport Tennis, operated as Reston’s Visitors Center from 1982 to 2003. It currently is office space for commercial real estate firm Tetra Partners. It is currently undergoing an appraisal to determine the purchase price, RA board members said.

The property at 1145 Baron Cameron Ave. is currently designated in the Reston Master Plan as a convenience center (mix of commercial, office and limited retail). However, RA has recommended in the Master Plan Phase 2 draft that the convenience center designation be removed and the parcel be limited to office or community use.

So tell us in the comments — What do you see for the property? What uses could the existing building and surrounding area have for RA and the members?

Photo: Tetra building at 11450 Baron Cameron Ave./Tetra file photo