Fill This Space: Wells Fargo at International Center

by Karen Goff November 18, 2014 at 11:00 am 12 Comments

The Wells Fargo Branch at the International Center off of Sunrise Valley Drive closed its doors on Aug. 1, directing customers to the new branch at North Point Village Center. There is also a Wells Fargo Branch at Hunters Woods.

The building has been empty ever since. The space shares the parking lot with an eclectic mix — a 7-Eleven, Reston Kabob, Popeyes, the Reston International Center office building, and a little farther down, Chili’s.

The International Center area is expected to undergo major changes eventually. In 2013, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the plans for a large mixed-use development there.

The plans will enhance the Reston Heights area built in the last several years. That area includes the Westin Reston Heights, the Mercer Condominium and office buildings.

The next phase will include 145,000 square feet of above-grade retail, 100,00 square feet of below-grade retail, 428,225 square feet of office and more than 400 residential units.

The new phase will potentially have a new grocery and neighborhood retail space and will be a pedestrian friendly, urban-type streetscape with mid-rise residential above, says JBG Companies, the project developers.

Some of the highlights of the design proposal from Cunningham Quill Architects and Olin, a landscape architecture firm:

A design that “engages with the landscape,” particularly in its site across from open space at Reston National Golf Course.
Connection with the Wiehle Reston-East Metro Station via a bike/foot path. Reston Heights is about one mile from the Silver Line station.
Several six-story buildings and a retail plaza.
Public art screening elements on parking garage facades.
A retail plaza with restaurants, outdoor seating and a water feature and a mix of public spaces and private plazas for residents.
Entrances off of Sunrise Valley Drive, as well as Reston Parkway.

Amy

Bookstore?
- wildcatmack
  
  Bookstores are closing, not opening. I love bookstores, but from a business standpoint, time has passed them by.
  - Mike M
    
    I’ll bet Amy was joking. It has been a running joke here.
    
    This is part of a pattern that has been going on a long time in Reston. Town Center goes gang-busters. Outlying commercial space is going empty. Not sure why. Tax laws? Pressure by owners to redevelop? There is a story here.
    - John Farrell
      
      Retailers closing has one explanation: internet shopping
      
      Nationwide, brick & mortar stores are becoming showrooms where shoppers investigate products for later purchases on line.
      
      Thanks, Amazon.
      - Mike M
        
        Right. But why do landlords raise rents to the point where they can’t fill their units?
J.

As long as Reston Kabob doesn’t go away!
- John Farrell
  
  Sadly only the Popeyes will survive the redevelopment
  - MeganH
    
    Wish Chili’s could stay..nice little niche they have right now.
cosmo

I wonder if Starbucks would consider that space? There’s a standalone SunTrust Bank on the outer part of Fair Oaks Mall that closed a while back and Starbucks has just opened in there. I really don’t know what else would be suitable for the space other than another bank. There are already two convenience stores right there with the 7-Eleven and Circle K.
- Gavin
  
  Drive thru Starbucks!
Laura Calacci

Would probably be the perfect size for an info center/pre-sales office for the upcoming real estate development on the former golf course.
Chris

This story is quite amusing. The Wells Fargo employees we spoke with about this store closing said it was because of the impending redevelopment.

Why in the world would any other proprietor move into a space they were “eventually” going to have to abandon?

This is just one more example of the mind bogglingly poor, metro hysteria induced development planning.

Developers are circling like vultures to exploit the area in search of profits at the expense of the local community.

What infrastructure improvements are planned to support all this “eventual” redevelopment? Hopefully more than the laughably inadequate metro entrance on Wiehle….

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