Photos: So Long, Reston International Center Shops

by Karen Goff — December 16, 2015 at 1:00 pm 14 Comments

International Center retail strip turned to rubble

Demolition finally began on Tuesday the Reston International Center’s retail buildings.

The businesses there closed over the last 18 months to make way for JBG’s large, mixed-use extension of Reston Heights.

Wells Fargo Bank shut down in the summer of 2014, followed by Chili’s in December 2014. By August, the strip that housed Reston Kebob, a 7-Eleven and a dry cleaners closed too.

After months of pre-construction work and asbestos removal, the wrecking ball made quick work of the Reston Kabob strip, demolishing it in one day. Chili’s is still a work in progress.

The stand-alone Popeyes will remain throughout the redevelopment.

JBG’s Reston Heights Phase 2 will include a six-story residential building; a 15-story residential building; a five-story building that incorporates a parking garage with residences and retail space; and a 10-story building that mixes office space, parking and retail space.

One major tenant, 24-Hour Fitness, has been signed for Phase 2.

Kris

I want to know how the roads are going to handle all these new residents when you can barely get from north to south Reston currently.
- Silver_Surfer
  
  The Silver Line!
  - Why do you bother?
    
    HA!
- Mike M
  
  Very poorly, I think. But you may want to ask Supervisor Hudgins who just got re-elected unopposed.
  
  (It’s odd to see Chili’s smashed down.)
- Sidewinder
  
  Why would anyone want to go to South Reston? 🙂
  - Guest
    
    To get the hell out of North Reston or, worse, Reston Town Center!
TRS

That Chili’s was SO bad.
- Brad
  
  But Reston Kabob was SO good.
- MarkR307
  
  perhaps the restaurant wasn’t great, but surely that had nothing to do with the building.
MarkR307

Why on earth do they have to demolish perfectly good buildings?? There is plenty of space to build new buildings, there is no need to demolish existing ones. Those were quite nice buildings, good specimens of 70’s architecture – especially the restaurant and the bank.
- CE
  
  I hope that wings guy is ok. Typically we’d hear how Reston needs a 10 story Hooters by now.
  - Wings!!
    
    Reston needs a 10 story Hooters.
    
    #HootersForReston
- Steph von B
  
  Well it did say it was built with asbestos…so there’s that.
  - MarkR307
    
    Lots and lots of buildings were built with asbestos up until 1970’s. We’d have to demolish entire cities. Not a good reason.

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