The community is banding together to raise funds for victims of the Park Avenue fire that sent nine residents to the hospital.

The fire ripped through five units of the apartments on the 800 block of Park Avenue. As a result, 44 were displaced.  Two residents remain in critical condition as of Saturday.

So far, an online campaign has gathered nearly $15,000 to help families displaced by the incident. The campaign was jumpstarted by former Town of Herndon mayor Lisa Merkel and Megan Ferguson.

The fire was caused by a charging cable in the bedroom of an apartment, according to fire officials.

The Herndon Police Department had to halt accepting donations at the department’s lobby after an overwhelming amount of donations. 

“Amazing! No other word to describe this community and its generosity. We have run out of space here at HPD HQ,” the police department wrote in a statement.

Now, the police department is only accepting gift cards. VISA, MasterCard and AMEX gift cards are needed to cover rent, bills, and groceries. The department is also accepting Target and Walmart gift cards.

Smoke alarms in the building were not working at the time of the incident, according to fire officials.

At Weird Brothers Coffee in the Town of Herndon, Paul Olsen and his staff became a satellite location to accept donations.

“As of [Sunday], Weird Brothers Coffee have collected enough clothing, personal hygiene items, diapers, snacks, and small toys and games for kids and books to fill our truck and take over to the Police Station five times,” Olsen told Reston Now.

The local coffee shop — which prides itself in its local roots — also raised $1,000 from sales on Saturday to help victims impacted by the fire.

“We have been very touched and amazed at the outpouring and speed of the support for all of these families. It is so wonderful to see a community come together in a time of need,” Olsen said.

Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Before we head off into another weekend with COVID-19 abound, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.

1. Seven new businesses — including a distillery — are coming to Reston Town Center next year
2. Reston holiday parade returns to Reston Town Center
3. Here are Reston Now’s top stories for this week
4. New skyscrapers welcome Fannie Mae at Reston Next
5. Pet of the Week: Comical Coco, a friend of dogs and kids

If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.

Feel free to discuss these topics, your social distancing plans, or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.

A new beauty bar is coming to Lake Anne Plaza by the end of the year.

Owner Dina Almashat plans to open Beauty Bar by Dina within the next 10 days. The opening date is tentative to the completion of the final steps of the project, Almashat told Reston Now.

The salon will be located at 1613 Washington Plaza. Deli Italiano, a pizza chain, also plans to open up at the plaza within the next two months.

The beauty bar will offer hair services and custom spray tans.

“I have always been fascinated by beauty and fashion. Beautiful hair plays a big role in that aspect,” Almashat said.

She hopes that her services will help women feel better about themselves.

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Fairfax County Sees Record Tax Haul — Fairfax County saw a record tax haul in 2021. The assessed value of taxable property in the county rose by roughly $10 billion between fiscal years 2020 and 2021. [Washington Business Journal]

Booster Shots Encouraged — The Fairfax County Health Department is encouraging residents to get their booster shots, particularly as the Omicron variant emerges. [Fairfax County Government]

County Considers Big Pay Increases — The county is considering giving county and school staff big pay raises to make up for staff lost last year due to the pandemic. [Sun Gazette]

Tennis Courts to Close in Reston Next Week — Beginning Monday, tennis courts at Glade and North Hills will be closed for the season. The courts are expected to reopen in early April. Hard courts remain open year-round. [Reston Association]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

(Updated at 9:28 a.m.) Two residents have suffered life threatening injuries and seven others were taken to a local hospital after a fire broke out at garden apartments on Park Avenue in the Town of Herndon at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Eleven apartment units on the 800 block of Park Avenue are considered uninhabitable and 44 residents were displaced. 

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department described a dire scene at the site of the fire. A mother and three young children evacuated one unit by tying bedsheets together to make a makeshift rope.

Occupants jumped out of third story windows above the second floor unit where the fire initially started.

One rescue crew rescued three residents via a ladder. The four occupants in the apartment where the fire started self-evacuated safely.

The Herndon Police Department advised that a lengthy closure between Station and Grace streets was expected. The area opened up several hours after the incident.

The fire was caused by an electrical event involving a charger cable, according to the fire department.

Damages amount to $287,500. There were no working fire alarms in the building where the fire started.

Photo via Herndon Police Department

A proposal to invest $250,000 to beautify and clean up Lake Anne plaza appears to be picking up steam.

The Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association (LARCA) has signaled its support for the project, which has been proposed by the Gupta Family Foundation, a family that was personal friends of Reston’s founder, Bob Simon.

The project, called Lake Anne Rising, aims to revitalize the plaza by cleaning, restoring potted landscaping, replanting the seal wall along the dock, and adding a planter system.

The proposal also includes a pyramid park near the entrance of the plaza in order to save specimen trees and the pyramid sculpture. The foundation conditioned its funding on LARCA’s commitment of $45,000. Other partners include Reston Museum and Public Art Reston.

The association has budgeted no funding for landscape over the last two years as it grapples with other issues.

George Hadjikyriakou, who was recently elected as LARCA’s board president, stressed that the project is only a conceptual plan.

“We are still in communications with the Guptas and hope that we will at some point soon come to an agreement so that we can move forward to the next steps,” he told Reston Now.

The organization faces numerous organizational issues as the plaza faces $37 million in critical infrastructure repairs.

Reston Patch previously reported the project was stalled after the board would not be able to meet a Dec. 1 deadline to reach an agreement with the Gupta Foundation.

If an agreement is approved, the Guptas proposed the following funding structure, which it noted is strongly aspirational:

• Gupta Family Foundation – $25,000
• LARCA – $45,000
• Reston Community Center – $50,000
• Reston Association – $25,000
• Community fundraising — $105,000

An initial presentation stipulated completing the work by April.

Hadjikyriakou said he is hopeful that an agreement on the plan will be reached soon.

“I am confident that we will soon reach a common level of understanding of the parameters of such an effort and will agree on how to proceed.”

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

This week’s Pet of the Week is Sensational Sage, a Shiba Inu mix whose tail can never stop wagging.

Here’s what Safe Haven Puppy Rescue had to say about Sensational Sage:

Sage and his siblings Penny, Honey and Hickory are all friendly little pups whose tails never stop wagging. They’re just 9 weeks old and weigh 8 pounds or so. The online dog breed detector says Shiba Inu among other less likely breeds but these pups are clearly a delightful mix of many different breeds making them ALL AMERICAN mutt puppies!!! Any of these happy little pups will make their adopters terrific companions!!! Sage is up to date on her vaccinations and dewormings and carries an adoption fee of $389 which includes his microchip.

Are you and Sensational Sage the perfect match?

The 11.5-mile extension of the Silver Line into Loudoun County has cleared another major hurdle.

Contractors have finally completed the rail yard associated with the multibillion-dollar project, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

The announcement comes a little less than a month after most of the work on the phase two extension had been completed. The transportation project would bring the Silver line from Reston into Loudoun County with six new stations.

Metro has not yet announced when phase two trains will begin to run. But a tentative date of spring 2022 is under consideration. The transit agency will manage and operate the rail line.

MWAA is currently overseeing the construction of the delayed project, which will be handed off to Metro. The project has been marred by delays and construction-related issues.

The 90-acre rail yard and maintenance facility is located at Dulles International Airport.

John Potter, president and CEO of the MWAA, said that substantial completion of the rail yard is a “critical” step to complete the extension project.

“We are now one step closer to making that happen,” Potter wrote in a statement.

The rail yard contains facilities that enable trains to complete maintenance and pairs, along with providing storage for trains, spare parts, and maintenance. The facility can store 184 rail cars.

Phase two was first scheduled to finish off in 2019. Contractor issues, flawed materials, defective panels, bad concrete, and other issues have resulted in years of delays.

Photo via MWAA

Park Authority Snags Honors — The Fairfax County Park Authority won three GIS excellence awards during the county’s annual Geographic Information System Day contest. The park authority was one of 19 government agencies competing. [Fairfax County Government]

Local Holiday Celebrations Begin in Reston Town Center — The annual Reston Holiday Parade returned in late November to Reston Town Center. The Connection provides an update on the festivities, including comments from one of the emcees, Angie Goff, a news anchor at FOX 5. [The Connection]

County Hypothermia Program Now Open — The county’s hypothermia prevention program is open through March 31. Shelters are available for individual adults and adults with children at several locations across the county. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo by David Taube

(Updated. at 9:50 a.m.) The St. James has signed a lease at One Freedom Plaza for a 25,000-square-foot facility at 11951 Freedom Drive.

The company, the region’s largest athletic facility, plans to open a performance club in the spring that would offer athletic training, group fitness programming, and a special menu by Chef Spike Mendelsohn’s Vim & Victor concept. The news was first reported by Washington Business Journal.

“We are thrilled to bring The St. James experience to Reston Town Center,” said Craig Dixon, co-founder and CEO of The St. James. “Given the success of our Springfield flagship, we know our new Reston Performance Club will enhance our ability to serve the Washington metropolitan region in a new and exciting way.”

Here’s more from WBJ:

“In just over two years, The St. James has developed a community of high-performing athletes and active families that is unlike anything else in the country,” Kendrick Ashton, co-founder of The St. James, said in a statement. “Our new Performance Clubs are an extension of our vision to redefine the modern lifestyle by bringing physical performance, wellness and interactive family fun to the entire Washington region. We are excited to provide more people an opportunity to see what sets us apart.”

The company didn’t say whether additional satellite locations were in the works. Real estate developer Jair Lynch said earlier this year it had been in talks with the company for a similar location as a part of its plans for the redevelopment of Hill East’s Reservation 13. 

A tiered membership program is also planned. At the Reston facility, memberships will be start at $125, with a discounted rate of $75 through December.

The St. James has a central facility in Springfield, which features an Olympic-sized swimming pool, sports leagues and camps. That location is at 6805 Industrial Road. The facility offers programs for swimming, football, lacrosse, climbing, basketball, volleyball, hockey, ice skating, dance, gymnastic, and other sports.

The news comes as Boston Properties delivers the next phase of Reston Town Center, which is known as Reston Next. That project is 85 percent leased.

Photos via St. James

An overturned car has prompted the closure of both sides of Herndon Parkway between Spring Street and the Herndon Police Department.

Local police encourage residents to avoid the area and find an alternate route.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Both sides of Herndon Pkwy are closed between Spring St and Herndon PD (397 Herndon Pkwy) for an overturned vehicle. Please find an alternate route. Updates as available. #herndonpd pic.twitter.com/6pJNFkMxs4

— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) December 1, 2021

Commercial Buildings Win Awards — Projects in Fairfax County received 10 honors at the NAIOP Northern Virginia awards earlier this month. College Board in Reston received the award of excellence for tenant space of over 50,000 square feet and the expansion of Reston Town Center received the office award of excellence. [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]

Last Weeks for Leaf Collection in Town of Herndon — The last weeks for leaf collection are closing in for the Town of Herndon. North of the bike trail, the collection ends on Dec. 3, and south of the bike trail, collection ends on Dec. 10. Leaves must be bagged and will be collected only on trash days. [Town of Herndon]

Reston Students Earn Honors — Two Reston students received honors from their colleges. [Reston Patch]

Blood Drive in Reston This Friday — INOVA Blood Donor Services is holding a blood drive on Friday at 1700 Wainwright Drive from 1-5:30 p.m.  Appointments can be made online. [INOVA]

Photo via vantaghill/Flickr

Another pizza spot is coming to the Town of Herndon soon.

Deli Italiano, a pizza chain with several local locations, plans to open at 700 Elden Street.

Yasser Baslios says he plans to open up the Town of Herndon location in around two months. That’s around the same time he plans to open up a location at 1631 Washington Plaza in Reston.

Both timelines are dependent on permitting and construction — which have delayed the project in Reston.

The pizza spot would join Marigold International Foods, which opened in 2019, and Town Barber. The suite has been vacant since the development first opened.

Deli Italiano serves a variety of salads, sandwiches, pizzas, subs, pastas, and calzones. The menu is available online.

Image via Google Maps

Confederate Names Task Force to Meet — The task force, which was established by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, will meet today to recommend whether or not to rename Lee and Lee-Jackson highways. [Fairfax County Government]

Reston Association’s Holiday Fest Returns — Holiday Fest will return to Walker Nature Center on Sunday. Guests can enjoy live music, hot cocoa, and a gingerbread contest. [Reston Association]

Libraries to Offer COVID-19 Test Kits — Fairfax County Public Library branches will begin distributing free COVID-19 rapid antigen at-home test kits as part of pilot program that begins Dec. 3. Quantities are limited. Tests should be taken at home, not in a library branch. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo by Marjorie Copson