Fairfax County is now taking developer ideas to redevelop the area known as Town Center North.
The county has issued a Request For Proposal (RFP), which will run through Aug. 20. The county says in the RFP it is seeking to develop a public-private partnership as it seeks to redevelop the first phase of the project.
Those two parcels are about seven acres of the 49-acre space, which is currently owned by Inova and the county. The area runs from New Dominion Parkway to Bowman Town Drive and Town Center Parkway to Fountain Drive.
Eventually, redevelopment will stretch from New Dominion Parkway to Baron Cameron Avenue and will encompass a town green.
The county envisions a mixed-use district, with renovated or relocated space for the Reston Regional Library and Embry Rucker Community Shelter, as well as offices, hotels, a performing arts center and at least 1,000 new residences.
The Fairfax County Park Authority also plans to build an indoor pool and recreation center at Town Center North. Park Authority Board Chair Bill Bouie said earlier this year the rec center would primarily be funded with bonds, including an $87.7 million bond in 2016 and an $88 million bond on the ballot in 2020. He said the park authority would seek developer proffers to help pay for the facility. Typical proffers are around $800 per residential unit, he said.
Homes and apartments in Town Center North will be part of Reston Association, RA officials said in a news release.
Hunter Mill Supervisors Cathy Hudgins will hold a community dialogue on the future of Reston Center North July 29, 7 p.m. at the North County Government Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Dr.
“The timing of the community dialogue is important to inform the process for the long-term future,” Hudgins said in a statement.
“Fairfax County staff will outline the immediate work, answer community questions about the process and timing of the redevelopment effort. Participants have the opportunity to identify critical needs that should be addressed in the redevelopment of the County owned property, as well as the larger site. It is important to continue the conversation on how best to maintain a vibrant and livable community for all.”
There will be an additional community meeting on Sept. 19 at Reston Community Center Lake Anne.
The plan to have an urban-style food and retail market at Reston Station has been put on hold, at least for now.
Comstock, which is developing the mixed-use neighborhood at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station, says it has parted ways with entertainment lawyer and restauranteur Michael Holstein.
When The Stock Market project for the 11,000-square-foot retail center at Reston Station was announced last December, Comstock and Holstein said they planned to have 10-25 vendors selling a variety of food, drink and other goods in the space by summer 2015.
“I still think it is a great spot,” Comstock spokeswoman Maggie Parker said on Tuesday. “The best service to our residents is to have local marketplace.”
Both Holstein and Comstock said the parting was friendly and mutual.
Parker said the market concept could still happen in the future under different leadership. She also said there have been several restaurants that have looked at taking over the entire space.
Eventually, the space above the retail center will be built out as a hotel.
The 448-unit BLVD Apartments at Reston Station will begin leasing this fall, with the first residents moving in in February, said Parker.
Parker also said the project’s first office building will begin construction this fall. The 16-story building will have 350,000 square feet of space.
PR at Partners salon is moving from Market Street to bigger digs at Reston Town Center.
The beauty salon, which has been at 11944 Market St. for about eight years, will relocate to 11934 Democracy Dr., in the space formerly occupied by Le Shoppe Salon. Le Shoppe, an original town center tenant, closed its doors last December.
A PR at Partners spokeswoman said the move will probably happen in the end of September. The new salon will do the same cuts, colors and other hair styling, but will probably have twice as many stylists in the larger space, she said.
Kudos to Us — Washingtonian picks Reston Now (and sister sites ARLnow.com, Borderstan and Hill Now) as the Best News Blogs in its annual “Best of Washington.” [Washingtonian]
Volunteers Needed — Fairfax County’s Office of Emergency Services can use your help on June 25. [Fairfax County]
Grand Opening — The Robert E. Simon Children’s Center will have a grand opening of its new location at 12005 Sunrise Valley Dr. on Saturday, July 18. There will be a ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. and an open house from noon until 3 p.m.
New Exhibit — Greater Reston Arts Center’s newest exhibit, In Practice, opens Thursday. The show concentrates on works of art educators. [GRACE]
Reston-based nonprofit Cornerstones has hired Michael J. Scheurer as Vice President, Housing & Community Development.
Scheurer will be responsible for real estate acquisition, development, and advocacy activities supporting the preservation and development of affordable housing, said Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson.
Scheurer will manage the Cornerstones Housing Corporation (CHC), the subsidiary organization that oversees Cornerstones’ existing housing portfolio, and identify new opportunities to broaden our work in this area.
“Mike understands the struggles faced by low-income and working families in our region and brings new ideas and capacity to help us change that picture for the people we serve in the greater Reston-Herndon community,” Wilson said in a statement.
Cornerstones addresses the need for affordable housing in the community through the efforts of its subsidiary housing corporation, by acquiring, preserving, rehabilitating, constructing and managing housing for formerly homeless and at risk individuals and families.
Scheurer most recently worked for the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA). VHDA is a not-for-profit organization created by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1972 to help Virginians attain quality, affordable housing.
At VHDA, Scheurer was responsible for community lending and relationship initiatives as well as developing strategies to finance affordable housing for homeownership and rental. Prior to VHDA, Scheurer was Senior Deputy Director of the Fannie Mae Washington Metropolitan Community Business Center, and Director, Multifamily Finance for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
He has also served as Director of Development and Real Estate Finance for the Department of Housing and Community Development for Fairfax County where he administered and directed the planning, development and preservation of over 4,000 units of housing. He is immediate past Chairman of HAND–the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers, past chairman of HomeAid of Northern Virginia and serves on the Fairfax County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.
“Reston and Cornerstones are entering a new and exciting period of possibilities over the next two to five years,” said Scheurer. “I am very excited to be able to bring a career and experience in all phases of affordable housing to Cornerstones and especially in the community where I have resided for over 30 years.”
Scheurer’s position was most recently held by Tim McMahon, who retired in May after 20 years of service.
Photo: Michael Scheurer/LinkedIn
Students from South Lakes High School’s art program and the Initiative for Public Art Reston formally dedicated a new public art sculpture on the Lake Thoreau spillway on Monday.
The project is a culmination of a school year’s worth of work by the SLHS “STEAM Team,” says SLHS art teacher Marco Rando. The “STEAM” stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math, and this year’s sculpture combines all those elements.
The piece is called Nothing Twice and represents the double helix of DNA, said Rando. The sculpture is made of galvanized steel, Strataglass (clear vinyl, iridescent film), and galvanized wire rope.
The students worked with a structural engineer, as well as with sculptor Mary Ann Mears, whose giant, yellow Reston Rondo was installed in front of the Hyatt Regency Reston in 2014.
“The double helix represents we are all different, yet all the same,” said Rando. “Originally, it was a spiral around a ribbon, but in working with Mears, the students learned about tensegrity — creating a structure with tension. That’s when we went to steel poles.”
Rando hopes the structure can stay in place until next spring.
Nothing Twice is a follow-up to the inaugural SLHS public art project, Pyramid of Light, which received many community kudos when it was installed on the spillway in 2014.
Rando and IPAR officials both said at Monday’s ceremony they hope to expand the program to other Reston lakes. The program depends on community support, and residents can make a donation to the program on IPAR’s website.
Members of the STEAM team are Darya Kharabi, Margaret Lashley, Tehmeena Salahin, Jonathan Doctor, Victoria Slaski, Carson Bush, Kathleen Roherty, Melissa Hadley and Ryan Monaco.
Tuesday is Bastille Day! Or you may call it La Fête Nationale. Either way, it commemorates the start of the French Revolution with the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.
9Mon Ami Gabi at Reston Town Center is marking the occasion with special Bastille Day-inspired dishes through Wednesday, July 15.
On the menu: Chilled Smoky Heirloom Tomato Soup with crunchy Gruyère toasts; Grilled Chicken Salad with ratatouille and arugula; Seared Bass Over Roasted Tomato; Roasted Fennel & Saffron with Rouille; and Raspberry & Lemon Sorbet for dessert.
Regular menu is also available, as if, of course, Champagne.
Photo: Wine at Mon Ai Gabi/Credit: Mon Ami Gabi
Lake Anne Coffee House has new ownership.
The coffee house on the plaza, which has been for sale for more than a year, has been purchased by Realtor Eve Thompson and her husband Rick. (Note: Eve Thompson’s Reston Real Estate is also a Reston Now sponsor)
Current owners Susan and Jimmy Sohn have operated the coffee shop for nearly nine years. They told Reston Now in 2014 that they want to sell and retire.
Eve Thompson said she wants to create a gathering space in the lakeside location.
“We’re going to focus on creating a great community space,” she said. “Our home is at Lake Anne, my office is at Lake Anne and now we will have a coffee shop at Lake Anne. That is proof we really believe in Lake Anne.”
The Thompsons said they expect to close on the deal later this month. They will do a top-to-bottom renovation of the space, Eve Thompson said.
The name of the establishment will remain Lake Anne Coffee House. The couple plans to overhaul the existing menu with locally roasted coffee and high quality baked goods, Eve Thompson said.
The Lake Anne Plaza area is about to undergo a multiyear revitalization project. The area containing the coffee house is not planned for renovation, but will eventually be part of a wider boulevard leading to the historic inner plaza.
Help Wanted — Fairfax County is looking for election officers. [Fairfax County]
Rename FCPS Schools? — A petition is asking Fairfax County Public Schools officials to rename county schools named for Confederate leaders such as Jeb Stuart and Robert E. Lee. [NBC4 Washington]
Rescheduled Cookout — Reston Community Center’s cookout scheduled for July 8 at Ridge Heights Pool will now take place July 15. [RCC]
Thwarted Abduction in Herndon — Police said a teenage girl reported a man tried to grab her as she waited for a bus in Herndon Monday morning. [Washington Post]
The Fairfax County Police Department has formalized its guidelines for the agency’s in-car video program.
Some 650 police cruisers spread across FCPD’s eight stations are equipped with in-car video, which has proven to be valuable in reviewing what transpired at a traffic stop or crime scene, police spokesman Lucy Caldwell said.
The cameras were phased into most cars between 2013 and 2014, she added. FCPD is going to explore a pilot program with bodycams later this year, she added.
In Fairfax County, there are two cameras on the car: A forward-facing “dashcam” one that shows what is happening in front of the police car and a rear-facing one that shows what is happening if there are prisoners in the back seat. Officers also have a wireless microphone that is synched at the start of their shift.
Footage goes to a DVR mounted in the trunk.
Some of the new guidelines have to do with how long the footage is stored.
According to the department’s General Order 430.8, In-Car Video Program:
Video/audio recordings not required to support known investigations or litigations: retain for 30 days after recording, then delete.
Video/audio not falling into either of the above categories:
- Traffic Stops: 190 days
- Arrest: 190 days
- Use of Force: 1,100 days
- Pursuit: 190 days
- Transport: 100 days
- Investigation: 100 days
- Subject Stop: 100 days
- Test/training/other: 100 days
- Administrative Investigation: Indefinitely
Under the new guidelines, officers are required to activate the cameras at all traffic stops, vehicular pursuits, emergency situations when they are called as backup and prisoner transport.
Photo Courtesy of FCPD
Fifteen years ago today, a time capsule was buried at the Hyatt Regency Reston, with instructions to leave it sealed until July 2015.
However, Dustin Imbesi, the Hyatt’s Director Sales, Marketing and Events, says the capsule won’t be opened this month, simply because there is too much happening.
The time capsule, located in a grassy spot near the hotel’s main entrance, was placed to capture “the spirit of the hotel’s past” when the Hyatt celebrated its 10th year in Reston in 2000.
Now the hotel is gearing up for its 25th anniversary, and the capsule will be opened later this year as part of that celebration, said Imbesi.
“We have a good idea of what is in there,” he said. “We decided we did not have to open it at the exact time it said on the stone. We’ve has a lot happening with the World Police & Fire Games here this month.”
Across the way in President’s Park there is another time capsule. That one — with instructions not to open until 2030 — was placed in October of 2010, as Reston Town Center marked its 20th anniversary.
If you get a call telling you pay up or your power will be shut down, don’t fall for it.
That’s the message Dominion Virginia Power wants Northern Virginians to get.
Scammers have been calling residential and small business customers, threatening to disconnect electrical service immediately if payment is not made.
Dominion stresses that it does not take payment over the phone and would never ask for immediate payment of cash, PayPal, ‘MoneyPak/Green Dot’ or any prepaid debit card as a prerequisite to keeping service, as the scammers have been doing.
“Protecting our customers is top priority for Dominion,” Dan Jenkins, Dominion’s Director-Corporate Security, Safety and Health, said in a statement. “We continue to work with local law enforcement to identify and monitor these scams and alert our customers to keep them safe. Small businesses and restaurants are frequently a target here and across the country, but they can protect themselves.”
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said scammers are using “increasingly sophisticated methods to trick citizens, including caller ID technology that makes it appear as though calls are coming from the utility, even instructing customers to make payment at company offices in order to sound legitimate.”
“Consumers need to remember that a legitimate business will not operate this way,” he said.
Being aware is the first step to protecting oneself from becoming a victim. Customers are urged to remember:
Stay calm. Scammers may contact businesses during a hectic or busy time to catch them off guard.
Dominion Virginia Power will never ask for payment over the phone or require payment on a pre-paid debit card.
Dominion does not direct customers to make payment at any of their offices; designated payment centers can be found online.
If a customer is behind on the bill, Dominion typically sets up a payment plan mutually agreed upon and provides a customer with multiple notifications in writing before power is scheduled to be disconnected.
If a customer is suspicious, they are encouraged to collect information from the scammer such as his/her name, any phone numbers or other details before hanging up and reporting to local law enforcement.
Customers should always call Dominion at 866-DOM-HELP to verify that the company is attempting to reach them before releasing any personal information.
NV Rides Reston, a free transportation service for residents 55 and older, is still looking for volunteer drivers.
NV Rides partnered with Reston Community Center to launch the service here last spring.
Volunteer drivers provide door-to-door rides for essential needs such as medical or dental appointments, shopping, personal care and banking for seniors who are no longer comfortable driving.
The service area covers residents in the Small Tax District 5 boundaries of Reston. Volunteers self-select ride requests and may choose not to drive farther distances.
To volunteer, visit NV Rides on RCC’s website and download an application. They will pay for a DMV and background check. You can choose your own rides and hours.
Reston’s Emilia Cirker was sent packing on Sunday night’s episode of Food Network Star.
The 36-year-old Restonian had been doing progressively better as the competition to earn a Food Network show reached its halfway point.
Initially criticized for being somewhat cold on camera, Cirker seemed more relaxed each week and appeared to be enjoying herself, getting along well with the other contestants and cooking food the judges appreciated.
But a challenge in the style of a comedy club improv performance was Cirker’s undoing. The contestants had to “improv” a dish using assigned and unusual ingredients. Then they had to do a four-minute (an eternity in Food Network camera time) performance that included randomly selected topics.
One of Cirker’s: Watching Food Network. Cirker took a gamble and did some impressions of the other contestants, including one who works as a drag queen.
The judges were not impressed.
“It came off as mean spirited,” said Food Network executive Bob Tuschman.
Cirker said she stood by her performance. She said she knew “I have to do something risky, something that’s going to show who the real Emilia is.”
“I think that I definitely know what they meant that my performance came off as cold, as mean almost. I get it,” Cirker said in her Food Network exit interview. “But I wish what they had seen is that I took a huge risk and I put myself out there, and you’re not going to accomplish anything if you don’t take risks and you don’t fall flat on your face by taking risks, right?”
“So I stand by the fact that I took a risk; I wish I would have thought about doing it in a different manner. So that it was still funny and lighthearted and a new side of Emilia, but without making the audience feel like I was, like, honestly, throwing my finalists under the bus.”
The competition was filmed last spring in Los Angeles. Cirker, a graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, works by day as a software company executive. She is also a cooking instructor, as well as a former pastry chef for the Washington Redskins.
Read more about her in this previous Reston Now story.
Photo: Emilia Cirker of Reston (right) stands before Food Network judges/Credit: Food Network.
Public Art Dedication — Formal dedication of South Lakes High School students’ public art work on Lake Thoreau’s spillway will take place Monday at 5:30 p.m. rain or shine.
Lake/Canal Work — Some dredging updates from RA. [Reston Association]
Assault Over Boundary Change — FCPS School Board member Kathy Smith, who is running for a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ seat, was attacked when canvassing Saturday. Reason for the outburst — Smith’s vote during a 2008 school boundary change. [Washington Post]
Neyla Review — WaPo Food critic Tom Sietsema checks out the new Neyla at Reston Town Center. [Washington Post]
Photo: Standup Paddleboarding at Lake Anne/Credit: Surf Reston Standup Paddleboarding
