Two friends teamed up to create Herndon’s new coworking space called Rowan Tree, which debuted today (Jan. 15) in Sunset Business Park.

The coworking space, which describes itself as “geared for women but welcome to all,” offers an open workspace, meeting rooms, onsite yoga and professional and personal growth workshops at 280 Sunset Park Drive.

As a part of the grand opening, Rowan Tree’s co-founders Amy Dagliano and Kate Viggiano Janich announced a scholarship for local entrepreneurial women who may face financial barriers with the membership. (Memberships cost either $2,400 for the year or $275 per month, which totals $3,300 per year.)

Janich said the scholarship is meant to support a diverse and inclusive environment. For every five members, Rowan Tree will fund one full scholarship.

Reston Now caught up with Dagliano to find out the details behind Rowan Tree’s name and why they picked Herndon.

Reston Now: How did you come up with the name “Rowan Tree”?

Amy Dagliano: We are best friends — and we also happen to share the same birthday: April 9. We found that just like with birthstones, there are actually trees associated with birthdays.

The Rowan Tree is the tree of April 9. The tree represents vision, power, connection, transformation, and balance. All things we knew we wanted in the community. The tree is known as the portal tree, taking you from one place to another, and it seeks the highest of altitudes to grow and thrive.

Rowan is also a family name of Kate’s cousin — the same cousin who helped Amy heal from Lyme Disease.

RN: Why Herndon?

AD: We found most women-focused coworking places are in cities, but we are working moms who live in NoVA. We like having our parking lots and yards — but we are still really interested in growing our careers, connecting with others and being part of a movement.

There is nothing like Rowan Tree in Herndon or the surrounding area. Before we opened, we interviewed a lot of women in the NoVA area. We found that those who lived in Herndon and nearby were very enthusiastic about the concept. Many of them were launching something new for themselves, but they didn’t have a place to land. Then, as we started pop-up events, we received incredible community support. We love this small town with a big heart and its strong sense of community.

Finally, it’s HERndon. What better place to open our flagship coworking and cogrowth space focused on women than a town with “HER” in the name?

RN: How did you choose the Herndon location?

AD: Our original intention was to open 10,000 square feet with private offices. Soon into research, however, we realized something smaller and more community-focused would better fit our vision of a close, collaborative network of women. When we held pop-up coworking at ArtSpace Herndon, our ArtSpace friends suggested we check out this place for rent.

We took one look and knew it would be perfect for Rowan Tree. The owner understands and supports our vision, and by adding our furniture, touches of color, twinkle lights and artwork, we were able to create a warm and inviting space. It’s the perfect “treehouse.”

RN: How many people can occupy the space?

AD: If everyone is sitting at tables and utilizing the conference rooms, we can fit about 40 to 50 people at once. But the great thing about the space is that it’s flexible. We can roll the tables out of the main space and have more than 50 people in chairs watching a presentation or more than 75 people for a cocktail event or fundraiser.

We also have an open studio space that can we can bring tables and chairs into to add seating or to hold wellness or artistic activities.

RN: What are you most excited about?

AD: We are blown out of the water by the caliber of the women joining our community. Our members are forming relationships. They are sharing ideas and leaning on each other. They are connecting each other to their networks. They are growing. They are making Rowan Tree their own.

We are truly looking forward to the impact we will have on our local community and economy — and hopefully, far beyond.

Photos via Rowan Tree 

Tips for your winter wardrobe — If you find dressing for the cold challenging, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue has a handy infographic about how to layer up appropriately. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Wine and wooden sign stenciling — Learn how to make a wooden sign, starting with a precut piece of pine wood, while sipping wine. The class at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street) runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight. [ArtSpace Herndon]

JAG sells residential part of Tall Oaks Village Center — Jefferson Apartment Group announced on Friday that it closed on the sale of the residential portion of the planned redevelopment of the center to Stanley Martin Homes. Back in October demolition began on a portion of the property, and construction of the residential project is slated to begin this summer. [Bisnow]

Town of Herndon deems a house concert series is in violation — The host of The Crib house concerts received a violation notice taped to his front door from the town for the Nov. 17 concert in his home, saying that the activity was “an indoor entertainment use” not permitted on the property. The owner has appealed the violation decision. [Herndon Connection]

Winter coat closet — With the winter weather here to stay, now’s the time to donate any unwanted coats, hats, gloves, mittens and scarves to the Hunter Mill District Winter Coat Closet, which is run jointly by Cornerstones and the Hunter Mill District Supervisor’s Office. Locals can drop off items at 1801 Cameron Glen Drive on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. [Cornerstones]

Photo by Marjorie Copson

Polls open for the special election — Voters will decide today who will replace Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton for the 33rd District seat in the State Senate. Democrat Del. Jennifer Boysko, currently representing the 86th District, is running against Republican Joe May, who represented the 33rd District as an Independent delegate from 1994 to 2014. [Virginia Department of Elections]

Bollywood dance class — Get in shape with a fitness class from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Reston Regional Library. [Reston Regional Library]

“Invisible Listeners” exhibit ends — Today is the last day to see Rahshia Sawyer’s photography at the Greater Reston Arts Center at Signature before it closes. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

But a new exhibit opens — The “Three Moves to Divine” exhibit opens today at ArtSpace Herndon to provide a photographic memory of Ghana by Randy Preston, along with written and read work from guest poets. [ArtSpace Herndon]

With the first weekend of 2019 coming up, Reston Now has some suggestions for things to do around Reston and Herndon.

Tomorrow is the last chance to check out the National Parks photography exhibit at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street). The gallery features Jim Schlett’s national park photography. Most of the work was photographed during long walks through the parks around dawn or dusk.

Tomorrow (Jan. 5)

Winter bird count (7 a.m.-noon) — Get outside and take part in Reston’s winter bird count. The free event has participants meet at the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) before the volunteers spread out to observe a variety of habitats around Reston. Volunteers will be provided lunch.

North Hills Pavilion run (8 a.m.) — Join Reston Runners at N. Village Road for either a 3-mile walk or 5-mile run.

Bookworms Club (11 a.m.) — Bring your young avid readers to Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) for the free “Bookworms Club.” The club explores a new theme each week with picture books, special guests and authors.

The Six Root Causes of Autoimmune Disease (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) — A free workshop will be held at The Carroll Institute (11710 Plaza America Drive) by Dr. Garland Glenn called “Reversing the Cause of Autoimmune Disease.” Glenn will discuss simple steps that can reverse the root causes and provide a strategic action plan.

Chess Club (1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.) — Feeling competitive? People ages five and older can learn how to play chess from experienced instructors at the Herndon Fortnightly Library (768 Center Street).

Bach2Rock Fundraiser Showcase (6 p.m.-8 p.m.) — Multiple bands and solo artists from the B2R catalog are set to perform at the fundraising concert at ArtSpace Herndon. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $20. All of the proceeds will benefit ArtSpace Herndon.

Sunday (Jan. 6)

Reston Runners (8 a.m.)– Meet the running group for either a 3-mile walk, 6-mile walk or a 10-mile run. Starting locations vary.

Breaking the Weight Loss Plateau (4 p.m.-5 p.m.) — Already behind on your New Year’s goal to lose weight? Head to the GreenFare Organic Cafe (408 Elden Street) for a fitness class taught by Pericles Silva. Admission is $5.

Photo via ArtSpace Herndon

Amazon will bring $15 billion and 62,000 jobs by 2030 — A study by the Virginia Chamber Foundation predicts that Amazon’s second headquarters in Crystal City will bring a huge economic impact to Northern Virginia and D.C. [Reston Patch]

Design & Wine — Head to ArtSpace Herndon to sketch and paint unique winter villages with artist Melanie Z Stanley from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight. [ArtSpace Herndon]

New MetroAlerts and real-time parking unveiled– Metro introduced yesterday a new MetroAlerts system to allow Metrorail and Metrobus riders to customize the alerts they receive by day and time, along with adding multiple email addresses or phone numbers on one account. In a separate improvement, real-time parking status is now shown on wmata.com. [WMATA]

Reston Association’s Design Review Board meets tonight — The Wendy’s at 1701 Bracknell Drive is on the agenda for the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. [Reston Association]

Elden Street Tea Shop plans to celebrate its grand opening at a permanent spot in Herndon this weekend.

Rachel Eisenfeld, the tea shop’s owner, told Reston Now that the shop moved into its space at 714 Pine Street on Nov. 28 after one year as a pop-up open every Saturday at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street).

The tea shop is named after the historic street in Herndon that it initially planned to move to. But after the tea shop decided to switch its permanent location to Pine Street, Eisenfeld decided to not change the name as a way to pay homage to the popular Elden Street.

Eisenfeld described the Pine Street location as a cute and charming house that is part of Herndon’s historic district. “It fits a tea shop,” she said.

More than 60 varieties of loose leaf tea from across the world and locally are available at Elden Street Tea Shop, along with processed tea and “tea-to-go.” Customers can also purchase snack food made by local bakeries.

“We really want to be involved in the community,” Eisenfeld said. Part of that involvement includes donations.

Every quarter, Elden Street Tea Shop picks a handful of new charities or organizations in the Herndon community.

Customers can choose which ones they would like to donate to when they check out at the shop or online, along with nominating a charity for consideration. At the end of the quarter, a portion of the profits goes to the selected places.

The grand opening will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 15) with all-day events, a ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. and special offers.

Eisenfeld said the tea shop will start hosting afternoon tea events in February and will continue to offer board games — Scrabble, chess, checkers, Risk and more — from its pop-up days with weekend game time.

Photo via Elden Street Tea Shop/Facebook

As fall weather descends on Reston today, Flavors of Fall is set for tomorrow (Oct. 6) in Reston Town Center from noon to 11 p.m. The festival features area restaurants and their favorite fall menus, entertainment, live music, fall beers, and family activities.

Tickets are required to purchase food, beer, and wine. The event is produced by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. The following day, GRCC will host the Reston Pumpkin 5K & Kids’ Pumpkin Dash, which begins at 8:15 a.m.

The following is a list of selected weekend events in the area:

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• Young adults with special needs and their buddies get to take a tour of Frying Pan Farm Park, ride on a wagon, and learn to do social dancing at the farm today at 6 p.m. Registration is $12.
• Kids between the ages of 6 and 11 can make thermoformed foam masks at Reston Regional Library on Saturday from 2-3 p.m. Registration is open online.
• If you’re planning to stop by Reston Town Center for Flavors of Fall (or anything else), you can swing by Reston Hospital Center from 9-11 a.m. for a free bleeding control training class.
• Old Town Tradition will offer a free lunchtime concert outdoors at Lake Anne Plaza on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is sponsored by Reston Used Book Shop and Friends of Lake Anne.
• On Sunday, the 2018 Arts Herndon Children’s Literary Festival kicks off from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon. Organizers anticipate “record crowds” at the festival, which features guest authors, publishers, and illustrators from the area, along with live entertainment and art projects. The first 300 kids get a free book.
• But if history is your cup of tea, you can listen to a lecture by Dr. Harry Butowsky of George Mason University for a talk on the history of World War II on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at Reston Regional Library.
• Join Rebecca as she leads a free community yoga session on Sunday at Lake Anne Plaza from 9-10 a.m. The event will be followed by a yoga happy hour at Lake Anne Brew House.
• The work of DC-based artist Caitlin Teal Price will be on display at Greater Reston Arts Center through Nov. 24. The exhibit is called “Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold.”

Photo via Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce

A local pet sitting company that offers services for Herndon, Reston, Sterling and Ashburn, will celebrate its grand opening tomorrow (April 17) at 2:30 p.m. in front of Herndon’s Old Town Hall.

Pooch Pros Pet Care Services is owned by Herndon resident Cyndie Anderson.

Anderson, who has lived in Northern Virginia for 21 years, left her corporate job in 2000 to stay at home with her two stepdaughters. She opened her business after becoming an empty nester.

She owns two fur babies: a 14-year-old mixed breed and a nine-year-old Maltese.

The business is licensed, bonded and insured through Business Insurers of the Carolinas and Travelers Insurance, according to its website. A reception will follow the ribbon-cutting ceremony at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street).

Photo via Pooch Pros

The redevelopment of Herndon’s historic center moved forward Tuesday as local lawmakers passed an agreement that would transform nearly 4.7 acres of town-owned land into a mixed use development.

The seven-member Herndon Town Council unanimously approved a comprehensive agreement with Comstock Partners that lays out responsibilities of both parties. Comstock plans to bring 281 residential apartments, 17,600 square feet of retail space, an arts plaza and walkways, an 18,000-square-foot arts center and a 761-space parking garage to the center.

The public-private redevelopment deal states the town will pitch in $3.6 million to help with the redevelopment effort, including $500,000 for environmental remediation, $500,000 for transitional public parking, $250,000 for the relocation of the arts center, $100,000 for culvert repairs and up to $100,000 for any off-site easements. The town will also contribute land purchased for $5.8 million

In return, the developer will provide 339 public parking spaces in the garage, the arts center, an arts work and recreation proffer and $505,000 in proffer funds for town recreational services. The total value of the contributions is roughly $12 million, according to the town.

Construction, which is set to begin in early 2019, is expected to be complete by early 2021. With the green light from the council, the developer must begin designing the project. Once the design is complete, Comstock will submit a site plan to the town for approval and seek design approval from the town’s Heritage Preservation Committee — a process that could take one year.

The site on which the development would take place is north of Elden Street, east of Center Street, west of Station Street and south of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. The space in question includes municipal parking lots and the home of ArtSpace, as well as the former Stohlman Subaru building on Elden Street.

As the development moves forward, the town plans to work with Comstock on a transitional parking plan. ArtSpace will be relocated off-site during construction of the project. The future of the Herndon Festival is unclear as the festival’s committee will evaluate options for relocation. During construction, parking will either continue to be located on-site or be transitioned to other locations in downtown Herndon. The town will work with Comstock on the transitional parking plan.

In a release, Mayor Lisa Merkel applauded the council’s decision as a major step forward in the redevelopment effort.

“After decades of discussion, vision and planning, the town is thrilled to be moving forward on a project that will revitalize our downtown and solidify Herndon’s position as a 21^st century town where history and heritage are integrated into a thoroughly contemporary setting. We are grateful to the citizens, business owners and others with a stake in Herndon’s future who have dedicated so much time and energy to get us to this point, and we look forward to working with Comstock in bringing the town’s vision to reality.”

County officials project the purchase of the property will bring in roughly $300,000 per year from taxes and fees for licenses. The site is currently exempt from property taxes.

For more information about the plans, visit the town’s website.

Image courtesy of Anne Curtis

A 4.675-acre site in downtown Herndon is expected to become a mixed-use project that includes residential and commercial structures, an arts center, and a parking garage.

The Town of Herndon and Comstock Partners announced this week that they have completed a proposed comprehensive agreement for the project. It will be discussed with the community during an informational town-hall meeting Oct. 12, and the Town Council will consider adoption of the plan following a public hearing Oct. 24.

According to information provided by the Town of Herndon:

The proposed agreement between the town and Comstock is reflective of Comstock’s proposal, submitted in response to the town’s Request for Proposals (RFP), for a redevelopment project comprised of approximately 281 residential apartments, approximately 17,600 square feet of retail space, an 18,000 square feet Arts Center and an approximately 761-space parking garage. As per the proposed agreement, Comstock anticipates beginning construction on the project early in 2019, with completion estimated in 2021.

The site on which the development would take place is north of Elden Street, east of Center Street, west of Station Street and south of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. The space in question includes municipal parking lots and the home of ArtSpace Herndon, as well as the former Stohlman Subaru building on Elden Street.

The Herndon Station building at the corner of Elden and Station streets is not included, nor is the Ice House Cafe & Oyster Bar building next door.

According to Herndon’s website, the town’s purchase price for the land was $5.8 million. The town will be selling the land to Comstock and contributing an additional $3.6 million in allowances, which include environmental remediation ($500,000), transitional public parking ($500,000), Arts Center relocation ($250,000) and culvert repair ($100,000).

In return, Comstock is to provide $12 million in assets, including 339 public parking spaces in the parking garage, to include 60 for the Arts Center and 59 for the retail space; the 18,000-square foot Arts Center; and $505,000 in proffer funds for town recreational services.

“This proposed comprehensive agreement comes after months of spirited negotiation between the town and Comstock,” said Bill Ashton, town manager, in the press release. “Ultimately, we came to agreement by working toward the same vision: a vibrant, energized downtown that is financially viable both to the developer and to the town. We are grateful to Comstock for their collaborative spirit throughout these negotiations and look forward to public comment and Town Council deliberations.”

Christopher Clemente, Comstock CEO, said the company is “excited to have an opportunity to participate in the reshaping of Herndon’s downtown.”

“Comstock is committed to creating a vibrant cultural arts district and community open spaces together with high quality residences, exciting retail spaces, and an accessible structured parking facility,” Clemente said in the release. “We take great pride in delivering quality developments that fit well in the community where they are located and we look forward to partnering with the Town of Herndon on this important project.”

The town-hall meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. at Herndon Council Chambers (765 Lynn St.). The public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. in the same space, and it is expected to be followed by the council’s vote.

More information about the project can be found at www.herndon-va.gov/downtown.

The sound of guitar, mandolin and the cello will fill ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center St.) on Saturday as traditional music trio Lulu’s Fate performs.

According to a bio provided by ArtSpace:

Lulu’s Fate is a trio based in the Washington, DC area, performing a variety of traditional American music as well as original and “new traditional” songs and tunes. The group is comprised of Tom Espinola (guitar, mandolin & vocals), Kristen Jones (cello & vocals) and Kara Bolling (vocals). Lulu’s Fate combines virtuosic instrumentals with tight three-part harmonies to create new interpretations of traditional Appalachian music. They also mix in a variety of country blues, Dixieland, sea chanteys, southern string band tunes, and covers ranging from Hank Williams to Tom Waits. In addition to several original songs and instrumental tunes by Tom Espinola, Lulu’s Fate also features songs by other contemporary “new traditional” performers.

The band regularly throughout the DC Metro area, including at tthe Washington Folk Festival, Takoma Park Folk Festival, Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival, and the Institute of Musical Traditions.

Tickets for the show, slated for 4-6 p.m. Saturday, are $15 and can be purchased online.

For more information about this and other shows at ArtSpace Herndon, call 703-956-6590 or email [email protected].

Image courtesy Lulu’s Fate