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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXfb31Qj1G0/
Festive? Or garish?
Depending on your point of view, new lighting at the 1900 Metro Plaza building at Reston Station may have caught your eye for a different reason. The color-changing edge lighting that went into place recently on the 16-story structure caused a reader to contact Reston Now with one distinct type of reaction.
“It is shocking; [it] looks like Las Vegas in Reston,” the reader wrote. “[I] almost drove off [the] road [the] other night. [I] had to go back another night to be sure I was not hallucinating … that’s how bizarre it looks in Reston.”
Maggie Parker, vice president of communications for property owner Comstock Partners, said the lighting is a signature part of any Helmut Jahn-designed property. For more, Parker shared the preface of the catalogue for a 2012-13 exhibit of Jahn’s work at the Neues Museum in Berlin.
“[His] buildings possess qualities for every time of day,” reads the preface, written by museum director Angelika Nollert. “At dark, they are illuminated and are thus usually given a festive shroud. Helmut Jahn makes use of light as a building material.”
The reader who contacted Reston Now, as well as an Instagram user who posted a photo of the lighting, compared the design to something one would see in Las Vegas. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), Jahn also designed twin 37-story residential towers in Las Vegas that feature similar lighting.
Parker said that when working toward rezoning of the Reston Station property in 2009, Reston citizens “encouraged, even demanded” world-class architecture. She said those calls were echoed by Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and Reston founder Bob Simon, which led to the worldwide competition for an architectural firm that resulted in Jahn’s firm being tasked with the project.
She said Jahn’s design for the building was “intended to focus on creating a strong, recognizable sign visible at high speeds.”
“Indeed, at Reston Station the signature buildings emulate the movement and speed of the adjacent trains and cars on the highway — your 70-mph experience,” Parker quoted Jahn.
So, what’s your opinion of the lighting on the 1900 Metro Plaza building?
Gas Line Break on Herndon Parkway — Emergency gas line repair work between Van Buren Street and Palmer Drive will keep one westbound lane closed throughout the day. [Herndon Police Department]
Still No Stop-Arm Cameras on School Buses — County supervisors have directed staff to work with Fairfax County Public Schools leadership to determine the status of the camera-installation program, and obtain a detailed timeline regarding when the equipment would be installed. Video-monitoring cameras capture images of vehicles being illegally driven past school buses that have their flashing red lights and stop-arms activated. [Inside NoVa]
Herndon Working With Comstock on Downtown Development — A comprehensive agreement on the downtown development is the town’s top priority, its new town manager says, and they hope to get it done this year. [Herndon Patch]
County Police Demonstrate ‘Pit’ Maneuver — The maneuver involves an officer using the police car’s front fender to touch the rear bumper of a suspect’s car, causing the other car to turn before coming to a complete stop. [WJLA]
A high-end beauty salon that closed its Reston Town Center location last year plans to open near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
Salon Nordine & Day Spa will move into a new location at 11389 Reston Station Blvd., according to a permit processed by Fairfax County this week. The RTC location of the salon, which had been in business for about 13 years, was shuttered in September.
Maggie Parker, vice president of communications for Reston Station developer Comstock Partners, said the business will be the first street-front tenant on Reston Station Boulevard. The business owned by Fairfax County stylist Nordine Elabassi has two other current locations, in Merrifield’s Mosaic District and in Gainesville.
“It’s a lovely hair salon with full-service treatments and spa,” Parker said. “We’re delighted to have him.”
Café chain Sweet Leaf also plans to open soon in the development.
Locally owned café chain Sweet Leaf is looking to open its seventh Northern Virginia location later this year at Reston Station.
According to a permit filed with Fairfax County, the restaurant will open at 1908 Reston Metro Plaza as part of Comstock’s BLVD development. Maggie Parker, Comstock’s vice president of communications, says the restaurant should be open in the fall.
“We’re very excited,” she said. “It’s a great restaurant — small, family-owned.”
Sweet Leaf was founded in McLean in 1991. It currently has locations in McLean, Tysons and Vienna, as well as three in Arlington.
The menu features healthful sandwiches, salads and grain bowls, and it also has breakfast options. The restaurant offers a “wide variety” of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, according to its website.
Parker also said Salon Nordine, which closed its Reston Town Center location in September, will open at Reston Station later this year. She said the full-service salon and spa will be the first street-front tenant on Reston Station Boulevard.
Salon Nordine currently has two locations, in Merrifield’s Mosaic District and in Gainesville.
Defense contractor Leidos is considering leaving its current headquarters in Reston Town Center (11951 Freedom Drive) for a new home, the Washington Business Journal reports.
Citing sources close to the company, the WBJ says the expansion in workforce brought about by the company’s merger with Lockheed Martin last year has it reevaluating its space needs. Leidos employees about 33,000 people worldwide, according to information it provides to investors.
According to the WBJ report, Comstock Properties’ 1900 Reston Metro Plaza is among the properties being considered as a potential new headquarters for Leidos. Still seeking an anchor tenant, the site was considered by Nestlé before that company chose Arlington for its U.S. headquarters. The Helmut Jahn-designed building, adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station, is currently in its final stages of construction.
WBJ says Boston Properties, owner of Leidos’ current home, has proposed new headquarters space for the firm as well.
There are some new apartments in town, and they’re called BLVD Residential at Reston Station. One guess where they’re located. I have to say, they look very nice based on those pictures in the development’s web gallery.
Here are some more details on them:
The developer is Comstock. This mixed-use development has 450 apartments and is located directly adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East station. Units are luxury studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom plus den apartments. All feature top-of-the-line amenities like gorgeous wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops. Click here to see the floor plans.
In addition to the gorgeous apartments, the building includes:
- Rooftop pool and terrace, demonstration kitchen, bar and game room
- Rooftop fitness center, weight room and yoga studio
- Pet-friendly and smoke-free environment
- A Starbucks (which is very handy on that short walk to the Metro station)
RA ACCESS
While the building does not fall within Reston Association’s covenanted land, BLVD Residential is one of the first buildings in the TSA (Transit Station Area) to be brought into Reston Association through a supplemental declaration. What this means to residents is that they will have access to RA programs and services at alternative rates compared to other members. And design review for the property will be conducted with support from Reston Association staff using urban design guidelines developed for Reston Station.
(This story was updated at 3:55 p.m. to include comment from Comstock Partners.)
Northern Virginia will be the new home of Nestlé, as news has broken today that the Swiss food and drink company will move its U.S. headquarters from California to Arlington County.
The Washington Business Journal reports the company chose the location in Rosslyn over 1900 Reston Metro Plaza, which the WBJ says was another finalist for the headquarters. The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports the final decision was between the Rosslyn site and a location in Atlanta.
Maggie Parker, vice president of communications for 1900 Reston Metro Plaza owner Comstock Partners, said Nestlé representatives toured the local site before making their decision.
The 16-story 1900 Reston Metro Plaza building, now in its final stages of construction, was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Helmut Jahn. It will feature 365,000 square feet of office space adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
The site that was chosen by Nestlé, 1812 N. Moore Street in Arlington County, is the tallest building in the D.C. Metro area at 35 stories. It has been vacant since construction wrapped up in late 2013.
Nestlé is spending nearly $40 million to set up in the top nine floors of the building, and it plans to employ 750 people at the site.
It looks as though another huge development could soon go up near Reston Station.
Developer Comstock Partners has submitted plans to Fairfax County for a new mixed-use development, to be located south of Sunset Hills Road and immediately north of Reston Station and the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station. The Washington Business Journal first reported on the new development last week.
If all goes according to plan, the new development would consist of 500 residential units, about 91,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and another 178,000 square feet for office or hotel use.
Comstock, which had its eye on the site earlier this year, will reportedly call the development The Promenade at Reston Station. Additionally, the developer plans to connect the new building to its adjacent developments via a “woonerf” on Reston Station Boulevard, WBJ reported.
Reston Station file photo from Oct. 2016
Founding Farmers has pushed back its opening at Reston Station until mid-2017.
The Washington Business Journal reports that that the restaurant will be delayed until next summer.
It was exactly a year ago this week that Founding Farmers announced its plans to open a 10,000-square-foot restaurant in Reston.
Initial estimates from Reston Station developer Comstock and Founding Farmers said the opening would be late 2016 or early 2017, but a peek into the the space last week showed it is still empty and no work has begun.
Founding Farmers will have a large mezzanine, which is complicating the construction permits, Farmers Restaurant Group CEO Dan Simons said.
“The combination of engineering complexities (we’re building a fantastic mezzanine) and the typical permit process labyrinth combined to push the timeline longer than originally planned,” he told WBJ.
Founding Farmers Reston will be on the ground floor of a planned 200-room hotel at Reston Station. No hotel tenant has been signed yet.
Comstock, which is developing Reston Station, is also hoping to sign a large, upscale restaurant for the ground floor space of the office tower that is currently under construction on the plaza.
Farmers Restaurant Group, which has restaurants in DC, Maryland and at Tysons Corner in Virginia, is preparing to open a new property, Farmers & Distillers, in DC.
Rendering of completed Reston Station development/Credit: Comstock
Comstock is in the final stages of purchasing the Sunset Hills Professional Park to add to its mixed-use square footage near Wiehle-Reston East.
Sunset Hills Professional Park is a one-story office condo complex at Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue. The complex was built in 1981 and is mostly home to doctors, dentists and other medical services.
Construction is not expected to begin for three to four years as the project moves through the Fairfax County approval process. The tenants will be able to rent back during that time, a Comstock spokeswoman said.
The professional park is adjacent to both Comstock’s Reston Station mixed-use development as well as the under-construction Aperture Apartments from Bozzuto.
“This will enable us to further develop our grid of streets and pedestrian pathways to Reston Station,” said Comstock’s Maggie Parker.
The plans, now in the design phase, will include ground floor retail, a wide boulevard with trees, residential and office, she said.
“This is the beginning of the real consolidation of the Reston Station neighborhood, which will go from Plaza America to Michael Faraday Drive,” said Parker.
Now that Comtsock’s BLVD apartments are fully built and welcoming residents, the developer is now marketing retail space for lease.
Comstock has four retail spaces on the ground floors of BLVD that it is marketing for new tenants. Spaces available include a 1,981-square-foot space on Reston Station Boulevard, and spaces of 2,011, 2,559 and 1,890 along the plaza (though Comstock says a national retailer is close to inking a deal for one of those locations).
Across the plaza a 16-story office building is under construction. That building at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza was designed by world-renowned architect Helmut Jahn and will feature 365,000 square feet of office space adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
Comstock is marketing an 8,479-square-foot ground floor space as an ideal place for a large restaurant.
As previously reported, Founding Farmers will be an anchor tenant in the 10,000-square-foot retail space that will eventually be the ground floor of a hotel.
See this prospectus on Comstock’s website for more leasing information.
Meanwhile, small vendors will continue selling at Urban Pop’s pop-up stores on the plaza. The Smartmarket Farmers Market also returns April 20 for the season. It will be open Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. through November.
What would you like to see in the Reston Station retail spaces?
The first residential building at Reston Station, adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro, is officially open and welcoming its first residents.
BLVD Luxury Apartments is holding a celebration Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. Stop by the building off the Reston Station Plaza for food, wine and a tour of Comstock’s newest residential project.
BLVD features 450 apartments and is the first building to open at Reston Station. Coming soon will be a 16-story office building (under construction), a hotel, and a Founding Farmers restaurant.
If you can’t make it to the party, BLVD’s leasing center is located on the plaza at Reston Station and is now open seven days a week.
Rents will start at about $1,900 a month for a studio to more than $3,000 for a three-bedroom plus den model. There are a number of floorplans available.
Among the features and amenities:
- Stainless steel, gas appliances, hardwood laminate floors, quartz countertops and other high-end finishes in all units.
- A concierge lounge, business center, and cold-storage space for grocery delivery, as well as an exercise room and yoga/martial arts space.
- 20 percent (88 units) of the apartments are priced for workforce housing.
- A ninth-floor “skypark” with green space.
- Penthouse-level lounge, pool, media lounge, dog walk and demonstration kitchen with 360-degree views.
Residents of the building will be Reston Association members. Comstock has paid RA $650,000 in developer contributions, $300,000 of which is an association initiation fee under a new membership fee structure for buildings along the Dulles Toll Road, which were not previously RA property.
Photo: Rendering of BLVD lobby/Courtesy BLVD
Construction crews are very busy at Comstock’s BLVD Apartments at Reston Station, where they expect the first residents will move in in mid-February.
The 450 luxury apartments will be the first major building at Reston Station, which is adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. More housing, a hotel and office buildings are planned for the mixed-use development. Founding Farmers restaurant has signed a lease for the retail space.
BLVD’s leasing center, located on the plaza at Reston Station, is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
Rents will start at about $1,900 a month for a studio to more than $3,000 for a three-bedroom plus den model. There are a number of floorplans available.
Among the features and amenities:
- Stainless steel, gas appliances, hardwood laminate floors, quartz countertops and other high-end finishes in all units.
- A concierge lounge, business center, and cold-storage space for grocery delivery, as well as an exercise room and yoga/martial arts space.
- 20 percent (88 units) of the apartments are priced for workforce housing.
- A ninth-floor “skypark” with green space.
- Penthouse-level lounge, pool, media lounge, dog walk and demonstration kitchen with 360-degree views.
The building will open in stages, with the first eight floors available for occupancy Feb. 15, says leasing manager Evan Schluederberg. Upper floors should be available in mid-April, he said.
Residents of the building will be Reston Association members. Comstock has paid RA $650,000 in developer contributions, $300,000 of which is an association initiation fee under a new membership fee structure for buildings along the Dulles Toll Road, which were not previously RA property.
Residents will not have to pay the annual RA assessment fee but they will be offered an optional $350 annual recreational package to gain access to RA’s pools, tennis courts and other amenities for members.
When and if the building goes condo, residents will pay 50 percent of the RA full-member assessment, under the agreement between RA and Comstock.
Reston’s newest retail destination — Urban Pop at Reston Station — opened on Monday. The pop-up market is Comstock’s unique initiative where crafters and other businesses can try out a small retail space of their own without a big commitment.
And when Comstock says small, they mean small. Micro, even — about 100 square feet. But that is room enough for knitter Janice Everett, who was displaying her handmade scarves, gloves and hats in her space, called WitKnits, on Monday.
Everett, who lives in Reston and is a graphic designer by day, has been selling at farmers market and the online site Etsy. She said when she heard about Urban Pop, she thought it might be a great introduction to retail business.
About eight of the 9-by-10 glass booths are now open on the Reston Station plaza, hoping to attract Wiehle-Reston East commuters, visitors to the Wednesday afternoon farmers market and holiday shoppers looking for unique gifts.
Starting next year, Reston Station residents will also live just upstairs at Comstock’s BLVD apartments.
The Urban Pop leases are short-term, so vendors may change quickly, but for the holiday launch check out:
WitKnits (Also featuring jewelry from UrbanJule)
Urban Pop will be open Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. and select vendors will offer additional weekend hours.
In Spring 2016, Phase Two (Urban Pop Active), is slated to open. Comstock saud Phase Two will feature outdoor piazza entertainment — live entertainments, food and drink — integrated with Metro pedestrian access and the ‘jewel box’ retail, says Comstock spokeswoman Maggie Parker.
“Reston Station is delighted to deliver this exciting shopping opportunity to our neighborhood,” Parker said. We are thrilled to partner with our vendors to provide a unique shopping experience at the Wiehle-Reston Metro. “I can’t think of a better time to launch Urban Pop than at the start of the holiday season.”
Urban Pop is actively signing up vendors for January occupancy. For more information and leasing opportunities at Urban Pop, please visit www.urbanpopreston.com.
