The $39 million renovation of Langston Hughes Middle School (11401 Ridge Heights Road) could be completed as early as August 2021.
The project, which began earlier this year, is in the first phase of construction. So far, the parking lot and bus loop were partially completed of the summer.
Originally constructed in 1979, the expanded school is set to be 189,000 square feet and serve 1,250 students, according to Hughes Group Architects. Fairfax County Public Schools officials estimate the project will be mostly completed by August 2021.
The first phase of the project, which runs through December 2020, will include a two-story addition with an administration office, library, science and technology classrooms, communications and electrical rooms, as well as parking and other site work.
The second phase, which runs from January 2020 through December 2020, will improve the north entry point, renovation classrooms, and create a lecture hall and collaborative space. Demolition of the existing library and the north entry area is planned.
The final phase of the project, which runs through January 2021 through August 2021, will include upgrades to the performing arts and drama area, the gym, and locker rooms.
The project includes a central court called the “Hall of Nations” — a collaborative and flexible space meant to serve as an auditorium, a classroom or a breakout space.
Photos via FCPS
Reston commuters may experience delays as a new construction project begins Monday (Oct. 7).
Construction will take place between Jarrett Valley Drive and Delta Glen Court on Route 7. Drivers should expect delays and possible lane closures during the night and off-hours, according to the Virginia Department of Transporation.
There will also be work between Delta Glen Court and Reston Avenue beginning later in the fall, according to a VDOT press release. The work is apart of VDOT’s “Connect Route 7” project.
Community members who use the routes at night can expect delays from Sunday-Thursday from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., Fridays from 1o p.m. until 9 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m. until 8 a.m.
Drivers should note a reduced speed limit will be in effect between Reston Avenue and Delta Glen Court, which has been lowered to 45 miles per hour due to construction crews in the area.
Map courtesy VDOT
State crews are working on several road construction projects along the Route 7 Corridor this summer.
The speed limit has been reduced to 45 miles per hour in the project’s active work zones.
Construction of a third left turn lane from westbound Route 7 to southbound Baron Cameron Avenue is expected to be complete by the end of the summer.
Crews are also continuing work to widen the shoulders on westbound Route 7 between the Colvin Run Mill area and Reston Avenue. Once work is completed, the westbound lanes will shift to the right to give crews space to construction temporary eastbound lanes.
The Virginia Department of Transportation cautions drivers to watch out for signs indicating changes to traffic patterns in the area.
Other minor work including pipe installation, median excavation, utility and temporary signal work is ongoing in the median of Route 7 between the Colvin Run Mill area and Reston Avenue.
Photo via VDOT
(Updated at 14:25) Almost two years after its ceremonial groundbreaking, the Hunters Woods Retirement Community at 2222 Colts Neck Road in Reston is planning on opening in two months.
According to an employee at Hunters Woods, the first residents will be moving in end of May.
The $72 million project will add 210 housing units. Of those, 91 will be for independent living, 80 will be for assisted living and the remaining units will be a mix of memory care and continuing care.
The new complex will also bring 200 new jobs to Reston, mostly in hospitality and resident wellness fields.
In addition to housing, the Hunters Woods Retirement Community will include multiple dining venues, resident gardens, several fitness centers, an art gallery and a movie theater.
Photo via Facebook
As construction gears up for widening Route 7 from Reston to Tysons, “Pardon Our Dust” meetings starting later this spring with information on the upcoming work phases and schedules.
The proposed Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) project will transform nearly seven miles of Route 7, between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive, which is just before the Dulles Toll Road interchange.
The project will widen Route 7 from four to six lanes, add shared-use paths and revamp intersections along the corridor.
The project aims to “increase capacity, improve safety and traffic flow and enhance mobility for cyclists and pedestrians, all in conformity with Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan,” according to VDOT.
Washington Gas has been busy with work along the corridor to replace a little under 7 miles of pipeline along Route 7 from Bishop Gates Way in Herndon to the intersection of Baron Cameron Avenue and Springvale Road.
The schedule for the project on VDOT’s website says:
- late summer 2018-summer 2020: final design
- early 2019-early 2021: right of way
- spring 2019-summer 2023: utility relocation
- spring 2019-summer 2024: construction
The project is slated to finish in July of 2024, VDOT says.
Specific dates and locations for the “Pardon Our Dust” meetings, which will periodically occur from this spring through summer 2023, have not been announced yet.
Map via Virginia Department of Transportation
Two months down and about seven more to go for the renovation of the Reston Community Center’s Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center.
RCC recently shared its monthly construction update on the project, which will update the 40-year-old aquatics center with two pools.
Two progress meetings took place before March 1, and the project “remains on schedule and on budget,” according to the post.
Demolition started in late January and continued through February. The demolition is expected to finish in early to mid-March, the post says.
The newly renovated facility, which will include a 25-yard lap pool with zero-depth entry, a warm-water therapeutic pool and a new roof, is slated to reopen in October.
Photos via Reston Community Center
Work is underway on Reston Community Center’s Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center, which closed roughly one month ago for major renovations.
RCC recently shared a construction update on the project, which will update the 40-year-old aquatics center with two pools, along with photos of the progress.
RCC staff vacated the area after the pool was drained in early January, according to the update.
Recently, the crew from Branch & Associates has been removing wiring and ductwork in the ceilings and walls. The contractors have installed a safety railing around the pool and covered the overlook windows, the update says, adding that the crew was slated to put in a construction camera last week.
Locals might have noticed that a construction fence and work trailer are now outside in RCC’s parking lot.
RCC says that it will post monthly construction updates with photos, allowing people can follow along with the progress on the pools.
The renovated facility, designed by RRMM-Lukmire Architects, will include a 25-yard lap pool with zero-depth entry, a warm-water therapeutic pool, updated infrastructure systems and a new roof. It is slated to reopen in October.
Photos via Reston Community Center
Reston Town Center can expect a new nail salon to open in April.
Construction on The Glossary Nail Spa is expected to start later this week on Friday (Feb. 1), Hollee Ho, an employee at the spa, told Reston Now.
Ho said that it should be complete and ready to open by the middle of April. “[The] latest would be end of April,” Ho wrote in an email.
The Glossary Nail Spa wrote in a Facebook post on Dec. 20. that it is “coming soon” to 1771 Library Street — the former spot of Obi Sushi, which closed in December.
The nail spa is one of six new retailers and food establishments slated to open in Reston Town Center later this year.
Image via Google Maps
Hunters Woods at Trails Edge, a senior living community under construction near the Hunters Woods Village Center, is on track for its spring opening next year.
When complete, the IntegraCare facility will have 210 senior-living units — including 90 independent living units, 81 for assisted living, 24 for memory care and 15 for special needs.
“We believe that it will [open] in May, but have not set a specific date as projects of this nature are always subject to the timeline of county agency approvals,” Cissy Nickel, the community integration director for IntegraCare Corp., told Reston Now.
The exterior shell is finished, and the first floor is almost complete, Nickel said. Drywall, trim, flooring and appliance installation still need work.
Located on a 4.3-acre lot at 2222 Colts Neck Road, the retirement community took the former site of the United Christian Parish. The $72 million project aims to address the shortage of senior housing in the Reston area.
Reston Now previously reported that construction started in May 2017.
A temporary office and showroom opened in July in the Hunters Woods Shopping Center (2254B Colts Neck Road) to provide more information.
An open house is set for Dec. 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the showroom.
Rendering by Moseley Architects
A construction worker from Herndon died the day before Thanksgiving after succumbing to injuries from a fall in the Ashburn area, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
At 10:20 a.m. last Wednesday (Nov. 21), deputies discovered Jose Escalante, 49, had fallen between 10 to 29 feet to the ground from a ladder. He had been doing construction work at a residence on the 22000 block of Dolomite Hills Drive, police said.
“All indications are this was an accident,” a spokesman for the sheriff’s office told Reston Now.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also responded to the scene, according to police.
Escalante succumbed to his injuries after being taken to a local hospital, police said.
Map via Google Maps
Reston Hospital Center is just under the halfway point of its $72 million expansion — on track and on budget for completion by the end of next year.
The completed pieces of the project include renovations of the Women and Children’s Services unit and expansion of the neonatal intensive care unit, along with new paint, flooring and upgraded equipment, Erin Echelmeyer, a hospital spokeswoman, told Reston Now. The West Wing Lobby is also finished, with a revamped lobby area, gift shop, physicians’ lounge and office space, she said.
“It is progressing right along,” Echelmeyer said. “We are on target to complete this second phase of our master facility plan by the end of 2019.”
A breakdown of the pieces of the project still in progress is below:
- New 18-bed Inpatient Rehabilitation Center
- Expanded 24-bed Intensive Care Unit
- Addition of a second lab to the cardiac services unit
- Renovations to visitor areas including a new cafeteria, a glass concourse, and main entrance and lobby
- New parking garage for patients and visitors on the West Wing entrance
- Addition of eight rooms to accommodate high-risk obstetric patients
Construction on a new 403-space parking garage has already begun, which is expected to be done by the end of next summer. The Inpatient Rehabilitation Center is slated to open next month, followed by the Intensive Care Unit in January, Echelmeyer said.
The hospital reopened the emergency room entrance, after having patients enter through the hospital’s main entrance, she said, adding that the emergency room, level II trauma center and pediatric emergency room “are all fully function[al] and accessible from the emergency room entrance.”
This is not the first time the 187-bed hospital, which is part of Tennessee-based health giant HCA Holdings, Inc, has expanded. The hospital embarked on a $40 million expansion between 2012 and 2015, which included a 180,00-square-foot medical office and the addition of four operating rooms and 19 surgical recovery rooms in the surgical department.
The current expansion was announced in 2016, when the hospital hit its 30th anniversary. The phased project will add more than 63,000 square feet of new space to the facility.
Photos Courtesy of HCA Healthcare
A six-week partial bus loop closure is planned near the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride facility.
Beginning on Monday (Oct. 29), crews will install a precast stair tower at the southwest corner of the Herndon-Monroe bus loop. The southwest portion of the loop will be closed to traffic between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the weekdays.
All service and bus stop locations before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m. will not be affected by the closure.
The installation of the tower is expected to be complete by December. Passengers should expect delays and BusTrack arrival times will likely be affected, according to an announcement by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
Updated stop locations can be found below:
Photo via FCDOT
Students will return to Herndon High School tomorrow (August 27) as a major construction project at the school, which has not been renovated since 1991, continues.
Between now and the 2022-2023 school year, more than 100,000 square feet of space will be added to the school. Renovations were approved as part of the FCPS Fiscal Year 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Program, which includes $310 million approved by county voters in a school bond referendum.
Currently, the second half of phase one of the project is underway, which includes adding a new wing to the back of the building and an addition to the front of the building where a new library, main office and administrative and counseling offices will be located. The school’s assistant principal Jim Hannon expects this phase to be completed by next fall or the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.
Three other phases remain, which call for renovating locker rooms, art rooms, the gym, music rooms, the cafeteria, the stadium press box and tennis courts.
School officials told Reston Now that parking continues to be a challenge this year. The number of spaces was slashed from 377 to 90, pushing the school to create a lottery system to accommodate student parking. Seniors who received a number between 1 and 100 in the recent lottery will receive spaces. Others must complete application forms to be entered into the lottery.
Photos via Fairfax County Public Schools
Construction of the Lofts at Reston Station, a redevelopment project with 32 apartments and 12 two-over-two townhouses north of the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station, is underway.
The development, located at 1825 Michael Faraday Drive south of Sunset Hills Drive, is expected to open by early fall, a representative for Pulte told Reston Now.
“Construction is coming along. We are in framing this week and we are looking to open in the early fall,” said Megan Skupien, marketing manager for the Pulte’s Mid-Atlantic division.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the project, which replaced an office building and a parking lot, in November 2016. According to promotional material, one- or two-level condominiums start at $600,000.
As part of the project, Pulte also plans to extend Michael Faraday Drive and Reston Station Boulevard along the property, beginning to establish a local street grid for the area. Reston’s master planning documents envision turning Reston Station Boulevard into the new main street for the area surrounding Wiehle-Reston East.
Residents of The Lofts will be Reston Association members.
The developer committed to the following proffers, according to a presentation given to the Reston Planning & Zoning Committee in 2016:
- $173,376 for athletic fields
- $168,010 to Fairfax County Public Schools
- $24,040 to help construct a traffic signal
- $44,000 for local parks
- A buyout of $20,898 to separate from the Metro Tax District
Photos by Fatimah Waseem; rendering via Pulte
A new dock is coming to the Lakeport Cluster soon, according to a Lakeport Cluster Association press release.
Amid construction of a new dock, the nearby bulkhead will see some repairs as well.
Building time should take 70 days and will begin five days after all the permits are obtained. Reston Association has said that the pedestrian pathway easement through the Lakeport Cluster will be closed through June 18.
PATHWAY CLOSURES: Lake Port Cluster Dock Rebuild (March-June 2018): The RA pathway easement which crosses through Lake Port Cluster, will be closed to pedestrian access from March 28–June 18, 2018. For questions, please contact: [email protected] or 703-437-7658. pic.twitter.com/WaL3646Z8d
— Reston Association (@RestonOnline) March 28, 2018
The Lakeport Cluster Association said residents should expect some trouble with parking near Triangle Park, and some construction noise disruption between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
“We ask for your patience because at the end, we will have a beautiful and much more usable dock with decades of life ahead, better lighting along the RA path, and a newly landscaped focal point next to the dock for the community to enjoy,” wrote in a statement.
As a part of fixing the decaying bulkhead, workers will replace the vandalized light bollards and address shoreline stabilization, erosion mitigation and new landscaping at the other end of the dock.
Photo courtesy Lakeport Cluster Association
