The Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred action on Wednesday regarding a new retail and restaurant destination at Sunset Hills Road and Town Center Parkway.
The planning commission will revisit the plan for RTC West on Feb. 18, mostly to give time for transportation improvements to be formalized. A staff report recommends approval, provided transportation improvements are met.
Developer JBG Companies is planning the development that will bring Reston Town Center-type amenities closer to where the future Reston Town Center Metro Station will be located. Though the Silver Line station will be in the center of the Dulles Toll Road at Reston Parkway, it is actually about a quarter mile from the town center.
The developer is seeking a special exception in order to add retail, restaurant and food stores to the 13-acre site that currently houses three office buildings. Much of the development will convert the first two floors of the office buildings into restaurant and retail space.
JBG’s application says it plans to convert 15,100 square feet of office space to retail/restaurant space and add 25,000 square feet of new retail/restaurant space (on the southwest corner of the site) within an existing office campus on three parcels.
There were two speakers at Wednesday’s public hearing. One was Patty Nicoson, the former chair of the Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force and president of the Dulles Corridor Rail Association.
“Hopefully, a good design plan will emerge to support pedestrian and bike planning,” she said.
The other speaker was a resident of nearby Lincoln Park, who said she is concerned about construction noise.
Some of the transportation logistics that need to be worked out:
Connecting an existing walkway to the adjacent trails along the public roadways and adding two new crosswalks across Town Center Parkway.
Connecting the development to the W & OD trail, which runs on the northern part of the property. One development condition for JBG is working with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) and Dominion Virginia Power to establish an easement for a pedestrian connection between the site and the W&OD trail.
Closing the existing exit-only driveway on Town Center Parkway and to construct new signalized access point about 440 feet north of the intersection at Sunset Hills Road. Constructing an entrance in this location will require the relocation or closure of an existing entrance for the property across Town Center Parkway to avoid an unsafe intersection, JBG says. JBG will have to work out an agreement with Boston Properties, which owns that parcel, as a condition of development.
Two new crosswalks across Town Center Parkway at a new access point.
A new turning lane on Reston Parkway.
See the entire staff report on the Fairfax County Planning website.
The 15-story Reston International Center, one of Reston’s first high-rise office buildings, has been sold in a joint venture for $35 million.
American Real Estate Partners and Square Mile Capital Management LLC announced on Monday they have acquired the property from JBG Companies.
The property is a 179,000 square foot office building located at 11800 Sunrise Valley Dr. In recent years, mixed-use development has taken place around the office tower, including JBG’s Reston Heights.
Reston Heights includes The Mercer Condos, The Westin Reston Heights Hotel and office space. It is also about to undergo an expansion that will add about 400 more residential units and 95,000 square feet of retail to the development.
The International Center and Reston Heights is located within walking distance of the new Wiehle-Reston East Metro station as well as the future Reston Town Center Metro station.
“Reston International Center presents American Real Estate Partners with a remarkable opportunity to renovate and reposition an iconic asset at the epicenter of one of the most vital mixed-use communities being developed along the Toll Road,” American Real Estate Partners President Brian Katz said in a statement.
“Reston, fueled by the coming completion of the Silver Line stations through Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, will continue to be a magnet for growing companies that value access to highly educated employees, exceptional transportation options and all of the amenities and infrastructure of Reston Heights and nearby Reston Town Center.”
The partners said it will embark on a $10 million renovation of Reston International Center, including the addition of a 3 1/2-story parking deck, as well as interior renovations.
Photo: Reston International Center/Credit: American Real Estate Partners
Developer JBG Companies is planning a new development at Sunset Hills and Reston Parkway that will bring Reston Town Center-type amenities closer to where the future Reston Parkway Metro Station will be located.
The developer is seeking a special exception in order to add retail, restaurant and food stores to the 13-acre site that currently houses three office buildings.
The new development will be called RTC West. The area is bordered by the W & OD Trail on the side of Reston Town Center, Town Center Parkway, Sunset Hills Road and the complex that currently houses Chipotle, Potbelly, Chick-fil-A, Carrabba’s and Extended Stay America.
“The development vision includes the upgrade of the first one or two floors within the office buildings to be more suitable to retail uses, and extensions of the retail program in specific areas of the site,” says JBG materials included in a Fairfax County Planning Commission Staff Report.
“This development will transform RTC West into a retail destination with a vibrant pedestrian-friendly environment to complement the existing office components.”
JBG’s application to the planning commission says the project will have 40,100 total square feet of retail stores, eating establishments, quick service food stores, and fast food restaurants.
JBG says it plans to convert 15,100 square feet of office space to retail/restaurant space and add 25,000 square feet of new retail/restaurant space (on the southwest corner of the site) within an existing office campus on three parcels. JBG says it will convert the first two floors of each building to turn office in to retail.
The plan includes:
Connecting an existing walkway to the adjacent trails along the public roadways and adding two new crosswalks across Town Center Parkway, as well as connecting the development to the W & OD trail, which runs on the northern part of the property. One development condition for JBG is working with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) and Dominion Virginia Power to establish an easement for a pedestrian connection between the site and the W&OD trail.
Adding 1,538 parking spaces to the current 1,600 that already exist.
Leaving 15 percent open space (90,000 square feet) as per zoning requirements.
Closing the existing exit-only driveway on Town Center Parkway and to construct new signalized access point about 440 feet north of the intersection at Sunset Hills Road. Constructing an entrance in this location will require the relocation or closure of an existing entrance for the property across Town Center Parkway to avoid an unsafe intersection, JBG says. JBG will have to work out an agreement with Boston Properties, which owns that parcel, as a condition of development.
Other development conditions in the county staff report:
More road improvements, including a new turning lane on Reston Parkway, and pedestrian improvements.
Attention to keeping existing trees and planting new ones and meeting underground stormwater management standards.
See the entire staff report on the Fairfax County Planning website.
The plan will go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission in a public hearing Feb. 4.
Fairfax County Planning Commission on Thursday recommended the plan for major redevelopment at Crescent Apartments and the area surrounding Lake Anne Plaza move forward to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The Supervisors will give a final vote on the project on Tuesday.
“The actions we take tonight are a step forward in a long (process) of redevelopment of Reston’s first village at Lake Anne Center,” said Frank de la Fe, the Hunter Mill representative.
The planning commission held a public hearing on the project on Dec. 8. The main issue that caused the two-week deferral in the planning commission decision was a discrepancy in how much money Lake Lake Anne Development Partners should proffer to the Fairfax County Park Authority.
LADP wanted to give $100,000 to the parks department. The standard county rubric for fair share contributions to the Park Authority is $893 per resident. That means LADP should make a contribution of about $1.4 million, the county’s staff report said.
LADP reps agreed on Thursday to give $500,000 to the park authority.
The planning commission also agreed to waive some conditions set forth by the planning staff concerning residential street length, transitional barriers and underground storage facilities.
Some larger issues raised in the staff report, including the realignment of Village Road, will be worked out before construction begins, said de la Fe.
LADP was chosen by the county in 2013 to redevelop the aging Crescent Apartments, which was purchased by the county in 2006 for affordable housing.
LADP’s plans for the area include 1,037 residential units, including replacement of the 181 affordable units at Crescent; 60,000 square feet of retail; a 15,800-square-foot grocery store; and 78,000 square feet of office space. The project will also have a 1.1-acre central park, an outdoor amphitheater, a bike share station and 12 public art works, according to the staff report.
See the entire staff report on the project on Fairfax County’s website.
Photo: Rendering of plans for Crescent Apartments site/Credit: LADP
The Fairfax County Planning Commission is set to make a decision Thursday that will move forward the massive redevelopment plan at Crescent Apartment and the surrounding area.
Lake Anne Development Partners had a planning commission public hearing on Jan. 8. but the planning commission deferred decision due to several areas of concern.
Among them:
- How much money LADP should contribute to the Fairfax County Park Authority. The developer says $100,000. The planning commission says $893 per new resident, which totals about $1.4 million.
- How Village Road will be vacated during the time it is realigned to provide better exposure and sight lines through to Lake Anne.
- Square footage requirements for Land Units A and D. The county is concerned it will not reach its true mixed use goal.
- The planned grocery store. LADP wants to market it for one year; the county thinks it should be a three-year project.
- The county wants an $265,000 elevated walkway from the parking garage to the grocery store. LADP says it would provide minimum return on investment.
- LEED certification for the grocery store building. Strobel said it would be difficult to get certification for the grocery store, but if a grocery store ends up not being built they are willing to comply.
Once the planning commission recommends the plan for approval, it moves on to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for final approval. It is slated to be on the Supervisors’ Jan. 27 agenda.
LADP, a division of Republic Land Development, was chosen by the county in the summer of 2013 to redevelop the county’s 16-acre Crescent Apartments site as well as areas adjacent to Lake Anne Plaza’s Historic District.
LADP’s plans for the area include 1,037 residential units, including replacement of the 181 affordable units at Crescent; 60,000 square feet of retail; a 15,800-square-foot grocery store; and 78,000 square feet of office space.
The project will also have a 1.1-acre central park, an outdoor amphitheater, a bike share station and 12 public art works, according to the staff report.
At the Jan. 8 hearing, a county rep said $100,000 is just 7 percent of what LADP should be offering for recreational amenities.
“It is the staff’s opinion that what LADP is providing enhances the quality [of the area], but does not provide active amenities such as basketball courts or athletic fields,” a county representative said.
Lynne Strobel, the attorney representing LADP at the Jan. 8 hearing, said the developer’s application “is providing significant and costly improvements to Washington Plaza. Those are not unlike parks; they are public areas that serve the community.”
Strobel said the improvements to Washington Plaza total $1.2 million, so an alternative formula for LADP’s contribution should be used. The developers also said new residents would be Reston Association members, so their added yearly assessments would be boosting coffers for recreational amenities in Reston.
See the entire county staff report on Fairfax County’s website.
How much money Lake Anne Development Partners should proffer to the Fairfax County Park Authority is one of several sticking points as the county planning commission works towards recommending for approval the massive redevelopment project.
After a public hearing on Thursday, the planning commission said it will revisit the issue at the Jan. 22 meeting.
LADP, a division of Republic Land Development, was chosen by the county in the summer of 2013 to redevelop the county’s 16-acre Crescent Apartments site as well as areas adjacent to Lake Anne Plaza’s Historic District.
LADP’s plans for the area include 1,037 residential units, including replacement of the 181 affordable units at Crescent; 60,000 square feet of retail; a 15,800-square-foot grocery store; and 78,000 square feet of office space. The project will also have a 1.1-acre central park, an outdoor amphitheater, a bike share station and 12 public art works, according to the staff report.
The standard county rubric for fair share contributions to the Park Authority is $893 per resident. That means LADP should make a contribution of about $1.4 million, the county’s staff report said.
However, LADP says its fair share should be $100,000, paid in four installments.
“It is the staff’s opinion that what LADP is providing enhances the quality [of the area], but does not provide active amenities such as basketball courts or athletic fields,” a county representative said. “Their proffer is 7 percent of the recommended contribution.”
Lynne Strobel, the attorney representing LADP at Thursday’s hearing, said the developer’s application “is providing significant and costly improvements to Washington Plaza. Those are not unlike parks; they are public areas that serve the community.”
Strobel said the improvements to Washington Plaza total $1.2 million, so an alternative formula for LADP’s contribution should be used. Read More
Reston’s Tall Oaks Village Center has a new owner.
The 64,000-square-foot shopping center near Lake Anne was sold by Boston-based CRP-2 Holdings Tall Oaks LLC to Tall Oaks Development Company on Dec. 17, Fairfax County records show.
The sales price was $14.3 million. The shopping center last sold for $10.8 in 2006. The prior sale was for $8.4 million in 2002, tax records show.
Tall Oaks Development Company is based in McLean, and records show it shares an address with the Jefferson Apartment Group, a local company that has developed more than 18,000 rental units with a value of more than $3 billion in 10 east coast states, including Virginia.
Locally, the Jefferson Apartment Group has developed, among others, the Residences at the Fairfax County Government Center, Tellus in Arlington, The Asher in Alexandria and the Jefferson at 14W, a seven-story, mixed-use luxury development in Northwest DC.
Jefferson representatives did not immediately return phone calls.
Tall Oaks is zoned industrial/commercial, so turning the 7.6-acre parcel into residential would involve rezoning.
However, flagging businesses at Tall Oaks over the last decade has made its future as a retail destination in doubt.
The anchor space, which housed a Giant Foods and later two international grocery stores, has been empty for four years. The stand-alone former Burger King space has been vacant for nearly a decade. Other recent departures include El Manantial restaurant, Curves, 7-Eleven and Total Rehab Chiropractic.
At recent meetings on Phase 2 of Reston’s Master Plan, which will plan for the future of Reston’s village centers and neighborhoods, many citizens and local leaders suggested that it may be time to repurpose the Tall Oaks space as something other than a major retail center.
It was suggested by many, including Reston Association, that Tall Oaks could survive as a convenience center with limited retail and the remaining space could be used for a variety of other purposes.
Jan. 21 could be a red letter date for Reston’s future.
That’s the message Rescue Reston — the citizen group aimed at protecting Reston’s open space — is trying to impart as the owners of Reston National Golf Course finally get their Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals hearing.
The hearing is at 9 a.m. at Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Pkwy. Rescue Reston is encouraging all residents to attend the hearing to show their support at protecting Reston’s open space. The group will also hold a rally Saturday at 2 p.m. at Langston Hughes Middle School.
The issue: RN Golf, the subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual Insurance that owns the 166-acre public course, says the course is planned residential. A 2012 ruling by the county said it is zoned open, recreational space, and to change the status would involve a comprehensive plan amendment.
RN Golf disagrees and is appealing. The hearing was originally scheduled to take place tw years ago, but was deferred several times before it was put on hold indefinitely in the summer of 2013. In November, the case reappeared on the docket.
Rescue Reston founder John Pinkman said RN Golf tried to slip its case back in over the holidays, when no one would be lo0king. Read More
The plans for massive redevelopment in the Lake Anne area are ready to move forward in 2015. The first step: a Fairfax County Planning Commission public hearing on Jan. 8.
A 350-page staff report issued by the county planning commission in late December recommends approval of the redevelopment, provided developers Lake Anne Development Partners meet proffer and other conditions.
Lake Anne Development Partners was chosen by the county in the summer of 2013 to redevelop the area, including the 16-acre site of the county-owned Crescent Apartments.
LADP’s plans for the area include 1,037 residential units, including replacement of the 181 affordable units at Crescent; 60,000 square feet of retail; a 15,800-square-foot grocery store; and 78,000 square feet of office space.
The project will also have a 1.1 acre central park, an outdoor amphitheater, a bike share station and 12 public art works, according to the report.
See the entire report on Fairfax County’s website.
Among some of the staff report conditions:
- LADP must contribute $100,000 in four installments to the Fairfax County Park Authority. Additionally, Fairfax County recommends $893 per new resident as a proffer guideline, which means that LADP should eventually contribute more than $1.4 million to the park authority.
- LADP must contribute $1,006,725 to Fairfax County Public Schools
- Road improvements will include widening Village Road from North Shore to Baron Cameron, with three northbound and two southbound lanes.
- Build an elevated walkway from the Crescent Apartments area and a 10-foot-wide Crescent Trail.
In December, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved comprehensive plan changes for Lake Anne-area revitalization.
The changes approved in December mostly tweaked densities and added continuity to the six separate land bays, including the county-owned Crescent Apartments, that comprise the Lake Anne revitalization area.
The interior of Lake Anne Plaza is under historic designation and will not be altered. However, Lake Anne merchants and Republic Development (LADP’s parent company) President and CEO David Peter have said they hoped added density and additional retail nearby will bring new life to the plaza.
Several Lake Anne Plaza businesses closed in 2014. Among them: Lakeside Pharmacy, Jasmine Cafe, The CupCake Ladi and New Family Naturals.
A new pet supply store, PetMAC, has taken over The CupCake Ladi space. Singh Thai restaurant at Lake Anne will move into the Jasmine space. A dry cleaner has signed a lease for the New Family Naturals vacancy. The large Lakeside Pharmacy space remains vacant and the Lake Anne Coffee House and Lake Anne Florist are both for sale.
The Reston Association Design Review Board approved LADP’s concept in October.
The county planning commission discussion and hearing will take place at the Fairfax County Government Center on Jan. 8 at 8:15 pm. If recommended for approval, the plan will go to the Board of Supervisors for a Jan. 27 public hearing.
Peter said the entire project should take at least 10 years to complete.
The staff report says the project will take place in three phases:
- Phase 1: Demolish the Association of School Business Officials’ building, the Lake Anne Service Station and three buildings at Crescent. Replace the 181 existing affordable housing units, realign Village Road and build grocery store.
- Phase 2: Demolish two Crescent buildings. Construct townhouses at Crescent.
- Phase 3A, 3B, 3C: Demolish Millennium Bank building, currently housing Just Cats Clinic. Demolish convenience store building. Develop residential tower and more multifamily construction.
The recent closure of Romano’s Macaroni Grill at Reston’s Spectrum Center took many residents by surprise
While the shutdown was sudden — the employees have said they received no notice — the plans for the future of the area stretching from the Macaroni Grill to Harris Teeter have been in the works for more than a decade.
When Reston Town Center was planned in the late 1980s, the plan was for a town center-like area to expand all the way down Reston Parkway to Baron Cameron Avenue. However, the development climate was not ripe for such a project in the early 1990s, so The Spectrum was developed in a strip-mall fashion and leased to big box stores such as Barnes & Noble and Best Buy.
“It was underdevelopment in respect to the property zoning,” Mark Looney, the land use lawyer representing Lerner, said at a public hearing on the project in 2013. “Reston Town Center was intended to be a grand downtown. This was developed in transition [due to the economy of the early 1990s]. In the interim, it became a big box-development.”
By 2008 — with the Metro’s Silver Line looking like a reality for Reston Parkway — Lerner Enterprises was focusing on securing a higher density future for the 24-acre site. In May of that year, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a plan for nearly 800,000 square feet of non residential (retail, hotel and office) space and a maximum of 1,442 residential units.
The plan sought to connect The Spectrum to the Reston Town Center in a walkable urban core.
In 2010, Lerner sued the county to obtain additional density for the project.
In early 2013, the Board of Supervisors approved changes to the plans for the Spectrum. Some of the details:
- 774,879 square feet of non-residential use; 1,422 multifamily residential units (with 12 percent set aside for affordable housing) in seven new residential buildings
- 38 percent open space. At least 12 percent set aside for affordable and workforce housing.
- Underground and structure parking; LEED certifications
- Two new east-west streets and expanded bike trails and pedestrian access.
The development will be divided this way:
Land Bay A (where Best Buy and Barnes & Noble are located) is planned for 546 dwelling units, 255 hotel rooms, 172,000 square feet of office, and 62,500 square feet of retail uses.
Land Bay B (where PetSmart and On the Border are located) is planned for 643 dwelling units, 270 hotel rooms, and 48,650 square feet of retail uses. Read More
Comstock announced on Monday that the 11,000-square-foot retail center at Reston Station would become The Stock Market @ Reston Station.
They envision it is as a hip, urban dining and shopping destination. A place to get a glass of wine, an excellent latte, a spot at the oyster bar or pick up a carefully curated artisan gift or gourmet treats.
That leaves a blank canvas for 10 to 25 merchants to set up shop here. Others will test the market with food trucks or pop-up stores.
Michael Holstein, the area businessman who is organizing the project, sees it as similar to D.C.’s Union Market.
For the unfamiliar, developer Edens took an old market in Northeast D.C. and opened it with the new concept for artisanal wares in 2012. It has proven to be so popular that the neighborhood around it is expanding and gentrifying.
Union Market is organized with small booths and flexible spaces. Among some of the permanent vendors: Red Apron Butcher, Peregrine Espresso,, Rappahanock Oysters Co., DC Empanadas, Salt & Sundry household gift shop and Co Co Sala.
The Stock Market will likely feature two full-service restaurants, with the rest of the vendors in smaller, booth spaces, said Holstein.
So with that in mind, what would you like to see set up shop here in Reston? The developers are listening, so speak up in the comments.
Photo: The retail center at Reston Station
Developer JBG is seeking to rezone an office building at 1831 Wiehle Avenue in order to build a mixed-use development on the parcel.
The building is currently zoned Medium Intensity Industrial District, as was all space located in the area adjacent to the Dulles Toll Road until about four years ago. The Fairfax County rezoning application seeks to designate the land as Planned Residential Mixed-Use (PRM).
According to the application, the rezoning proposes 504 multi-family residential units and up to 61,000 square feet of complementary retail uses.
The space at 1831 Wiehle — bordered by Sunset Hills Road and the entrance to Reston Station Boulevard — contains a three-story, 75,000-square-foot office building. It houses Long & Foster Real Estate’s Reston office, as well as Northern Virginia Community College’s Reston Center, among others.
The mixed use development would add to the growing number of options close to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
Comstock is currently constructing 450 units at the BLVD apartments at Reston Station, on top of the Wiehle-Reston East Metro parking garage.
Work will begin this fall on a 421-unit residential building in the 11400 block of Sunset Hills Road, a small retail and mini-storage center currently sits. Chuck Veatch, who is developing the property along with Bozzuto Development, also had to get the parcel rezoned from Industrial to Planned Mixed Use.
Also, Comstock announced on Monday the upcoming Stock Market @ Reston Station, an 11,000-square-food food and retail space, as a new addition to Reston Station.
By fall 2015, the empty retail space at Reston Station will have 10-25 vendors selling a variety of goods, food and libations.
Developer Comstock announced on Monday the opening of the the Stock Market @ Reston Station, an “urban, hip marketplace and retail space” for the 11,000-square-foot building.
Envision D.C.’s Union Market, but at the Silver Line’s Wiehle-Reston East.
“It is just what the community needs,” says Comstock spokeswoman Maggie Parker. “From a commuter getting a cup of coffee to couple looking for a night out with music and great dining.”
The Stock Market is a project developed by Michael Holstein. Holstein is an area entertainment lawyer and businessman who founded (and recently sold) Rockville’s Quench restaurant.
“We were initially contacted by Comstock about six months ago,” said Holstein. “What we saw was a beautiful, blank canvas. We couldn’t ask for better visibility or access to Metro.”
Holstein said the concept will make use of the retail center, as well as the platforms that are already built to one day be the base for office buildings. Those spaces may house pop-up stores. The market will also make use of the plaza space with kiosks and food trucks.
“We want to replicate the urban experience with suburban convenience,” he said.
Expect kiosks and food trucks on the plaza by spring, with the indoor space open by early fall, said Parker.
The market will be very convenient for the 450-unit BLVD apartments that are currently under construction. They are expected to also open next year.
Holstein said he cannot announce tenants yet, but is very close to signing some well-known national names. He says he is also saving space for Virginia-based businesses, and even envisions spots for local entrepreneurs to apply “Shark Tank” style to try out their product at The Stock Market.
If you are a retailer interested in space, email Holstein at [email protected].
The retail space has been finished for about a year. It has been used for special events, such receptions for stakeholders in the Silver Line, since then.
Eventually, the space above the retail center is slated to be built as a hotel.
Holstein said that the hotel project is still about five years away, but at least 9,000 square feet of the of The Stock Market space will remain with the hotel built around it.
Chili’s Bar and Grill will be closing its Reston location sooner than expected, a store spokesman has confirmed.
The restaurant’s last day will be Dec. 28, says Mike Huffman, director of operations for Chesapeake Restaurants, Chili’s parent company.
Huffman told Reston Now last week that the Chili’s, located at 11840 Sunrise Valley Dr., would close “sometime this spring.”
Chili’s has been in its spot near the International Center for more than 20 years. However, that whole area is slated for a major redevelopment.
The redevelopment plan includes 145,000 square feet of above-grade retail, 100,00 square feet of below-grade retail, 428,225 square feet of office and 498 residential units in mid-rise buildings.
Developer JBG has not said when redevelopment is slated to begin. A Wells Fargo branch closed in August and sits empty as well.
The rest of the small strip mall retail is slated to be torn down as part of the redevelopment. Only the Exxon station and free-standing Popeyes restaurant are slated to remain.
Read more about JBG’s plans in this previous Reston Now story.
Chili’s Bar & Grill’s Reston location will likely close in the next few months, a company spokesman said.
Chili’s has been located at 11840 Sunrise Valley for nearly two decades. Mike Huffman, director of operations for Chesapeake Restaurants, Chili’s parent company, said there is not yet an exact closing date.
“We are on a very short time frame,” he said “I think from our best understanding, it will be this spring.”
The International Center area, where Chili’s is located, is slated for major redevelopment.
In summer 2013, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a mixed-use plan for the 10-acre site that current is a surface parking lot, a small strip mall, the stand-alone Chili’s, and office space.
Developer JBG’s plans call for a 15-story addition to the Reston International Center and four new buildings: a six-story residential building, a 15-story residential building, a five-story building that incorporates a parking garage with residences and retail space; and a 10-story building that mixes office space, parking and retail space.
The plan includes 145,000 square feet of above-grade retail, 100,00 square feet of below-grade retail, 428,225 square feet of office and 498 residential units.
JBG first had a plan for the area approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2008. That plan featured 498 residential units, 245,000 square feet of retail and nearly 430,000 square feet of office in six buildings. In the newer plans, the numbers are similar, but the design has changed to better engage with the surrounding environment.
There will be an entrance to the development from the Reston Parkway side, something the area currently lacks.
In a presentation to the Reston Association Design Review Board in 2013, Cunningham Quill Architects and Olin, a landscape architecture firm, said they were seeking a design that engages with the landscape and connects with the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station via bike and foot paths.
The new plans will also be harmonious with the adjacent Reston Heights project, also built by JBG. That includes the Westin Reston Heights hotel and the Mercer Condominium, as well as office space.
A Wells Fargo branch in the same development closed in August and sits empty as the center gets ready for the development. Under the current plans, only the stand-alone Popeye’s restaurant will be incorporated in the redevelopment.
JBG has not said when construction will start on the new development.
