This is a commentary from Reston resident Terry Maynard. It does not represent the opinion of Reston Now.
As RestonNow readers know by now, RA has at least a $451,000 budget shortfall in its operating income and capital investment for renovations of the Tetra property to bring it up to County code and other standards that make it usable for its intended purposes.
If I am reading the Board of Directors and Fiscal Committee agenda packages for this week correctly, the so-called Lake House Working Group is asking for an additional $428,000 for renovation of the property in addition to the $259,000 — Â increasing the projected renovation costs by 165 percent — apparently budgeted for Tetra property renovations this year although it is unclear that the previous sum was ever approved by the Board of Directors. (See the “Lake House” presentation to be given to the Board in the agenda packet, p. 11.)
That’s a total of $687,000 in renovations to be put into a building that, at a $2.65 million purchase price, was already a $1.5 million above fair market value. So if the supplementary capital budget is approved, through this year RA will have spent $3.35 million for a building worth about one-third of that. And that will probably not be the end of what of the investment needed to make the Tetra property usable. Read More
Reston Association says the Lake House property is facing a nearly $500,000 cost overrun and is seeking the Board of Directors’ approval to move $430,000 from the 2016 Operating Fund to cover some of the costs.
There are several reasons for the big gap. Among them: Former tenant Tetra commercial real estate was expected to rent back the property through 2016.
Instead, the company, which had its offices in the building since 2003, left at the end of 2015. That means RA did not receive about $107,000 in payments and was also responsible for paying $20,000 in property taxes. Tetra did not break a contract — the contract ended at the end of 2015. It did, however, unexpectedly opt not to sign two six-month renewals, said RA CEO Cate Fulkerson.
“When [Tetra president] Bill Lauer died [in 2015], it was his intention to rent back through 2016,” said Fulkerson. “His wife, Rosemary, said the company just could not stay — it held too many memories. So we said OK, but it accelerated our plan by a whole year.” Read More
Reston Association is gearing up for its first programming at the Lake House, formerly known as the Tetra Building.
RA will open registration next week for “RA Fit Kids” after-school care for the 2016-17 school year. RA spokesman Mike Leone says there are spots for 50 elementary and middle school students.
The structure of the program will be “fit minds, fit bodies and building a fit community,” said Leone.
That means programming will include art, sports and fitness, homework club, nature and cooking, as well as service learning projects.
Here is what you need to know:
Programs for K-sixth graders will be held at the Lake House; middle schoolers will meet next door at Brown’s Chapel.
Hours are 2-6:30 p.m. on school days; 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on teacher workdays and other student holidays.
There will be bus transportation from these Reston schools: Buzz Aldrin, Forest Edge, Hunters Woods, Lake Anne, Terraset, Langston Hughes and Herndon Middle. Read More
Reston Association’s Tetra Working Group has outlined to the RA Board some of the long- and short-term uses for the lakefront building the association purchased last summer.
First off, the 3,128-square-foot building will be called by a new name: The Lake House. Tetra Partners, the longtime owner of the space, changed its name to Lauer Commercial several months ago. With that name gone, the building, which served as Reston’s Visitor’s Center for 20 years, should also make a change, working group representatives told the RA Board at the Board’s regular monthly meeting on Thursday.
After a controversial discussion process leading to a member referendum in Spring 2015, RA closed on the $2.6 million purchase in July. Buying the building protects the property — which sits next to Brown’s Chapel Park on the banks of Lake Newport — from commercial development, as well as adds a recreational and community space, RA has said.
Exterior renovations ($275,000) are currently taking place at the building, working group member Laura Creilly, said. The $650,000 developer contribution from Comstock will help offset extensive interior renovations, she said.
Art Murphy, an architect who also is in the working group, said interior walls will be removed so the space has a much more open feel with views of the lake. There are plans for flexible partitions so that different groups can use the building at the same time.
There will also have to be expansions of the small bathrooms to accommodate a higher capacity of people, Murphy said.
So what will the people be doing at the building?
Short-term (in the next 12 to 36 months) uses will likely include camp and school aftercare, as well as corporate/nonprofit and homeowners’ association meetings, Creilly said.
The group also said general walk-in hours should be available. It will give residents a quiet place to sit and read indoors or on the deck  — as well as a good sales tool for future use. Open hours would be staffed by volunteer docents, she said.
“Anyone could come in and use the space,” she said “It is a good way to sell the space. Someone could come in and say “I can have a party here.’ “
Long-term plans (by 2020) could include adult classes such as wine tasting or fitness; celebrations such as parties, family reunions or small weddings; and nature programs.
Creilly said the group, which has held six meetings, has heard from neighbors concerned about noise, and the group is still discussing hours the space would be available for special events with that in mind.
Plans are still in the preliminary phase. The group will make another presentation to the RA Board on Feb. 25. The board will eventually get member comments and vote on usage plans.
At the February RA meeting, the 15-member group will propose concept plans for outdoor use, as well as preserving green space and the feasibility of reducing impervious surfaces (parking) that contribute storm-water runoff.
Photos: Top, interior plans for building/RA; bottom, exterior of building/file photo
The 14-member Tetra Working Group met last week to talk about what the future should hold for the building purchased by Reston Association over the summer.
RA closed in July on its $2.65-million purchase of the former Reston Visitors Center. RA members narrowly approved the purchase in a referendum last spring. The referendum capped a busy few months of community discussion, debate and opposition to the purchase.
RA purchased the building in order to preserve green space, stave off potential commercial development and add a community event space.
The acquisition gives the association 98 acres of contiguous space at Brown’s Chapel Park and Lake Newport Tennis. During community meetings, RA said it expects to use the space for events and rentals, after-camp care, a conference center, among other suggestions. Preliminary plans also call for a park on the shore of Lake Newport.
RAÂ also forecasts earning revenue of more than $100,000 annually in rentals for events and groups.
RA recently organized a Tetra Working Group made up of community members to come up with specific uses for the building. Here’s an update of what the group discussed at its first meeting, according to an RA statement:
By December 2015, identify short and long-term indoor community use programming opportunities for the building.
By February 2016, propose concept plans that increase outdoor community use opportunities with the goals of: a) preserving and enhancing the existing green space; b) exploring the feasibility of reducing impervious surfaces in the parking lot that contribute storm-water runoff to Lake Anne.
During the meeting, group members were asked by Intec Group, the architectural firm selected to renovate the interior building space, to respond to the following comments/questions:
- Describe what RA is to you and what you value about the association.
- How do you want RA’s identity/brand/reputation reflected within the space?
- How should this space reflect what you believe are RA’s values?
- Think about other public spaces you have been in and what kind of programming you see that could fit in this space.
During its next meeting (Oct. 28), Intec will present to the working group concept drawings based on the capacity of the space and input provided by the working group.
Also, as part of the settlement agreement when the association purchased the property, $275,000 was put into an escrow account by the seller (Tetra Partners, now called Lauer commercial) for exterior maintenance on the building.
Repairs to the brick wall, siding, painting, and door and window replacement will begin before the end October.
In early November, the skylight and cedar shake roof will be replaced, RA says. In preparation for these repairs, the association’s arborist team used a lift to cover the skylight with a tarp to protect the building’s interior from rainwater leaks.
RA’s landscaping and arborist teams have also removed dead trees and invasive plants on the property in August.
The building may also get a name change. Comstock earned 10 years of naming rights for the site as part of a developer contribution deal. Comstock gave RA $650,000 as part of a development deal concerning BLVD apartments at Reston Station.
Tetra Partners, the Reston-based commercial real estate firm, has a new name and a new location as Reston Association prepares to take over Tetra’s former offices at 11450 Baron Cameron Drive.
Tetra will now be called Lauer Commercial, named for Tetra founder Bill Lauer, and will be located at 1899 Preston White Drive in Reston.
The building, formerly the Reston Visitors Center used by developers as a sales office from 1983 to 2003, was purchased by Tetra in 2003 and used as its offices since.
Tetra sold the building, which sits on 3.47 acres overlooking Lake Newport, to Reston Association for $2.65 million this year. After several contentious community meetings and a member referendum, the sale closed in late July.
RA plans to renovate the building and use it for community and event rental space. It will likely be renamed as Comstock Partners earned 10 years of naming rights in a development agreement with RA. Comstock is giving RA $650,000 as part of a deal that adds BLVD Apartments at Reston Station to the association.
As part of the sales agreement, Tetra is renting back the property from RA through the end of 2015 at $8,098 per month. Even though Lauer Commercial is publicizing a new address, it is still bound by contract to pay for the old space through Dec. 31, said RA spokesman Mike Leone. Lauer Commercial reps did not return messages.
RA is in the process of forming a working group made up of various community members. The group will formulate plans for the building’s use. RA CEO Cate Fulkerson has said the association expects RA programming the the building by spring 2016.
Andy Lauer, Bill Lauer’s son and a principal at Lauer Commercial, said in an email to clients he is renaming the firm to honor his father’s legacy. Bill Lauer, a longtime Reston resident who was active in many nonprofits and community groups, died suddenly in May.
Reston Association closed on its acquisition of the Tetra building on Thursday and will now move forward on refurbishing the building and its 3.47-acre property for community space.
Reston Association members in May approved the $2.65 million purchase via referendum. The referendum capped a busy few months of community discussion, debate and opposition to the purchase.
Opponents cited expense (the purchase price was nearly double the most recent tax assessment), borrowing money and whether Reston needed the additional space among the reasons not to purchase.
Reston Association maintained the acquisition — which gives the association 98 acres of contiguous space at Brown’s Chapel Park and Lake Newport Tennis — would stave off commercial development and offer an additional location for community and private events, as well as a park on the banks of Lake Newport.
“The Tetra Property purchase represents a historic moment for our association,” said RA President Ellen Graves. “It is the first time in RA’s history that property has been acquired to protect against over development, to enhance green space and to increase community and recreational use opportunities for members.”
RA CEO Cate Fulkerson says RA is eager “to begin site and building improvements and renovations so that the community can take advantage of this wonderful venue for meetings, recreational programs and corporate/event rentals by spring 2016.”
Fulkerson said there will be no impact to the RA assessments until “2018 at the earliest.”
Some details of the deal:
Reston Association assumed a $2,650,000 term loan issued by Access National Bank secured by the assessment revenues collected by RA.
Seller Lake Newport, LLC placed $275,000 of the Purchase Price in escrow to be used by RA for improvements, renovations and repairs to the Property.
Lake Newport, LLC will lease back the Tetra building and 20 reserved parking spaces from RA from the July 23 settlement date through Dec. 31, 2015. The lease rate is $32 per square foot net of utilities and cleaning.
RA has also received $650,000 from Comstock as developer contributions from the deal to add BLVD apartments to the association. Comstock will also have 10-year naming rights to the building. That money will also go towards renovations.
RA will now narrow down ideas for the site’s use. The association is forming a working group to develop an initial the plan by December.
Members interested in joining the working group can download the application form at on Reston Association’s website or contact RA’s Board/Committee Liaison Sabrina Tadele at [email protected] or call 703-435-6570.
Reston Association staff will be collaborating Cresa Partners to oversee all aspects of the project including: exterior design and maintenance, developing interior space reconfiguration plans, managing the engagement designers, contractors, voice/data suppliers, furniture and other contracts.
Reston Association’s purchase of the Tetra building is still on track for a summer closing — and could be in use as early as next spring, says RA CEO Cate Fulkerson.
RA members voted in a spring referendum to allow the association to purchase the former Reston Visitors Center, which is currently being used as office space for Tetra Partners commercial real estate.
After a often-contentious community discussion, RA voters approved, by a narrow margin, the association borrowing up to $2.7 million for the purchase. RA plans to repurpose and renovate the 3,128-square-foot building for community, meeting and event space.
Fulkerson said RA is finishing bank paperwork and hopes to announce a closing date soon. RA said in its contract it wanted a closing date of July 31, but would not take possession of the property until 2016.
“We are talking with a full service firm for exterior and interior renovations,” said Fulkerson. “”We are trying to see if there is a possibility of finishing renovations by mid- April. It would be a dream of mine to have [the April 2016] annual meeting in the facility.”
RA plans to borrow $2.7 million with an interest rate of 3.35 percent locked in for 10 years, at which time RA would most likely refinance.
Developer Comstock is contributing $650,000 to the project as part of a deal for adding its new residential building, BLVD, to the association. Comstock will also get naming rights to the building for up to 10 years.
A Tetra working group is also in the process of being formed, said Fulkerson. The group will formulate some potential uses for the building, which is set on the shores of Lake Newport, where RA also plans to add enhancements for a lakeside park.
RA projects more than $100,000 in annual revenue from special event rentals and after-camp care at the building.
The task force will be made up of one resident from each of RA’s districts (Lake Anne/Tall Oaks, Hunters Woods/Dogwood, South Lakes and North Point); three residents of the neighborhoods adjacent to the property; and a member from each of RA’s advisory committees.
The Reston Association Board of Directors voted unanimously on Thursday to add Comstock’s BLVD residences to the association, potentially paving the way for other new buildings to become RA properties but at a different assessment structure.
Under the new model, the association will receive an initiation fee and/or proffers from developers.
Residents will not initially have to pay RA assessments. BLVD, which will begin leasing 540 units at Reston Station this fall, is built in Reston’s former industrial corridor and is not required to join RA. Also, it will have extensive on-site amenities, so residents should not require all of RA’s membership benefits.
Comstock has agreed to pay $300,000 of an expected $650,000 in proffers to RA as an association initiation fee. Comstock’s payment will go towards the refurbishment of the Tetra Building, which RA is in the process of purchasing for community space. Comstock will get naming rights to the building for 10 years.
BLVD will offer to residents optional RA recreational packages, which will give residents access to RA pools, tennis courts and camp priority, for $350 annually.
When and if the building goes condo, residents will pay 50 percent of the RA full-member assessment (currently $642 annually), according to RA and Comstock’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Those members will still have to pay an additional fee for RA recreation access, RA CEO Cate Fulkerson said.
BLVD will not be under the guidelines of the RA Design Review Board. Its design guidelines were already approved by the county as part of the initial plans in 2010.
The upcoming Bozzuto residential building, which will have 421 units across Reston Station Boulevard from BLVD, will also likely be added to the association in the same manner, Fulkerson said.
Along with bringing new revenue into the association, adding former industrial corridor properties to RA will help create a more unified Reston, she added.
“With the Silver Line spurring new mixed use development in those areas, we believe it is important to bring the corridor properties into our organization to make one Reston,” said Reston Association CEO Cate Fulkerson. “More than anything, so that the people who are coming into our community have a sense of place, that they belong to all of Reston and are not separated or treated differently.”
The board also passed a motion to begin adding future corridor properties using a list of eight options recently adopted by RA.
Are you ready to attend a party at the Comstock Center on the banks of Lake Newport?
That could be the name of the former Reston Visitors Center, commonly referred to as the Tetra building, according to terms of the deal to add BLVD Apartments to RA.
Reston Association members recently approved by referendum the purchase of the Lake Newport-area building from Tetra Partners commercial real estate for $2.65 million.
RA announced earlier that it would be getting a $650,000 contribution from Comstock Partners as part of the deal to add the 540-unit BLVD Apartments to the association.
As part of the terms of that deal, Comstock will have naming rights to the Tetra building for 10 years, RA says.
Some of the terms of the deal, which are open for a discussion at the first of two public hearings on May 28 at 6 p.m. at RA headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr.:
RA will be paid $300,000 (as required by Fairfax County proffer for recreation), as well as an additional $350,000, which will be used in the refurbishment of the Tetra property. Comstock will get certain building naming rights for a period of 10 years, RA said.
The offer of RA recreational packages for purchase by tenants of the apartment units at a fee annually established by the RA Board of Directors.
Comstock will market the RA recreational packages to its tenants.
At such time the apartment units are converted to condominiums, the payment of a certain percentage of the RA annual assessment rate.
In fulfillment of additional county proffer requirements, RA will be responsible for the administration and staffing of the design review process in coordination with Comstock and, under the direction an Urban Redevelopment Review Panel, responsible for administering design guidelines for the area. Reston Association will be paid an annual fee for such services by Comstock.
The RA Board of Directors voted in March to start the process to add BLVD, which will have one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury units at Reston Station, adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. BLVD is expected to begin leasing later this year.
Under RA Bylaws, properties can be added to the association with written consent of fee simple owner (in this case, Comstock Properties) and a two-thirds vote of the board.
The Board of Directors passed a motion several years ago to make adding new construction in Reston a priority for the association. Properties within Reston Town Center are not in RA territory.
New buildings such as The Harrison, which recently opened on Reston Parkway, and BLVD, as well as planned new and replacement construction at the Crescent Apartments site, are slated to be RA members.
The second hearing will be held June 25.
Photo: BLVD Apartments/file photo
There was both a high turnout and a narrow margin of passage in the Reston Association referendum to purchase the Tetra building.
The referendum passed, RA announced Monday night, and the association will now move forward to close on the purchase by late July.
According to RA’s official vote tally, 5,676 ballots were returned out of a possible 17,511 eligible households. There were 2,926 votes in favor of the purchase (52.9 percent). That’s just 323 votes more than the 2,603 that cast a “no” vote. There were 147 abstentions, which did not count in the vote tally.
The nearly 33-percent turnout was actually quite large for a RA vote. For instance, in the 2015 board elections that wrapped up in March, ballot returns were between 15 and 20 percent, depending on district.
RA will now move forward to secure a $2.7 million loan for the property and organize a committee to get member input and envision a transformation of the 33-year-old building.
The 3,128-square-foot building and its 3.47 acres housed Reston’s Visitor’s Center for 20 years. Since 2003, it has been office space for Tetra Partners, a commercial real estate firm that purchased the building for $750,000.
RA plans to repurpose the building  for community and event space and a lakefront park.
Part of the refurbishment will be paid by developer Comstock, which will contribute $650,000, and by the seller, Tetra Partners, which will pay $275,000 for new roofing, HVAC system and other repairs.
The property off of Baron Cameron Avenue sits in between Lake Newport Tennis and Brown’s Chapel Park and will give RA 98 acres of contiguous space.
The referendum capped a contentious couple of months, where RA faced vocal opposition to the purchase. Opponents objected to the purchase price, which was more than double the $1.2 million recent Fairfax County tax assessment. They also questioned RA’s information that commercial development would happen if RA did not make the purchase.
RA Chief Financial Officer Robert Wood said Monday the association talked to three banks about loan terms. The most favorable terms came from Access National, which is offering RA a loan of $2.7 million with an interest rate of 3.35 percent locked in for 10 years, at which time RA would most likely refinance.
The task force will be made up of one resident from each of RA’s districts (Lake Anne/Tall Oaks, Hunters Woods/Dogwood, South Lakes and North Point); three residents of the neighborhoods adjacent to the property;Â and a member from each of RA’s advisory committees.
RA estimates that it will create revenue of more than $100,000 annually from event and meeting rentals, as well as after-camp and after-school child care programs.
Reston Association members have approved the purchase of the former Reston Visitor’s Center.
Nearly 33 percent of eligible member households voted in the member referendum, which ended on Friday. There were 5,676 ballots returned, and the vote passed with 52.92 percent of the vote, Reston Association President Ellen Graves said.
The vote authorizes RA to purchase the 3.48-acre property and its 3,128-square-foot building for up to $2.65 million. RA plans to repurpose the building — which from 1983 to 2003 served as Reston’s Visitors Center and currently serves as offices for Tetra Partners commercial real estate — for community and event space and a lakefront park.
Part of the refurbishment will be paid by Comstock, which will contribute $650,000, and by the seller, Tetra Partners, which will pay $275,000 for new roofing, HVAC system and other repairs.
The property off of Baron Cameron Avenue sits in between Lake Newport Tennis and Brown’s Chapel Park and will give RA 98 acres of contiguous space.
The referendum capped a contentious couple of months, where RA faced vocal opposition to the purchase. Opponents objected to the purchase price, which was far more than the $1.2 million recent Fairfax County tax assessments, as well as RA’s information that commercial development would happen if RA did not make the purchase.
“I understand the significance of the outcome of the referendum,” RA CEO Cate Fulkerson said. “I have great respect for all who participated, either in community meetings or by voting.”
At a special meeting on Monday, Fulkerson and Graves expressed the association’s sadness that the deal will go forward without Tetra founder Bill Lauer, who died suddenly last week.
“It was a great pleasure working with him,” said Fulkerson. “He will be sorely missed in the community.”
The board also voted last night to allow RA to sign financial terms for the property’s mortgage. RA Chief Financial Officer Robert Wood said the association talked to three banks. The most favorable terms came from Access National, which is offering RA a loan of $2.7 million with an interest rate of 3.35 percent locked in for 10 years, at which time RA would most likely refinance.
Graves said a community task force will now form to get community input and form a concept plan for the property.
The task force will be made up of one resident from each of RA’s districts (Lake Anne/Tall Oaks, Hunters Woods/Dogwood, South Lakes and North Point); three residents of the neighborhoods adjacent to the property;Â and a member from each of RA’s advisory committees.
Fulkerson said her main goal now if to “mitigate expenses so it has little or no impact on member assessments.”
RA estimates that it will create revenue of more than $100,000 annually from event and meeting rentals, as well as after-camp and after-school child care programs.
Preliminary estimates by RA say that member assessments could be impacted as soon as 2018.
A memorial service for Reston developer Bill Lauer will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 15 at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 9970 Vale Rd, in Vienna.
Lauer, founder and CEO of Reston-based Tetra Partners, died unexpectedly last week.
Lauer had played an important role in Reston development since the 1960s, working with two homebuilding companies and for Gulf Reston in the 1960s and 70s as Reston developed as a New Town.
Lauer was also active in many professional organizations and charities, including the Lions Club, Joe Gibbs Youth for Tomorrow, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, Alternative House, Home Aid, Cornerstones and Devotion to Children.
Instead of flowers, Lauer’s family requests donations be made in his memory to Devotion to Children.
Photo: Bill Lauer/Credit: Tetra
This is an op-ed from Reston resident Flora Nicholas, who also created “The Price is Wrong” video in response to Reston Association’s Tetra referendum. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
My husband and I, like a growing number of Restonians, are very concerned about how the Reston Association and the board have conducted themselves with regard to this Tetra purchase, and how they are running Reston Association generally.
We therefore marshaled our company, Brainwave Inc., resources to write and produce “The Price is Wrong” video because we wanted to highlight how ridiculous and eyebrow raising the RA’s contract to buy the Tetra property is.
Additionally, as the RA has spent close to $100,000 promoting its own one-sided information, this video gives all those who are vehemently opposed to the Tetra deal a way of promoting their concerns too. And it does so in a humorous way that will grab the attention of the media and those on social media too — and today’s article in the Washington Post and this article in Reston Now shows we’ve achieved that.
Whatever the outcome of the referendum, the RA and its board have a lot of explaining to do. Why did they enter into a contract to buy a building for $2.65 million when the County had valued it at $1.2 million? Why have they not disclosed to the community that its own appraisers valued the property “as is” at $1.3 million, as the Washington Post revealed today? Why, despite that $1.3 million appraisal, did the RA then proceed to enter into a contract to buy the Tetra property for $2.65 million? What else is really going on here?
All these questions need to be asked of the RA and answered. When all this is done, I think the RA’s going to need a watch dog. H’mm, may be we’ll start one.
Friday, May 8 is the last day to vote in Reston Association’s Tetra referendum. Cast your ballot online by 5 p.m. if you have not done so already.
RAÂ has met the quorum needed for the referendum on the purchase of the 3,128-square-foot building to be valid.
As of the end of last week, RA had recived 4,060 ballots back. The association needed to hear from 1,751 (10 percent of the eligible 17,511 homeowners).
The referendum asks members if RA should be authorized to borrow up to $2.65 million to purchase the 32-year-old former Reston Visitors Center (now office space for Tetra Partners commercial real estate) and repurpose it for community space.
The 3.47-acre property sits adjacent to other RA-owned open space, including Brown’s Chapel Park and Lake Newport Tennis. Acquiring the property will give RA 98 contiguous acres of open space and fend off commercial development of the property, which sits on the banks of Lake Newport.
Opponents of the purchase say the sales price is too high since the most recent Fairfax County tax assessment was $1.2 million. They also say that environmental restrictions and easements ensure there is almost no chance of commercial development on the site.
Results of the referendum will be announced at a special RA meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at RA headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr.
According to Virginia law, the conditional sales contract is still valid despite the sudden death this week of Tetra Partners president Bill Lauer.
