Northern Virginia

[Shakman]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29709199@N06/?saved=1 i just put them on flickr. enjoy!

Rosslyn is going to have an amazing skyline 5-years from know.

[theFFXcounty]

i bet it wont even take that long. turnberry is FINALLY on its last stages of construction in terms of skyline effect, the stubby white building at the site of 1812 n moore st was in use in march, and demolition has begun for central place. there are still a few proposed and approved buildings, but none as big as those four towers.

the skyline is just one of the good things. ALL this new development and even some existing stuff will be built with or revamped to include street level retail. and i can tell you one thing; im gonna be first in line to get up to that obsurvation deck!

[joshuadavis]

Not exactly sure how this news passed us, but Herndon will be getting a brand new town center. It

[tombarnes]

That's a great looking plan. I can well imagine that it will have no trouble filling its offices and condos. The growth in that area is phenomenal- almost scarily so. I regret that I do not keep up with developmentsa outside the city as much as I ought to. There is so much going on in this area, but it is remarkable to see how much of the development here is not in the District itself. This may change as certain areas are opened to development, but the current housing slump might keep certain areas underveloped at this time. Not that the DC area has really suffered much of a slump anyway, but it's still there to a certain degree- at least on the development side of things, if not in real estate prices.

[J0e]

I was just curious to see if anyone has any particulars about the Mosaic District lifestyle center being built in Merrifield by Edens & Avants?

[joshuadavis]

I was just curious to see if anyone has any particulars about the Mosaic District lifestyle center being built in Merrifield by Edens & Avants?

Do you mean above and beyond what's on their website?

[J0e]

Do you mean above and beyond what's on their website?

Yes.

[TheFutureIsNow]

Hey! Sorry I haven't been on in awhile, i've been moving into my dorm at Cal Poly in california! ^About the Mosaic development, I went to a couple of restaurants in the first phase of the plan, which im not sure is a part of the development, or an entirely different project, and got mixed reactions. While im really glad that section of merrifield is being redeveloped from a complete mess of townhomes, industrial parks, retail strips, parking lots, and hotels, some particular aspects of the development weren't very well executed. For example, there are obvious cracks in between some of the bricks, paint splattered concrete barriers that block pedestrians from just parking their cars and walking onto the sidewalk, cheap windows, basically no details or differentiation in the facade, and an overall hulking and overbearing impression. It looks like from the renderings on the website that the next phases of the project were more well thought through.

[TheFutureIsNow]

wow, this thread is really dead... i know the recession is affecting d.c., but i'm sure there are still some new projects, like the redevelopment of the car dealership in tysons...

These blogs are pretty good for checking up on development in the area:

http://dcmud.blogspot.com/

http://dcmetrocentric.com/

This has an entire directory of new condo projects in DC and the surrounding area:

http://www.dclofts.com/newcondodirectory.html

Urban Trekker's alrite too

http://metrodchomes.typepad.com/

[tombarnes]

Thanks for the links. There really is a surprising amount of activity for an otherwise dead market here.

[calwinston]

The Georgelas Group is building a inviting entertainment district including shops, restaurants, theaters, hotels,office space and apartments at the new Tysons West Metro Stop (coming 2013). Construction is expected to start in mid 2011.

Washington Post Article

http://www.washingto...0011404525.html

Development Website

http://www.tysonsdemo.com/

Times Article on Tysons Corner New Urbanism plan

http://www.time.com/...ation/article/0,8599,1904187,00.html

Edited May 21, 2010 by calwinston

[calwinston]

The glut of office space in Fairfax County is being filled up! This is the best they have seen it in 3 years!

http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/news/article/fairfax-county-reports-drop-in-large-blocks-of-vacant-office-space/220223/

[calwinston]

"Neighbors of East Falls Church Metro stunned by development idea"

http://www.washingto...0061304058.html

Some Arlington County residents who live near the East Falls Church Metro station say a proposed plan for guiding future development in the area will destroy their bucolic neighborhood.The proposed East Falls Church Area plan offers guidance for the potential redevelopment of about 10 sites in the community, including the East Falls Churchpark-and-ride lot, in preparation for the arrival of the Silver Line to Dulles International Airport.

The plan recommends replacing the more than 400 parking spaces at the park-and-ride with a six- to nine-story building, a central plaza, retail operations and about 100 short-term parking spaces for shoppers, among other ideas.

Sorry but when you only live 8 miles from DC with a subway station in your backyard shouldn't you expect development to happen!

"Those of us who bought in this part of the county did so because it wasn't urbanized. We wanted to have single-family homes," said Nancy Weinberg, a 32-year resident, who said her family made concessions when townhouse developments came to the community. "A nine-story high-rise? I don't think so."

If you expect nothing to happen for 30 years then something is seriously wrong and you need to move to the Shenandoah Valley and purchase 50 acres of farmland!

When you are surrounded by an urban environment sooner or later that bubble of surburbia will be penetrated. It is expected!

Also you have two options one expand the exurbs to oblivion which the DC suburbs already stretch out 50 miles or two incorporate smart growth and have in fill development.

Edited June 16, 2010 by calwinston

[calwinston]

Alexandria officials are reshaping the north end of Potomac Yard as a multi-billion-dollar development with 7.5 million square feet of residential, retail and commercial space.

This is great news for the Alexandria waterfront connecting Old Towne with Crystal City in Arlington! What I dont understand is the cost of 170-200 million for a extra metro stop on already existing tracks!

This was the same place that Redskin Stadium was going to be built but it was rejected by residents!

City of Alexandria Planning Comission

http://alexandriava.gov/PotomacYard

http://gis.alexandriava.gov/development/viewer.htm?ActiveLayer=1&QueryZoom=Yes&Query=NAME%20LIKE%20"%25Potomac%20Yard%25"

Washington Post June 12,2010

http://www.washingto...0061404788.html

Washington Post June 16,2010

http://www.washingto...ST2010061404950

Developers website and rendering

http://www.mccaffery...m/potomac-yards

Edited June 16, 2010 by calwinston

[calwinston]

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have approved the higher density master plan for Tysons Corner!

Tysons Corner is the 12th largest and largest suburban business district in the United States with 50 million sq ft of office space and 115,000 employees and 20,000 residents! Plan to increase to 200,000 employees and 100,000 residents.

Here are some renderings of the plan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairfaxcounty/sets/72157624106285751/detail/

Metro Stations

http://www.fairfaxco...on/dullesmetro/

Washington Post

http://www.washingto...0062305546.html

http://www.washingto...ST2010062200169

Master Plan

http://www.fairfaxco...n_bos_june8.pdf

Edited June 24, 2010 by calwinston

[calwinston]

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have approved the higher density master plan for Tysons Corner!

Tysons Corner is the 12th largest and largest suburban business district in the United States with 50 million sq ft of office space and 115,000 employees and 20,000 residents! Plan to increase to 200,000 employees and 100,000 residents.

Here are some renderings of the plan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairfaxcounty/sets/72157624106285751/detail/

Metro Stations

http://www.fairfaxco...on/dullesmetro/

Washington Post

http://www.washingto...0062305546.html

http://www.washingto...ST2010062200169

Master Plan

http://www.fairfaxco...n_bos_june8.pdf

3/4's aerial view of Tysons Corner 2008

2000

Edited June 25, 2010 by calwinston

[calwinston]

Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church building 11 story patient tower.

Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church announced today that work will begin this summer on a new 11-story, patient tower. It will house 174 private intensive care and medical/surgical patient rooms. Officials said the additional 216,000 square feet will help the hospital meet future inpatient and outpatient needs and will allow for more flexibility if there is a surge in patients during a disaster or pandemic event.The project’s estimated cost is about $161 million. The South Patient Tower, which will stand at the entrance of the existing main hospital, is expected to be complete by the fall of 2012.“With increased demand for healthcare services in this area, it is critical for a hospital like Inova Fairfax, which serves as the hub of a community healthcare system, to expand to meet the future needs of our community,” L. Reuven Pasternak, CEO of Inova Fairfax Hospital, said in a statement.

http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/news/article/inova-fairfax-hospital-plans-to-build-a-new-11-story-patient-tower/238552/

Inova Fairfax Hospital, already Greater Washington’s biggest hospital by revenue, will in July begin building a new patient tower, the first phase of five-year, $621 million construction project, and is also close to securing regulatory changes laying groundwork for a long-term expansion plan beyond that.

Read more: Inova Fairfax Hospital charts $621M long-term expansion plan - Washington Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/06/28/story3.html?b=1277697600^3559301&s=industry&i=commercial_real_estate

[calwinston]

Edens & Avant has started construction on a 1.9 million sq ft development in Merrifield Virginia called the Mosaic District. The development is located at I-66 & 1-495(Capital Beltway)

pedestrian-friendly town center that includes a new cinema, grocery store, townhouses and office space

Mosaic District

http://www.mosaicdis...t.com/index.htm

Edens&Avant

http://edensandavant...il.asp?cid=1003

Edited June 28, 2010 by calwinston

[calwinston]

Arlington Rap

[calwinston]

Tysons Corner (the 12th largest employment center in the United States). Has a problem with letting the developers come up with their own tax code.

"

Private-sector executives are sometimes known to grumble about government tax policies that amount to a bureaucratic maze. Why can’t the government just create a straightforward system, they wonder? And why does every decision take so darn long?

In Tysons Corner, the roles have been reversed, as the area’s major landowners have

struggled for months to agree on how to raise $506 million for more than a dozen major road upgrades as the government waited."

http://www.washingto...yX6T_story.html

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/tysons/

http://www.washingto...tK_gallery.html

Edited May 9, 2012 by calwinston

[calwinston]

Update on the Silver line running from Falls Church-Tysons Corner-Dulles International Airport-Route 772

"Va. transportation chief Sean Connaughton lays out position on Silver Line"

The first part of the 23-mile Silver Line, which will run through Tysons Corner to Wiehle Avenue, is under construction and is expected to be completed in August 2013. Construction of

the second part

of the project is expected to start next spring and will run from Reston to Dulles Airport and Loudoun County.

But already there have been delays in starting the process to get bids on the second part of the project.

The

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), which is overseeing construction of the $6 billion Silver Line, appears unwilling to change an incentive that it put into a labor agreement for the second phase.

That has stalled Virginia from giving its share of money for the construction because of a bill that passed the General Assembly preventing Virginia from giving money for the Silver Line if there were labor incentives in place. Some officials believe the MWAA’s labor agreement violates the state’s right-to-work policy.

The MWAA board is expected to discuss the issue at its Wednesday meeting.

There are also

concerns among Loudoun supervisors over the labor agreement and the project’s cost. Officials in Loudoun have until July 4 to decide whether they are in or out on helping to pay for the project.

“We’ve always said we’re going to give $150 million,” Connaughton said Wednesday, just before the breakfast started. “The issue is, we can’t give them that money or provide any other money if there is a labor agreement or preference given in the procurement.”

He said the $150 million is not due to the project until 2013.

“Virginia is committed to this project,” he said. “We are going to provide these funds as long as it doesn’t violate any of our laws.”

The Silver Line is being paid for with funds from the federal and state governments, Fairfax and Loudoun counties and revenue from the Dulles Toll Road.

“Virginia is a right-to-work state,” Connaughton said. “This is not a federal project. This is a state project with state funds and taxpayer and toll payer funds. Therefore, we want our laws to be respected.”

At the Wednesday event,

Stephen Fuller, an economist at George Mason University, said Loudoun County would lose $72.2 billion in economic benefit if the Silver Line doesn’t run to Loudoun.

With the rail service, Fuller said that 40,000 professional and business service jobs would come to Loudoun. Without it, the area would remain more of a bedroom community, he said.

http://www.washingto...u2CU_story.html

http://www.dullesmetro.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairfaxcounty/sets/72157624106285751/

Edited May 10, 2012 by calwinston

[calwinston]

The DC Regions tallest skscraper will be finished early 2013.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mondayproperties/6896918796/in/photostream

http://www.arlnow.com/2010/09/30/groundbreaking-scheduled-for-rosslyn-skyscraper/

http://www.1812northmoore.com/

[Lady Celeste]

JBG Cos. and Arlington officials break ground on 31 story apartment tower in Rosslyn

 

 

 

Rosslyn is transforming right before our eyes. It seems to be in a perpetual stage of transformation. I think more residential to this bustling business district is exactly what is needed. 

 

 

 

Rosslyn’s transformation from a 9-to-5 office canyon to an 18-hour live, work and play destination got a kick in the pants Wednesday with the groundbreaking of The JBG Cos.' 31-story Central Place residential tower.

 

The 355-foot-tall high-rise fronting North Lynn Street at the Rosslyn Metro station will include 377 residences and 25,000 square feet of retail space across two floors, all adjacent to a 17,000-square-foot public plaza.

 

 

Read more here: http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/04/jbg-arlington-leaders-break-ground-on-rosslyns.html

[carolinagarnet]

This is huge. Rosslyn's image as a commercial area is hard to refute when the streets are largely empty at night. The bulk of apartments seem to be either oriented toward Courthouse or Georgetown at the moment, so bringing so many people into the center of the neighborhood can only encourage more development and later hours at the existing restaurants. A lot of Washingtonians (myself included) feel like Arlington is so far away, even though it's not, in part because the first real draw is Clarendon. Having bars and restaurants in Rosslyn would make Arlington feel much more approachable.

[Lady Celeste]

I agree with your statement regarding Rosslyn and Clarendon. I was surprised when I realized the lack of residential in the area. It's prime. You are right across the Potomac from DC. It's served by both the Blue and Orange Lines (I may be incorrect since I've only ridden the METRO once) so I can see the appeal to renters there. Rosslyn has great potential and could be easily retrofitted to have far more residential than it has now. 

 

I'm not in the District proper and if you feel like Arlington is far away then I must be on another planet, lol.