Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

First phase of mixed-use Herndon Parkway development under review

Published August 9, 2024 at 10:30AM

A rendering of Fairfield Residential's planned 555 Herndon Parkway redevelopment (via LandDesign/Town of Herndon)

At least one development project near the Herndon Metro station is moving forward.

The Town of Herndon is currently reviewing a site plan and architectural designs for a mid-rise residential building at 555 Herndon Parkway, the first of two phases of mixed-use development approved to replace the low-lying, vacant office building on the site.

Countywide

Tornado Watch issued, GW Parkway lane closed as Debby nears

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 8, 2024 at 8:30PM

A Tornado Watch has been issued for the D.C. area until 7 a.m. on Aug. 9, 2024 (via National Weather Service/Twitter)

Settle in for a potentially stormy night as Debby, now a tropical depression, is expected to reach the mid-Atlantic region.

The National Weather Service has issued Tornado Watch for the D.C. area, including Fairfax County, in anticipation of the storm, which first made landfall in Florida as a hurricane on Monday (Aug. 5). Fairfax County also faces a Flood Watch and a Coastal Flood Advisory.

News

Dunn Loring Center developer aims for 2025 construction start

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 8, 2024 at 2:30PM

An apartment building with retail will replace the Dunn Loring Center office building at 2272 Merrilee Drive (courtesy Elm Street Development)

Dunn Loring Center in Merrifield has been quiet since Fairfax County approved a redevelopment of the 1980s-era office building more than three years ago.

Rest assured, though, that the planned apartment building with retail is still in the works, says property owner and developer Elm Street Development, which hopes to start construction at 2722 Merrilee Drive in 2025.

News

Springfield Lego Discovery Center to celebrate first b-day by naming giraffe

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 8, 2024 at 1:30PM

The Lego giraffe outside Springfield Town Center is getting a name (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Lego Discovery Center is planning a big birthday bash to celebrate its first anniversary in Springfield.

The 32,000-square-foot play area dedicated to all things Legos will kick off the birthday festivities at 9:45 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) — exactly one year after it launched — by announcing a name for its giraffe outside Springfield Town Center.

News

Report: Facebook owner might shrink Reston Town Center office

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 8, 2024 at 11:30AM

The entrance to the office building at 1818 Library Street in Reston Town Center (via Google Maps)

Meta, the technology company that owns Facebook and Instagram, appears to be planning a dramatic downsizing of its office space in Reston Town Center, the Washington Business Journal says.

A listing on the commercial real estate database CoStar indicates that two floors of the office building at 1818 Library Street will become available in June 2025, the WBJ reported yesterday (Wednesday). That would amount to 51,000 square feet or two-thirds of the roughly 75,000 square feet of office space that Facebook leased in 2019.

Around Town

Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta to dock in Reston this Saturday

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 7, 2024 at 2:30PM

Teams race in the annual Lake Anne Cardboard Boat Regatta (courtesy Reston Museum)

Dozens of cardboard boats will populate the waters of Lake Anne in Reston this Saturday (Aug. 10) for the 2024 Cardboard Boat Regatta.

The popular annual event, where community members race each other in life-sized cardboard boats that they built and decorated by hand, will return Lake Anne Plaza (1639 Washington Plaza North), starting at noon and ending at 3 p.m.

News

Avoid Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 during coming lane closures, VDOT warns

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 7, 2024 at 1:30PM | Updated August 14, 2024 at 5:32PM

The Georgetown Pike Bridge over I-495 will be reduced to one travel lane in each direction during the weekend of Aug. 16-19 (via VDOT)

The Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 in McLean will partially close for a full weekend later this month so traffic can be shifted to new lanes.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is advising drivers to avoid the interchange during what it’s calling “Stay-Away Weekend” if they don’t want to get caught up in the congestion that’ll likely be created by the lane reductions and ramp closures.

News

New Reston Association website on track for September launch

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 7, 2024 at 11:45AM | Updated August 7, 2024 at 7:49PM

Reston Association (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Reston Association’s new, permanent website is almost ready to go live.

The redesigned website is expected to roll out September, communications director Cara O’Donnell told the Board of Directors on July 25. The launch would come more than four years after outdated software prompted the homeowners’ association to take down its previous online home and transition to a temporary, more limited platform.

News

Big water main break shuts down South George Mason Drive

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 7, 2024 at 9:45AM | Updated August 7, 2024 at 10:56AM

A water main break has closed northbound South George Mason Drive in Bailey's Crossroads (via FCPD/Twitter)

Northbound South George Mason Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads has been closed for over 12 hours due to a major water main break.

The Fairfax County Police Department reported the break near 7313 South George Mason Drive near Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in the Skyline neighborhood at 9:39 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday). Water can be seen gushing up from under the street in a video shared by the department.

News

JUST IN: Arrest made in Bailey’s Crossroads attempted sexual assault

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 6, 2024 at 4:20PM

A parked Fairfax County police car (file photo)

A Chesterfield man has been arrested in connection with an attempted sexual assault in Bailey’s Crossroads over the weekend, police say.

Officers were dispatched to a small row of houses in the 3500 block of Carlin Springs Road around 5 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 3) for a sexual assault, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.