Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Community input wanted on future of office in Tysons

Published May 19, 2026 at 10:00AM

One of the Tysons Plaza office buildings on Spring Hill Road (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County is taking a closer look at the older office sites in Tysons to determine whether they might be more suitable now for alternative uses.

The county launched a planning study last week that will evaluate the potential for parcels currently designated as office in the Tysons Comprehensive Plan to support future residential or mixed-use development.

Around Town

Indoor golf simulator concept lines up Reston Station location

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 19, 2026 at 8:30AM

The Blvd Haley apartment building in Reston Row seen from Reston Station Blvd (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Developer Comstock Companies is taking another shot at bringing a golf-related attraction to Reston Station after its previous attempt fizzled.

The Back Nine Golf, a Utah-based company that offers indoor golf simulators, has signed a lease for 4,500 square feet at 1860 Reston Row Plaza, Comstock announced yesterday.

Around Town

The Water Mine in Reston set to reopen for summer this weekend

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 18, 2026 at 3:45PM

The Water Mine at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston’s own water park is suiting up for a new season, just in time to provide relief from a blast of summer heat.

The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole will reopen for 2026 at 11 a.m. this Saturday, May 23 at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive), giving local families an aquatic escape for Memorial Day weekend.

Around Town

Chocolate shop, mystery ‘Loopy Land’ and more coming to Tysons Corner Center

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 18, 2026 at 10:00AM

Future Neuhaus location near Nordstrom in Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Belgian chocolatier, a coffee kiosk and mysterious newcomer called Loopy Land are just some of the new retailers making their way to Tysons Corner Center.

Neuhaus Chocolates anticipates opening a store at the mall in late November, the company’s U.S. managing director Romain Tabaries told FFXnow.

News

UPDATED: Speed, lack of restraints contributed to fatal Route 123 crash, police say

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 18, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated May 26, 2026 at 8:55PM

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis provides update on fatal Route 123 crash (via FCPD/Facebook)

Two adults were killed and two children were hospitalized — including a toddler police fear may not survive — as a result of an SUV crash in Oakton early yesterday (Sunday) morning.

Officers and first responders with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched around 12:28 a.m. yesterday to Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) over I-66 for the crash, which involved an SUV “that ran into the barrier” on the northbound side of the road, according to scanner traffic.

News

Hyatt Regency in Tysons completes ‘fashion-inspired’ room redesign

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 15, 2026 at 2:45PM

The entrance to the Hyatt Regency hotel at Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Hyatt Regency hotel at Tysons Corner Center has put the finishing touches on a new look for its guest rooms.

The $13 million redesign, led by the Texas-based interior design firm FlickMars, transformed the hotel’s 300 rooms with furniture and decor inspired by the kinds of fashion brands that shoppers will find at the neighboring mall, according to a press release.

News

Lane removal, pedestrian refuges proposed to make Herndon High School road safer

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 15, 2026 at 1:45PM

Bennett Street outside Herndon High School (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Town of Herndon is considering a number of changes to Bennett Street intended to make walking and cycling around the local high school safer.

Mike Shindledecker, the town’s transportation engineer, unveiled a preferred concept at a community meeting in the Herndon High School cafeteria on Wednesday (May 13) that would narrow the four-lane road to one travel lane in each direction.

News

FCPD: Man charged with stealing, crashing delivery van on Richmond Highway

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 15, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated May 15, 2026 at 1:12PM

A Fairfax County police cruiser (file photo)

A man from the Groveton area will face a slew of criminal charges once he leaves the hospital after allegedly stealing a delivery van and crashing it multiple times on Richmond Highway, injuring himself and another driver.

Officers responded around 3:31 p.m. on Wednesday (May 13) to Richmond Highway and Lorton Road in Lorton after receiving reports of “a multi-vehicle crash involving a stolen package delivery van that had been taken earlier in the day” in Fort Belvoir, the Fairfax County Police Department said.

Countywide

Chairman McKay lashes out at school board member over budget criticism

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 14, 2026 at 12:45PM | Updated May 14, 2026 at 6:48PM

Hunter Mill District School Board Representative Melanie Meren and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay (staff photos by Jared Serre)

The growing tension between Fairfax County’s government and schools leaders over funding spilled into public view yesterday (Wednesday) when Hunter Mill District School Board Representative Melanie Meren shared a hostile text exchange with Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.

In response to a May 7 newsletter where Meren criticized the Board of Supervisors for eliminating high school crossing guards in the county’s fiscal year 2027 budget, adopted on May 5, McKay texted that she “should apologize” for the “crazy words you have put out,” according to screenshots that Meren posted on Facebook and provided directly to FFXnow.

Around Town

Inclusion in WaPo new restaurant ranking caps strong start for Vienna’s Chef Tan

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 14, 2026 at 9:15AM

Inside Chef Tan in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Chinese restaurant that generated buzz as soon as it opened in Vienna last year has garnered the attention of the Washington Post.

Elazar Sontag, who took over as the newspaper’s food critic in November following longtime scribe Tom Sietsema’s retirement, has ranked Chef Tan as one of the 10 best new restaurants in the D.C. area.