Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

A decade after approval, plan for Leesburg Pike hotel treads water

Published July 7, 2025 at 10:00AM

Rendering from 2015 of the proposed Marriott Residence Inn at 7799 Leesburg Pike in Idylwood (via Gordon & Greenburg Architects/Fairfax County)

Though Marriott is no longer coming, the developer behind Tysons II is keeping its hopes alive for a new hotel on Route 7 (Leesburg Pike).

On behalf of Lerner Enterprises, the law firm Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh has requested a three-year extension of the deadline to start construction on a hotel greenlit by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for 7799 Leesburg Pike in Idylwood in 2015.

News

Cornerstones head plans exit after nearly 25 years at Reston nonprofit

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 7, 2025 at 9:15AM

Cornerstones is based at 11150 Sunset Hills Road in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The woman who has guided Cornerstones for close to half its lifetime is stepping away.

Kerrie Wilson announced last Wednesday (July 2) that she will retire early next year after serving as the Reston-based nonprofit’s CEO for nearly 25 years.

News

Fairfax nonprofit to launch mobile services, including showers, for homeless people

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 3, 2025 at 11:45AM

Rendering of Pathway Homes' planned Mobile Outreach Unit (courtesy Pathway Homes)

A supportive housing nonprofit based in Fairfax City plans to hit the road with a new mobile unit that will enable it to bring services directly to the people who need them.

Pathway Homes is aiming to launch the Mobile Outreach Unit (MOU) in the fourth quarter of 2025 after securing nearly $300,000 in grant funding for the program, CEO Sylisa Lambert-Woodard announced in a June press release.

News

Temporary Vienna library opening delayed by permitting issues

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 3, 2025 at 9:15AM | Updated July 3, 2025 at 1:45PM

Temporary Vienna library coming soon to Cedar Park Shopping Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Vienna residents will have to wait a little longer than expected to check out library books without leaving town.

Previously expected to launch in June, a planned temporary library has encountered permitting delays and now likely won’t open at the Cedar Park Shopping Center until late July, according to Fairfax County Public Library.

News

Smithsonian committed to keeping space shuttle in Chantilly despite relocation proposal

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 3, 2025 at 8:30AM

Space Shuttle Discovery on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has no intention right now of shipping off a centerpiece of its Chantilly facility to Texas.

The federal budget bill that squeaked through the Republican-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday (July 1) includes a provision directing NASA to transfer the Discovery space shuttle from its longtime home at the Udvar-Hazy Center to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, allocating $85 million toward transportation and construction costs.

News

CoreSite moves to expand Reston data centers, alarming some residents

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 2, 2025 at 3:45PM | Updated February 23, 2026 at 7:58PM

CoreSite's Reston data center campus (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Data center provider CoreSite is powering up the next phase of its planned expansion in Reston.

Fairfax County staff are currently reviewing a site plan for a three-story data center facility that would replace a one-story, vacant office building on the company’s 21.7-acre campus at 12369 Sunrise Valley Drive, just east of Fairfax County Parkway.

Around Town

Where to find Fourth of July 2025 celebrations in Fairfax County

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 2, 2025 at 1:45PM | Updated July 2, 2025 at 6:53PM

Fireworks at Yeonas Park from Vienna's 2024 Independence Day Celebration (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Though Fairfax County set off some Fourth of July fireworks prematurely, with displays in Lorton, McLean and at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston last weekend, residents who are sticking around for the holiday will still have plenty of options for celebrating.

Coming up first, the Town of Vienna will host its annual celebration with fireworks at Yeonas Park (1319 Ross Drive SW) from 6-10 p.m. tonight (Wednesday).

Countywide

Local artists need more space and ways to build community, ArtsFairfax survey finds

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 2, 2025 at 11:45AM

ArtsFairfax released its regional artist survey results at a community engagement event on June 25, 2025 at Reston Community Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County is home to plenty of artists, but many of them struggle to find space for practicing and displaying their craft, a survey recently released by ArtsFairfax found.

According to the Fairfax Regional Artist Survey, limited opportunities for networking and a scarcity of appropriate, affordable venues are the biggest obstacles to artists presenting their work in Fairfax County, pushing many of them to other localities.

News

‘Potentially harmful’ bits of algae seen in Reston’s Lake Audubon

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 1, 2025 at 11:45AM

Algae seen in Lake Audubon (via Reston Association/Facebook)

Hints of the blue-green algae that often emerge in Reston’s lakes during the summer have been spotted at Lake Audubon.

“We have learned that a small amount of blue-green algae has been observed at Lake Audubon,” Reston Association said in an alert and social media posts sent out this morning. “RA Watershed staff are monitoring the potentially harmful algae.”

News

NOW: Tractor-trailer crash shuts down I-495 North in Tysons

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 1, 2025 at 10:20AM

I-495 North lanes closed for tractor-trailer crash south of Route 123 (via VDOT traffic cameras)

A multi-vehicle crash completely shut down northbound I-495 in Tysons this morning (Tuesday), causing extensive backups during rush-hour.

Police and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were dispatched to a section of the Capital Beltway north of Route 7 and south of Route 123 around 9:20 a.m. for a crash that reportedly involved a tractor-trailer, another truck and two sedans.