The Town of Herndon’s indoor tennis center has closed early for the season, the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department announced yesterday (Tuesday).

The closure was prompted by damage to the tennis enclosure, according to Reid Okoniewski, a spokesperson for the town’s parks and recreation department. 

Located next to the Herndon Community Center at 814 Ferndale Avenue, the tennis enclosure was “significantly deflated and a door was open for unknown reasons, which had caused the air to escape,” Okoniewski said. The town learned of the issue early Sunday (March 24) morning.

A later safety check found that 75% of the lighting was damaged, along with a portion of the courts due to fall lights. 

“The lead time to get the specialized bulbs and the contractors to install them would extend beyond the April 14 season closure, which would not allow us to have it repaired safely in the time that remains,” Okoniewski said. 

Individuals with tennis contracts, classics and leagues were notified of next steps earlier this week. Indoor classes will move outside, and men’s double league and indoor tennis contracts have been cancelled for the reminder of the season. Patrons who are affected will have their refunds processed.

“We apologize for the inconvenience and hope we see you on our outdoor tennis courts,” the town wrote in a statement.

A new, temporary tennis structure will be installed for the new indoor sports season by the fall. 

Reston founder Bob Simon Jr. will once again be the focus of celebrations next month during the annual Founder’s Day celebration.

The festivities are set to take place at Lake Anne Plaza (1609 Washington Plaza North) on April 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It began as a celebration of Simon’s 90th birthday in 2004, when artist Zachary Oxman unveiled a sculpture commemorating him.

Organizers say this year — which is the 20th anniversary of the event — is “extra special” for several reasons.

“Besides being the 20th anniversary of Founder’s Day, the event will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Reston documentary ‘Reston: Another Way of Living‘ and is in remembrance of what would have been Simon’s 110th birthday,” Reston Museum Executive Director Alexandra Campbell said.

The celebration will kick off at 11 a.m. with a community cleanup. The afternoon program features a reading of Reston’s 1966 dedication and remarks from local elected officials. Performances and exhibits are also planned.

It will also feature a book fair celebrating local authors, bookshops and community organizations. Authors in the “Pages on the Plaza” fair will speak at their booths, Reston Museum, Reston Community Center and Reston’s Used Book Shop.

“The addition of a Book Fair as a component of Founder’s Day is a wonderful way to celebrate Reston’s living legacy and also April as National Poetry Month and National School Library Month,” Campbell said. “Featured in the program this year is Reston’s Used Book Shop, which has been at Lake Anne Plaza since the 1970s and is Reston’s oldest bookshop still here today.”

Between 2 and 4 p.m., attendees can also decorate a journal with Public Art Reston at Reston Art Gallery & Studios.

The event is presented by Reston Museum and Reston Community Center with support from Public Art Reston.

The Town of Herndon is working on the development of a roadway safety action plan that aligns its priorities with federal and state programs.

The action plan, which would run from this year through at least 2028, will use crash data to identify locations that need to be addressed and open up additional funding for transportation improvement projects.

“One of the challenges with the data is there is a lot of it,” Mike Shindledecker, a transportation engineer for Herndon, said at a town council work session on March 19.

He noted that comparisons to the Federal Highway Administration and Virginia Department of Transportation programs should take into account that the Town of Herndon lacks freeways and highways. Its highest speed limit is 35 mph, significantly lower than that of the state.

Problematic hotspots in the town include Elden Street, pinpoints along Herndon Parkway and gateway intersections, he told the council.

Shindledecker also noted that the town’s fatality rate is “trending far better than other similar jurisdictions and far better than the state as a whole.”

A five-year comparison shows that the town had more crashes between 2018 and 2022 that resulted in serious injuries and non-visible injuries than other small towns and cities in Virginia and the state as a whole. Serious injuries stand at 8% compared to the statewide average of 5% and the 3% average in towns of similar sizes.

In Herndon, 53% of crashes led to non-visible injuries compared to 19% in towns of comparable size and 8% in the state.

However, crashes that only involve property damage were lower (34%) than in other towns (60%) and the state (67%). Crashes involving injuries were also relatively lower — 5% compared with 18% in other small towns and 19% in the state.

The roadway safety plan will be developed with community input and identify key corridors for focused study. Once problem areas are identified, the town will develop new “technology-driven solutions,” according to the town staff presentation.

The plan will help the town establish a planning structure for transportation projects and safety analyses while also emphasizing engagement and collaboration, equity and transparency.

The action plan will be completed in 2026, followed by an implementation plan in 2027.

The transformation of a former Residence Inn in Herndon into housing is complete.

Rebranded as Trellis, the new apartment complex welcomed its first residents with year-long leases this month.

Renovations have been underway at 315 Elden Street for the past year to repurpose the rooms into housing for rent.

Evan Gallant, principal of Blue Ocean, the property management company, said the apartment community aims to create “the most convenient offering” for our residents.

After receiving approval for the redevelopment from the Herndon Town Council in 2022, Blue Ocean began transforming the vacated hotel into a multifamily residential unit complex.

“The Unit Interiors have top tier/professionally-designed interior finishes similar to Class A apartment communities, while the monthly cost is meaningfully below the Class A communities,” Gallant wrote in an emailed statement. “Another unique feature we provide all-inclusive pricing in that our residents pay ‘rent,’ which includes all utilities (electric, cable/internet, water, sewer, trash, etc.).”

Units range from a 525-square-foot studio with an open bedroom and one bath that costs between $1,685 to $1,885 a month to a 915-square-foot, two-bedroom and two-bath apartment that costs between $2,300 and $2,500 per month, according to the company’s leasing website.

As part of the renovation, Blue Ocean updated the hotel’s unit interiors, hallways, common areas, signage and exterior landscaping.

Built in 1990, the complex was previously a 168-room hotel spread out over 11 buildings. The 6.5-acre site is located at the southwest corner of Elden Street and Herndon Parkway near the Herndon Centre shopping mall.

(Updated at 9:40 a.m. on 3/26/2024) A federal funding boost is coming to help improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities on the Town of Herndon’s main through street and more than a dozen other sites around Northern Virginia.

At its meeting last Thursday (March 21), the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) approved $19.5 million through the federal Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program for 15 non-highway transportation projects in the state.

Five of the projects to receive funds are in Fairfax County or its towns, led by $2.5 million for a plan to improve the safety, accessibility and walkability of Elden Street.

According to a Town of Herndon presentation, the project includes new ADA ramps and crosswalks, a widened sidewalk that moves around existing barriers, and a grass buffer. Spanning 0.3 miles between Center Street and Ferndale Avenue, the improvements will be in close proximity to the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, Herndon Middle School and St. Joseph’s School.

Over in the Town of Vienna, the Locust Street Trail project will get $1.3 million to facilitate the replacement of an existing sidewalk within a 10-foot-wide shared-use path. The project will also address drainage issues that “frequently make the existing path unusable for extended periods,” per a news release from the TPB.

The funding approved for Fairfax County will go to three different Safe Routes to Schools projects, including $140,000 for Shrevewood Elementary School in Idylwood. Developed in response to a fatal crash in 2019, the project will add three new crosswalks with a sidewalk or a shared use path connection.

“In addition to making it safer to walk or bike to school, this project will expand safe access for kids to the W&OD Trail, a key link in the National Capital Trail Network,” the TPB’s summary said.

The project has received another $1 million through other Transporation Alternatives Set-Aside funding, fulfilling the county’s full request, according to the board.

A Safe Routes to Schools program for Lake Braddock Elementary School in Annandale got around $356,000 to improve pedestrian safety and connectivity across the road and school entrance. It includes ADA ramps, new crosswalks and new pedestrian refuge islands.

More broadly, the school system’s overall SRTS program will get $276,000 to educate students on safe walking and bicycling.

“The project will develop maps with suggested safe routes, safety education, bike rodeos, walk and bike to school days, monthly challenges with rewards, build a bike give a bike programs, and the development of park and walk programs for students who live beyond the walking zone,” the press release said.

Two projects in Fairfax City also got funding from the Federal Highway Administration program:

Fern Street Neighborhood Connection, City of Fairfax: $285,119

Utilizing city property, this project will connect commercial and residential areas lacking a paved ADA-accessible pathway. The project prioritizes bikes and pedestrians by building a trail instead of a road extension and supports small area plan recommendations by initiating a pedestrian priority corridor and providing links to potential mixed-use redevelopments.

Chain Bridge Road Shared Use Path, City of Fairfax: $2,098,314

This project will provide a safer and higher quality bike and pedestrian facility along Chain Bridge Road, a busy arterial that feeds into I-66. The project will build a shared-use path between existing trails, including a connection to the National Capital Trail Network’s Custis/I-66 Trail. The project serves an Equity Emphasis area.

The total amount of approved funding from the Transportation Alternatives set-aside program has been corrected from $195 million to $19.5 million.

Reston Town Center’s first solar panels are on the horizon.

Boston Properties (BXP) plans to install solar panels on top of the green garage in the town center, the property owner and developer announced Friday (March 15). The installation will feature a 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic renewable energy system.

“With great partners like our client and Ameresco we can transform a parking garage into a megawatt scale solar energy plant,” BXP Senior Vice President of Sustainability Ben Myers said. “This project  delivers social, economic, and environmental benefits over a long term by providing zero emissions clean power, competitive energy pricing, and covered parking for clients and visitors at the Town Center.”

The project is in partnership with Ameresco, an energy developer. It’s expected to provide an estimated 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy annually. Energy from the system will be used at Reston Town Center.

“We are thrilled to partner with BXP and their client on this exciting solar canopy project in Reston,  Virgina,” Ameresco Senior Vice President Jonathan Mancini said. “By joining forces, we are building a  solar solution that will empower the entire Reston community with greater energy independence and  reduced reliance on the grid. This collaborative effort is a shining example of how working together can create a more resilient future for all.”

The project is expected to wrap up construction by the end of the year.

An 18-year-old suspect turned himself in last night in connection with the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old Westfield High School student on Wednesday (March 20), police say.

The Fairfax County Police Department announced the arrest of Ismael Cruz-Delcid, 18, of Herndon at a press conference this morning (Friday).

Police suspect Cruz-Delcid knew the victim, who died after being shot outside the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the McNair area of Herndon. Another teen was shot at during the two rounds of firing but managed to escape without injury.

The FCPD identified Cruz-Delcid as a suspect in the shooting yesterday. He has been charged with second-degree murder, the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and felony distribution of cocaine.

The drug charge stems from “a previous narcotics investigation,” police previously stated.

The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday after a verbal argument between the three teens in the hotel parking lot.

Police Chief Kevin Davis emphasized that, while it’s unclear if the encounter was gang-related, the victims knew each other, characterizing the encounter as a “neighborhood association.”

Davis lamented the proliferation of guns in small disputes as a nationwide challenge.

“Seemingly petty disputes are resolved with firearms,” Davis said.

Police said that the teens were involved in ongoing verbal disputes that remain under investigation.

Cruz-Delcid turned himself shortly after 11 p.m. last night after a discussion between law enforcement and an attorney. He did not provide any statement to police and is being held without bond.

The suspected shooter recently graduated from Mountain View Alternative High School in Centreville, according to police.

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said the school system is providing counseling to students at Westfield and Herndon High School, along with other high schools on an as-needed basis.

The annual Reston Pride Festival will return to Lake Anne Plaza on June 1 from noon to 6 p.m.

This year’s festival will include live music, performances, and vendors. The organization will also choose an LGBTQ+ nonprofit to highlight positive work being done in the community.

Past beneficiaries include Rainbow Families, the CasaBurmar Foundation and the Pride Liberation Project, a student-led LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

“We are very excited and proud to continue the rich tradition of Pride in Reston while recognizing how fortunate we have been, especially considering how many LGBTQIA+ organizations did not survive the strain of the pandemic,” Reston Pride President Kyle Rohen said.

Rohen said the organization needs volunteers for the day of the festival and year-round.

The organization got its start in 2018 in an effort to make Reston a “truly inclusive” region by providing cultural education and resources about LGBTQIA+ history and culture. 

Reston Pride is sponsored by CORE Foundation, a nonprofit that offers services for the Northern Virginia region.

Some aspects of the St. John’s Wood Apartments (11555 Olde Tiverton Circle) in Reston may soon change, despite some qualms from local residents and community groups.

The DSF Group — the real estate investment company that owns the property — is in the process of rebranding the apartments to “Halstead Reston” and plans to modernize the look and feel of internal and external signage.

DSF Group acquired St. John’s Wood on Dec. 27. The renaming would align the 250-unit complex with the company’s other properties, including Halstead Square near the Dunn Loring Metro station.

On Tuesday (March 19), Reston Association’s Design Review Board preliminarily approved the changes for internal wayfinding signage and asked the company to resubmit plans for its monument signage, which faces the external portion of the property.

DSF Group emphasized that the company plans to keep all existing signs the same size without additional signage.

“We tried to really stick with what was existing,” a representative for the property owner said.

But the Halstead Glen cluster board is opposing the changes on the grounds that they do not conform with the style or materials found in Reston Association properties.

“The board also has concerns that the name is very similar to our cluster’s name and will cause confusion for visitors and delivery companies,” the cluster board said in a statement to RA.

Frank Tobia, a representative for the cluster, told the Design Review Board that the similarity of the names for the new apartments and Halstead Glen could create confusion for visitors and delivery companies.

He also argued that there are notable differences between monument signs in surrounding neighborhoods and the look proposed by Halstead.

“This one is going to stand out pretty garishly,” Tobia said.

RA Director of Covenants Cam Adams also emphasized that the entrance signage conflicts with the association’s design guidelines and “harmonious aesthetic” that exists in the area.

“A drive through North Village Road will indicate all residential communities around the area have a consistent and harmonious design which Halstead Reston is encouraged to review and consider,” Adams said in testimony submitted to the DRB.

The company will return with revised designs for its monument sign.

The retail and restaurant mix in Dulles International Airport is getting a shake-up.

At a board of directors meeting today (Wednesday), the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority unveiled more than a dozen new concessions planned at Dulles and Reagan National Airport.

“Having a mix of local and national brands at our airports represents added value for passengers,” said Jaimini Erskine, Airports Authority vice president for marketing and concessions. “We continue to seek out new brands that showcase the Washington region experience.”

Though it’s not mentioned in MWAA’s announcement, the incoming eateries include the smoothie bowl and juice shop South Block, which is expected to open in Dulles Airport’s Concourse D, founder and CEO Amir Mostafavi confirmed to FFXnow.

South Block’s plan for an airport location was first reported by The Burn.

Mostafavi says the shop is on track to open in the late summer or early fall, becoming the company’s 18th location in the D.C. area. The business has other locations slated for Chantilly and West Springfield.

Dulles also has several new retail shops on the horizon, MWAA announced:

• Plum Market — Market with all natural, organic, local, and specialty items.
• Brighton –– Handcrafted accessories, jewelry, and leather goods designed by talented artists and artisans.
• The Goods @ IAD — Store combines an array of travel essentials and check-out with convenience of technology.
• IAD Express — Last-minute travel essentials.
• Capital Supply Co. — One-stop-shop travel essential needs.
• Starbucks — New location of the national coffeehouse chain.
• Washington Essentials (Pre-Security) — An array of necessities for travelers on the go.
• Relay — Travel essentials featuring gourmet snacks, health and beauty, gifts, books and apparel.

According to MWAA, these concessions will join recently opened newcomers to Dulles, including the bookstore Ink by Hudson, the health food restaurant Freshii, Potbelly, a Hudson news and gifts shop, Brookstone, and Market 1962, a grab-and-go market named after the year that the airport opened.

Some previously announced retailers, including Union Kitchen and Rappahannock Oyster Company, are also still in the works.

Over in Arlington, Reagan National Airport is set to get a new Lego store. The store will “showcase Lego activity sets, bricks and licensed gifts,” the Washington Business Journal reported earlier this week.

The smaller airport is also adding a Starbucks, the restaurants Mi Vida and Nalley Fresh, a location of the D.C.-based bookstore Solid State Books and others.

Work on all of the newly announced concessions will begin this year.

“These food, beverage and retail brands represent the latest awards of a multi-year program to redevelop more than 80 concessions at both airports,” MWAA said in a news release.