The Town of Herndon has shut down a resident’s months-long attempt to construct an elaborate tunnel system under her house.
Nicknamed “tunnel girl” by online followers, Kala shared in a Dec. 28 video that local officials have issued a stop-work order requiring her to suspend the “secret tunnel” project that she has been documenting on TikTok and, occasionally, YouTube since October 2022.
Though Kala’s videos showcase an extensive operation involving makeshift mine carts and a slide that dumps rubble into an outdoor dumpster, Herndon wasn’t alerted to the construction work — and its potential building code violations — until early December, according to the town.
“The Town of Herndon received notice that activity in potential violation of the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) was occurring at a residential property within the town’s corporate limits,” the town said in a statement. “As is standard protocol following such notifications, representatives from the building official’s and zoning administrator’s offices conducted a site inspection on Thursday, December 7, 2023. The town is working with the property owner to correct any violations and ensure that the property is safe and in compliance with the code.”
The town was notified by a resident who submitted a complaint on Dec. 5, reporting that their neighbor has been engaged in non-stop construction for about three years.
According to the service request, the resident “always saw huge piles of dirt leaving her property to the point that she pays for a dump truck to get the dirt out,” but they didn’t realize what was going on until Kala’s TikTok account @engineer.everything appeared on their friend’s page and they recognized her as their neighbor.
“She [is] building a tunnel. Is this ok for her to do? She has a YouTube channel showing how she’s been doing the tunnel since the beginning of her move,” the complaint said. “Can someone please look at her tik tock and see if she has the permits and permission from the town of Herndon.”
When contacted by FFXnow, Kala said she’s working with local officials to obtain permits, declining to publicly comment until that process is complete.
Kala announced plans on Oct. 23, 2022 to build a storm shelter off of her basement, anticipating that the project will be complicated, expensive and require the construction of a crane system to haul rubble 14 feet up from a basement window to ground level.
Subsequent updates have touched on everything from Home Depot visits to a fire that broke out in the tunnel last July. At one point, Kala constructed a sub-pump to address flooding from groundwater.
In the process, she has attracted nearly 532,000 followers — and plenty of online speculation about her qualifications and the legality and safety of her “suburban mining operation,” as she sometimes calls the project.
According to an NBC News profile, Kala began digging the 30-foot-long, 20-foot-deep tunnel because she enjoys home improvement challenges. She previously built a four-story addition to the back of her house.
While passionate about civil and mechanical engineering, she has no formal training in those fields, studying business in school and working mostly in information technology, NBC News reported.
Image via @engineer.everything/TikTok
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts won’t unveil the artists booked for its upcoming summer season for a few more weeks, likely in late January or early February. But regardless of who’s on stage, Filene Center visitors can expect at least one improvement in 2024: an updated concessions area.
Construction on the new Meadow Commons building began in September after the demolition of the existing concessions stand, which had served patrons since the Filene Center opened in 1971.
Almost twice the size of its two-story predecessor, the three-story Meadow Commons is on track for completion in late spring, according to the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the nonprofit that helps fund and program the park. That would be in time for the new season, which typically kicks off around Memorial Day.
“This new building will create just a wonderful new opportunity for patrons,” Beth Brummel, the foundation’s chief operating officer, said. “It’s probably one of the more visible [improvements] because it’s so connected to the experience of going to the concerts as well…So, we’re just really excited about it.”
Featuring a larger, modernized kitchen that can support a bigger menu as well as expanded restrooms, including family and ADA-accessible stalls, Meadow Commons constitutes the second phase of renovations slated for Wolf Trap under a park master plan updated in 2022.
The first phase replaced temporary vinyl tents near the Ovations restaurant with permanent pavilions. Finished in late July 2021, that project coincided with the park’s 50th anniversary season and aimed to encourage more year-round usage and visitation.
Meadow Commons, a $15 million project funded by a capital campaign that ultimately drew $75 million from donors over two years, was designed to improve the patron experience and make the Filene Center more accessible, Brummel says.
The new building will include elevators that finally connect the 7,000-seat amphitheater’s upper and lower levels, which can currently only be reached by stairs. The park’s lower levels will also be easier to access from the ADA parking and the picnic pavilions via a new, fully accessible path.
“The restrooms, the food service and the elevator in particular is a game changer to allow people with any kind of mobility issues to be able to access all of the different levels of the Filene Center without assistance,” Wolf Trap National Park Superintendent Ken Bigley said, adding that the National Park Service is “so thankful for the foundation’s support in making this happen.”
The accessibility improvements build off an earlier reconfiguration of the Filene Center’s front orchestra, which now have aisles so those seats could be reached from the back, Brummel noted. The amphitheater was also outfitted with screens in 2018 to give patrons on the lawn a better view of the stage.
In addition to the enhanced accessibility and expanded restroom and concessions space, Meadow Commons will bring modernized electrical, plumbing and stormwater management capabilities and a rooftop deck that will offer a panoramic view of the surrounding meadow and woods.
“I think it’s one of the flagship views of the park,” Bigley said. “So, there’s a section of this new building that will allow people to sit and enjoy a meal or enjoy a drink and look out on this beautiful view of the meadow.”
The upgrades at Wolf Trap won’t stop with the new concession area. Other changes proposed by the master plan include a pedestrian tunnel to replace the existing at-grade crossing at Main Circle and Barn roads, a new arrival hub, a 65-space accessible parking lot and a reconfigured circle in front of the Filene Center’s main gate to improve vehicle circulation.
Brummel says the Wolf Trap Foundation and National Park Service haven’t established a list of priorities or schedule for those additional projects yet. For now, they’re just looking forward to finishing Meadow Commons and seeing how it’s received by visitors when the Filene Center reopens.
“We’re excited [to make] the action, the process of visiting Wolf Trap to be just a little bit easier, whether it’s food service or accessibility or restrooms,” Bigley said. “It is already a very special place that we’re very proud of, and this will just take it to the next level.”
Construction has begun on a development that promises to bring hundreds of affordable housing units to Tysons.
Officials with Fairfax County, nonprofit developer Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) and other partners broke ground yesterday (Tuesday) on the Dominion Square project, which has been newly renamed The Exchange at Spring Hill Station.
Accelerated by a $55 million grant from Amazon, the development will consist of two 20-story apartment buildings with a total of 516 residential units and a new community center for Tysons. Located next to a Land Rover and Jaguar auto dealership, the housing complex will be reserved for residents earning 70% of the area median income (AMI) or less.
That focus on lower-income residents makes the project especially valuable in Tysons, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said during the groundbreaking ceremony, whose attendees included Rep. Gerry Connolly.
“Despite its economic muscle, Tysons has remained out of reach for many who work here to also live here,” McKay said. “That is why the groundbreaking of The Exchange at Spring Hill Metro is so important. We are providing homes for those who fuel the local economy. In order to remain the economic hub of Fairfax County, Tysons’ workers need to have the opportunity to live near where they work.”
According to APAH, which is leasing the land from the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, there will be 112 one-bedroom units, 306 two-bedroom units and 98 three-bedroom units. Units will be priced for households at varying incomes is as follows:
- 100 units for 30% AMI
- 125 units for 50% AMI
- 175 units for 60% AMI
- 116 units for 70% AMI
There will also be 100 units available through the FCRHA’s project-based voucher program.
This is the first fully affordable housing project to be built in Tysons, according to APAH President and CEO Carmen Romero.
“The residents who will call The Exchange home will have access to a vibrant and rapidly growing community full of opportunity and resources,” Romero said. “Yes, where you build matters, but who you build for matters just as much.”
Operated by Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, the 30,000-square-foot community center will be free and open to the public. Planned amenities include a basketball court and fitness center.
Expected to be finished in approximately four years, construction on The Exchange comes amid a general uptick in activity in western Tysons, which has been slower to develop.
This summer, the Board of Supervisors approved an office-to-residential swap at the Highline at Greensboro District, and a conversion of the Sheraton Tysons Hotel in Tysons West is poised for a vote in January. In addition, the recent closure of three auto dealerships near the Spring Hill Metro station may have set the stage for redevelopment of Dominion Square East, which will be part of the same neighborhood as The Exchange.
In a press release, APAH shared more reactions to the project from yesterday’s groundbreaking: Read More
The renovation of Reston’s Lake Thoreau pool has officially been completed in time for the 2024 pool season.
Construction on the project at 2040 Upper Lake Drive began in the summer of 2022 after a nearly seven-month-long permit approval process.
“The renovations at Lake Thoreau pool provided some much needed improvements and expansions to make the site fully ADA compatible, ensuring it is accessible for all Restonians,” Reston Association said in a statement. “In addition, the community will find new improvements to the spa as well as a new elevated deck, which will offer additional opportunities for relaxation.”
The new, roughly $3.5 million facility includes a pool with six lap lanes, a ramp to provide ADA access, a redesigned deck, a larger 25-space parking lot, an overlook with a pollinator garden, and expanded bathhouses, which have been moved away from the spa.
The bathhouse has also been fully gutted and replaced with a 400-square-foot addition that includes a family bathroom.
Lake Thoreau pool has been closed since 2020 in anticipation of the renovation.
An initial groundbreaking in the winter of 2021 was delayed due to extended contract negotiations, according to RA. Unforeseen sight repairs and site conditions pushed the opening out of this year’s pool season into next year, RA announced in July.
A new Shadowood pool is currently under construction and expected to open in time for next year’s pool season, which typically begins in May.
Photo courtesy RA/YouTube
Construction on a new pedestrian bridge in Reston Town Center will begin this week.
According to the town center, the bridge will cross over the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, which passes by the town center south of Bluemont Way.
It will provide a link between Reston Town Center and the nearby Metro station, “while significantly increasing the safety of those who utilize the trail,” a press release says.
Boston Properties (BXP), which owns the town center, expects that construction will result in some detours.
“A short diversion off the trail around the construction will be implemented in January and will be in place for the duration of the project,” Reston Town Center said in the press release. “In late winter, a portion of the trail will be closed for a short period of time requiring an additional detour.”
Reston Town Center didn’t address follow-up questions about the project, including exactly where the bridge will be located.
The bridge is being built by the contractor Clark Construction. Work is expected to wrap up around late spring or early summer of 2024.
Reston’s Hunters Woods ballfield has finished its transformation from an underutilized baseball diamond into a park with walking paths, new trees and other features is now complete.
Construction on the redevelopment started on Aug. 11 and wrapped up last week, coming in not only four months ahead of schedule, but also about 10% under approximately $400,000 budget, according to Reston Association, which owns the park.
Chris Schumaker, RA’s director of capital projects, attributes the speedy timeline and cost efficiency to “good weather” and an absence of unexpected site issues that could’ve caused delays.
“This redevelopment project gives new life to valuable greenspace in Reston,” Schumaker said. “We’re thrilled to be able to work directly with the community to create a space that is beneficial to the surrounding neighborhoods. It’s really a win-win effort.”
RA approved a concept plan to repurpose the ballfield in 2020 at the request of the Hunters Woods Neighborhood Coalition. Though once used by Reston-Herndon Little League, the facility’s lack of parking and locked-in location near Breton Court behind the Hunters Woods Village Center made it difficult to access and inhospitable to larger gatherings, like a ball game.
While the new park still doesn’t have parking, it was designed to serve pedestrians and the immediate neighborhood instead of drivers, with footpaths and seating areas that encourage walking and other forms of passive recreation.
“We want people to travel there on foot, so that’s definitely doable with the walkways we added and the connection points to other pathways in the area for sure,” Schumaker told FFXnow.
The roughly 1-acre site is now encircled by a broad asphalt walkway, and a concrete path divides a new rain garden and a meadow reseeded with native plants, though they mostly won’t emerge until the spring. To emphasize the nature-focused setting, the concrete has been stamped with leaves from native trees.
Other amenities include benches, trash receptacles and a Little Free Library Nearby residents started to stock the green box with books as soon as fences around the site came down, according to Schumaker.
In addition to hopefully encouraging more usage, the new park designed by the architecture and landscaping firm Kimley Horn brings environmental and stormwater benefits, RA says.
The rain garden will control and filter runoff from the park and adjacent houses that previously just flowed into streams, Schumaker said. The project also led to 12 new trees getting planted on the site and preserved several existing, mature trees.
“It’s kind of just a nice place to look at right now,” Schumaker said. “I think once the meadow area…kind of grows in through the winter and early spring, it’ll really kind of add a big pop of color and a nice place to walk around and kind of see all the birds and the insects and things of that nature that will traverse the area now versus before.”
After the meadow grows out next spring, RA plans to host a formal ceremony celebrating the new Hunters Woods park.
Construction is humming along for The Trillium Tysons, a senior living community that will kick off the next phase of The Boro.
The 15-story, 181-unit apartment building geared toward older adults is expected to welcome its first residents in early summer 2024, according to owner and developer Silverstone Senior Living.
Silverstone says interest in the new community has been strong so far, with more than 100 people committing a $100 deposit to join a priority list. In addition to the chance to choose the location and size of their unit, benefits offered to priority list members include a discount on a one-time community fee charged to residents.
“We are thrilled by the attention we are getting from prospective independent living residents,” The Trillium’s sales director, Kell Flood, said in a press release. “The strong interest is an indication that there is demand for quality senior living that includes sophisticated amenities and programming for today’s active senior adult.”
Located at 8400 Westpark Drive, The Trillium will have one and two-bedroom independent living units that could range in size from 772 to 2,100 square feet. Assisted living and memory care support services will also be available.
Amenities will include six restaurants and lounges, a day spa and salon, a fitness center, rooftop gardens, art studio, a community theater and underground parking, according to Silverstone, which says it’s seeking “to break the mold of traditional senior living by providing a lifestyle beyond expectation.”
The building will be managed by Greystone Communities, whose clients include The Providence Fairfax at MetroWest near the Vienna Metro station and The Landing Alexandria in Potomac Yard.
Construction on The Trillium began in spring 2022 after the site’s previous occupant — the former National Automobile Dealers Association headquarters building — got demolished.
The senior living community constitutes one of five blocks planned for The Boro’s expansion, along with three residential buildings with ground-floor retail and a block that could become either a health club or townhouses.
Approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2021, the project will deliver 1.1 million square feet of development, about 1.5 acres of public park space and a portion of the Tysons Community Circuit, a recreational trail that will eventually loop through the urban center.
Roughly 20 months after Vienna’s Wolf Trap Hotel and Tequila Grande were demolished, construction has yet to begin on the mixed-use development slated to replace them.
However, a chain-link fence surrounding the 2.8-acre site at the corner of Maple Avenue and Nutley Street has been removed, and some neatly trimmed bushes have been planted around the perimeter, suggesting the community shouldn’t expect to see construction crews any time soon.
Asked about the changes, Vienna Planning and Zoning Director David Levy told the town council on Monday (Oct. 23) that he, Town Attorney Steven Briglia and other staff members recently sent a “strongly worded letter” to developer Hekemian & Co., urging them to clean up the empty site.
“We’re all working together on trying to crack the nut on having that site be in better condition during the period when the developer’s waiting for the market conditions to improve to build,” Levy said. “Nobody’s been happy with the way it’s looked over time.”
According to Levy, the developer added some landscaping to the gravel site after the town’s public works and planning staff accompanied the site manager on a visit, but the removal of the fencing — which had started to lean over the existing plants and the sidewalk — came as a surprise.
Town staff is scheduled to meet next Monday (Oct. 30) with the site manager and Hekemian Senior Vice President of Acquisition and Development Chris Bell to discuss how to handle the property going forward, including the need to secure it to prevent safety and dumping issues.
“You can tell there are kind of holes in the middle of it. We don’t want anybody to get hurt on the site,” Levy told the council. “We want them to clean that up, leave it in a condition where it’s flat, landscaped and well-maintained…So, we’ve been on it constantly, but now it’s time to get it into a more long-term condition.”
The timeline for when construction on the project known as 444 Maple will actually commence remains up in the air.
When Tequila Grande was razed in February 2022, Bell told Tysons Reporter, FFXnow’s sister site, that construction could begin in late spring or early summer of that year. Bell and Hemekian didn’t return requests for comment by publication time.
According to Levy, the developer put the project on hold to wait out rising costs due to inflation, increased interest rates and other market conditions.
“A bunch of that has apparently improved, but they’re not ready to get started yet. [Bell] said if things look good at the beginning of next year, early 2024, they hope to get started,” Levy said, adding the caveat that Bell “told me the same thing a year ago.”
Approved in 2018, 444 Maple will be a four-story residential and retail center with 151 rental units and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The pizza franchise Mellow Mushroom announced a year ago that it had an agreement to open a restaurant there.
During the rezoning process, the project divided the town council and Vienna residents between those concerned about its size and traffic impacts, and those who felt it would help revitalize the town’s main commercial corridor. The Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) zoning that opened the door for the development ultimately got repealed, setting the stage for a zoning code rewrite that the town council officially adopted on Monday.
Clark Construction has officially topped out on the construction of Skymark Reston Town Center, which the company describes as the tallest mixed-use residential tower in the D.C. region.
Located at the corner of Town Center Parkway and Inspiration Street, the 40-story building will have 464 units when completed. It’s built on a podium with ground-floor retail, 44 loft-style residential units and 80,000 square feet of office space spread over four stories.
“Clark thrives on delivering the largest and most complex projects that push the boundaries of engineering and construction,” Terry Simon, Clark Construction Group division president, said. “We look forward to the completion of another successful collaboration with long-time partner BXP to deliver this superstructure.”
The company has completed construction of 1950 and 2000 Opportunity Way — the first two office buildings in the expansion of Reston Town Center.
“BXP is thrilled with the progress of this iconic landmark project in Reston,” said David Miller, senior vice president of construction at BXP.” This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the talented men and women who have worked tirelessly to get us to where we are today.”
SCB is the project architect. Construction on the apartment building is expected to wrap up in 2025, according to Clark Construction’s website.
Construction is about to ramp up on Dominion Energy’s undergrounding of a power line near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.
The project will require an extended closure of the entire Vesper Trail from Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) to Vesper Street at Higdon Drive, starting Nov. 1, the utility company recently told residents in the area.
Expected to last until February 2024, the closure is needed so crews can work within the trail path, Dominion Energy said, noting that signs alerting users to the closure will be placed at the trail.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work in your neighborhood,” Dominion said in a postcard sent to residents. “We are committed to completing this work safely and expeditiously to minimize disruptions to the Vesper Trail and your community.”
Preliminary construction activities on the Spring Hill project began this spring, necessitating a roughly five-day trail closure in late April as crews installed a manhole.
To increase the capacity of its power grid as Tysons continues to grow, Dominion is moving part of an existing, overhead electric transmission line underground. The 230-kilovolt line will run a half-mile from a Tyco Road substation to a transition pole near a new substation around the Vesper Trail’s midpoint.
Construction on the new, 75-foot-tall substation will begin after crews finish undergrounding the power line. The overall project is currently on track to be complete and in service by the end of 2025, according to Dominion spokesperson Peggy Fox.
Dominion says the project will “generally” serve its customers south of Leesburg Pike and outside of the Capital Beltway (I-495).
Graphic via Dominion Energy