Chesterbrook Residences has a certified living legend residing in its halls.

Major Winifred Evans, a resident of the McLean assisted living community since 2018, was honored last Thursday (Aug. 17) with a “Living Legend” proclamation from the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington.

At 105 years old, Evans devoted her life to public service as a nurse in the U.S. Air Force, the Peace Corps and her local community, Chesterbrook Residences said in an announcement of the award.

“Acknowledging her sweet demeanor and friendly interactions would only be scratching the surface, as Winifred Evans is one of the most accomplished women we’ve ever had the privilege of caring for,” Chesterbrook Residences Executive Director Bremda Riggs said. “She is the epitome of a true living legend, and we are proud to call her not only our resident but also our friend.”

Born in 1917 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Evans is the great-granddaughter of Horace Bennett, a sergeant who served in the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry during the Civil War.

Her interest in nursing was fueled by a desire “to make a positive impact on the world” after her younger sister, Betty, died from an illness, her niece Patricia Garrett told the Falls Church News-Press earlier this month.

Here’s more on Evans’s career from Chesterbrook Residences:

After receiving a B.S. in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s from Catholic University, Ms. Evans traveled to Oslo, Norway, and received a graduate certificate.

In 1955, Ms. Evans joined the U.S. Air Force, where she became Chief Nurse and eventually retired as a Major. After joining the Peace Corp in 1962, she traveled to Togo, West Africa and set up immunization centers vaccinating thousands of children. She continued to serve as a nurse in Thailand, Latin America, and the United States. She has traveled extensively, visiting every continent except for Australia and Antarctica.

Following her retirement from nursing, Ms. Evans continued to serve others and her community in roles at the Red Cross and Georgetown University, and as a clinical nurse in local homeless shelters. She is also supported the building of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial located in Arlington.

Opened in 1997, the Military Women’s Memorial has documented the stories of more than 300,000 female service members, though the memorial estimates that accounts for less than 10% of all the women who have served in the U.S. military since the American Revolution.

The Living Legend program recognizes female veterans who have reached the age of 100.

Evans credits her mother as the person who inspired her to attend college and pursue her dreams.

“I’ve learned that every challenge I had was experience for me and lesson for others,” Evans said in an emailed statement to FFXnow. “This award isn’t just mine; I believe it belongs to all those who supported me. I’ve been blessed my entire life!”

Sunrise Senior Living’s massive new community in the Town of Vienna is officially open.

After holding a small ribbon-cutting with town officials late last month, the senior living provider announced today (Thursday) that its 81,755-square-foot, four-story building at 374 Maple Avenue West is now ready for residents to start moving in.

The facility can accommodate over 100 residents with 50 assisted living units and 35 memory care units.

“We are excited to unveil Sunrise of Vienna, a community that goes beyond traditional senior living by blending artistry, culture and exceptional experiences to create the preferred lifestyle for residents to enjoy longer, healthier, happier lives,” Sunrise of Vienna Executive Director Adriane Oliver said.

Replacing a three-story office building that dated back to the 1970s, the new Sunrise includes about 950 square feet of retail space that has been leased to Tango Pastry, a café open to residents, their families and the general public.

This is Tango Pastry’s second location after its flagship bakery opened at 6100 Richmond Highway in Huntington more than a decade ago. Developed by Argentine chef Katriel Menendez, the business serves lunch and dinner options, including its specialty empanadas, along with baked pastries and drinks.

After a grand opening on July 31, the Vienna café is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays, according to Tango Pastry’s website.

As part of the project, Sunrise also enlisted artist Chad Bradley to paint a mural and two benches with “scenes inspired by outdoor living, local birds, and native trees,” the company said in a press release that highlighted its “commitment to embracing the creative spirit of the Town of Vienna and fostering a sense of belonging within the neighborhood.”

“With the addition of the custom painted mural by Chad Bradley and the inviting Tango Pastry café, Sunrise of Vienna aims to create an inclusive and vibrant environment where residents and the local community can come together, celebrate life, and forge lasting connections,” Oliver said.

Construction on Sunrise of Vienna began in June 2021 following a fraught planning process that included a lawsuit and relocation after the Vienna Town Council rejected an initial proposal to build the facility at the corner of Maple Avenue and Center Street.

The site that Sunrise ultimately chose was previously under consideration for a mixed-use development that would’ve included condominiums and retail.

Sunrise of Vienna was designed by an in-house team in collaboration with the Alexandria-based firm Rust Orling Architecture to “create an environment that prioritizes both comfort and safety,” including “an advanced emergency response system,” the company said.

Constructed in collaboration with Forrester Construction, Sunrise of Vienna showcases design elements that honor the American Colonial style, seamlessly blending into the surrounding community. The community offers an array of inviting amenities, ensuring residents’ comfort and enjoyment. Residents can gather in the multi-functional bistro area for socializing, relax in the welcoming lounge, or indulge in the entertainment room equipped with theater accommodations. An activity room provides space for engaging pursuits, while common and private dining rooms offer delightful settings for shared meals. In addition, residents can savor the tranquility of the secure rooftop garden or visit the onsite beauty salon for pampering.

Sunrise opened its first community in Oakton in 1981 and has since expanded to more than 270 locations in the U.S. and Canada, including a second McLean facility that started welcoming residents in May.

The senior living component of Falls Church City’s mixed-use West Falls development has hit a snag, even as construction continues on other pieces of the future gateway to the city.

WF Developer, the development team led by Hoffman & Associates, informed city leaders in April that Trammel Crow had withdrawn from its contract to build the project’s 217-unit senior housing facility, according to a staff report.

Negotiations are underway with a new developer, but a 13-month extension is needed on the June 13 deadline to transfer the site’s ground lease, Hoffman Senior Vice President of Development Mary Beth Avedesian told the Falls Church City Council on June 12.

The council approved an extension that pushed the closing deadline back to July 15, 2024 and the deadline for substantial completion of construction from May 13, 2029 to July 15, 2031.

“Frankly, when you’re past 2025, it’s almost like fake dates,” Vice Mayor Letty Hardi said, expressing hope that the senior living building will be finished “well before” the new deadline. “…I would hate this to start running into the phase 2 commitments.”

In exchange for the extension, WF Developer agreed to several new commitments, according to Deputy City Manager Cindy Mester, including:

• Cover up to $5,000 of the city’s legal fees
• Install a temporary flashing pedestrian signal at Mustang Alley and Haycock Road three weeks before the new school year begins on Aug. 21
• Identify the new preferred senior living developer to the council by Sept. 30
• Begin construction on the senior living facility within 60 months of closing a deal, which would be July 15, 2029 at the latest
• Add and maintain a “decorative treatment” on the blank, concrete wall of a parking garage on Haycock that’s currently under construction

The temporary pedestrian signal is expected to be replaced by a permanent one by the end of this calendar year, according to city staff.

Approved on Oct. 24, the site plan for the senior living facility envisioned a 15-story, 267,700-square-foot building with 140 independent living units, 55 assisted living units, 22 memory care studio units and 7,700 square feet of ground-floor retail uses.

Located on the nearly 10-acre former George Mason High School site, the West Falls development will also deliver approximately 647 apartment and condominium units, a 146-room hotel, 326,100 square feet of office space, about 14,000 square feet of civic space, and 142,100 square feet of retail, including a potential 40,000-square-foot grocer that has yet to be identified.

The project broke ground in May 2022 and will transform the area around the West Falls Church Metro station in conjunction with a planned redevelopment of the station’s parking lot and an expansion of Virginia Tech’s neighboring Northern Virginia Center campus.

The first phase — which includes two parking garages, a medical office building by Trammel Crow, the hotel, a multifamily condo building, and an apartment building with the grocery store — is on track to be substantially complete in January 2025, according to Avedesian.

The first structure expected is a parking garage to serve the medical office building. Avedesian said the garage should be finished this summer.

“I think they’re expecting to be done towards the end of this year,” she said of the office building. “They’re negotiating directly with tenants, and I understand they have a deed on some very good tenants, medical tenants that will take a good portion of that building.”

The senior living facility was originally included in the first phase of the development but is now being considered “phase 1B,” Avedesian said. Phase 2 will bring additional retail and office space, as well as a second condo building.

City Manager Wyatt Shields said phase 2 could start in 2029, but Hoffman’s agreement with the city allows it to pay for up to three one-year extensions, meaning construction could begin as late as 2032.

Sunrise of McLean Village has officially opened.

As anticipated, residents began moving into the new senior living community at 1515 Chain Bridge Road this week, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 27, Sunrise Senior Living announced today (Wednesday).

The facility can house 122 residents in 61 assisted living residences and 39 units for individuals with memory loss. It is Sunrise’s second community in the McLean area, joining an existing Sunrise of McLean in Odrick’s Corner that also provides short-term stays and hospice coordination.

“We look forward to proudly continuing our legacy in McLean with the opening of Sunrise of McLean Village,” Sunrise of McLean Village Executive Director Maureen Davis said. “Being raised locally, I appreciate our uniqueness. This community will help make the area even more remarkable. My team and I will eagerly welcome our new residents and their loved ones into the Sunrise family.”

Located on the edge of downtown McLean, the three-story, nearly 90,000-square-feet facility replaced the McLean Medical Building after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors turned down Sunrise’s original proposal for a site on Kirby Road in 2017.

The building was designed by Rust Orling Architecture, and construction by the general contractor, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, began on June 18, 2021.

Here’s more on the design from Sunrise’s press release:

The building’s brick façade fits seamlessly into the surrounding area’s historic and traditional feel but brings a unique touch to the area with its large, picture windows and subtle modern design elements. Sunrise of McLean Village’s interiors were designed by Sunrise’s in-house design team that took every detail into account while designing the spaces. Using the natural light from the large windows, the common spaces are bright and stylishly decorated with curated furniture, built specifically for this community. Residents will enjoy the community’s sophisticated air paired with its cozy, home-like feel. A special piece of Sunrise of McLean Village’s design can be found along the interior walls which are lined with works from local artists and creators.

Sunrise of McLean Village offers several intentionally designed amenity spaces to promote activity and engagement throughout the community. These amenities include large common spaces like the dining room and the contemporary bistro, which will feature a bar for entertainment, social hours and events for residents and their families. Additional amenities will include a fitness center, library, two sunrooms, activity room, hair and nail salon and a massage room. A special element of the community is its emphasis on access to outdoor space. These amenities include five covered porches, a large outdoor terrace, two rooftop terraces, and a public-private heritage garden. This area will have sections for public use and a section for residents only. The garden will feature landscaping with native plants, benches as well as accessible walking paths. The community is pet-friendly so residents can look forward to enjoying this area with their own furry friend if they would like.

Sunrise has over 280 senior living communities in the U.S., including 19 in Northern Virginia. The company says it’s “nearing” completion on a Sunrise of Vienna that’s on track to open later this year.

The third floor of an office building in Springfield could become dedicated space for an adult day care. 

8003 Forbes Place LLC is seeking Fairfax County’s permission to bring a more than 15,000-square-foot adult day care for up to 200 adults to an office building at 8003 Forbes Place, according to an April 19 application submitted to the county.

The remaining two floors of the office building would remain available for office uses. The facility would require the county to approve a special exception. Four picnic tables and benches on the northeastern side of the building are proposed, according to the application.

“The building is conveniently located near the Capital Beltway, allows for safe and convenient access and parking, provides outdoor space for adults, and meets all accessibility requirements,” land use lawyer Sara Mariska wrote in a statement of justification on the applicant’s behalf.

The applicant is currently operating an adult day care in the Calvary Church of Nazarene (8220 Little River Turnpike) in Annandale. The application proposes relocating and enlarging the existing program to the property in Springfield. 

Last July, Annandale Today reported that the program was under the threat of eviction. It’s operated by Friends Health Care Team at Calvary Church and provides nursing, physical and social activities and other services to older adults.

A new rental community for older adults has officially opened its doors in Herndon.

Brightview Senior Living opened its 46th community at Dulles Corner (13700 Magna Way) this month. The 196-unit apartment building is part of a project with a library, fitness studios, pub, movie theater, salon and art studio, along with an outdoor garden area with a covered porch.

Doug Dollenburg, president and CEO of Brightview Senior Living, said the placement of the Herndon location follows a trend of embedding senior living communities into the larger community.

“Innovation Center Station is a $1B+ investment with the intent to offer a thoughtful live, work and play neighborhood in a convenient location,” Dollenburg wrote in a statement. “With Brightview in that mix, it provides residents and their families a truly multi-generational experience. Vibrancy and socialization are at the core of Brightview’s method; and this location ensures residents can stay active and involved beyond the walls of Brightview.”

The Herndon location is the company’s fourth in Fairfax County, joining facilities in Great Falls, Fair Oaks and Annandale.

It includes a mix of independent living, assisted living and memory care rental apartments. The units are available with no major entrance fee, according to the company.

An in-home care senior brand that hires active seniors to help less active seniors is taking off in Reston.

Veronique Coker, a stay-at-home mom for the last 11 years, plans to launch two brick-and-mortar locations of Seniors Helping Seniors in Reston and Centreville later this year.

“Their plan for success is to optimize the growth of their first locations to help seniors in the community,” Emily Gay, a spokesperson for the company, said.

The business applies Coker’s previous background in administration to business ownership. Coker found Seniors Helping Seniors through a franchise academy online that helps people get into business with franchising.

The idea of Seniors Helping Seniors stood out to Coker who loved the idea of helping people.

“She was already helping her elderly neighbors with caregiving so she had the experience herself,” Gay said.

The exact locations and opening dates for both franchises are still under wraps, but they’re expected to open within the next couple of months.

The business, which was founded in 1998, matches seniors who need mature, active women and meant to help them. It was co-founded by Kiran and Philip Yocom. Kiran worked with Mother Teresa for 14 years before moving from India to the United States.

The first in-home service opened in Pennsylvania.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of plans for a 113-unit independent living facility in Seven Corners.

The vote, which included one abstention at the Feb. 8 meeting, sends the proposal from First Christian Church and developer Wesley Housing to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a public hearing on Feb. 21.

Mason District Commissioner Daren Shumate said that the county worked with neighboring residents to tackle two major contentious issues involving the project: increased stormwater runoff in a problematic area and the scale of the project at 6165 Leesburg Pike.

The 7-acre parcel is currently developed with a nearly 27,500-square-foot church.

Aaron Vinson, a civil engineer with Walter L. Phillips, Inc., said the applicant worked to divert runoff away from Ravenwood Park in response to concerns from neighbors and residents about increased stormwater runoff in an area that already floods routinely.

He said the applicant’s stormwater runoff plan diverts runoff towards a “better functioning pipe system.”

Shumate also noted that the actual facade of the building facing a residential parcel is three stories.

“The intent of matching the look and feel of the neighborhood has been met,” Shumate said.

Despite giving the project its support, the commission cautioned that the county should continue to examine stormwater runoff in the area.

Franconia District Commissioner Daniel Lagana said the Virginia Department of Transportation is undertaking a study of the area in response to community concerns. At a public hearing on Feb. 1, residents described what Lagana said were serious concerns.

Shumate said the county is working with residents on the issue. Specifically, the county has given one resident sandbags to manage stormwater runoff near their home.

“The county needs to be very cognizant of these stormwater issues,” he said, adding that the sandbag step was only a temporary solution to what appears to be a bigger problem.

Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina said that the commission did recommend language for a Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan amendment that better managed stormwater runoff in the area — but the suggestion was not ultimately adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

“As a commission, we heard the residents,” Cortina said. “…We have to keep our eye on the ball with stormwater definitely.”

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has given the green light to new affordable housing for seniors along Richmond Highway.

At last week’s meeting, the board unanimously approved the plan amendment for the affordable senior housing next to the Beacon of Groveton apartment building. The project calls for a six-story, 70,000-square-foot affordable, independent senior living facility with a “community-serving” ground floor at 6858 Richmond Highway.

An undeveloped urban park currently sits at the site.

The county’s Planning Commission also voted unanimously to recommend approval of the project back in December, despite some traffic concerns.

While all the supervisors voted for the project, a few shared that they had initially hoped to see more office space at the site. However, with the county actively trying to convert underused commercial space due to reduced need, they admitted that affordable housing for seniors was a much better plan.

“This area, unfortunately, will not be executed in the form of office, [but] I acknowledge the market just isn’t there,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said during the meeting. “It makes sense to convert this to something that’s definitely needed in the community. Affordable housing — particularly affordable housing for seniors — is something that will have benefit.”

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck agreed with that sentiment, saying that while some green space will be lost, the space was always planned for development.

“I share the regret that we don’t have office options, but equally say that I’m very pleased we can do more…senior housing,” Storck said. “It’s definitely a demand that will far exceed supply.”

The project to develop the half-acre “interim park space” into a multi-story building housing seniors was first proposed in May.

The development will sit next to the Beacon of Groveton apartment building and about a half-block from the Beacon Center, a retail area with a Giant, Lowe’s, and other stores. It will be about a half-mile from a future Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit station, which could begin operating around 2030.

While walkability to amenities was a point in favor of the project, an area resident at last month’s planning commission public hearing noted the proximity to Richmond Highway may pose a safety risk to residents. As a caregiver for his elderly parents, he said the traffic was so bad along the corridor that he didn’t let his dad walk in the evenings near Richmond Highway.

Commissioners overall understood this objection but said this project and other ones in the future should make the corridor more pedestrian-friendly.

The new senior housing along Richmond Highway remains far from being completed. Rezoning consideration likely won’t happen until the spring, with the building not expecting to open to its new senior residents until at least 2027.

The Mather is now as tall as it’s ever going to get.

The apartment high-rise buildings for adults 62 and older “topped off” earlier this month, less than a year after beginning vertical construction.

Workers poured a final round of concrete onto the roofs of the two towers on Jan. 10, the nonprofit senior living developer behind the project, Mather, announced that day.

The buildings now reach 308 feet or 27 stories above ground at 7929 Westpark Drive in Tysons.

“General Contractor Whiting Turner estimates the project includes more than 50,000 cubic yards of concrete and represents almost 700,000 workforce hours to date, a number made even more significant considering the pandemic,” Mather said in the media advisory.

The Mather consists of two phases. The first phase, a 27-story high-rise, will have 179 apartment units, while the second 18-story high-rise will have 114 apartments.

The apartment homes range in size from 850 to 3,300 square feet, and entrance fees start at $646,700. Prices are dependent upon apartment size, location, service package, and health plan selected. The buildings will be connected at the third through fifth floors. Third-floor amenity spaces include a fitness center, spa, indoor pool, multiple restaurants, outdoor terraces, art studio, and more. The fourth and fifth floors will be home to a Life Centre with 16 assisted living apartment homes, 20 memory care suites, and 42 private skilled nursing suites.

The complex will also have 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, including a publicly accessible community center devoted to people 50 and older. The center is a “unique collaboration” with Fairfax County, according to Mather.

On track for a move-in date in 2024, The Mather is among six buildings currently under construction in Tysons, according to Fairfax County’s Tysons Tracker. One building — The Brentford apartments at The Mile — was completed in December, after the tracker was last updated.

The Monarch, a condominium building that’s part of the same Arbor Row development as The Mather, is expected to finish construction this spring. The units are 70% sold, and move-ins are scheduled to start in April and May, a public relations representative for developer Renaissance Centro said.

Other projects being built in Tysons include The Boro’s expansion and the Heming apartments in Scotts Run.

All that construction will add 3.2 million square feet of development in Tysons, including a total of 1,613 housing units, nearly 900,000 square feet of office space, and over 123,000 square feet of retail.