Around Town

The dalmation and husky from “Paw Patrol” will be on call at Springfield Town Center (6500 Springfield Mall) tomorrow (Saturday) to give kids a day of fun before school resumes on Aug. 21.

Appearances by the animated dogs Marshall and Everest — or at least people costumed to look like them — are among the attractions promised for the mall’s “Fuel for School” event, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Grand Court near the newly opened Lego Discovery Center.


Around Town

The highly anticipated Lego Discovery Center has launched in Springfield, though it’ll be a few more days before the brick-building mecca officially welcomes the general public.

With a ribbon cut by scissors made out of Lego bricks and a burst of confetti, the 32,000-square-foot attraction opened its doors at Springfield Town Center (6563 Springfield Mall, Suite 12004) around 11 a.m. yesterday to dozens of kids, parents and other adults who snagged advance tickets.


Around Town

Big Blue Swim School is ready to make another splash in Fairfax County.

The school is slated to open at Springfield Plaza this Saturday (Aug. 5). A grand opening ceremony is slated for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 7202 Old Keene Mill Road.


News

(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) An extra $150,00 is being requested to add a “unique lighting feature” to the colorful “Springfield” welcome sign set to be installed on a pedestrian bridge near Old Keene Mill Road later this year.

At last week’s Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting, Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk proposed that the board consider spending $150,000 from the fiscal year 2023 carryover adjustment on a lighting feature to “complement” a welcome sign going up on the pedestrian bridge near the new Springfield Commuter Parking Garage.


Around Town

Updated at 1:55 p.m. on 7/24/2023 — Sadly for local taco lovers, a public relations representative for District Taco says the openings for its Springfield and McLean locations will be delayed. No new dates have been provided, beyond that the restaurants are “coming soon.”

Earlier: Fairfax County’s newest District Taco restaurants are almost ready to serve customers.


News

A plan to reinvigorate a 15-acre site in Springfield that was the pinnacle of the local market four decades ago has been derailed.

At a July 11 meeting, the Fairfax County Planning Commission rejected a proposal seeking a special exception to redevelop Versar Center — a site with two office buildings that sits on a floodplain between the Virginia Railway Express and the I-95/I-495 interchange.


Countywide

There has been another change in criteria for determining where the new FBI headquarters will go, prompting annoyance and even anger from several local officials.

Late last week, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it will now weigh cost and “advancing equity” as factors of higher importance when deciding if the new FBI headquarters will end up in Springfield or one of two sites in Prince George’s County, Maryland, per an updated site selection plan.


Around Town

Trader Joe’s is gearing up to relocate from its current site in Springfield.

The grocer plans to relocate from Springfield Plaza on Old Keene Mill Road to another location 3 miles down the street, a company representative told FFXnow.


News

Updated at 8:50 p.m. — Franconia-Springfield Parkway has reopened after a driver hit a pedestrian earlier this evening.

Earlier: A pedestrian has been hospitalized after a vehicle crash on Franconia-Springfield Parkway in Springfield.


Countywide

Thefts at retail businesses in Fairfax County dropped sharply in June after spiking this spring, local police say.

The Fairfax County Police Department reported on Thursday (July 6) that there were 573 shoplifting offenses last month, down from 642 offenses in May and 603 in April. The department attributes the decline to its increased focus on retail thefts as part of a 2023 summer crime prevention initiative.


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