Temporary baseball field pitched for former Scotts Run North site, now owned by Capital One

Capital One is extending its reach to the north side of Scotts Crossing Road in Tysons.

Fairfax County records show that the company purchased 9.4 acres of land at 1820 Dolley Madison Boulevard for $37 million in May 2019. The site was previously known as Scotts Run North and belonged to developer Cityline Partners.

Now, Capital One wants to transform the parking lot that currently occupies most of the property with a permanent park on the south end and an interim baseball field to the north. The latter will eventually be replaced with mixed-use buildings, according to a development plan filed with Fairfax County on Feb. 3.

Dubbed Capital One East Park, this is the second recreational facility project that Capital One has sent to county planners in recent weeks. On the south side of Scotts Crossing, an urban park has been proposed for Capital One Center, the development emerging around the company’s Tysons headquarters.

“As an extension of our corporate campus, these spaces will not only serve Capital One, but will also be of benefit to our Fairfax County neighbors and community, in keeping with the Tysons Comprehensive Plan,” Capital One corporate spokesperson Angela Solomon told Tysons Reporter by email.

She noted that both proposals will bring more outdoor gathering and recreational space to Tysons East and include road and utility infrastructure upgrades to prepare for future planned development.

Capital One anticipates beginning construction on both projects this summer, aiming for completion by fall 2023, Solomon says.

Called Frances Park in Cityline’s Scotts Run North plans, Capital One East Park will be 33,410 square feet in size when fully built. The submitted application covers 29,888 square feet, stating that the rest will be delivered with future building construction.

The park will feature a variety of amenities, such as a plaza or seating area, a play area, a fitness zone, water features, and bathrooms. The plan also shows “a potential carousel or other similar feature.”

While the park will be publicly accessible, the temporary baseball field will be privately owned and operated. It’s primarily intended to be used by Capital One employees, but will be made available to community sports leagues, according to Solomon.

The field is expected to have approximately 1,000 square feet of building space for a press box and restrooms.

“These amenities will help Capital One continue to attract and retain talented employees in an evolving office market, and will provide a range of recreational opportunities on a site that is currently used exclusively for surface parking,” McGuireWoods land-use planner Mike Van Atta wrote in the statement of justification for the project.

Capital One has proposed maintaining 194 of the existing parking lot’s 665 spaces until the five buildings planned for the site are constructed.

The company says it’s also working with Fairfax County to accelerate work on a road to potentially connect Scotts Crossing with the Dulles Airport Access Road. A portion of the connector road will be built as part of the park project.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved 1.5 million square feet of development for Scotts Run North in 2015. The plans call for two residential towers and three office buildings, one of which could be turned into a hotel instead, as well as 49,000 square feet of space for retail or service uses.

Capital One’s statement of justification suggests it will adhere to that plan, saying that the Capital One East Park proposal “will not impact the phrasing or ultimate delivery of the approved future development.”

Photo via Google Maps