The Westin hotel at 7801 Leesburg Pike in Tysons is undergoing extensive remodeling, according to new permits filed with Fairfax County.

According to the permits, interior alterations include conversion of meeting rooms and office space into a new fitness center.

Interior alterations are also underway to remodel the public spaces to include:

• a new entry vestibule
• lobby lounge
• public restrooms
• ballrooms
• meeting rooms
• marketing rooms
• the Starbucks in the hotel
• the hotel bar/restaurant

The permits were processed on May 7. After repeated attempts to contact management, no one was available to answer specifics about the planned renovations.

Renovations for the hotel’s common areas have been in the works since 2018 when the property was purchased by a trio of investors.

Ten acres of vacant St. Paul’s Lutheran Church property at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Idylwood Road could soon be redeveloped into a residential neighborhood.

A zoning application to the Fairfax County Board from developer Toll Mid-Atlantic LP Company requests permission to build 67 residential units — a mix of 39 single-family and 28 multi-family units.

St. Paul’s facilities at the site were built between 1954 and 1967, but have been vacant since Lutheran Social Services moved to the primary St. Paul’s building.

The church property sits at one corner of a busy intersection, requiring transportation improvements in the project application. Approval of the homes would require frontage improvements to Idylwood Road, a dedicated right-of-way along Leesburg Pike for a future right turn lane and a few other local road connections.

“Collectively, these road improvements will mitigate the impact of the vehicle trips generated by St. Paul’s and the Proposed Development, and will provide greater benefit than the previous commitments,” the developer said in the application. “The applicant proposes an eight-foot asphalt trail along Leesburg Pike, an eight-foot concrete sidewalk along Idylwood Road, and a bus shelter at the corner of Idylwood Road and Leesburg Pike.

The deal would allow St. Paul’s to finance a long-planned family life center. The facility would increase the overall size of the church from 17,196 square feet to 27,928 square feet.

According to the application:

The purpose of the approved expansion is to create a new family life center for use by the congregation and the community. Since the approval of the family life center… in 2005, however, St. Paul’s has been unable to construct the building due to financial constraints and the significant cost of the project. As a result, St. Paul’s has entered into an agreement with the Applicant to sell a portion of the property… which will provide the funding necessary for St. Paul’s to achieve its long-term goal of developing the family life center.

The project is tentatively planned for a Planning Commission hearing on Sept. 25, with a Board of Supervisors hearing to be determined.

For-profit school University of the Potomac opened a new 15,000-square-foot campus in Tysons.

The new campus is inside the building at 7799 Leesburg Pike — an office building in the southeast corner of the Leesburg Pike-Beltway interchange — with 15 new classrooms and areas for relaxation or studying. Classes at the new facility started on May 4.

The school is a for-profit business offering associate’s degrees to master’s degrees, as well as professional certificates, though it touts affordability with a $350 per month payment plan.

“The higher education space is going through a lot of changes, as prospective students look for convenience and affordability,” said Rick Murphree, the president of the University of the Potomac, in a press release. “We met the affordability challenge by lowering our tuition by nearly 40 percent. The addition of this new campus shows our commitment to students’ demand for convenience.”

Second photo via Instagram

F45, an Australian-based high-intensity gym franchise, just signed a 10-year lease for The Boro development in Tysons.

The gym is set to open in the 2,310-square-foot second-level retail space at 1640 Boro Place, Suite 206, according to a press release.

F45 is targeting a late summer opening in The Boro — right around when many of the restaurants and retail plan to open in The Meridian Group’s development.

According to the press release:

F45 Tysons will offer fitness programs with more than 4,000 exercises changed daily; multi-screen LCD TVs displaying all exercises; heart rate technology for performance tracking; live DJ mixes and F45 FM music to keep members motivated; and a global support network of coaching professionals. The state-of-the-art fitness facility will include full locker rooms and showers.

The workout program combines interval, cardiovascular and strength training regimens into a rotating set of workouts.

“We are proud to welcome F45 Tysons to The Boro, and we are thrilled about the tremendous energy it will bring to the project,” Caroline Flax, the senior analyst for The Meridian Group, said in the press release.

Photo courtesy F45

The local Korean eatery Mixing Bowl and the local branch of the organic salad chain Sweet Leaf Cafe are both closed in Tysons Corner Center.

Since 2012, Mixing Bowl served Korean-style tacos, wraps and bibimbap in the first-floor food court. The restaurant offered a variety of vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes for less than $10.

A wrap around the front of the store shows that the restaurant is soon to be replaced by a new Falafel Inc. — a D.C. based restaurant that donates a percentage of its profits to support refugees.

But just around the corner, there are no signs for what’s coming next for Sweet Leaf Cafe. The windows still tell visitors to sign up for the app, and the woodwork above the doorframe still faintly shows where the restaurant sign had been hanging.

In the meantime, there’s also Sweet Leaf Cafes at 262 Maple Avenue E. in Vienna and 1359 Chain Bridge Road in McLean. For anyone else looking for vegan or vegetarian options, here is a by-no-means-comprehensive list.

The Tysons branch of an educational service centers chain had a short-lived closure after the franchise owner was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting two students.

A spokeswoman for the Huntington Learning Centers said its branches in Tysons and Springfield both reopened on April 26, one week after they closed.

“They were reopened after we could be assured that the Springfield and Tysons centers were not involved in the incidents alleged,” the spokeswoman said.

Franchise owner Jeffrey Cummins faces eight felony counts of indecent liberties by a custodian against children, and the abuse allegedly occurred inside Cummins’ home in Annandale.

Eileen Huntington, the chief executive officer of the Huntington Learning Centers, said in a statement:

“Our focus has always been to provide a safe and supportive environment for students. Upon learning of the situation reported, the centers were immediately closed until we could be assured that the Springfield and Tysons centers were not involved in the incidents alleged, that all students were safe, and that they will continue to be in the future. After confirmation, both centers reopened. We look forward to continuing our mission to provide every student with the best education possible.”

The Tysons facility operates in the Centennial Plaza shopping center at 8290 Old Courthouse Road. According to the company’s website, the facility has been open for 23 years.

The spokeswoman did not respond to questions from Tysons Reporter about how many kids were affected by the closure.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney said that because the victims in the case are under the age of 18, the case is first going to the juvenile domestic court for a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 22.

After the preliminary hearing, depending on the judge’s determination, the case could be sent to the circuit court.

(Updated 11:20 p.m.) Tomorrow (Wednesday), Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is planning the 8th annual “Bike to School Day” to help foster healthy habits in local students.

The activity is part of a series of events throughout the area focused around promoting bicycling.

Students are encouraged to bike or walk to school and work, with parents encouraged to accompany their children to school and organize bike trains or walking groups.

FCPS also has a list of safe routes to and from each school in the county.

Tysons area schools with Bike to School Day activities include:

• Churchhill Road Elementary
• Colvin Run Elementary
• Cunningham Park Elementary
• Fairhill Elementary
• Graham Road Elementary
• Haycock Elementary
• Kilmer Middle
• Lemon Road Elementary
• Marshall Road Elementary
• Spring Hill Elementary
• Timber Lane Elementary
• Vienna Elementary
• Westbriar Elementary
• Wolf Trap Elementary

For those without kids in the schools, Bike to Work Day is May 17. Locals are encouraged to bike to work, even if it’s just for one day, to try out the healthy commute.

Participants in Bike to Work Day can register online to access 115 pit stops throughout the region and link up to commuter convoys.

Photo via Facebook

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (May 7)

• Town of Vienna Election — 6 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE.) — There is a competitive race for the Town Council in Vienna, mainly focusing on the scale of new developments.
• “The Guest Book” Reading and Signing — 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Barnes & Nobles (7851 Tysons Corner Center) — Sarah Blake, author of the historical novel The Guest Book, will read from the book and sign copies at the Tysons Corner Center Barnes and Noble.

Thursday (May 9)

• Innovation Breakfast: The Opportunity in Opportunity Zones — 8-10:30 a.m. at Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive) — The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is hosting a business breakfast looking at opportunity zones, tracts of land targeted by state and federal governments for economic development. The breakfast will look at where they exist and what can be accomplished with them. Registration is $40 and includes breakfast.
• Urban Forest Perfume Making Workshop — 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Brandbox Lounge (Tysons Corner Center) — For Mother’s Day, the Urban Forest Perfume Company is setting up a workshop looking at the art of plant-based perfumes. Participants will get a class in understanding synthetic versus plant ingredients, perfume notes and basic formulas. Light food and wine will also be served.
• Vienna Community Brainstorming on Public Parking in Commercial Corridor — 6-7 p.m. at the Town Hall Council Chambers (127 Center Street S.) — The Town Business Liaison Committee and Mayor Laurie DiRocco will host a community conversation about parking. This is an opportunity to gather further feedback from business owners and refine solutions proposed at the March 14 community meeting.
• The Civil War in Northern Virginia — 7:30-9 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Ave E.) — Historian William S. Connery, author of “Civil War Northern Virginia 1861” will host a discussion of notable events and battles throughout Northern Virginia after the firing on Fort Sumter.

Friday (May 10)

• Young Adult Dungeons and Dragons — 3:30-6 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Ave E.) — A group of players are putting together an all-experience levels Dungeons and Dragons group aimed at grades 7-12.

Saturday (May 11)

• All the Way Live — 1-2 p.m. at the Alen Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave.) — The history-through-hip-hop children’s show is coming to the Alden Theatre in the McLean Community Center. Tickets range from $10-$15.

Sunday (May 12)

• Mother’s Day Brunch — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Cheesetique Mosaic (2985 District Ave.) — Cheesetique in the Mosaic District is hosting a Mother’s Day event featuring a mimosa bucket, green eggs and ham, french toast, and lobster mac and cheese. The shop will also be open with special gifts for mothers. Reservations are encouraged.
• Mother’s Day Brunch — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Inca Social (2670 Avenir Place) — Inca Social is hosting a Latin-style brunch on Sunday with cocktails and special brunch items. Children under 6 years old eat for free.
• Listen to Your Mother’s Jokes — 5-7 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — In a special comedy show, the Tysons Biergarten is hosting local standup comedians who are also mothers. Seating starts at 5 p.m. with the show starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Photo via Facebook

The regionwide Capital Bikeshare is scheduled to open in Falls Church on Wednesday (May 8).

There are 11 new stations in total, with six located either on Broad Street or within one block of it, according to Falls Church Communications Director Susan Finarelli. Other new stations include one at the West Falls Church Metro and one near a bicycle trail near Tripps Run Creek.

The stations are planned to activate this week for a “soft opening” with an official ribbon-cutting planned Monday (May 13), according to Finarelli.

The stations offer bicycles to rent through a membership and can be ridden to any other Capital Bikeshare station.

“We’re excited to be connecting to the regional network,” said Finarelli.

Finarelli said the opening is planned for 6:30 p.m. at the Capital Bikeshare station between Clare & Don’s Beach Shack and The State Theater on N. Washington Street.

Delighted to see @bikeshare has reached #FallsChurch. Thanks, @FallsChurchGov pic.twitter.com/uClakx2yA7

— FallsChurchLife (@FallsChurchLife) May 2, 2019

Map via City of Falls Church

An Arlington resident was arrested yesterday (Thursday) for allegedly stealing a Porsche and leading Fairfax County police on a chase through Tysons.

A police recap said that FCPD was notified about a stolen Porsche from Arlington County.

Officers in the Tysons Urban Team spotted the car and tried to stop it, but the driver sped off, leading police in a pursuit.

According to the police recap:

The car was found nearby, abandoned. With the help of our helicopter and K9 team, officers found the driver, Michael Louk, 45, of Arlington, hiding in the wood line. Louk was arrested and charged with grand larceny, driving on a revoked license and disregard police signal to stop.

The man had previously been arrested for allegedly stealing a car in Tysons mid-pizza delivery.

Photo courtesy Fairfax County Police Department