There’s no shortage of food options in Tysons Corner Center mall, but if you’re looking for some stir-fry, the new Go-Stir Fry Express offers a variety of Japanese dishes.

The restaurant is located in the third-floor food court next to the AMC Theater. The restaurant offers chicken, rice and beef stir-fry bowls with either rice or noodles for around $8. Side dishes include spring rolls and fried dumplings.

Go-Stir Express also has a wide assortment of teas, from classic milk teas to bubble tea with fruit.

EJ Hong, manager of the Tysons location, said the stir fry location opened less than a month ago and is the third location for the New Jersey-based Go-Stir Fry.

Hong said the Tysons location is off to a good start and suggests first-time visitors try out the chicken stir fry.

Go-Stir Express isn’t the only new location in the third-floor food court. On the opposite side on the floor, the recently opened Dabke offers Lebanese cuisine like falafel wraps and chicken shawarma at around $9.

Staff at Dabke said the restaurant opened less than two months ago.

Scam Alert for Businesses from FCPD — “These scams consist of an email being sent to an employee (secretary, assistant, etc.) claiming to be their boss, and asking the employee to do something such as change direct deposit information or buy several gift cards and send the codes back. The scam email comes from an address that looks similar to the boss/executive’s actual email.” [Facebook]

New Tysons Building Offers $639K One Bedroom Condo — “The Monarch luxury condo development in Tysons has put up units for sale. This unit is a one bedroom priced at $639K. The units offer sweeping views, outdoor areas and high-end finishes. Community amenities include a club room, outdoor pool, rooftop social room, pet spa and more.” [Patch]

RV Owner Reprimanded for Dumping in Vienna — “A resident living in the 200 block of McHenry Street, S.E., told Vienna police on Jan. 4 at 5:45 p.m. that a man was dumping waste illegally from a recreational vehicle into the street’s gutter. An officer spoke to the man, who advised he was fixing the plumbing in the kitchen of the vehicle and had dumped the contents from kitchen drain into the gutter, mixing the contents with bleach.” [InsideNova]

Should Teachers Be Armed? — “Virginians are divided on whether they would support legislation to train schoolteachers and administrators to be armed on school grounds, according to a poll conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University. ‘It was almost split right down the middle,’ said Robyn McDougle, director for the Center for Public Policy in VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.” [Connection Newspapers]

Snow May Disrupt Evening Commute — “The main band of snow is likely to come through during the evening and overnight hours. As the onset of snow may coincide with the evening commute, especially in our western areas, build in extra time to get home or consider leaving a little early to beat the rush. Some slick spots could develop, especially on untreated roads.” [Capital Weather Gang, Twitter]

How is Tysons progressing in its quest to become America’s “next great city?”

A pair of upcoming events are planned to look at the current state of Tysons’ economy and where it should go from here.

The first, a “State of the Market” event next Thursday (Jan. 24), will focus on the development of the local office and retail markets. The event is hosted by Bisnow, a commercial real estate news organization.

The event will be held at 1600 Tysons Boulevard. Tickets to the event are $99.

Breakfast and networking start at 7:30 a.m. A discussion of continuing Tysons’ development boom starts at 8:30 a.m., followed by a discussion of how the new developments around the Greensboro Metro station will impact the market starts at 9:15 a.m.

“As we look at 1.5 million square feet of office under construction, 1,800 multifamily units to deliver, and massive mixed-use developments in the pipeline, the area shows no signs of slowing down,” Bisnow said in the event description. “With a few years of booming development, is the market fully built?  How much more construction does the market need to see? Northern Virginia is poised for growth, but is it growing quick enough to meet the supply being delivered?”

One week later, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce will host its 27th Annual Economic Conference. The central theme of the conference is a review of the last ten years of development in Tysons and examining economic indicators for the area’s future growth.

The event is scheduled for Jan. 31 from 7:30-11 a.m. in the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner at 7920 Jones Branch Drive.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is finalizing the details of an updated Capital Improvement Program (CIP), giving a look at what the future holds for the Tysons area.

While total student population in FCPS has gone down by 1,011 students this year, projections show schools in the Tysons are becoming increasingly crowded. One of the most immediate concerns for the region is overcrowding at McLean High School.

At a Jan. 14 work session, School Board Member Jane Strauss called for a limited boundary study to move students from Longfellow Middle School and McLean High School to the nearby Cooper Middle School and Langley High School attendance area.

“The boundary study would primarily focus on the north end of the Tysons area where we have some older apartment buildings,” said Strauss. “These are not new high rises, but older family-friendly buildings.”

Strauss said the change would impact students currently zoned for Spring Hill Elementary School. The change would also not take place until school year 2020 to allow more discussions with parents and planning.

“McLean High School is overcrowded now, and projected to be more so over time as a result of project growth in Tysons,” said Strauss. “If you look at Langley’s capacity, they are under-enrolled now and that will continue, so there is plenty of room. If we don’t do this, that means more trailers and possibly a module at [McLean]. If our goal is a reduction of reliance on trailers and modules, this boundary change I think is a good use of space and money.”

But the proposal received some pushback from other members of the School Board, who said they were uncomfortable with a spot-boundary change a month before the School Board is scheduled to begin a broader review of school boundaries.

“Before we talk about individual boundaries, we do have scheduled as a School Board to [take a] holistic [approach] to how we look at boundary changes,” said School Board Member Karen Sanders.

The School Board is scheduled to vote on the CIP on Jan. 24 and begin looking at boundary changes on Feb. 25.

“I do have concerns about doing a limited boundary change in one area without taking a more holistic analysis and approach,” said Tamara Derenak Kaufax, a representative from the Lee District. “We’re going to have to do what staff has been advocating, doing a holistic approach to [the] system and looking at the impacts.”

Dalia Palchik, School Board representative for the Providence District and a candidate for the Board of Supervisors, also said the idea of adding the boundary change 10 days before the School Board votes on the CIP gave her pause.

Palchik also inquired about the proposed Tysons Elementary School, a facility planned to help handle new residential developments in Tysons, but one that is currently unfunded with few details publicly available.

“We have that in our 10-year plan and the site is identified on our map,” said Kevin Sneed, Special Projects Administrator for Facilities and Transportation Services. “Build-out will last through 2030, which is about when we show this school opening. When we start seeing the yield of students, other schools won’t have the capacity to support them.”

Megan McLaughlin, a School Board member representing the Braddock District, said she had concerns that the county is underestimating the number of new students those new developments will bring in. She urged staff to re-examine its strategy for extracting concessions from developers, commonly known as “proffers.”

“I’ve asked staff to look at existing houses and use the proffer formula for how many students [were projected] to come out of a building and how many we actually ended up having,” said McLaughlin. “We need to be better at examining how many students [new developments] yield.”

McLaughlin said this happened for a smaller development in her area, but was concerned that as new development comes into areas like Tysons and McLean, the impact of those enrollment projections being off could magnify.

Update 4:25 p.m. — Lynne Coan, communications and marketing manager for the Town of Vienna, said the Vienna Town Council removed pedestrian bridges and digital information board from the strategic plan and changed “get rid of planters” to “enhance streetscapes to encourage walkability.”

As the Vienna Town Council begins to craft a new strategic plan, one of the largest sections of the document focuses on how to revitalize the town’s economy.

A full draft of the plan can be found in the agenda for the Jan. 15 Town Council work session. The strategic plan’s stated aim is for Vienna to serve as a “location of choice for unique, independent businesses that add to the town’s charm, attract visitors as well as residents and collectively serve to establish the town as a destination.”

So far, that’s been a challenge for Vienna. While there are new businesses, many of the largest additions are retail chains, and the western end of Maple Avenue suffers from rampant vacancies and “blight” like the burned husk of Marco Polo.

The strategic plan points to plans to update the town’s zoning code as one of the largest projects in the next year related to new economic development. The strategic plan says the aim is to start work on addressing the zoning code in spring 2019. The process is anticipated to take 18 months.

Part of the plan to make Vienna a destination also involves making it more walkable. The plan includes a series of recommendations on how to make Vienna more pedestrian friendly:

• Make wider sidewalks a part of new Maple Avenue Commercial developments
• Get rid of planters to allow more walking area
• Enhance traffic-light timing to improve crossing Maple Avenue
• Add more pedestrian-controlled signals on Maple Avenue
• Start a local bus shuttle service to walkable destinations in Vienna

To help diversify the economy and bring in non-chain businesses, the plan recommends hiring an economic development consultant or deputy town manager to focus specifically on economic development. One of the recommendations would also loosen some of the sign ordinance restrictions, allowing businesses to get waivers allowing signs and balloons for events on Church Street, as well as additional way-finding signage.

In an effort to reduce the rampant vacancies, the plan recommends providing a link on the website to current vacant properties and opening up those spaces for pop-up arts or other short-term uses.

The plan also says that the current Town Green could be utilized more effectively as a social hub for Vienna, with recommendations for the square including bringing events with food trucks into the area.

Additional proposals in the strategic plan include:

• Implement campaigns such as restaurant week
• Celebrate small business week for a whole week, starting on the date of the Church Street Stroll; ask businesses to come up with deals to offer that whole week
• Create a mobile app with an interactive business map
• Create an app and printout for a Vienna walking tour focusing on local history and points of interest
• Publicize where to park off-hours
• Host more events that draw people to the commercial area
• Create a Vienna dining and restaurant directory
• Create a Chocolate Escape event; ask all businesses to feature a low-cost chocolate items as part of event
• Host a Casino Night; have live music frequently
• Encourage more dining options
• Encourage local groups to adopt a spot and keep it clean
• Create training centers
• Feature a business of the week
• Additional free events: dances, dance lessons, senior events.

Lynne Coan, communications and marketing manager for the Town of Vienna, said the strategic plan is still a work in progress with the Town Council scheduled to consider a draft of the plan in the spring.

After two months of a “soft-opening,” Club Pilates in Tysons is finally ready for its grand opening this weekend.

The new workout studio is in the Adaire apartment building at 1521 Boyd Pointe Way, near the Spring Hill Metro station.

On Saturday (Jan. 19) and Sunday (Jan. 20), attendees will get to try out a complimentary 30-minute Pilates class. Booking for the free class is available online.

Pilates is a type of full-body workout aimed at building balance, strength, mobility and flexibility. The workout utilizes specialized equipment, like springboards, that often aren’t available at Pilates classes offered at other gyms. Club Pilates in Tysons offers four ranges of classes aimed at various levels of experience with a variety of membership packages, ranging from one workout per week to an unlimited annual membership.

In addition to the free classes, the new Tysons location will also have raffles and item giveaways with various vendors. All merchandise in the store will be discounted 20 percent all week.

Parking at the location is free in the Adaire building garage.

Photos via Facebook

Free Connector Rides for Unpaid Feds — “Beginning Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, Fairfax Connector will provide free rides system-wide for federal government employees affected by the government shutdown who are still required to report for work. You must show your federal photo ID to the bus operator when boarding to ride free.” [Fairfax County]

County: Lend a Hand with Shoveling — “While snowstorms are exciting for many of us, for neighbors who are older, injured or have a disability, snowstorms can cause a great deal of anxiety and pose a threat to their well-being. If you are willing to help shovel out a neighbor in need, consider adding a discussion to your Nextdoor neighborhood, Facebook group, email list or HOA site letting your neighbors know you are willing to help.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Group Still Pushing for New Potomac Bridge — “Traffic congestion continues to be a major thorn in the region’s side and Jason Stanford of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance said state and local officials are seeking several possible solutions. The alliance’s top priority is advocating for construction of a new Potomac River crossing north of the American Legion Bridge.” [InsideNova]

Bitter Cold Coming Next Week — “Weather models project the onset of a severe and punishing winter weather pattern… A blast of a bitter Arctic air is forecast to plunge into the eastern U.S. late this week and this weekend, the coldest of the winter so far.” [Capital Weather Gang]

If your tech company is one of the several across Northern Virginia represented by Tysons-based public relations firm SpeakerBox, the reach of your advertising might soon expand after the company is swallowed into a larger marketing agency.

D.C.-based digital marketing company REQ announced today (Tuesday) that it is acquiring SpeakerBox. According to the Washington Business Journal, the combined company will have over $20 million in annual revenue and over 150 clients, including Amazon and Disney.

Elizabeth Shea, co-founder of SpeakerBox, said one condition of the deal was to allow SpeakerBox staff to continue operating out of Tysons. The company has been located in Northern Virginia since it was founded in 1997 and based out of Tysons since 2005.

“The Dulles corridor is well known as tech corridor,” said Shea. “Half of our clients are public sector groups and all of them are in Northern Virginia. We knew it was important to stay near our clients.”

Shea said the company has a staff of 20 employees all working in Tysons, while REQ has offices spread out across San Francisco, New York and Boston.

“I think the fact that there are so many tech companies in [Northern Virginia] is intriguing,” said Shea. “People think of tech as [being based in] Boston and San Francisco, but there’s a strong presence here.”

Shea said everyone currently employed by SpeakerBox will remain employed at REQ. Shea herself said she’s contracted to stay on board for the next three years or more.

“Day to day, our clients won’t see anything immediately different,” said Shea. “But as clients look to grow and expand their marketing that might involve services we didn’t previously offer.”

Photo courtesy SpeakerBox

The Macy’s in Tysons Galleria is closing, but before it does there are discounts on all items in the store as the department store clears out its inventory.

Currently, most items throughout the store are discounted at 20 percent, though signs proclaim that some things are discounted up to 40 percent. Staff at the store said discounts could increase as the weeks progress. The exact date the store will close is currently undetermined.

As of yesterday (Monday), the store’s shelves were still well stocked, though diminished staffing meant longer lines at the store’s remaining registers. Discounts are applicable only at the Tysons Galleria Macy’s and items purchased at the store cannot be returned.

The Washington Business Journal reported that Brookfield Properties Retail could be replacing the three-story retail giant with some combination of an iPic theater, Balducci’s grocery store, Tiffany & Co. store or an Apple store.

There’s been a spate of unrelated, recent closings across Tysons, with similar sales at Pier 1 Imports and Performance Bicycle Shop.

As local leaders work to make Tysons more walkable, a big part of that push is going to involve keeping the sidewalks clear during snowstorms.

One day after the first snowstorm of 2019, Tysons seem to have mostly — but not entirely — met that goal.

While most of the roads are cleared by the Virginia Department of Transportation, Robin Geiger, head of communications for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, says private organizations and individuals around Tysons are entirely to credit for the clear sidewalks.

“Neither VDOT nor the county clears snow and ice from public walkways (sidewalks and most trails),” Geiger wrote. “While not legally obligated, residents and businesses are asked to help keep sidewalks safe, when possible, by clearing snow off the sidewalks in front of their property so that all pedestrians, especially school children, those with disabilities and the elderly, may walk securely.”

“Homeowner associations may require members of their communities to clear the private walkways abutting their property,” she added.

According to Geiger, the only sidewalks cleared by the county are those outside county-operated facilities, like police stations, fire stations, libraries and community centers.

By early afternoon yesterday (Monday), many of the sidewalks near Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria were mostly or entirely cleared of snow. Undaunted by the cold, there were also a fair number of people taking advantage of the snow day to shop at both malls and other surrounding businesses.

Many of the outlying streets, like Jones Branch Drive, also had sidewalks on at least one side of the road clear, with some of the streets near residential developments remaining snow-covered. For many of the sidewalks on the fringes of Tysons, even those with a path through the snow are still covered with ice.

Geiger said if sidewalks in front of private property are not cleared by the owners or other private entities, the job falls upon Mother Nature.

“Many businesses, [homeowners associations], and residents clear sidewalks, but they are not required to by county ordinance,” said Geiger. “Some sidewalks do not get cleared during snow events.”

In Fairfax City, Falls Church, Alexandria and Arlington, ordinances do require business owners and residents to clear their sidewalks.