Hot on the heels of Amazon announcing its new office campus in Arlington, eyes are turning towards Apple’s rumored interest in a new location in Northern Virginia — specifically, Tysons.

The Washington Post reported in May that Apple was considering the Scotts Run development in Tysons. Now, Tysons Reporter hears that the iPhone maker is “seriously” eying a Fairfax County office campus, potentially bringing up to 20,000 jobs to the area.

So what is Scotts Run and what is planned there, exactly?

Scotts Run is a proposed 8 million-square-foot mixed-use development near the McLean Metro station. The development, broken into Scotts Run North and South, straddles Dolley Madison Boulevard (Route 123).

Scotts Run had been mentioned as a potential location for Amazon but passed over by Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia as an official applicant in favor of the 26-acre CIT site in Loudoun, also Tysons’ competitor for Apple.

Scotts Run South is part of a rapidly growing network of new developments at the eastern end of Tysons spurred by the development of the Capital One headquarters. Approved in 2013, plans call for seven apartments, nine office buildings, an Archer Hotel and retail space. The 425-unit apartment complex The Haden and the 14-story office building Mitre 4 have already been completed.

Two new residential towers were approved in May 2018. The towers will have a maximum of 475 units combined, of which 20 percent will be dedicated to affordable housing.

The proposed Scotts Run North development north of Dolley Madison Boulevard would convert a surface parking lot, which currently serves as parking for the Metro station, into a high-density mix of residential and office buildings.

Whether Apple chooses to go the Amazon route and help inspire a new name for the neighborhood remains to be seen.

Local residents looking to catch a bus to New York City no longer have to take the trip to Union Station or Chinatown.

OurBus, a bus service founded in 2016 offering intercity and commuter routes, will run a new route from Tysons to New York City starting this Sunday (Nov. 18).

“We saw a terrific opportunity to provide local Tyson’s residents a more efficient, less stressful travel option to NYC,” said Axel Hellman, co-founder of OurBus, in a press release.  “Rather than traveling to a city center such as Arlington or D.C., and paying for parking, our customers can board our buses close to their home and work.”

Tickets for the maiden voyage from Tysons to New York are $25. The bus picks up on Dolley Madison Boulevard in front of the McLean Metro Station at 1 p.m. and will drop off at Park Avenue S. between 26th and 27th Streets in New York at 5:40 p.m.

Hellman said the bus tickets are more affordable than flying or other forms of travel, which is true, although it’s worth noting that tickets from Washington, D.C. earlier that morning are notably cheaper with a 7 a.m. trip for $15 and an 8:30 a.m. trip for $10.

The company also offers full refunds if the booking is canceled up to 25 hours prior to departure time and can exchange tickets for different departure times within 24 hours.

Photo via Facebook

An early morning altercation ended in a homicide on the 2900 block of Charing Cross Road, just east of the Mosaic District, according to Fairfax County Police.

Oscar Daniel Diaz Fuentes, 27, was stabbed in the torso this morning (Wednesday) around 1 a.m. during a domestic dispute. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect, Jose Adalberto Vasquez Hernandez, lived in the apartment with Fuentes. Hernandez was Fuentes’ mother’s boyfriend and, following an argument, Hernandez left and returned later to stab Fuentes, police said. Hernandez was arrested at the scene.

“It’s still early in the investigation, and detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau and Crime Scene Section continue to process the scene and interview the involved parties,” FCPD noted.

The 27-year-old victim was taken to the hospital w/ a stab wound around one this morning. We’re still working to confirm the suspects identity, he didn’t have an ID on him when he was taken into custody. Both the victim and suspect lived in the apartment. https://t.co/JRpaq0GK9p

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 14, 2018

Photo via Fairfax County Police

Update on 11/15/18: The man has died, according to police.

(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) A man is in critical condition after a pedestrian-involved crash in the Vienna area last night.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Old Courthouse Road and Westwood Drive at 5 p.m. Monday. Police initially reported driver who had been involved in a crash and had exited his vehicle.

Sometime after the first crash, police said the man was carrying items from his wife’s car across the street back to his when he walked in front of an oncoming car which struck him.

Fairfax County Police said the driver who struck the man remained on-scene. The victim remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police told Tysons Reporter.

Our Crash Reconstruction Unit is investigating after a man was hit at Old Courthouse Rd NE & Westwood Drive around 5 tonight. The man was outside his vehicle inspecting the damage after a crash when he was hit by another vehicle. He’s at the hospital w/ life-threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/IAd15obete

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 13, 2018

Photo via Google Maps

It’s official: half of Amazon’s HQ2 will be coming to Arlington and Alexandria. But while the offices won’t be located in Fairfax County, experts tell Tysons Reporter that the impact will be felt across the region.

Jerry Gordon, President of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said today that the new headquarters is not only likely to bring 25,000 new jobs to the HQ2 site, but will likely pull 50,000 to 75,000 jobs following Amazon into the region.

“There’s going to be a lot of new jobs, particularly in Tysons because of the Metro connection,” said Gordon. “There’s going to need to be new housing and new office space. The whole region is going to boom.”

Gordon said the first companies to feel the impact of the new headquarters will be regional construction companies, who are likely to see more work as developers scramble to meet the new residential and office space demands.

Among the excitement for new jobs are concerns that the headquarters will also make Tysons, an area already infamous for traffic congestion and a lack of affordable housing, denser than its supporting infrastructure allows.

“I’m hoping we get just enough of a boost from HQ2 for everyone to get raises or better jobs,” said a commenter on the Tysons Reporter Facebook page, “not so much of a boost that we end up with a housing crisis like what Seattle or [San Francisco] have right now.”

Gordon said there’s legitimacy to these concerns.

“When you bring in all these new people, you’re going to find housing values go up,” said Gordon. “There’s going to be a lot of families and they’re not going to want to live in high rises. If you want to own — or if you do own — property in the area it’s going to go up in value.”

Gordon said apartments will also feel the squeeze as new Tysonians move in, especially in the interim before the residential development market can catch up to the demand.

“Renting apartment space, that’s going to go up too,” said Gordon. “It’s all based on supply and demand. When that demand increases dramatically, the prices go up.”

Unfortunately, Gordon also said that the headquarters will likely impact traffic as well.

“If Arlington creates enough housing to accommodate, or new housing is built in proximity to the Metro, that impact will be relatively small,” said Gordon. “But that won’t be the case. This is 25,000 people… It depends on whose hired, but you’re still adding 25,000 jobs in the primary sector so there’s going to be an impact on transportation.”

But overall, Gordon said Amazon is likely to have a positive impact on the community.

“Everyone’s been focused on the new jobs, but people don’t think about the fact that Amazon is one of those companies that are very good corporate citizens,” said Gordon. “I know in Seattle they’re involved in issues from homelessness to arts to health issues. If that’s any indicator for how they’ll be involved here, the region is about to get a good shot in the arm.”

Anyone who has visited Republik Coffee (7915 Jones Branch Dr) might have noticed that the building it’s located in is “Highgate at the Mile.” But what exactly is The Mile?

The Mile is a proposed development aimed at transforming 39 acres of office park east of Tysons Galleria into 13 mixed-use buildings. The Mile development would include residential, retail, office, hotel and storage locations.

The Mile is set to be a mixture of high-rise and mid-rise residential and commercial structures, with the ground floor reserved for retail uses. According to the application:

The goal is a transformation of the existing suburban office park into a vibrant mixed-use community interwoven with parks, open spaces, and public gathering areas. The proposal will replace the existing mid-rise office buildings and substantial surface parking typical of an older suburban office park and help transform Tysons Corner into the urban environment envisioned by the County.

The first of the new developments proposed, simply referred to as Building A in the application, would be a seven-story residential building with 280-425 units. Building A would be located just west of Highgate.

The development application for Building A also includes the first stage of a series of street improvements planned for the new development to improve connectivity between the potential development sites.

Plans for the development were submitted late last year but, according to the Fairfax County website, no Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors hearings have been scheduled.

Wondering what to do with your long weekend? Never fear, Tysons Reporter has you covered.

Throughout the weekend, Tysons Corner Center mall will be one of a handful of locations nationwide where players will be able to demo popular Nintendo brawler Super Smash Bros. Ultimate one month before its release.

The game will be playable at kiosks in the mall, along with other Nintendo games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Just Dance 2019. The kiosks will be open tomorrow (Saturday) from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Tonight (Nov. 9)

• Opening Night at Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights (5:30-10 p.m.) — The Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) will be lit up with a half-mile stretch of light displays. Tickets are $14 for regular admission or $8 for child admission. Be warned, light rain is expected tonight, and cold weather is expected tomorrow. The Walk of Lights will run until Jan. 6, 2019.
• Happy Hour Fundraiser for Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (6-9 p.m.) — The Tysons Biergarten will donate $2 to the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (VVFD) for every person that shows up with the Facebook event flyer either printed out or on their phone. A percentage of bar sales from 7-8 p.m. will also be donated to the VVFD.

Saturday (Nov. 10)

• Wolf Trap Mega-Adoption Event (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) — The Wolf Trap Animal Rescue’s adoption events typically have around 30 animals available, but for National Adoption Weekend the organization will have nearly 100 puppies and kittens up for adoption Sunday morning at the Tysons PetSmart (8204 Leesburg Pike). A full list of animals up for adoption is available online.
• Veterans Expeditions BBQ and Blues Fundraiser (6:30-9:30 p.m.) — Veterans Expeditions is hosting a fundraiser at J.R.’s Stockyards Inn (8130 Watson St) in Tysons to support its mission of arranging outdoor adventures for veterans. The event will feature live retro-blues music and barbecue.
• Gordon Biersch Tysons Corner Veteran’s Day Fundraiser (Noon-5 p.m.) — A percentage of food and beer sales at the Tysons Corner (7861 Tysons Corner Center) brewpub will go towards the EOD Warrior Foundation, a charity that provides assistance to explosive ordnance disposal veterans and their families. Veterans eat free from a special menu.
• Sabado with Jeff Carr (8 p.m.-2 a.m.) — Guest DJ Jeff Carr will host a night of salsa and bachata dancing with hits from Latin house music and Latin pop at the newly opened nightclub Palladium (1524 Spring Hill Road). Salsa and Bachata classes start at 8 p.m. with cover free for anyone who arrives before 11 p.m.

Sunday (Nov. 11)

• SyteraYoga Grand Opening Celebration (1:30-3:30 p.m.) — The yoga studio that launched in January in downtown McLean will open its doors in a new location (6888 Elm Street) with a celebration that includes chair massages, local vendors, food and drinks.
• Tyler Ramsey at Jammin Java (8 p.m.) — The former lead guitarist for Band of Horses will be performing at Jammin Java in Vienna (227 Maple Ave E). Tickets are $13 in advance or $15 for same-day purchases. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Image via Nintendo

Runners will be able to “wattle” to the finish line in the 16th annual Vienna Turkey Trot. Registration is open for the annual 10K, 5K, and fun run through Vienna next Sunday (Nov. 18).

The course starts at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department at 400 Center Street. Following the race, music and refreshments will be offered at a festival near the finish line.

Today (Friday), tickets for the 5K are $35 and tickets for the 10K are $40, but starting tomorrow each price increases by $5.

Those who register before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11 will be entered to win a $25 Whole Foods gift card. Those who enter by noon Friday, Nov. 16 have a chance to win a free teeth whitening at Tysons Elite Dental if they “like” the Facebook page.

To avoid long race-day lines, race packets can be picked up on Friday, Nov. 16 from 4-7 p.m. at Vienna Whole Foods (143 Maple Ave E) or Saturday, Nov. 17 from noon to 7 p.m. at Road Runner Sports (1120 West Broad Street).

All proceeds from the race benefit the James Madison High School Band and the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.

Photo via Facebook

If you’re driving through McLean and you see a yard full of American flags, remember Vincent Hiltz.

Hiltz was a train engineer from northern Kentucky who served in the First World War, a war that ended 100 years ago this Veterans Day (Nov. 11). One of those flags is planted for him.

The McLean and Tysons Rotary Clubs are collaborating for Flags for Heroes, an effort to fill McLean with American flags every Memorial Day and Veterans Day (Sunday).

Sponsorship for a flag and a commemorative certificate is $60. Paul Kohlenberger, a Rotarian and President of the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce, said all proceeds of the fundraiser to go charity, predominately ones supporting veteran and first responder organizations locally.

Once a flag is purchased, it will be replanted every Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

In addition to veterans, flags can be purchased in honor of a first responder or even a personal hero. Those interested in purchasing a flag should contact Rotarian Vance Zavela at [email protected] or Kohlenberger at [email protected].

Robert Jansen, Past President of the Rotary Club of McLean, bought one of those flags to honor Hiltz, who was his grandmother’s brother.

Jansen said there was a story passed down in his family from the war, where Hiltz came face to face with a German soldier.

“They both stared at each other,” Jansen said. “Both were about the same age, very young in their early 20s. Vincent thought about the German’s soldier’s family and just how tragic the war was.”

Jansen didn’t say what happened next.

This is the first Veterans Day for which Flags for Heroes planted flags. Currently, there are 50 flags on display in front of the Sharon Masonic Temple (999 Balls Hill Road) and ten in front of the American Legion Post (1355 Balls Hill Road). Jansen said the organization’s goal is to gradually increase the number of flags planted to 200-300 as it expands year after year.

A brief ceremony will be held at the American Legion Post on Monday, Nov. 12, at noon.

(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Fairfax County Police have arrested Megan Hargan for the murder of her sister Helen Hargan and mother Pamela Hargan in McLean in 2017

Palema and Helen Hargan were murdered on July 14, 2017 in their home at 6708 Dean Drive. Police had initially suspected a murder-suicide, but as the investigation continued police began to suspect double homicide.

A search warrant revealed that police believed the scene had been staged by the suspect. Suspicion turned to Pamela’s daughter Megan, who had attempted fraudulent wire transfers from her mother’s account.

Megan, 35, was arrested this morning in West Virginia is being interviewed by detectives, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. More details were released at an afternoon news conference.

More from an FCPD press release:

A 35-year-old woman is facing charges in the murder of her mom and sister. On July 14, 2017, 23-year-old Helen Lorena Hargan and her mother, 63-year-old Pamela Denise Hansen Hargan were found dead in a home in the 6700 block of Dean Drive in McLean. They had both been shot. This morning, detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau arrested Megan Hargan near her home in Monongalia County, West Virginia for their murders.

The bodies were discovered by officers, after a 9-1-1 call reporting someone in the home might have been killed. The scene was secured and meticulously processed over several days by our Crime Scene Section. Detectives determined early in the investigation that the scene was staged to appear to be a murder-suicide. Due to the complexity of the evidence, a reconstruction of the crime scene was completed by an independent company. Our investigation and forensic findings led us to Megan Hargan, and our Major Crimes Bureau remained vigilant while pursuing every investigative lead. We interviewed Megan Hargan on July 14th, and then again a few days later. Megan Hargan attempted fraudulent money transfers from her mom’s bank account on the day of the murders, as well as the day before. Megan Hargan was indicted by a multi-jurisdictional grand jury yesterday for two counts of 1st degree murder and two counts of using a firearm in committing a felony.

“This is a tragedy, domestic violence at its worst,” said Major Ed O’Carroll, commander of the Major Crimes Bureau.  “Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Helen Hargan and Pamela Hargan. Know that justice always leads to the truth, and today the criminal justice process on this case continues.”

Our detectives are still in West Virginia, as the case remains active. We want to thank our law enforcement partners for their cooperation on this complex case, including the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office.

UPDATE: Woman arrested in 2017 murder of mom and sister. #FCPD #FairfaxCountyhttps://t.co/bi7AlGMGeC pic.twitter.com/VzGYW6dsty

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 9, 2018

Photo via Twitter