The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is looking to expand its Falls Church headquarters.
A zoning application filed with the Department of Planning and Zoning in September says the new facility could potentially bring 300 to 500 uniformed personnel and civilian contractors to Fairfax County.
The application proposes to add a 179,200 square foot office building to the site, near the well-known 2941 restaurant, as well as a 948-space parking deck. This is in addition to the 670,000 square foot building already at 7700 Arlington Blvd.
DHA is the government agency that oversees health care to active duty and retired U.S. military personnel and their families. Included under the DHA is Tricare, which provides health benefits to 9.4 million people.
DHA moved into the site in 2012 after the building’s former occupant, Raytheon, moved out to consolidate its operations. The proposal cites the property’s proximity to Washington, D.C. and the Pentagon as the main reasons for the facility expansion.
The application says the new building on the site will include pedestrian amenities, like an open plaza area with tree cover and cafe tables. While most of the site expansion falls within existing zoning requirements, the new DHA offices will require additional screening and landscaping.
The area adjacent to DHA headquarters is currently under review by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to be turned into a new urban center like the nearby Mosaic District.
A second open house is being tonight (Thursday) to discuss the future of McLean’s central business district.
The open house will be held in the McLean High School cafeteria (1633 Davidson Road) from 7-9 p.m.
The McLean Community Business Center (CBC) vision plan predicts that retail, residential, and office space will continue increasing in demand in McLean. The final version of the CBC vision plan, scheduled to be released later this fall, will make recommendations on how McLean should approach this growth on issues like land use and transportation.
Retail is projected to grow by 80,000 square feet over the next five years, slowing to grow by an additional 40,000 square feet over the subsequent five years. Most of this growth, however, will likely replace existing retail spaces.
The demand for residential growth is similarly projected to grow over the next five years, with a demand for 720 new units expected to consist mostly of apartments, then slowing to the growth of an additional 240 units in the five years after that.
Office growth is projected to remain more consistent, with 50,000 square feet in demand over the next five years, and an additional 50,000 square feet in the five years after that.
Streetsense, the consultant hired by Fairfax County to help create the vision plan, is scheduled to present a more refined draft of the vision plan at tonight’s meeting that takes into account the feedback from the first open house.
The first open house, held in September, outlined the broader scope of the plan. When asked for feedback, McLean residents at the meeting overwhelmingly agreed that more pedestrian access was vital to making McLean feel like more of a community location.
Specific intersections along Dolly Madison Boulevard were also noted to be particularly dangerous, cutting McLean Central Park off from the rest of the downtown area. Residents expressed frustration that many nearby streets lack sidewalks, an issue Fairfax County Government is currently working to address.
After tonight’s open house, the CBC Task Force is scheduled to meet on Monday, Nov. 19, before the final vision plan is unveiled at the Dec. 17 meeting. The final plan is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Supervisors in late 2019 or early 2020 for adoption.
(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) The Mosaic District is getting a new restaurant.
Little Dipper Hot Pot is opening at 2985 District Avenue on Monday, Nov. 19. The first 100 guests to the grand opening at 11 a.m. will be treated to a free hot pot.
Hot pots are a traditional Chinese family staple meant to be enjoyed with a group, though Little Dipper says it serves only individual size hot pots. Hot pot varieties range from a tomato dipper with mushrooms and a variety of other garden vegetables to a platter filled with five different types of meat.
In addition to hot pots, Little Dipper Hot Pot also offers more individual-focused food choices like ramen or vermicelli. Cocktails, beer and wine are also available.
Little Dipper Hot Pot currently has two other locations, one nearby in Falls Church at 3000 Annandale Road and one in Rockville at 101 Gibbs Street.
(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) While Tysons may have been snubbed in the final rundown of Amazon headquarters locations, if the second headquarters (HQ2) opens in Crystal City, Tysons may reap some of the benefits and avoid the pitfalls.
Crystal City is potentially one of two locations selected as Amazon’s second headquarters.
“The Crystal City location for HQ2 would generate new [potential] households for Fairfax County,” said Stephen Fuller, head of George Mason University’s Stephen S. Fuller Institute. “Tysons would be well positioned, given its Silver Line service/connection to Crystal City.”
Fuller also said an influx of new jobs means more demand for residential and commercial space.
“These new households will generate demands for local consumer and retail services that would fit into Tysons,” said Fuller. “HQ2 will also generate other business locations and Tysons is well positioned to attract some of these. So, HQ2 would be good news for Tysons.”
Salah Hassan, Professor of Strategic Brand Management at George Washington University’s School of Business, went one step further and said the HQ2 in Crystal City might even benefit Tysons more than if the headquarters had been located in Fairfax County.
“This is going to be a big plus for Tysons,” said Hassan. “I think Tysons will reap the benefits without having to suffer from the traffic issues that may come as a result.”
Dodging the traffic bullet comes as particularly good news for areas like McLean, which has struggled with commuter traffic going to and from Tysons. Traffic cutting through McLean neighborhoods has gotten so dire the Virginia Department of Transportation is currently considering closing access to the Beltway from one McLean artery.
But in addition to crowding the region’s already strained infrastructure, there are concerns that the new Amazon headquarters could squeeze out smaller tech companies and send area rents skyrocketing. Housing affordability is already strained in Tysons.
While Crystal City might be most poised to reap the immediate benefits of businesses hoping to crowd in close to the new Amazon headquarters, Hassan said Tysons’ proximity to Dulles could make it a valuable alternative for companies looking for international access.
“Tysons is a gateway for international travelers going in and out of Dulles,” said Hassan, noting that Reagan National Airport near Crystal City is domestic-only. “Tysons is ready with a big build up. Tysons is rising, and it will be the international gateway for HQ2.”
Hassan also said it’s likely for those moving to the region for HQ2 to look to Tysons for shopping, with Tysons fitting the sweet spot of not feeling as dense as Arlington or Washington, D.C. while still remaining Metro accessible.
But Hassan added Tysons will need to get moving on plans to build educational facilities if it wants to really capitalize on the new HQ2 talent pool. Hassan said that Tysons will be one of the only American cities of its size without a university.
“Tysons needs more in terms of education and support with professional development programs and training,” said Hassan. “The tech industry is going to start to flourish around Arlington and Tysons corridor to support this big giant moving into our backyard. There is a lot of opportunity for education in addition to residential and commercial.”
At the Tysons 2050 event in October, regional experts agreed that Tysons was going to have to encourage a higher education facility to locate in the area. Rodney Lusk, director of National Marketing for Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said that by 2050 Tysons would need two performing arts centers and at least one research university if it wanted to become anything more than just a commuter hub.
Photo courtesy Crystal City BID
Ten restaurants around the Tysons area made it onto this year’s Northern Virginia Magazine Top 50 Best Restaurants list, including five of the list’s top 10.
At the number three spot in the list is Maple Ave Restaurant at 147 Maple Ave W, just a few blocks west of the Vienna Town Green. It’s a small restaurant, but inside it’s an eclectic mix of American and European cuisine. The restaurant is open seven days a week for dinner, with lunch available on weekdays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
At the eastern end of Maple Avenue is Clarity, which comes in at number five on the list. Clarity offers a seasonally rotating menu of modern American cuisine. A nightly “tasting menu” offers a guided tour of the restaurant’s cuisine. Tonight (Thursday), it’s a three-course meal a variety of seafood and roasted duck, accompanied by Suntory Japanese Whisky and followed by a chocolate almond torte.
But Vienna doesn’t take all the culinary credit for the region. At number seven on the list is Asian Origin, a Chinese restaurant just west of Tysons Galleria at 753 Pinnacle Dr. The restaurant serves a mix of traditional Chinese dishes as well as pan-Asian cuisine like sushi. Asian Origin also boasts a variety of vegetarian dishes.
At number nine is 2941, the modern American restaurant in Falls Church (2941 Fairview Park Dr) near Merrifield. The restaurant puts a French spin on classic American dishes, like a Bordelaise sauce on a rib eye steak.
Lastly, Esaan near downtown McLean (1307 Old Chain Bridge Rd) comes in at number ten on the list. Esaan is a Thai restaurant that offers a variety of specialty items and “street style” dishes from the northeastern region of the country. There’s none of the usual Pad Thai, but offerings like the spicy papaya salad offer a more unique Thai experience.
Also included on the Top 50 list are:
- Amoo’s Restaurant (6271 Old Dominion Dr) – A Persian restaurant in McLean
- Assaggi Osteria + Assagia Pizzeria (6641 Old Dominion Dr) – An Italian restaurant with a focus on fish and pasta in McLean
- Elephant Jumps (8110 Arlington Blvd) – A Thai restaurant in Merrifield
- Nostos (8100 Boone Blvd) – A Greek restaurant in Vienna
- Tachibana (6715 Lowell Ave) – A Japanese restaurant in McLean
Grove, a poke and salad bowl restaurant in Merrifield, may be expanding its health-oriented menu to include wine and beer.
Grove opened this summer at 2673 Avenir Place, in a shopping center just south of the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station.
The menu lists options ranging from Hawaiian-inspired poke bowls to Korean bibimbap. Options are also available for customers to build their own salad, soba noodle or pasta bowls.
At the end of October, Grove filed an application with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) to sell wine and beer on the premises. The status of that application is currently pending.
Currently the only beverages on the menu are a variety of teas and juices.
Photos via Facebook
The Washington Business Journal has announced its list of 75 fastest growing companies in the Washington, D.C. area and it’s good news for the Tysons area.
Of the top four companies on the list, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority noted that three of them are based in Tysons.
The list ranks average percent change in revenue from 2015 to 2017. The companies must be headquartered in the Washington area and must be privately held.
DGC International, a company which provides logistical support to military and government clients, was ranked number one on the list. According to Bloomberg, DGC International Inc. is headquartered at 1604 Spring Hill Road near the Spring Hill Metro station but maintains operations in the Middle East, Central Asia, South America and Africa.
The Washington Business Journal said that DGC International has seen an 876 percent revenue increase over the years surveyed, far surpassing TechAnax in second place with a 187 percent increase and Dynamo Technologies LLC with 138 percent.
“There’s no slowing down here,” said Evan Hopkins, business analyst for DGC International Inc. “We’ve brought on a lot of new people, younger talent, and it’s ended up being a really dynamic work atmosphere.”
Hopkins said DGC International Inc. has been working to grow by filling specific needs in narrow markets.
“We’re currently pretty heavy in the vertical of global logistics, and we’re moving into mission support and global operations,” said Hopkins. “It’s a lot of construction work and operations. We’re also really growing in training with a lot of new and upcoming training contracts that we’re currently looking at.”
The companies ranked third and fourth, Dynamo Technologies LLC and Ridgeline International Inc., are also headquartered in Tysons.
Dynamo Technologies is located at 1775 Tysons Blvd just east of Tysons Galleria. The company provides IT services to federal agencies.
The 75 companies were also surveyed on their future plans, with 79.7 percent of those surveyed saying they do not plan on going public. Companies located in the region also seemed satisfied with their location, with 97 percent of those surveyed saying they do not plan to move their headquarters outside of the region.
The rankings also list the fastest-growing companies by their total revenue.
Tysons based KLDiscovery also topped the revenue list at $281.2 million. KLDiscovery is located west of Tysons Galleria across International Drive. The company primarily provides technology services and software to law firms and legal departments.
Number four on the top revenue companies, Dovel Technologies, is also located near Dynamo Technologies and had $190.8 million in revenue in 2017. Following it at number five on the top revenue list is another appearance by DGC International, which reported $149.7 million in revenue.
Photo via Facebook
DC’s Dancing Stars is coming to the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons this Saturday (Nov. 10) for an evening of glitz and glamour with some surprising names.
The annual gala pairs local celebrities with professional dance partners. The dance pairs compete for a mirror ball trophy and a $10,000 donation to the charity of their choice.
The judges of the event are professional dancer and Dancing With the Stars regular Chelsie Hightower, Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta’s Monte Durham, and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who turned down an invite to go on Dancing With the Stars last year. Spicer and Hightower were also judges in the 2017 competition.
The gala includes a cocktail reception, dinner, silent auction, professional performances and a live band in addition to the dance competition.
Eight local celebrities are scheduled to compete in the event. So far, construction executive George Nash has the lead in fundraising with $37,920 raised to benefit Youth For Tomorrow.
The gala will be emceed by Will Thomas, a former Fox 5 anchor, and Julie Donaldson, the NBC Sports Washington anchor and reporter.
General admission tickets to the gala is $175, which includes a seat to watch the competition from the balcony or back of the ballroom, dessert buffet, dancing and an open bar.
The VIP ticket includes access to a VIP-only cocktail hour, viewing of the show close to the stage, and a gourmet dinner and dessert.
Nearly one year after the shooting, there are no answers in the investigation of McLean resident Bijan Ghaisar’s death at the hands of U.S. Park Police.
In addition to a resolution on VDOT’s ramp closure proposal, the McLean Citizens Association’s (MCA) Board of Directors is scheduled to vote tonight on a resolution to pressure Park Police and the FBI to release more information about the shooting of Ghaisar.
Ghaisar, a 25-year old accountant who lived in the Tysons area, was shot on Nov. 17, 2017 by two U.S. Park Police officers who fired into his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Ghaisar died at Inova Fairfax Hospital on Nov. 27.
The incident started when Ghaisar was rear-ended by an Uber driver and the driver contacted police. Park Police located Ghaisar’s Jeep and signaled for him to pull over, and on two occasions he did — before then driving off. Finally, on the GW Parkway south of Alexandria, Park Police officers moved in front of the Jeep and when Ghaisar tried to maneuver around, the two officers opened fire.
In December 2017, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. released a dashboard camera video showing the pursuit and the shooting. After this, federal investigators took over the case.
Since the FBI and Justice Department took over the case, little new information about the case has emerged.
The resolution from the MCA urges the Park Police and FBI to disclose the reasons for the shootings, the identities of the police officers involved, and other results of the investigation. The resolution also commends Roessler for releasing the video of the incident in a timely manner.
The MCA Board of Directors meetings are open to the public. The meeting is scheduled to be held at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) in the McLean Government Center (1437 Balls Hill Road).
Image via Fairfax County Police Department
For residents of the corner of McLean inside the 10th Congressional District, last night’s election saw Jennifer Wexton (D) oust Barbara Comstock (R). But for the rest of the area, incumbents will be returning to office.
Not only did Wexton win in Fairfax County, but the Dranesville District heavily favored Wexton by 3,592 votes.
It was an active race, with 73 percent of voters casting ballots across the Dranesville District. Even before election day, the 10th District race saw an unusually high number of absentee ballots.
Comstock won the seat in 2014 after replacing Congressman Frank Wolf (R), who’d held the seat for over 30 years. Wexton will be the first Democrat representing the 10th Congressional District since 1981.
But while McLean saw high turnout in the competitive race, the Tysons area voter turnout was lower than the countywide average.
Countywide voter turnout was 69.8 percent, but the Tysons precinct only reported 58.7 percent voter turnout. At the nearby Magarity and Rotonda precincts, voter turnout was 66 and 64.7 percent respectively.
In the 8th Congressional District, incumbent Don Beyer (D) handily beat challenger Thomas Oh (R), winning 76.3 percent of the vote.
It was a similar story in the 11th Congressional District, where incumbent Gerald Connolly (D) defeated challengers Jeff Dove (R) and Stevan Porter (L) with 71.1 percent of the vote.
In the statewide race, Sen. Tim Kaine (D) won a 15-point victory over Republican Corey Stewart.
Two constitutional amendments allowing tax exemptions and the public safety bonds request were also approved.
Photo via Facebook
