Wee Chic, a Maryland-based kids’ clothing boutique, recently opened its doors in the former spot of Dawn Price Baby in the Mosaic District.
The store opened at 2905 District Ave, Suite 120 on Saturday, April 6, Ellie Heath, the store’s manager and former Dawn Price Baby employee, told Tysons Reporter.
Wee Chic, which started in Baltimore, wanted to expand into the D.C. market and saw the recent closure of Dawn Price Baby store in the Mosaic District as an opportunity to fill a need for kids’ clothing in the area, Heath said.
After 15 years in business, Dawn Price Baby closed three of its four stores, including the ones in Reston and Georgetown, leaving just the Capitol Hill location open.
“Our store leases have come up for renewal and we have decided to start a new chapter,” Dawn Price, the owner of Dawn Price Baby, posted on the website. “Dawn Price Baby has been one of the most rewarding, challenging and exciting times of my life.”
In addition to filling Dawn Price Baby’s former spot, Heath said Wee Chic offers appropriate tween clothing for kids from fifth to eighth grade — ages that parents can find particularly hard to shop for, Heath said.
Wee Chic carries clothing for girls’ sizes from newborn up to size 16 and for boys from newborn up to size 8, along with toys and books, Heath said.
Heath said the popular items right now are anything with avocados, tacos and sushi, like the sushi-printed bib set for $20, a taco-shaped silicone teether for $16.50 and a taco onesie for $42. Only two avocado bibs are left in the store, Heath said.
If you peeked under silver duct tape on the front window of Agora at 7911 Westpark Drive, you would find a sign saying “Opening 2018.” Things have not gone as planned.
The new restaurant would be the second location for the Mediterranean eatery based out of Dupont Circle in the District. The restaurant is under construction in the Nouvelle apartment tower northeast of Tysons II, part of a suite of Arbor Row developments.
The restaurant was announced last October with plans to open in December. But by February, owner Ismail Uslu said he had been struggling with a slow permitting process that has taken a full year for approval.
At the time, Uslu said the new opening was scheduled for March. But midway through April, the interior of the restaurant is still under construction.
According to Uslu, the restaurant is having design difficulties related to elevation. The restaurant is not only split-level but located on a slope running down Westpark Drive. Uslu said the new aim is to open sometime in mid-to-late May.
Editor’s note: Over the next several weeks, Tysons Reporter is profiling the eight districts of Tysons. This is the sixth article in that series.
North Central, sandwiched between downtown Tysons and the Dulles Access Road, is in some ways the quintessential Tysons district, with neither the flash of a Metrorail station nor the moderating influence of surrounding suburbs.
It will remain a lower-density office option compared to the higher-density downtown districts, and will add some more urban residential neighborhoods along with a new park and a “circulator” transit option connecting it to the Metro.
North Central represents Tysons’ conventional approach to development in ways that other districts, with their Metrorail stations or surrounding suburban areas, don’t quite. Because it backs onto the Dulles Access Road, it is the only non-downtown district that is not required to provide a smooth transition to a suburban area. However, because it lacks a Metro station, it is not yet undergoing the kind of radically-transformative transit oriented development witnessed along the Silver Line. In some ways, the absence of those two factors make this perhaps the district where Tysons is most itself.
Plans for the area show a strip of office-only zoning along the fringe adjacent to the Dulles Access Road and the Beltway, with mid-density urban residential neighborhoods in the center and southwest of the district.
Circulator Will Connect to Metro
One challenge to urban connectivity in North Central is posed by the monumental Rotonda gated condominium community. The immense size of the two interlocking buildings, their position on a large hill, and the total lack of any sidewalk amenities adjacent to them, add up for an area that’s quite unpleasant to walk past. These buildings — though undeniably a striking contribution to Tysons’ urban milieu — are an obstacle standing between North Central and the urban amenities (Metro, performing arts, retail) in the nearby Tysons East district.
North Central faces another obstacle in its connection to the malls and Metro station of Tysons Central 123 — a steep uphill slope.
Fortunately, North Central is served by a technology capable of overcoming both of these obstacles: the humble bus. For only fifty cents, those residing in or visiting North Central can hop on a Tysons Circulator bus that will carry them to either the Spring Hill or the Tysons Corner Metrorail station. A bus from each line arrives every 12 minutes or so throughout the day, from early morning until midnight, helping North Central share in the value created by mass transit.
Although there aren’t specific plans in the works, Fairfax County expects to one day upgrade the line to higher-quality service or even to a streetcar or light rail system.
Development is Gradual and Ongoing
This district has seen its share of development in recent years. These include a luxurious four-building residential project at Park Crest, eleven floors of new class-A office space at Tysons Overlook, and the residential Highgate. In the near future, that last building could be joined by a 13-building mixed-use development called The Mile — if it is approved by the Fairfax Board of Supervisors at hearings in June and July of this year.
Development here is less frenetic than in the downtown districts, but it is ongoing at a healthy pace.
The Tysons Comprehensive Plan notes that, as circulator service is improved, greater residential density may become possible.
A New Park
A crowning ambition of this district could be the new urban park, 8-10 acres in size, to be created along Westbranch Drive and a future new street. This park, which would be one of Tysons’ largest, would include two athletic fields and provide “a focus for civic gatherings for residents and employees.”
However, one possible problem is that the provisional location of the park, as listed in the Comprehensive Plan, clashes with the proposal for development of The Mile. The Mile’s plan does include a large central green space, but it is not quite as large as Fairfax envisions, and does not include athletic fields.
The Comprehensive Plan also states that a new elementary school will be needed to accompany population growth in this area.
Relocating is a part of office culture. But when the company moves just a few blocks away, some experts say it could be the sign of a healthy office market.
One of the most notable moves in Tysons was auditing giant KPMG LLP’s announcement last October that it would be moving from 1676 International Drive to the Boro, a project nearing the final phase of development.
On the surface, a move like that would have a minimal economic impact. Some local experts who spoke to Tysons Reporter said that moves like this allow companies to obtain relatively prime office space at low costs.
KPMG LLP not only got a newer, larger office out of the move, but also a $1 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Development Opportunity Fund and other tax credits.
The move also pushed Brandywine Realty Trust — the owners of 1676 International Drive — into a $20 million renovation that currently includes plans for a new flexible office space
Professor Frank Shafroth, director of the Center for State and Local Leadership at George Mason University, said the move could also be a positive sign that the region has a strong standing in the competitive Northern Virginia race to fill office vacancies.
“If they are moving in the same community, it means the community has the right amenities,” said Shafroth, “so I would guess there are certain unique benefits to them — and no harm to the community, because, clearly, in considering a relocation, they would have considered Arlington or other spots.”
Photo courtesy Brandywine Realty Trust
The long-awaited Tysons Technology Park near Leesburg Pike is about a month away from opening.
The athletic field just south of the intersection of Leesburg Pike and the Beltway will replace a surface parking lot with a five-level parking garage and a full-sized athletic field. The athletic field includes amenities like LED lighting, bleachers and bicycle racks.
The project was built as part of a proffer — an accommodation from a developer to qualify for zoning exemptions — from the Meridian Group for the nearby Boro project. Once opened, the field will be operated and maintained by the Fairfax County Park Authority.
Mike Killelea, a communications manager with construction contractor L.F. Jennings, said the project is a few weeks from completion.
“We should be turning it over to the Park Authority by the middle of May,” said Killelea “We should be done with construction by May 1.”
Killelea said after the handover to the Park Authority, the project will likely have to go through some paperwork and review before the it opens. Staff at the Park Authority said that until the park is handed over, it would be difficult to determine exactly how long that process will take, but that ribbon-cutting for the park is still tentatively planned for mid-late May.
Image courtesy L.F. Jennings
A new photography studio opening tomorrow (Thursday) in Vienna focuses on high-end, portraiture photoshoots.
The Melody Yazdani Studio at 144 Church Street NW. has a grand opening scheduled for 6 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting at 6:30 p.m.
The studio specializes in portraits of women.
According to the website:
Session fees start at $275, with hair and makeup services available. Clients typically invest $1400-$5000 on custom collections. Session fees do not include prints or digital files, and travel fees may apply for sessions further than 15 miles from Vienna, Virginia.
The studio advises potential subjects to book a session at least two weeks before the photo shoot, though during peak seasons some slots fill up months in advance.
Exterior photo via Google Maps. Studio photo via Facebook.
A takeout eatery is getting ready to move into the Mosaic District space that previously belonged to Capital Teas.
The tea retailer’s spot at 2910 District Avenue, Suite 168 closed in the summer along with all of its other stores when Capital Teas Inc. filed for bankruptcy in August, an employee told Tysons Reporter. In October, Anchor Beverages took over the brand, and Capital Teas is now just selling its products online.
The vacant spot is getting prepared for a new takeout food establishment named Playa Bowl, according to a building permit.
A similarly named franchise called Playa Bowls serves up acai bowls, poke, smoothies and juice. It is unclear whether the franchise is the same future Mosaic District tenant.
Playa Bowls and EDENS, the retail real estate owner behind the Mosaic District, did not return inquiries from Tysons Reporter.
Fairfax County police have arrested Jeffrey Cummins, owner of the Huntington Learning Centers franchises in Tysons and Springfield, on charges of sexually abusing two former students.
Cummins is a music teacher who gives lessons in his Annandale home and, in addition to the Huntington Learning Centers, is the founder and artistic director of Virginia Music Adventures — a music group for school-age children — according to a police report.
Police say Cummins, 56, was arrested on arrival at Dulles airport from international travel and is facing eight felony counts of indecent liberties by a custodian against children. Per a FCPD press release:
Detectives began their investigation in May 2018 when a juvenile disclosed that he had been inappropriately touched by Cummins over a period of several years. In January of this year, another victim came forward and disclosed he had also been abused for several years by Cummins. The investigation showed that the sexual abuse occurred both during music lessons and at other times when the juveniles were at his home.
Police say anyone who is concerned their child may have had inappropriate contact with Cummins should contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800.
Photo via Fairfax County Police Department
The colorful, painted benches that recently popped up outside local businesses in the Town of Vienna are marking the 50th anniversary of the Vienna Arts Society.
Purcellville’s painted wine barrel community arts project in 2016 inspired the idea for the “Take a Seat Vienna” public art display, Lu Cousins, the director of the Vienna Arts Society, told Tysons Reporter.
Local businesses sponsored the cost of the Amish-built benches, which each had a roughly $240 price tag, in exchange for having them sit in front of their businesses through October, Cousins said.
Volunteers delivered the benches to 42 artists, 20 of whom are from the greater Vienna area. “Painting a wooden, slatted bench is completely different from painting an image on a canvas,” Cousins said, adding that the shape and angles of a bench can be tricky to paint.
In addition to the artists, Cousins gave a shoutout to the team of nonartists who helped facilitate transportation of the benches and get permits from the town.
Before their unveiling last weekend, the benches were varnished to help them withstand the weather, she said. The Vienna Arts Society has a map for people who want to take a seat in — or a photo of — all 42 benches.
“They are spectacular works of art,” Cousins said, adding that her personal favorites include Susan Scanlon’s “Simply Dreaming” bench, which features actress Audrey Hepburn in her iconic “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” role, and the ones with ocean imagery.
A live auction of the benches on Nov. 2 will raise money for the arts nonprofit’s programs.
“They are all beautiful, and they are all unique,” Cousins said. “We want people to enjoy their community.”
Photos courtesy Vienna Arts Society
After a weather-related delay in February, the new half-mile Vesper Trail connecting Vienna and the Spring Hill Metro station is now open.
The new trail runs through the Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream Valley Park, sometimes called “Tysons’ Last Forest.”
The trail is part of a series of necessary transportation improvements identified in the Tysons Metrorail Station Access Management Study. The trail is federally funded.
At the grand opening this morning (Tuesday), Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova and Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins spoke at the grand opening and emphasized the new trail’s crucial role in connecting Vienna residents to Tysons transit and retail.
New Vesper Trail makes it easier for residents to walk and bike to Spring Hill Metro and other shops in Tysons! @ffxconnector pic.twitter.com/gcjOLBHJg1
— Sharon Bulova (@SharonBulova) April 16, 2019
Photo via Twitter
