Construction has begun again on the Monarch, the luxury condominium high-rise being build as a part of the Arbor Row development in Tysons.
The Monarch team announced yesterday (Thursday) that Hoar Construction has been hired as its new contractor, and construction is expected to be completed in mid-2023.
Renaissance Centro, the building’s developer, split with its previous contractor in 2020, and construction had been on hold until Hoar’s recent hiring.
Hoar has experience working on residential buildings in Tysons, having built the nearby Lumen apartments which opened in 2019.
Activity at The Monarch is visible once again, with Hoar Construction starting to work on the building’s site, including pouring concrete for a parking garage, that will continue throughout the summer. A crane to start building vertically will be erect by the end of the summer, according to a spokesperson for Monarch.
The building is set to be over 250 feet tall with 101 condos inside. It is part of the Arbor Row mixed-use development being built near Tysons Galleria.
A sale gallery for The Monarch is located at 1650 Tysons Blvd Suite 905 and is open on Friday and Saturday from 11-5 p.m. and by appointment. For more information or appoints call 703-734-2020 or visit their website.
A multimillion-dollar indoor tennis facility is slated to come to the Westwood Country Club in Vienna.
The club is seeking to replace its existing tennis bubble with a new facility that would have three indoor tennis courts as well as court tennis, also known as real tennis, a rarity in the U.S. and the world.
“The court tennis facility will be one of less than 50 in the world, and we couldn’t be more excited to introduce the sport at Westwood,” Bryan Stone, the club’s general manager, said in an email.
According to the club, the project will cost around $5.5 million to $6 million.
The club expects to host national as well as international tournaments. Outside the U.S., court tennis is only played in the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, according to court tennis groups. Players can use the walls in court tennis in a manner similar to other indoor racquet sports.
Stone wrote that demolition of the existing four-court bubble should begin in mid-July and a pre-engineered metal building would begin to be erected in late August or early September.
“If all goes according to plan, we expect the project to be completed in May of 2022,” Stone wrote.
The new 31,240 square-foot facility would have a lower gallery and an upper-level mezzanine both for spectators. It would be available to members and their guests.
Architectural plans for the facility say that it will connect with the first-floor lobby of the country club’s adjacent poolhouse to create “a cohesive entrance experience.” There will also be a tennis pro shop in the new building.
The project is slated to go before the Town of Vienna’s Board of Architectural Review when it meets at 7:30 p.m. today (Thursday).
Photo [1] via Herry Lawford/Flickr
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) After a successful first phase pre-sale, The Mather announced today (Tuesday) that it is launching a pre-sales for a second phase of apartments.
Located at 7929 Westpark Drive near Tysons Galleria, The Mather is a Life Plan Community complex of two residential towers with a total of 300 apartments for seniors. It is part of the 19.4-acre Arbor Row mixed-use development that will also include a high-rise condominium tower called The Monarch.
Prices for the units at The Mather start at $646,700, and they range in size up to 3,300 square feet. Residents will have access to a fitness center, spa, indoor pool, restaurants, and other amenities.
The Mather also offers long-term care for senior citizens, meaning they have health services on-site for those who need them as time progresses.
80% of the 186 apartment homes in The Mather’s Phase One have already been pre-sold, according to a press release.
“We’re very pleased that demand is so high,” Mather CEO and President Mary Leary said. “Future residents recognize that we’re extremely unique in our design, wellness-focused operational model, and quality experiences we provide residents – all coupled with our excellent urban, walkable location.”
Priority reservations for Phase Two, which will add 114 apartment homes, are now being accepted through June 30. Priority members can put down a $1,000 fully-refundable deposit in exchange for the first choice of apartments at pre-construction prices and the ability to customize and upgrade home finishes.
“Tysons is quickly becoming the place to be for a broad demographic of people who want an active, green, urban lifestyle with a neighborhood feel,” Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Julie Coons said. “We’re thrilled to have The Mather as part of the mix and look forward to a long, valued partnership with one of the industry’s leading providers in senior living.”
The Mather is set to open its first residential tower in 2023, with the second tower projected to follow in 2024.
More information on the complex can be found on its website or by contacting [email protected] or 703-348-8522.
Correction: This article’s headline previously stated that construction on The Mather was underway. The existing building on the site was demolished, and work on some site improvements has begun, but construction has not technically started yet.
The State Corporation Commission is reviewing whether Dominion Energy could extend a substation project that has frustrated, irked, and baffled residents to 2026.
Hearing officer Ann Berkebile said Thursday (June 10) that she will issue a report following public testimony in which residents detailed their frustrations over a project to rebuild the Idylwood Substation on Shreve Road.
“The first thing I want to note is how disheartening it is to be contemplating construction in our community until December 2026,” said Lori Jeffrey, president of Holly Crest Community Association, further saying delays and excuses from Dominion have occurred throughout the project and residents have learned to not accept the company’s statements at face value.
Dominion didn’t respond Friday to a request for comment. Attorneys for the company as well as county and other parties didn’t question witnesses when given the opportunity at Thursday’s hearing. Fairfax County didn’t address a media inquiry by press time.
Approved by the county in 2015 and the SCC in September 2017, the project calls for rebuilding, relocating, and replacing facilities and lines in and around the existing substation.
Dominion has said the proposed enhancements will “provide seamless, reliable power to Fairfax County, the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax and support the energy needs of the Metrorail.”
In justifying the extension, the utility company has cited the complexity of the project as well as lengthier permitting processes than expected and acknowledged that it underestimated parts of the timeline, among other factors.
“The Company is cognizant of the amount of time this Project has been in process and the strains the Project has placed on the surrounding community,” Dominion said in a March filing with the state detailing why it’s seeking a six-year extension.
During Thursday’s hearing, Collin Agee, a Holly Manor Drive resident, said work on the project started in 2016, five years ago.
The 2017 application approved by the state had the ability for an extension — provided it got the SCC’s approval. A May 31, 2020 deadline is currently suspended, according to the commission, a regulatory entity that has authority over utilities.
Tensions between Dominion and local interests have been developing, though, with the company proposing a new timetable to finish by Dec. 31, 2026. The project cost has also increased from around $107 million to $159 million as of February, according to the company.
The conflict continued at Thursday’s hearing, which will help the three-member commission make a determination. Hearing officer reports typically have a 21-day comment period by the formal parties in a case, according to the commission.
For homeowners like Andrew Laine and his wife, who plan to retire and relocate, that’s concerning. Laine said they previously rented their home for three years during the time the project began, and construction work behind their home led their family to say they wouldn’t have rented there if they had known about the extent of the project.
“Dominion has not been upfront with anything,” Laine said.
The three driving factors of the project are addressing power reliability regulations, increasing operational efficiency, and maximizing space for potential expansion, according to Dominion.
Dominion notes the project is located at two major overheard transmission corridors, an electrical transmission hub, and major distribution substation.
“Continuing to terminate lines and add load to the Idylwood Substation with [its current] arrangement would increase the severity of a breaker failure event,” the company said previously.
The rearrangement’s additional space could “accommodate potential future transmission terminations,” but there are no future transmission terminations and transformation planned at this time, Dominion said in the March SCC filing.
According to a Dominion project website, the existing Idylwood Station is on a 7.15-acre lot and the “existing equipment footprint” is 3.99 acres. The company seeks to reduce that equipment footprint to be around 2 acres.
Catarina Couto, the previous president of the Holly Crest Community Association, told Tysons Reporter that Dominion presented a project in 2013 with a much smaller footprint than what they were going to do. Couto said residents kept pushing for more information, and the company wasn’t forthright and honest with the neighborhood.
She asked the state at Thursday’s hearing to help neighbors in keeping the company accountable, arguing that 2026 was too long of a timetable.
“At this point, we have lost trust in Dominion’s ability to provide us with anything that is of tangible or valid information,” Cuoto said. “They have continuously pushed the agenda, they have received various…extensions, and they have caused our neighborhood great, great grief.”
Two People Displaced by Vienna Townhouse Fire — A townhouse fire in Vienna that closed part of Church Street for about two hours on Wednesday (June 9) displaced two people and resulted in about $148,750 in damages. Investigators say the fire was accidental, started in a wall between a bedroom closet and second-floor bathroom by an “open flame device (torch) that ignited nearby combustibles.” [FCFRD]
Police Hold Town Hall on Vehicle Pursuit Policy — Community members raised concerns about drunk driving and car thefts at a town hall that the Fairfax County Police Department held yesterday (Thursday) to discuss proposed revisions to its policy for vehicle pursuits. Among other changes, the new policy eliminates traffic violations, misdemeanors, and non-violent felonies as situations that can justify a pursuit. [WTOP]
School Bus Crashes in Annandale — A school bus and car collided at the intersection of Gallows Road and Surrey Lane in Annandale yesterday afternoon. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said “several” kids on the bus were transported to hospital “as a pre-caution for a check-up” and the car driver was transported with non-life-threatening injuries. [FCFRD/Twitter]
Classroom Modular Coming to Kilmer MS — Kilmer Middle School will get 10 new classroom spaces with the construction on a modular facility that will also have a staff workroom and restrooms. The Fairfax County School Board is scheduled to award a contract for the project on June 17 with on-site work expected to begin in July and finish by the end of this calendar year. [Hunter Mill District School Board Community Update]
(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) Construction has begun on a new, standalone emergency room in the heart of Tysons, Reston Hospital Center announced today (Wednesday).
The freestanding 14,000 square-foot facility will be located at 8240 Leesburg Pike within walking distance of the Tysons and Greensboro Metro stations. That is approximately six miles north of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church.
The closest healthcare facility in the immediate Tysons area right now is Kaiser Permanente’s Tysons Corner Medical Center (8008 Westpark Dr.), which has an ambulatory surgery center but no emergency room. It provides urgent care but only by referral, according to its website.
“We welcome the expansion of healthcare facilities and providers serving Tysons and its surrounding communities,” Tysons Partnership President and CEO Sol Glasner said in a statement to Tysons Reporter.
Reston Hospital, which is part of the HCA Virginia Health System, says it hopes to open the new emergency department in the first quarter of 2022.
“Upon launch, the 11-treatment room, state-of-the-art ER will be staffed with board-certified emergency room physicians and nurses, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year and offer the same services provided in an emergency room that is housed within the walls of a hospital,” the hospital said in a news release.
Reston Hospital announced the emergency room as part of a slate of investments totaling $70 million that are expected to be completed over the next three years.
Located near Reston Town Center at 1850 Town Center Parkway, Reston Hospital Center contains 231 beds and offers a variety of medical and surgical services, including around-the-clock emergency care with a dedicated pediatric emergency room and Level II trauma center, an Institute of Robotic Surgery, and an Inpatient Rehabilitation Center.
According to the news release, the new investments come on the heels of a multi-year expansion of the hospital’s Reston campus that concluded in early 2020. Along with the Tysons emergency room, other initiatives include technology upgrades, an expansion of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, and the launch of a neurointerventional suite that provides treatment for stroke patients.
The hospital also introduced an augmented reality system that assists with surgeries in October.
“These service expansions, investments and improvements are critical in helping us to continue delivering on our commitment as a premier specialty hospital, as well as being recognized as the healthcare provider and the employer of choice in the Northern Virginia region,” Reston Hospital Center President and CEO John Deardorff said.
Revisit Original Tysons Corner Apple Store via AR — “On May 19, 2001, Apple opened its first two retail stores in Tysons Corner, Virginia and Glendale, California. Now you can revisit the world’s first Apple Store exactly as it appeared twenty years ago on grand opening day through an interactive augmented reality experience.” [9 to 5 Mac]
Apple Anniversary at Tysons Corner Center — “Twenty years ago today, Steve Jobs opened the first @Apple store in Tysons Corner, VA, a suburb of D.C. Here I am talking to him during his press walkthrough of the store.” [Walt Mossberg/Twitter]
Falls Church School Vaccine Clinics Coming — In addition to bringing COVID-19 vaccine sites to Fairfax County high schools, the Fairfax County Health Department will provide school-based clinics to Falls Church City Public Schools students on Friday (May 21) and June 11. The deadline to register for the clinics is today (Thursday) at 8 p.m. [FCHD]
Civilian Review Panel to Hold Public Forum for Police Chief — The Fairfax County Police Civilian Review Panel will host a virtual public forum on WebEx at 7 p.m. on May 26 to discuss civilian oversight of law enforcement with new Police Chief Kevin Davis. This is the second opportunity that community members will get to question Davis, whose appointment was met with skepticism from local civil rights advocates. [Supervisor Dan Storck/Twitter]
Retired MCC Executive Director Gets Sendoff — “State and local officials, along with past and present members of the McLean Community Center Governing Board, gave a final send-off to the center’s departing executive director, George Sachs, during a May 2 gathering at McLean Central Park…Sachs retired May 7 after 11 years at the center. His successor, Daniel Phoenix Singh…assumed his new post April 12.” [Sun Gazette]
New Maintenance Facility Opens at Pimmit Run — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has opened a new Area 1 Maintenance Facility at Pimmit Run Stream Valley Park to better meet current and future maintenance needs. The project involved the demolition of three aging maintenance buildings, the relocation of two storage sheds on site, and construction of a new one-story 7,500-square-foot maintenance building.” [FCPA]
McLean Leads Virginia in Billionaires — “McLean has two billionaires with a collective net worth of $4.7 billion, making it the top locale in Virginia in terms of billionaire wealth, according to a new analysis from the financial news website 24/7 Wall St.” [The Center Square/Inside NoVA]
COVID-19 Vaccine Could Soon Be Approved for Teens — The CDC is scheduled to discuss recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for 12 to 15-year-old individuals on Wednesday (May 12). If it is approved, the Fairfax Health District says it will have vaccine available, and state and local appointment scheduling systems will be updated accordingly. [Fairfax County Health Department]
Falls Church Man Arrested for Threatening People at Mosque — 41-year-old Jonathan Lincoln faces assault and disorderly conduct charges after reportedly threatening people with a knife and trying to stab a security guard at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Seven Corners. The incident occured around 3 p.m. on Saturday (May 8), and there were no injuries. [WTOP]
Virginia Republicans Hold Nominating Convention — Virginia Republicans cast ballots in 39 different locations across the state on Saturday in a convention to select the party’s nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. The results could take days to materalize, but turnout was expected to surpass the party’s last gubernatorial convention in 2013, when about 8,000 of 13,500 approved delegates cast ballots. [The Washington Post]
Falls Church News-Press Announces Endorsements — The Falls Church News-Press has thrown its support behind Terry McAuliffe, who is seeking to return to the governor’s mansion in November. It also endorsed Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria) for lieutenant governor and incumbent Mark Herring for attorney general. [Falls Church News-Press]
Vienna Farmers Market Kicks Off Season — “It may be cloudy and chilly but the Farmer’s Market hosted by our local Optimist Club in @TownOfVienna is open! Pleased to help cut the ribbon to open this season of fresh foods and goods!” [Del. Mark Keam/Twitter]
Construction on Madison High School Addition Continues — “Tearing the roof off the place, literally! If you watch until the end you can see a sheet a of steel be pulled down. One at a time, they came down today. Making room for the third floor!” [James Madison High School/Twitter]
Tysons IT Company to Add 162 Jobs with Expansion — Gov. Ralph Northam announced on Friday (April 30) that technology security company Ridgeline International, Inc. will invest $1.75 million and create 162 new jobs to expand operations at its headquarters in Tysons. Founded in 2015, Ridgeline started with five employees and now has more than 200 workers with an emphasis on hiring veterans. [Office of the Governor]
I-66 Construction to Close Gallows Road Lanes Overnight — “Gallows Road over I-66 will be reduced to a single travel lane in each direction nightly Monday, May 3, through Saturday, May 8, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The northbound side of Gallows Road will be closed with two-way traffic running on the southbound side.” [VDOT]
Vienna Farmers Market Returns — The Vienna Farmers Market came back this weekend and will be outside the Vienna Community Center from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday until Oct. 30. It is one of dozens of farmers markets that have started opening around Fairfax County this spring. [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Northern Virginia Could Reach Community Immunity This Summer — “A year to the day after Northern Virginia hit its peak number of hospitalizations for COVID-19, the University of Virginia predicted the region could reach community immunity from the virus by June or July…Based on current vaccine acceptance and vaccine update levels, the region could be the first in Virginia to achieve immunity among adults.” [Inside NoVA]
Removal of Asphalt W&OD Trail in Falls Church to Begin — Removal of the existing asphalt Washington and Old Dominion trail and preparation of the new trail’s subsurface is set to begin this week as part of the Dual Trails Project in the City of Falls Church. Sections of the trail will be inaccessible for about four weeks each during work to install new pavement. The project is expected to be completed by August. [Falls Church News-Press]
At its meeting tonight (Wednesday), the Fairfax County Park Authority Board will finalize the funding to convert Holladay Field from natural grass to synthetic turf.
The plan for the field was approved by the board in June 2020, but more funds are now needed because of an increase in material prices due to the pandemic. The board has been asked to approve an additional $127,135 to cover a budget shortfall.
According to the board’s meeting agenda, the funding will come from a park bond approved by Fairfax County voters in 2016 — specifically from money that was tagged for a redesign and expansion of Langley Fork Park.
The project carries an overall estimated cost of $1.6 million. About $1.5 million in funds have already been approved, including money from the 2016 park bond, renovation funds for existing Langley Fork Park facilities, and $650,000 contributed by McLean Youth Soccer, which is working with the park authority on the project.
The project will also receive a $20,000 Mastenbrook Matching grant, according to Fairfax County Park Authority Public Information Officer Judy Pedersen.
Located at 1311 Spring Hill Road next to Spring Hill Elementary School, Holladay Field is a 5.1-acre park with a full-size natural-turf athletic field.
“The change [to synthetic turf] is a reflection of the continued growth in field sports such as soccer,” Pedersen said.
The project will help McLean Youth Soccer provide more practice and game-day space for its 3,000-plus players, according to MYS Executive Director Louise Waxler, who says there is “a critical need” for more facilities as the program has grown.
“The conversion of the Holladay field to synthetic turf offers the youth of McLean another quality playing surface requiring far less maintenance and increased accessibility for user groups,” Waxler said.
The Park Authority has contracted with Fieldturf to install the new artificial turf field.
According to the board agenda, the county received an initial proposal from the contractor for $1.48 million on Jan. 18. That was negotiated down to $1.43 million on Feb. 8, but the price was still 16% higher than anticipated based on an engineer’s estimate that it would cost $1.2 million.
County staff reduced the budget shortfall from $292,000 to the $127,135 scheduled to be approved today by eliminating a proposed fence and soccer side goals from the project. McLean Youth Soccer will instead provide movable side goals for the field.
The project timeline has not changed, with construction still set to start in mid-June and expected to take approximately four months.
“Thanks to Supervisor Foust, the Fairfax County Park Authority, and the generous investment by two private donors within McLean Youth Soccer, we are one step closer to meeting our field needs,” Waxler said. “This is not only an investment in our kids, but also an investment to the McLean community as a whole.”
Image via Google Maps
