(Updated March 21) — Today, the area south of the West Falls Church Metro station is split between an aging high school and a parking deck, but a series of developments could completely transform the area into a new commercial center.
At least one of the developments hinge on a new George Mason High School being rebuilt just to the northwest of its current location, facing the former school site which is planned to be demolished and turned into a new commercial area like the Mosaic District in Merrifield.
Just months before construction is scheduled to break ground on June 14, details of the school are still being adjusted. At a town hall on Feb. 24, staff working on the project ran through some of the changes and outlined the timeline for the site.
“Where we were is not where we are now,” said Derk Jeffrey, principal architect for the project. “We’re in a much stronger place to meet the needs of the school.”
Staff at the meeting said the rooms and walls are all set for the project’s design, and at this point, most of the tinkering includes just minor adjustments.
The project was reviewed at an architectural advisory board meeting last night (Wednesday) and is scheduled to be reviewed by the Planning Commission in April/May with approval from the city planned for June. Falls Church City Public Schools Superintendent Peter Noonan said construction is planned to start as soon as school is out.
If approved, the construction on the project is scheduled to begin immediately with the new school projected to open in January 2021. Once the new school is completed, work is planned to start on a sprawling new West Falls Church Economic Development Project led by developers EYA, PN Hoffman and Regency Centers.
The project is described as a gateway to the city with a focus on pedestrian-oriented streets.
Plans for the site include:
- 390,000 square feet of office space
- 126,400 square feet of retail
- 288 units of multi-family apartments
- 245 condominium units
- 150-200 senior housing units
- 40 affordable housing units
The plans also call for nearly an acre of open space in an area called Little City Commons, a gathering place and venue for community events.
A hotel with conference space is also planned for the site.
On Feb. 28, the project received preliminary approval from the Falls Church City Council but will come back for a final vote in May.
Meanwhile, details are still scarce on the plans to redevelop the parking lots at the West Falls Church station with potentially 700 residential units, 150,000 square feet of office space and 50,000 square feet of retail.
A Virginia Tech academic facility at the site is also in the early stages of redevelopment into 205,000 square feet of academic space, along with a 100,000-square-foot lab and 300,000 square feet of residential space.
Fresh off a ranking in Bloomberg’s wealthiest places in America list, McLean took the number 10 spot in a rundown of American cities ranked by money management.
The list by WalletHub, a personal finance website based in D.C., compared over 2,500 cities and ranked them based on 10 indicators of money management.
The ranking factors in things like credit card, mortgage, and other debts as compared to incomes.
The median credit score in McLean is particularly high at 761 with an average number of late payments at 0.75.
Vienna also made an appearance on the list at 37th overall. The town’s average credit score is 763, but residents are a little sloppier on the payment deadlines, with an average 1.1 late payments.
Falls Church comes in at number 68 with a credit score of 733 and 2.08 late payments.
Falls Church Police are investigating after a teacher at a city elementary school discovered vandalism involving a swastika.
Police say the vandalism took place at Mt. Daniel Elementary School (2328 N. Oak Street). A teacher found a bit of fabric at the school’s playground canopy cut in several places, including one set of cuts in the shape of a swastika.
Investigators believe the playground was defaced sometime between 1:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 22) and 12:30 p.m. yesterday (Monday). The canopy was removed immediately and the city’s school superintendent notified parents, they added.
“The City of Falls Church takes acts of anti-Semitic vandalism very seriously,” Police Chief Mary Gavin said in a statement. “Our community will not stand for this unacceptable crime of hatred. We urge anyone with information to reach out to us immediately.”
Falls Church Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to contact the department at 703-248-5053.
There have also been other reports of a swastika spray-painted on a drainage tunnel near the intersection of McLearen Road and West Ox Road in Fairfax County, but it’s unclear if the incidents are related in any way.
Photo via Google Maps
Olympic Gold Medalist Tom Dolan is opening a new children’s swimming school today (Friday) in Falls Church.
The Tom Dolan Swim School is located in the Willston II Shopping Center (6112-A Arlington Boulevard). The new facility includes a 90-degree pool, as well as changing rooms, showers and other pool-related amenities.
The Falls Church location is the second Tom Dolan Swim School. The first opened in Loudoun County in 2012.
The school opens for the first time today, but the first day of classes is scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday).
Classes at the school vary from “waterbabies” classes to ones specializing in different kinds of strokes. An adult class is taught at the Loudoun County location.
A grand opening celebration is planned for Sunday, March 10 from 1-3 p.m. The grand opening is planned to include pool games, water safety classes, face painting and more. Dolan will also be available for autographed photos and visitors can try on his gold and silver Olympic medals.
Dolan is originally from the area, having grown up in Arlington. He won Olympic gold medals in the 1996 Atlanta and the 2000 Sydney, Australia Olympics. Dolan is a 14-time U.S. National Champion and has been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Photo via Facebook
The City of Falls Churched announced via a Simpsons GIF that trash and recycling curbside pickup services delayed yesterday on account of the snowstorm have been rescheduled for this Saturday.
Snow angels > garbage angels. City trash and recycling curbside collection is rescheduled for this Saturday, February 23 because of yesterday's snow! pic.twitter.com/gUv3nBxVq5
— City of Falls Church (@FallsChurchGov) February 21, 2019
Trash pickup for other localities started sooner. In Vienna, trash pickup canceled yesterday was picked up earlier today, though the town asked locals not to include brush or bulk items.
Roughly 90 percent of Fairfax County residents and businesses use a private collection service and are encouraged to reach out to their chosen provider to find out when trash services resume.
American Disposal Services, one of the largest private collection services in the county, announced that its Wednesday trash pickup service was also postponed to the weekend. According to the website:
Wednesday Residential service will be made up on Saturday, February 23, 2019. Please have trash and / or recycling out the night before to ensure collection.
Commercial and Roll off service will be on a one day delay. Wednesday service will be performed Thursday, Thursday service will be performed Friday, Friday and Saturday services will be performed Saturday.
The collection service also asked that the lots near dumpsters and the wheels are cleared of any ice.
At least one Falls Church resident noted on Twitter, though, that some Fairfax Public Works employees were braving the foul weather yesterday to pick up bulk trash on the street.
Seems to be tapering off a bit here in Falls Church/Fairfax, but the snow didn’t stop Thomas, an awesome @ffxpublicworks employee, from braving the roads to help pick up some bulk trash for us. pic.twitter.com/MzLKtcdpEv
— Brian Chiglinsky (@chiglinsky) February 20, 2019
Photo via Facebook
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
One of my favorite local restaurant groups was started in 2007 by Mark and Stephen Fedorchak, along with Brian Normile, in Arlington. They own Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall, and Northside Social in Arlington.
They’ve also expanded to the city of Falls Church to include Liberty BBQ and the new Northside Social (affectionally referred to as NOSO).
The new NOSO is located on a side street in Falls Church with tons of outdoor seating and 2-levels of seating indoors. It’s great for a cup of coffee and pastry, or their full blown breakfast, lunch and dinner menu.
My favorites include the cookies, pop-tarts, egg sandwiches (salmon and egg!), quiches, grilled cheese (with bacon), charcuterie plates, brussels sprouts and French fries. The food is really, really good, and it helps the staff is friendly and eager to help. In addition, the owners are really nice guys that makes you want to support them.
The have special events like half price wine nights on Monday, date night on Sunday nights (salad & pizza for 2 & a bottle of wine for $45), brunch is every weekend 10 a.m.-3 p.m., but the second Sunday of every month is jazz brunch with live music singer Vanessa Ralls (11a.m.-1 p.m.). They often have dinner with a winemaker night (4 course meals with wine pairings), beer dinners and seasonal events.
I personally hope to see them continue growing both because their food is good, the atmosphere of their restaurants is fun and I love to see a good local business owner succeeding. Well done guys!
Police are searching for a missing, and endangered, 21-year-old McLean man.
According to a press release, Brandon White was last seen getting into an older, dark Mercedes Benz around 11 p.m. on Jan. 31.
Video has been released of two men in a gas station driving the car White was last seen getting into. Police say these could be the last known people to have contacted White and may have information on his whereabouts.
The video was taken in an Exxon gas station (7269 Arlington Blvd.) in Falls Church.
Police are asking anyone with information on the men or White’s disappearance to contact Det. Brian Byerson at [email protected] or the department’s Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800.
Photo via Fairfax County Police
Local Startup Raises $30 Million — “Fairfax-based real estate data and analytics company Remine,” which has offices in Tysons and Dunn Loring, “has closed a $30 million Series A funding round, bringing its total amount raised to $48 million.” [Washington Business Journal]
Officials Hold Meeting on E-Bikes — “The recent popularity [of] e-bikes and the fact they are not allowed on trails in Fairfax County and NOVA Parks prompted NOVA Parks and Fairfax County Park Authority to take steps to understand the issues and then share facts with the public and listen to their comments.” [McLean Connection]
Fairfax Home Market Flat to Start Year — “A modest increase in sales was offset by slightly lower average sales price in the January home-sales report for Fairfax County. And as a result, the total sales volume for the month stood relatively unchanged as the local market began to segue from winter to spring.” [InsideNova]
Falls Church Seeking BZA Member — The Falls Church Board of Zoning Appeals is looking to fill a vacancy for the position of Alternate Member. [City of Falls Church]
Police say a bomb threat last Friday (Feb. 8) came from a man working at the Westin Hotel next door.
Police swarmed the Provident Bank at 7799 Leesburg Pike, in the southeast corner of the Leesburg Pike-Beltway interchange near Tysons, after they say a man called the front desk of the bank saying there was a bomb in the building.
Police say the threat was vague with little credible information offered. A search of the building turned up no suspicious objects and the bank quickly resumed normal operations.
Police stayed on the scene and moved to the Westin Hotel as they investigated the source of the call.
“With assistance from hotel security, Jonathan Ramos, 30, of Lorton was identified and charged with making a bomb threat,” police said in a crime report.
Photo via Fairfax County Police
Police are looking for a suspect in the robbery of a gas station in Falls Church over the weekend.
The Shell station at 6623 Wilson Blvd. was robbed around 7:10 p.m. Saturday, according to Falls Church police.
Police say the man implied he had a handgun and demanded cash.
“The suspect is described as a 35-40 year old black male, about 6′ tall, clean shaven, slim build, wearing a black sweater,” police said. A short video of the suspect entering the store is available online.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 703-248-5053.
Photo via City of Falls Church Police
