An employee at a building in Fairfax Square in Tysons has tested positive for coronavirus, JBG SMITH said.

“We were notified that an employee of one of our tenants at 8075 Leesburg Pike had tested positive for COVID-19,” JBG SMITH said in a statement to Tysons Reporter.

Located along Leesburg Pike directly behind Tysons Corner Center, Fairfax Square consists of several buildings with commercial and office space.

The building at 8075 Leesburg Pike houses Mynd Spa, Elegance by Roya, Roche Bobois Paris and Liljenquist & Beckstead on the ground floor, along with several office tenants.

JBG SMITH did not say which tenant the coronavirus patient works for.

More from the statement:

The ongoing health and well-being of our tenants, employees, vendors, and visitors to our buildings is our top priority.  We are regularly monitoring developments related to COVID-19 and will continue to follow all of the guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and local health authorities.

A notification was then issued in the building and work began to “fully disinfect and sanitize the tenant’s interior space and common space,” the statement said.

An environmental contractor disinfected and sanitized the building’s lobby and common areas, the statement said.

“We also maximized the fresh outdoor air coming into the building and replaced all air filters,” JBG SMITH said. “After the close of business that same day, we brought in another environmental contractor to perform a second deep clean of all common areas in the building.”

Arjun Chaudhary, an employee at Roche Bobois Paris, told Tysons Reporter that building management has been keeping the furniture retailer regularly updated.

“They are doing a fairly decent,” he said. “There are so many hand sanitizers at every entrance.”

Chaudhary said that the sick employee did not work at Roche Bobois Paris, which is currently open to shoppers.

Ashley Hopko contributed to this story

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Updated at 5:15 p.m. — Includes more information from Scott Graham.

An employee at an office building along Leesburg Pike in Tysons has tested positive for coronavirus, Lerner Enterprises said.

“We have learned that an individual who works in an office at 7799 Leesburg Pike has tested positive for COVID-19,” Lerner said in a statement to Tysons Reporter.

The real estate developer said that they have contacted Fairfax County’s health department. Lerner declined to provide information on the patient’s identity or their exposure due to privacy concerns.

“At this time, the building remains open and we have continued enhanced sanitation protocols,” the statement said. “We strongly encourage all individuals to follow the recommendations posted on the CDC’s website and in the attached fact sheet.”

Tysons Reporter reached out to the tenants in the building and will update this story if they respond.

Scott Graham, a spokesperson for the Mid-Atlantic region for M&T Bank, told Tysons Reporter that the coronavirus patient is not an employee at the branch, which occupies one floor of the building.

“We sent our employees home this morning as soon as we learned about the case,” Graham said. “The building — including our floor — is being thoroughly cleaned this afternoon, and we expect to be open for business Friday morning.”

Ashley Hopko contributed to this report

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A cafe proposed along Leesburg Pike wants to add a late-night option to Tysons’ growing food scene and after-hours options.

The cafe would occupy the main level of a two-story building at 7787 Leesburg Pike, according to county documents. The restaurant would be open from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m. every day, according to the proposal.

The site, which used to house a United Bank branch, is in the southeast corner of the Leesburg Pike and I-495 interchange and north of George Marshall High School. It is located within Tysons’ East Side neighborhood.

According to the plans, the site provides 36 parking spaces, with the cafe expecting to use 20 of those spots.

“Since most of the use of the restaurant will be during the evening hours, then the main operation hours will be outside the peak (rush) traffic flow for the area,” the applicant said. “It is not anticipated to change the overall traffic level for the existing Leesburg Pike.”

The county’s Planning Commission is set to consider the proposed restaurant in late June.

Image via Google Maps 

Fairfax County is seeking proposals that would revamp the former home of the Container Store into a pop-up space.

The site sits across from Embassy Suites by Hilton by the Spring Hill Metro station. After the Container Store relocated from 8508 Leesburg Pike to 8459 Leesburg Pike in 2018, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors bought the site.

The county announced yesterday (Monday) that the new Department of Economic Initiatives has an inaugural pilot aiming to “transform vacant commercial spaces into economic development destinations,” and its first commercial space will be the Leesburg Pike spot, according to the press release.

Rebecca Moudry, the new department’s director, told Tysons Reporter that the “Activate Fairfax: 8508 Uncontained” project is a “bold initiative” focused on supporting small businesses, encouraging creative placemaking and supporting the Made in Fairfax Network, which helps local producers.

Moudry, who started as the director in October, said that the “pretty small” department is staffed by 11 people and is embedded within a larger county structure that works with partners like the planning, transportation and economic development departments.

The department chose “Activate Fairfax: 8508 Uncontained” as its first project to fit into the bigger picture of people moving away from suburban and office environments to urban, multi-modal options, she said.

“It’s actually what we’re trying to do,” she said about the project’s name. “We literally want to activate this particular space.”

Currently, the county plans to add a new street that would connect Leesburg Pike and Greensboro Drive, the Washington Business Journal reported last year.

Moudry said that it could take three to five years before the county kicks off the road work. Until then, the initiative looks to turn the vacant 19,000-square-foot storefront into a useful space.

While Moudry said that other programs in the region and around the country have focused on pop-ups and activities, Moudry said that “Activate Fairfax: 8508 Uncontained” is looking for pop-ups that will last longer than usual.

“We’re not talking a weekend or a couple of months,” she added.

The county is accepting applications that intend “to develop, implement, manage and market an activation program” until April 20, the press release said.

“Dynamic pop-up, cultural, artistic or community-oriented programming aligned with these goals will be encouraged to ensure that the space functions as a vibrant asset and experience for residents and visitors,” the press release said.

Moudry said she hopes the applicants generate new ideas and innovate concepts. “We have a set of goals and parameters for what we’re looking for within the space,” she said.

Two tours of the space for applicants and their potential contractors will be held at 1 p.m. on March 9 and March 23, Moudry said.

Once the application window closes, Moudry said the staff will take a few weeks to review the proposals and talk with potential operators about lease agreements. The goal is to launch the chosen proposal this year — potentially in the fall.

People interested in learning more can visit the Fairfax County website’s Activate Fairfax page.

Image via Google Maps

Fairfax County police say a man accidentally discharged a gun while inside the Embassy Suites along Leesburg Pike in Tysons.

The incident happened around 11 a.m. on Sunday (Jan. 19).

“The bullet was located inside of a wall and nobody was injured,” according to the report.

Police said the 50-year-old man from Great Falls was charged with reckless handling of a firearm, discharge a firearm within a building and drunk in public, police said.

Image via Google Maps

The European Wax Center plans to open a new location in Tysons Station.

The waxing services chain is “coming soon” to 7508 Leesburg Pike, according to the company’s website.

People interested in trying out the new location can sign up online for a week of complimentary wax services.

The European Wax Center offers a variety of waxing services for men and women.

Image via Google Maps

Work is set to start on Friday to rehabilitate the Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) bridges over Leesburg Pike (Route 7).

The Virginia Department of Transportation announced today that drivers can expect lane closures on both routes mostly during the night for the next several days.

The schedule is:

• Sunday-Thursday: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Friday: 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• Saturday: 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

State and federal State of Good Repair funding is paying for the $2.5 million project, according to VDOT. Construction is slated to finish in late 2020 and includes:

• repairing and resurfacing the concrete bridge decks
• repairing the bridge piers, abutments and bearings
• painting the steel bridge beams
• repaving Route 123 adjacent to the bridges

Once completed, VDOT says that the northbound and southbound bridges will be safer for drivers and pedestrians and lengthen the lifespan of the bridges, which were built in 1965.

“At the bridges, Route 123 averages up to 30,000 vehicles a day and Route 7 averages up to 86,000,” according to VDOT.

Photo courtesy VDOT

Work is gearing up on a new office tower that is part of the redevelopment of the sites once home to Tysons Biergarten and Clyde’s in Tysons.

Named Tysons Central, the new office tower is coming to 8332 Leesburg Pike — the former spot of Clyde’s — next to the Greensboro Metro station in the Tysons Central 7 neighborhood.

The building, which plans to have a private roof terrace and parking garage, is a part of a development that was approved in 2014.

More from Foulger-Pratt:

Tysons Central is the first step in the massive redevelopment of Tysons, made possible by the Metro’s Silver Line extension. This signature office tower will reside adjacent to approximately 1,100 residential units, 200 hotel rooms, and 135,000 sf retail at full build out.

Right next door you’ll find The Boro — a 4.2 million sf development featuring a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options, including a Whole Foods and Showplace Icon multiplex.

Developer Foulger-Pratt is ready to start construction to get the project done by early 2021, the Washington Business Journal reported.

After several weeks of being closed, the new Burlington store along Leesburg Pike is preparing to reopen.

A sign on the door says that the store is reopening on Friday (Nov. 15).

“Our team is working hard to present the best shopping experience for our customers,” the sign says. “Thank you for your patience.”

The store opened at 8355 Leesburg Pike in September and then closed after smoke entered the store from a trash compactor fire on Oct. 4.

Jay Westcott contributed to this story.

Fairfax County police are investigating a burglary at the Stohlman Automotive Subaru in Tysons.

The incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday (Nov. 11) at the 8433 Leesburg Pike.

“Someone broke into the dealership and stole a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta,” police said.

Image via Google Maps