The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors yesterday approved a proposed name change of the McLean Metro station to the McLean-Capital One Hall Metro station, but it isn’t the end of the line for the name change yet.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the change, though several supervisors made sure to clarify the name change was to draw people towards the upcoming performance center and not as advertising for the banking giant whose headquarters the facility is part of.
“This is a very particular situation in which we do have an agreement between the county and Capital One Hall to provide a minimum of 100 days of use,” said Supervisor Dalia Palchik, representing the Providence District. “It’s going to be our very own Strathmore. It’s a very specific request to have this name put on the Metro station so people know we have this asset here in Fairfax County.”
Palchik admitted that at first, seeing the corporate name attached to the Metro station gave her some pause, but concluded: “this is not a slippery slope, this is a very unique situation.”
Supervisor John Foust, representing Dranesville, was similarly supportive of the name and pushed back on the idea that the county had sold the naming rights.
“I’m supportive of the name change, but I don’t support every proposed name change,” Foust said. “This is not selling a naming right to a single corporate entity. It’s not being done for the exclusive benefit of a single land owner. Capital One Hall is a state of the art performing arts center. It will play a significant role in implementing the comprehensive plan for Tysons. It is absolutely in the public interest that we draw attention to this center and by this name change I think we will do this.”
Supervisor Jeff McKay clarified that Capital One would pay for changing the Metro signs and would not be publicly funded.
Though the name was approved by the Board of Supervisors, the proposed renaming will still have to be approved by WMATA, which has its own guidelines for changing a station name.
In contrast to Tysons, where the skyline is evolving, McLean is more well-known for its established neighborhoods that include historic mansions and estates.
Given McLean’s proximity to the nation’s capital, there have been several noteworthy community members who decided to take up residency at these prominent homes.
According to various sites, like the Washington Post, many of the D.C. area’s most expensive properties are located in McLean. The average home in McLean is around a million dollars, according to Zillow.
The Merrywood mansion, built-in 1919, is known as Jackie Kennedy’s childhood home and is valued at around $50 million today.
The home was designed by the same architect that was responsible for the White House, according to Curbed. Amenities includes nine bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms, a pool, an elevator, a library and a grand fireplace.
Another nearby property which was owned by the Kennedy family is Hickory Hill. Though it is usually given more historical merit than anything else, according to Architectural Digest, its origins are thought to date back to around 1870.
While he doesn’t own the home, former Vice President and presidential candidate Joe Biden also rents a multi-million dollar mansion in the McLean area.
Per month, the property costs the Biden family around $20,000, Reuters reported, adding that the property was purchased for $4.25 million in 2016.
According to the Fairfax County Times, two of Virginia’s most expensive homes can be found in McLean — one of which is found at 801 Turkey Run Road. The property is valued at a little under $10 million, according to Zillow. It is unclear if the home has any historical or noteworthy ties.
On the upper end of private properties, for a price tag of $75 million, a home hidden behind clever landscaping at 409 Chain Bridge Road, includes 12 bedrooms and 21 bathrooms, according to Homes of the Rich.
The property — called The Falls — was built in 2000 by AOL co-founder Jim Kimsey. features of the property include wine cellars, an outdoor swimming pool, a private tennis court and ample living space. A guest home adjacent to the house was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
At 1173 Dolley Madison Blvd, sits another home worth over $5 million, according to Zillo. The six-bedroom, 10-bathroom house sits on just over an acre of land but offers sweeping stairways, bright windows and even a personal movie theatre.
During holidays and other times of the year, groups like the McLean Woman’s Club offer tours of some of the estates to raise money for charity but the group only shows off a few of McLean’s larger properties. There is no guarantee that these will be homes of prominent figures, though.
Catherine Douglas Moran contributed to this report.
Photo via Woman’s Club of McLean/Facebook
While a new $112 million bond referendum is on the ballot for November, further planning for Salona Park in McLean will remain on hold.
The 2020 bond will include money for design planning of Salona Park, though the planning will remain paused pending approval of the Langley Fork Park master plan.
Planning for Langley Fork Park will be contingent on the completion of a land exchange that has been years in the making with the National Park Service that includes Langley Oaks Park.
“We need to figure out what’s going to be at Langley Oaks Park, and then we can really finish planning Salona based on what would go on in this other park,” said Judy Pederson, public information officer for the Fairfax County Park Authority. “Once the master plan is approved, then we will start to plan out Salona Park and that master planning process.”
As the process moves along and eventually reaches the planning phase for Salona Park, there will be more community discussion to find a middle ground with members of the public on the eventual development of the park.
Consideration during the planning process for Salona Park will weigh the previous planning efforts, community input, and take into account the current conditions at the site and whether the needs of the community have changed over the years.
“It’s really going to depend on what’s right for the community and what kind of consensus we can find,” Pederson said. “So that’s the great unknown.”
Salona Park was granted to the Fairfax County Park Authority under a conservation easement in 2005. Plans for Salona Park were previously discussed in 2012, but were not solidified due to a divergence in public opinion over whether the park should be preserved in a natural state or used as an athletic field.
Following community input and approval from the Board of Supervisors for the county, the master plan will also need to be approved by the county’s planning commission.
“There are just too many unknowns for us to really prognosticate on the timing,” Pederson said. “All I can say is that we’re ready to start. And we just will be working with the supervisor to figure out what the first next step will be.”
Photo via Google Maps
Bike Theft and Car Broken Into –“A bike theft on Spring Street, someone broke into a car along W. Broad St. and a simple assault in the Eden Center in this week’s Crime Report in the City of Falls Church.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Vienna, Dunn Loring Metro Stations Reopen After Labor Day –“The DC Metrorail system’s Vienna and Dunn Loring stations reopened Tuesday following a summer platform rehabilitation project.” [Patch]
Vienna Plan to Limit Council Meetings Has Some Exceptions Attached — “In practice, exceptions built into the new rules leave open the possibility that some meetings still will last late into the night.” [INSIDE NoVA]
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue To Host Virtual Open House — “Activities And Events For Fire Prevention Week.” [Twitter]
A new $112 million bond referendum on the ballot this November could help finance a series of improvements to parks and recreational facilities around Tysons and McLean.
Several recreation centers around the County are slated for improvements and renovations as part of the bond, including extensive renovations at the Providence RECenter.
A report on RECenters from 2018 found that the Providence one, which was built in 1982, is not equipped to handle the growing need nearby. The facility is only 48,655 square feet, one of the smallest in the system despite having the second largest number of nearby residents served by the facility. The report recommended that Providence and three other RECenters be expanded to suit the climbing need.
The report notes that the Providence RECenter’s market is predominately older adults with a modest household income.
The bond could also finance upgrades to Ruckstuhl Park in Idylwood and McLean Central Park in McLean. The bond could also help advance design work at the long-awaited recreational additions to Salona Park in McLean.
Photo via Fairfax County
Funding Metro Project — “A project submitted by the Fairfax County government remains in contention for Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) funding, even as a number of other regional projects have been delayed for consideration due to sharp dropoffs in available funding.” [Inside NoVa]
Acquisition Takes Flight — “McLean-based communications satellite services provider Intelsat Corp. announced Monday it will acquire in-flight broadband connectivity provider Gogo Inc.’s commercial aviation business for $400 million.” [Virginia Business]
New Space for Shows — “The Creative Cauldron, a home-grown theater with some of the more successful performance and educational programs in the Little City’s history, has been promised 5,000 square feet for an expanded venue as a part of the Broad and Washington project.” [Falls Church News-Press]
New Auto Care Shop Rolls Into McLean — “McLean Automotive Service Center, a family-run business for nearly 70 years, has been turned into another locally-owned business.” [Patch]
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
A new tutoring service and study space will soon open in McLean, offering families a place to bring kids for extra help in school or just find a quiet place to work.
Called ‘The STUDY studio on Elm,’ the facility is located at 6846 Elm Street in McLean and run by Carly Latessa, a Northern Virginia native, the website said. The studio posted on Facebook that it opens next Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Students seeking a place to study outside of school can sign up for either a private desk or room at the studio. The location also offers places for group work too.
Pricing varies depending on the time of day and time. For example, a desk can be reserved for $8/hour from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. and $5/hour from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Memberships are available on a monthly basis for $50 f0r an individual and $80 for families with two kids. “Membership fees cover cleaning supplies, strong wifi, snacks, water refill, printing and a committed staff,” the website said.
The business also offers flexible tutoring options starting at $35/hour. “Tutoring sessions can be held at our space, in your home or virtually,” the website said adding that tutoring is also available for a wide variety of subjects.
Tysons Reporter reached out to Latessa for an interview but didn’t receive a response.
Image via Google Maps
Hybrid Learning — “BASIS Independent McLean, which like all Virginia schools switched to online-only classes this spring because of the public-health emergency, on Aug. 25 reopened under a hybrid plan combining in-person and online learning.” [Inside NoVa]
Food Insecurity High — “Share of McLean is seeing twice its usual demand for food assistance, and several times its usual demand for emergency financial assistance, as the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exact a heavy toll on the country’s most vulnerable populations.” [Connection Newspapers]
Calls to Remove Library Trustee — “A Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees member is facing criticism for comments about the diverse titles featured on the library’s online catalog. The Virginia Library Association expressed opposition to Phillip Rosenthal’s comments in a letter, while the NOVA Equity Agenda Coalition took it a step further and called for his resignation or removal.” [Patch]
Work Completed Along Route 7 — “The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Phase 1 crews have completed all work along eastbound and westbound Route 7 in Tysons.” [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
While I mourn what would have been the start of the school year, I find myself with 2 weeks to go and looking for things to do with my kids to make the most of the rest of the summer.
One of the COVID-friendly activities I’ve found we can still do is mini golf. Even better if I can pair it with something else to make it last longer. If you’re looking for places for mini golfing, here are some suggestions:
- Oak Marr (Oakton) — noon to 8 p.m. There’s also a driving range if you get tired of putting!
- The Magic Putting Place (Manassas) — which is right next to Nathan’s Dairy Bar for fabulous ice cream (closed on Monday).
- Upton Hill Mini Golf (Arlington) — which also has batting cages and is near Westover, which has Toby’s Ice Cream and many other lunch options.
- For future reference — there is also Jefferson Falls (Falls Church) which is near Mosaic, however it is under construction at the time of this writing. They also have a full 18-hole golf course.
Have any ideas to share? Please spread the wealth! Drop a comment below or please post on the Facebook page for Tysons Reporter!
&pizza Co-Founder Buys McLean Mansion — “Washington Wizards superstar Bradley Beal has sold his French Provincial-style McLean mansion to entrepreneur Steve Salis, the co-founder of &pizza, for $3.5 million.” [Washington Business Journal]
Virtual Fundraiser — “The McLean area branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is hosting an online fund-raiser to take the place of its 51st annual book sale, which was slated for September but has been canceled due to the public-health pandemic.” [Inside NoVa]
Former Lt. Gov. Dies — “John H. Hager, a moderate Republican who persevered over polio to serve as Virginia’s lieutenant governor and hold other key state and national posts, died Sunday. He was 83.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
Inc. 5000 List — “The number of Greater Washington companies at the top of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies fell precipitously in 2020, reversing a trend of growth from the previous few years’ lists… Vienna logistics firm Urgent.ly, which last year was Greater Washington’s highest-ranked firm at No. 12 on the list, dropped more than 200 spots to No. 221 in 2020.” [Washington Businss Journal]
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
