Capital One is extending its reach to the north side of Scotts Crossing Road in Tysons.

Fairfax County records show that the company purchased 9.4 acres of land at 1820 Dolley Madison Boulevard for $37 million in May 2019. The site was previously known as Scotts Run North and belonged to developer Cityline Partners.

Now, Capital One wants to transform the parking lot that currently occupies most of the property with a permanent park on the south end and an interim baseball field to the north. The latter will eventually be replaced with mixed-use buildings, according to a development plan filed with Fairfax County on Feb. 3.

Dubbed Capital One East Park, this is the second recreational facility project that Capital One has sent to county planners in recent weeks. On the south side of Scotts Crossing, an urban park has been proposed for Capital One Center, the development emerging around the company’s Tysons headquarters.

“As an extension of our corporate campus, these spaces will not only serve Capital One, but will also be of benefit to our Fairfax County neighbors and community, in keeping with the Tysons Comprehensive Plan,” Capital One corporate spokesperson Angela Solomon told Tysons Reporter by email.

She noted that both proposals will bring more outdoor gathering and recreational space to Tysons East and include road and utility infrastructure upgrades to prepare for future planned development.

Capital One anticipates beginning construction on both projects this summer, aiming for completion by fall 2023, Solomon says.

Called Frances Park in Cityline’s Scotts Run North plans, Capital One East Park will be 33,410 square feet in size when fully built. The submitted application covers 29,888 square feet, stating that the rest will be delivered with future building construction.

The park will feature a variety of amenities, such as a plaza or seating area, a play area, a fitness zone, water features, and bathrooms. The plan also shows “a potential carousel or other similar feature.”

While the park will be publicly accessible, the temporary baseball field will be privately owned and operated. It’s primarily intended to be used by Capital One employees, but will be made available to community sports leagues, according to Solomon.

The field is expected to have approximately 1,000 square feet of building space for a press box and restrooms.

“These amenities will help Capital One continue to attract and retain talented employees in an evolving office market, and will provide a range of recreational opportunities on a site that is currently used exclusively for surface parking,” McGuireWoods land-use planner Mike Van Atta wrote in the statement of justification for the project.

Capital One has proposed maintaining 194 of the existing parking lot’s 665 spaces until the five buildings planned for the site are constructed.

The company says it’s also working with Fairfax County to accelerate work on a road to potentially connect Scotts Crossing with the Dulles Airport Access Road. A portion of the connector road will be built as part of the park project.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved 1.5 million square feet of development for Scotts Run North in 2015. The plans call for two residential towers and three office buildings, one of which could be turned into a hotel instead, as well as 49,000 square feet of space for retail or service uses.

Capital One’s statement of justification suggests it will adhere to that plan, saying that the Capital One East Park proposal “will not impact the phrasing or ultimate delivery of the approved future development.”

Photo via Google Maps

As it continues construction on another office tower, Capital One is preparing for the next phase of development on its headquarters campus in Tysons.

The banking giant has submitted a plan to Fairfax County for an urban park with a temporary retail building at the corner of Scotts Crossing Road and the McLean Metro station tracks.

According to Capital One corporate spokesperson Angela Solomon, the proposed park will bridge the gap between Capital One Center and the Metro station’s second entrance. The 3.4-acre site is currently being used as a construction staging area.

“This [final development plan] provides for a connection to the McLean Metro Station on the Silver Line to connect to the ‘back door’ to the Station that is currently planned between WMATA and Fairfax County to help facilitate a pedestrian-friendly environment and accessibility to public transportation,” Solomon said.

The park is envisioned as similar in design to The Perch, the skypark on top of Capital One Hall. Possible amenities include water features, a playground, an amphitheater, a food truck area, and landscaping, all of which will be publicly accessible.

The permanent park will take up just a portion of the land designated as Block D in the overall development plan for the campus.

The application proposes filling the rest of the block with interim volleyball courts and a retail area until they can be replaced by a residential tower and and office building, respectively.

The retail building will be limited to 45,000 square feet in size and have some space for indoor recreational facilities. It will be complemented by additional outdoor amenities, with bocce or pickleball courts and mini-soccer fields cited as possibilities.

“These improvements will provide active and passive amenities and recreation opportunities for the Headquarters Campus’s employees and visitors,” McGuireWoods land-use planner Mike Van Atta wrote in a Jan. 26 statement of justification on Capital One’s behalf. “[They] will continue to transform the Campus into a region-wide destination with a vibrant mix of uses and supporting amenities.”

As part of the project, a ramp will be constructed off of Capital One Drive South to provide access to a new underground parking garage, which will provide additional parking in the short term before serving the future office building.

The streetscapes around Block D will be designed to “facilitate pedestrian connectivity” and include interim tree plantings, according to the statement of justification. The developer will also remove invasive plants and replace them with native species in accordance with its existing commitment to help restore Scott’s Run streambanks.

“Capital One is proud to call Tysons home,” Solomon said. “As our commitment to the greater D.C. region continues to grow, so has our physical presence here at Capital One Center. We are designing an environment where our associates and the surrounding Tysons community can live, work and play.”

Solomon says construction on the urban park project could start as soon as this summer, with completion coming by fall 2023.

The master plan that Fairfax County most recently amended and approved in July 2020 anticipates a total of 944,000 square feet of development in Capital One Center’s Block D.

The future residential tower will have 385 units on 33 floors, while the office building will be 22 floors tall with almost 450,000 square feet of space. The plan allows up to 45,000 square feet of ground-floor retail across both buildings.

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Monday, Feb. 7

• FCA Artist Cafe and Critique — Noon-2 p.m. at Falls Church Arts Gallery (700-B West Broad St.) — Join Falls Church Arts for its monthly discussion and critique group. Attendees must be fully vaccinated and wear a mask.

Tuesday, Feb. 8

• Make 3 Valentine Cards Take and Make — 10 a.m.-9 p.m. at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike) — Kids ages 3 to 6 can make and exchange Valentine’s Day cards all day.
• On Deck with Mercury — 6-7 p.m. at Foster’s Grille (138-A Maple Ave. W) — Per the Vienna Happenings newsletter, Town Manager Mercury Payton and the town’s finance staff will discuss the budget and fiscal forecast for the coming year at this monthly community forum.
• Black Falls Church & Fairfax County — 7-8 p.m. at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library — Learn about local Black history from Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation founder and director Edwin Henderson. Registration is required.

Wednesday, Feb. 9

• Cary Morin, Jay Bird — 7:30 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave. East) — A guitarist-singer-songwriter show features Morin’s Native Americana folk-rock and Bird’s Americana bents. Cost is $15. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 10

• Solace Outpost Trivia Night Thursdays! — 7-9 p.m. at Solace Outpost (444 W. Broad St.) — Pour House Trivia brings its Thursday night game to this Falls Church brewery. Repeats on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Friday, Feb. 11

• Epidemics of the Past — 10-11 a.m. at Historic Huntley (6918 Harrison Lane) — Learn about how past epidemics transformed society while taking in a scenic view from this 19th century villa in Huntley Meadows Park. Register in advance for the program, which costs $8.
• Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Live! — 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) — A one-man comedic performance, featuring theatre, stand-up and vignettes, embodies the differences between sexes. Tickets start at $64.

Saturday, Feb. 12

• Tysons Camp and Activities Expo — 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Rd.) — Families can find summer camp and activity options at this annual expo where they can meet staff from local and sleepaway programs. The free event will be set up in Fashion Court near Macy’s.
• Multigenerational Bingo — 3-4 p.m. at Dolley Madison Library (1244 Oak Ridge Ave.) — Kids, teens and adults can compete for prizes. Registration is highly recommended.

Sunday, Feb. 13

• Beau Soir Ensemble — 2 p.m. at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave.) — A flute, viola and harp trio brings together classical and diverse sounds. Cost is $5 for MCC district residents and $10 for others.

Deadline to Update Metro Fare Card Looms — “Starting March 1, fare cards issued before 2012 will not function throughout the transit system because Metro upgraded fare gates at most stations that don’t sync with older cards. The transit agency for nearly a year has tried to notify owners of the older cards, but few have switched as ridership hovers at historically low levels.” [The Washington Post]

Tysons Corner Center Celebrates Lunar New Year — The mall partnered with the Asian American Chamber of Commerce to host a Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday (Feb. 5). Traditional musical and dance performances by local groups ushered in the year of the tiger, which began on Feb. 1. [WDVM]

Stolen Vehicle Found in McLean — A 19-year-old Maryland resident was arrested for grand larceny on Jan. 28 after a Fairfax County police officer stopped his 2021 Toyota Corolla on the George Washington Parkway at I-495 around 2:03 p.m. The vehicle had been reported stolen from a nearby jurisdiction. [FCPD]

Fairfax County Introduces Hope Cards — “Fairfax County has joined more than five dozen jurisdictions in Virginia in offering the Hope Card program — a way to enforce a civil protective order and a handy resource for victims of family abuse. A Hope Card is an easy to read and carry laminated, wallet-sized card that contains all the essential information of an existing, permanent civil protection order.” [Fairfax County Government]

Vienna Opens Registration for Spring Classes — “Spring Class registration begins Monday for Town residents and Feb. 14 for people who live outside the Vienna town limits. Check out the Vienna Parks and Recreation program guide now.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]

Interest in pickleball continues to rise and is sparking conversation about providing adequate courts in Fairfax County.

In response to requests for more facilities from pickleball players, the Fairfax County Park Authority is soliciting feedback from the community on potential plans for new courts or court lines.

The first site under consideration is Lewinsville Park in McLean. The FCPA presented potential plans to renovate or repurpose the tennis courts there during a virtual public meeting on Wednesday (Dec. 1).

“FCPA has addressed these requests in the past as opportunities presented themselves along routine maintenance,” FCPA project manager Adam Wynn said. “But with the high demand in all court sports and limited resources, there really needed to be a proactive and strategic approach to address these requests in a way that adds pickleball capacity, but also does so in a publicly beneficial and fiscally responsible way.”

The proposed project is part of an ongoing, countywide effort to determine how to address pickleball’s growing popularity as a sport. The park authority released a draft report of its study in September that included the results of an online survey and identified challenges with the county’s existing facilities and options for new ones.

The study recommends two layouts for courts. The first layout entails a shared-use court that is dual striped for tennis and pickleball. The second is a dedicated court for pickleball only.

Wynn said community responses identified McLean as a location that could support four or more pickleball courts to facilitate more drop-in play, where players arrive at courts without advance reservation.

In the greater McLean area, FCPA has two shared-use courts at Westgate, McLean Central, and Linway Terrace parks. Additionally, the Spring Hill Rec Center, Providence Community Center, and James Lee Community Center offer pickleball classes.

Lewinsville Park was identified as a viable location for new pickleball courts because it met most of the criteria outlined in the draft report, such as allowing for courts to be grouped together, according to Wynn.

He added that the courts at the park are in need of repair, and improvements could add capacity for both tennis and pickleball purposes.

The park currently has six courts dedicated for only tennis and a practice wall. FCPA is evaluating three options that would all include new surfacing for the courts and retaining the practice wall.

The first option retains all six tennis courts but converts three of them into six shared-use pickleball courts. The second option has four dedicated pickleball courts, four dedicated tennis courts, and one shared-use tennis court that could also serve as two additional pickleball courts.

The third option is for six dedicated pickleball courts and four tennis courts.

During the open comment portion of the meeting, several community participants took issue with the idea of repurposing the tennis courts or sharing them with pickleball, arguing that there are not enough tennis courts in general.

Some pushed for pickleball courts to be constructed elsewhere while utilizing other park or amenity space.

According to Wynn, court use is on the rise in the county, with rental hours for park authority courts climbing 573.7% between 2020 and 2021, though the data isn’t broken down by the specific sport being played.

Comments on the potential project at Lewinsville Park will be accepted until Jan. 7, 2022, after which FCPA will settle on a development option. Emails may be sent to [email protected] or [email protected].

The final pickleball study report is expected to be published in early 2022. If approved, the overall completion of the Lewinsville project is anticipated in summer 2022.

Photos via Lauren Bryan/Flickr, Google Maps

Churchill Road Park in McLean has a newly refurbished bridge, thanks to local Boy Scout Samuel Williams.

Williams, 17, recently completed construction on one of the park’s bridges as a part of his effort to become an Eagle Scout.

The bridge project was no small feat, requiring eight months of planning as authorization to work on the site had to be first approved by the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Boy Scouts of America Council, and others.

“We originally said, ‘okay, this will be a pretty simple project.’ Of course, we hit a bunch of challenges along the way,” Williams said. “There was a lot of times, originally, where we thought we’d have to abandon the project and I’d have to completely restart it.”

Physical work on the aging bridge began on Aug. 28, starting with the installation of new, pressure-treated lumber to give its deck a longer life. Williams enlisted the help of his father and a couple of friends — with pizza and Gatorade as an extra incentive — to begin replacing the boards.

The new bridge was completed on Sept. 19. Williams credits his father, a mechanic, for getting the project to the finish line.

“He loves to work with his hands,” Williams said. “…He also taught me how to use a lot of different tools, drills and stuff. And he was the one that really helped me through this.”

Renovating the Churchill Road bridge wasn’t what Williams initially had in mind for his Eagle Scout project.

He originally planned to paint a map of the United States at a local elementary school playground, but found there wasn’t much of a desire or need after talking with school principals and officials.

The idea of tackling the bridge came in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Virginia was under a stay-at-home order. Looking for an acceptable way to get out of the house, Williams began to bicycle more frequently, which led him to the familiar bridge at the park.

“I grew up going over this bridge as a kid and playing in the creek it crosses over. One day, I was biking and I went over it and realized that it is really in rough shape,” he said. “…I thought, ‘okay, here’s a new project. I can repaint this bridge.'”

At first, Williams only noticed that the paint on the bridge was wearing off, but upon further inspection, he found that the deck boards were rotting away and the railings wobbled.

“I could just slap a new coat of paint on this thing and call it done, but that wouldn’t really do much benefit because this thing is going to collapse within a year, this thing is going to fall apart,” Williams said. “

So, a straightforward paint job expanded into a full overhaul of the bridge, a process prolonged by some confusion over who owned the facility.

Once the project was completed, though, the Langley High School student could take pride in how it had pushed him outside his comfort zone.

“To actually be able to step back, take a look at everything I had just done and see eight months of hard work put down in a way that could actually help the community, it was the most rewarding feeling that I’ve probably ever had,” Williams said.

Williams first joined BSA Troop 128 around the beginning of seventh grade. Earning the Eagle Scout rank is something he has been working toward ever since, with the support of scout masters and other troop members.

“Originally I set out into Boy Scouts to be outside, meet new people and have a great experience,” he said.

“But after going to several Eagle courts and…seeing what these guys had been doing all these years, and being able to say, ‘hey, I’m an Eagle Scout,’ to me, it wasn’t just something I wanted to put on my college application. It was something that I wanted to have the rest of my life and be able to say that I was an Eagle Scout.”

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Monday (Nov. 1)

• Daf Circle with Jalal Kimia — 7-8:30 p.m. at the Iranian-American Community Center’s Pars Place (2236-C Gallows Road) in Dunn Loring — Make some noise and leave the stress behind with this drumming event. Bringing your own instrument is preferred, and walk-ins won’t be accepted. Face masks are required at all times during the event. Cost is $15. Repeats on Nov. 8 and 15.

Tuesday (Nov. 2)

• Noel Schajris — 8 p.m. at the State Theatre (220 N. Washington St.) in Falls Church — He’s sung duets with John Legend, Alejandro Sanz, Camila Cabello, and more, but the Latin Grammy winner (part of the duo Sin Bandera) is branching out on his own. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $50 plus fees in advance.

Wednesday (Nov. 3)

• Native American Fusion Music with D’DAT (Virtual Workshop) — 7 p.m. — A combination hip-hop and jazz group shows people more about the composition process. Free, but registration is required.

Thursday (Nov. 4)

• An Introduction to Cryptocurrency — 7-8 p.m. at Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.) — Still not quite sure what bitcoin is? Falls Church City’s library is here to help with a talk led by policy managers from the Blockchain Association about the basics of blockchain technology, the most notable cryptocurrencies, and related regulatory issues.
• Harlem 100, featuring Mwenso & The Shakes at Wolf Trap — 8 p.m. at The Barns (1635 Trap Road) — A multimedia show features the sights and sounds of Harlem with the music of Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, and more. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $52 plus fees.

Friday (Nov. 5)

• National Symphony Orchestra: Nicholas McGegan conducts Bach & Haydn— 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) in Tysons — The National Symphony Orchestra comes to Capital One’s new venue to perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069,” Joseph Haydn’s “Symphony No. 98 in B-Flat major” and more. Tickets start at $39 plus fees.

Saturday (Nov. 6)

• Habitat Restoration: Cavalier Trail Park — 10 a.m.-noon at Cavalier Trail Park (420 S Maple Ave.) — Help the City of Falls Church clear invasive plants, while planting native species that help birds, insects, and other pollinators. Close-toed shoes and masks are advised, and advance registration is required, with the event limited to 30 people to ensure social distancing.
• Aaron Lee Tasjan, with Tristen — 8 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave. East) in Vienna — The genre-bending indie rocker featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts series comes to the Town of Vienna. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 plus fees.

Sunday (Nov. 7)

• Capital Wind Symphony — 3 p.m. at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) —  The Tysons-headquartered symphony will perform pieces from Johan de Meij’s “The Lord of the Rings” to John Philip Sousa’s “Hands Across the Sea” at another free concert, this time at Capital One’s new venue.

A 3.5-acre lot near the McLean Metro station that’s currently little more than an expanse of dirt could be transformed into an outdoor gathering space before being taken over by up to two planned highrises.

Cityline Partners, the real estate firm behind the Scotts Run mixed-use development, envisions a “quasi-public” park with farmers markets, food trucks, a movie screen, outdoor trampolines, pop-up retail, or other outdoor amenities.

Dubbed The Block at Scotts Run, the vacant, leveled area at 1616 Anderson Road is bordered by Route 123 (Dolley Madison Boulevard), South Dartford Drive, and Chain Bridge Road.

The Washington Business Journal first reported the news that developers are seeking approval for the interim proposal from Fairfax County while waiting for the right market conditions to build one or both highrises.

The application from New York City-based DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners — operating as Cityline Partners LLC — requests a 20-year term for the interim use, but any retail or restaurant space would not be occupied by the same tenant for the full term, according to a statement of justification from land use attorney David Schneider with the Tysons-based firm Holland & Knight.

“Without this interim activation, this prominent corner at the eastern gateway of Tysons will remain vacant for an unknown amount until the market signals that it is time to move forward with one or both highrise buildings,” he said in the Sept. 16 letter to the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning.

The property is owned by one or two New York City businesses that occupies the 24th floor of a building in the Big Apple: 11 Madison Ave. The businesses are listed as “Van Buren 1616 Anderson LLC” and “Westgate 1600 Anderson Road LLC.”

Per the WBJ, though, Cityline is overseeing the interim proposal as the managing agent and master developer of Scotts Run South, which recently advanced with the opening of Archer Hotel Tysons.

The interim proposal would have a height limitation of 90 feet and occupy 30,000 square feet in gross floor area. Developers say they aren’t looking to build a nine-story building there but instead have room for “trapeze equipment and tents.”

According to Schneider’s letter, The Block is intended to set the stage for a Van Buren Gateway Park that the developers have committed to providing in the property’s ultimate build-out.

Photo via Google Maps

(Updated at 8:40 a.m.) Flood Watch in Effect — Fairfax County is under a Flood Watch into this afternoon, as “significant” rain is expected. Several roads have been closed due to flooding or downed trees, including Potomac River Road at Georgetown Pike, Lawyers Road at Hunter Mill, and Old Courthouse at Besley Road. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, FCPD]

Suspect in Tysons Sexual Assault Charged in New Incident — Fairfax County police have filed new sexual assault charges against a Woodbridge man who was arrested on Sept. 3 in connection with a sexual assault reported at a Tysons hotel in July. Reported on Aug. 26, the second incident involved the man allegedly assaulting a woman he’d arranged to meet at a hotel in the Seven Corners area. [Patch]

FCPS Shares SAT Results — The Class of 2021 performed above the national average on the SAT with just a 4.4% drop in participation, compared to a 31.4% global decline, despite the challenges of conducting standardized testing during the pandemic, Fairfax County Public Schools reported yesterday (Wednesday). Results from the College Board showed that Asian and white students recorded higher average scores than their Black and Hispanic counterparts. [WTOP]

Area Officials Consider Prioritizing Equity in Planning — The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments board will vote on Oct. 13 on a regional transportation and land use plan that would prioritize low-income residents and communities of color when allocating funds for affordable housing, transportation, and other projects. Planners say the move would help address disparities in health outcomes and access to transit and other services. [The Washington Post]

Tysons Media Company Has Suitors — “Tegna Inc. (NYSE: TGNA), the Tysons-based operator of dozens of U.S. television stations, said Tuesday it has recently received multiple acquisition proposals — a new round of overtures after offers last year were pulled as the Covid-19 pandemic was taking hold. According to reports, media mogul Byron Allen is teaming with alternative investment firm Ares Management Corp. (NYSE: ARES) on a bid, while private equity giant Apollo Global Management Inc. (NYSE: APO) and Standard General LP are joining on another.” [Washington Business Journal]

Regional Park Authority Founders Celebrated — The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority recently lauded the achievements of its founders, including conservationist Ira Gabrielson, who gave land to Fairfax County that became Oakton’s Gabrielson Gardens Park. Started 62 years ago, NOVA Parks has preserved more than 12,000 acres of land and oversees attractions like the Washington & Old Dominion Regional Trail. [Sun Gazette]

Virginia Redistricting Commission Splits on Map — The commission will submit two possible maps for new congressional and legislative districts to the General Assembly in October after its Democratic and Republican members couldn’t agree on who will draw the maps. Del. Marcus Simon (D-53rd), who called the commission flawed when it went on the ballot last November, was not impressed. [WTOP]

Virginia Tech Expert Backs Mite Theory for Bug Bites — An entomologist with the Virginia Tech Insect ID Lab says oak itch mites are likely behind the mysterious, itchy bug bites that many D.C. area residents have reported in recent weeks, possibly linked to the cicada emergence. A Fairfax County environmental health official told Tysons Reporter last week that the mites were a suspected cause but had not been confirmed. [ARLnow]

County to Hold Meeting on Pickleball Study — “The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) seeks the public’s input on the emerging sport of pickleball and invites the community to attend a virtual meeting to introduce its draft Pickleball Study…The event will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021, at 7 p.m. and will be available online afterward for those unable to attend live.” [FCPA]

Vienna Dog Park Closed This Morning — The Vienna Dog Park at the corner of Courthouse Road and Moorefield Road SW will be closed for maintenance from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. today (Thursday). It is the only publicly owned dog park in the Tysons area. [Town of Vienna/Twitter]