Fairfax County police said gang activity may be behind the New Year’s Day shooting that injured three people in the Spring Hill area.

In an update today (Thursday), police said that two men and one woman had gunshot wounds after a shooting in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive early in the morning on New Year’s Day.

The three people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released from a local hospital, police said today.

John Lieb, a police spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter that one scene was located in the parking lot of the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, while another was in a breezeway of the buildings.

Lieb was not able to confirm if any of the people involved in the shooting had been staying at the hotel.

“The suspects were described as black males,” police said. “Detectives believe this shooting is gang-related.”

Map via Google Maps

(Updated at 8:40 a.m.) Fairfax County police say three people were injured after a shooting this morning near the Walmart in Tysons.

Police tweeted that they were on the scene in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive shortly after 5 a.m. today (Wednesday).

Three young adults were injured in their lower bodies from the shooting at the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, NBC4 reported.

“Three people have been taken to the hospital with injuries believed to be non-life threatening,” police tweeted. “No suspect information is currently available.”

Officers are in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Dr in Tysons Corner for a shooting investigation. Three people have been taken to the hospital with injuries believed to be non-life threatening. No suspect information is currently available. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/tpQSVYP57V

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 1, 2020

Map via Google Maps

Updated at noon — An employee at Thai’s Corner Restaurant told Tysons Reporter that it has closed permanently.

Earlier: Diners seeking Thai food will have to find an alternative to Thai’s Corner Restaurant, which appears to have closed its Tysons spot.

The restaurant (8607 Westwood Center Drive) served a variety of sushi, soups, fish and curries by the Spring Hill Metro station, according to its Facebook page.

The inside of the restaurant appeared disheveled today (Thursday), with letters and mail piling up on the floor just on the other side of the front door, along with furniture missing. A sign in the window said, “Sorry we’re closed.”

A server at a nearby business said that he ate at the restaurant about a month ago. A tipster told Tysons Reporter that the restaurant was closed earlier this week.

Tysons Reporter reached out to the business owner but has not heard back.

Hat tip to Mia O. 

The Fairfax County Planning Commission postponed its decision on two mixed-use developments by the Spring Hill Metro station again last night (Dec. 11) to March.

The fate of Georgelas LLC’s proposed project is now slated to be decided on March 11, 2020. The Planning Commission will either determine that the project needs more revisions or recommend denial, approval or indefinite deferral before sending it to the Board of Supervisors.

The project would bring more commercial and residential units into the area, remodeling the current car dealerships along the north side of Tyco Road.

Commissioner Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, who represents the Providence District, said last night that the project is not ready for a final recommendation, but did not provide any additional reasons for the delay at the meeting.

This is the third time that the Planning Commission has deferred the decision on the project since the public hearing. Back in October, Niedzielski-Eichner said the developer asked for more time.

“There were a whole host of issues that were laid out [previously],” a spokesperson from Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth’s office told Tysons Reporter, adding that the decision was deferred because there are still unresolved issues from previous meetings.

Fairfax County planners have said that the North Spring Hill Station addresses the expectations in the Tysons Comprehensive Plan, but the West Spring Hill Station “does not fully address the criteria, particularly with regards to providing a comprehensive, functioning grid of streets; the provision of open space; and coordination of development.”

For now, anyone interested in the project can still submit comments online, a commissioner said last night.

Image via Fairfax County

Two new local locations for Jersey Mike’s are gearing up to open soon.

The spot at 1501C Cornerside Blvd by the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons plans to open next Wednesday (Dec. 4), according to the website.

Over in Falls Church, the Falls Plaza location at 1108-A West Broad Street is also expected to open the same day, according to a spokesperson for the company.

The sandwich chain currently has job openings in Falls Church.

As of today (Thursday), Tysons West has a new fast food option by the Spring Hill Metro station.

B. GOOD (1495 Cornerside Blvd, Suite 118) opened its doors this morning at 10:30 a.m. and now offers customers a variety of smoothies, burgers, bowls, sandwiches, salads, sides and “Flexitarian” options, for those who are vegan or environmentally conscious. To celebrate, the location is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony today followed by giveaways, samples and live music by a local acoustic guitar player.

Tysons Reporter attended a sneak-peak preview of the new location yesterday along with people who volunteered to test out the food.

“It gives us an opportunity to work out the kinks and is a training opportunity,” Lizzy Jenkins, a company spokesperson.

Around 11 a.m. yesterday, people started to trickle through the doors — some were curious about the new restaurant while others wanted to inquire about job opportunities. Many of the customers so far were families or young professionals from out of town, Jenkins said.

The eatery is decorated in a comfortable yet clean style with wooden tabletops, lantern-like hanging lights and Virginia-themed art scattered throughout the restaurant.

When it came time to sample the fare offered by B.GOOD, Jenkins ordered her favorite dishes which included the “Sweet Heat Flex Burger,” the “Spicy Avacado Lime Bowl” and “Chicken Avacado Sandwich,” which was accompanied by sweet potato fries and pink lemonade.

The “Sweet Heat Flex Burger” is a vegan burger made from beets and pineapple, topped with heaping caramelized onions, spicy slaw and beet hummus. The burgers on B.GOOD’s menu rage in price from $7.50 to $9.50.

The “Spicy Avacado and Lime Bowl” consists of kale and quinoa base and is topped with sauteed veggies, tomato, cilantro, black bean and corn salsa, accompanied by a side of chipotle vinaigrette. The bowl is one of the most popular items on the menu, Jenkins said. Prices for bowls range from $10 to $11.50.

The “Chicken Avacado Sandwich” is a simple dish that is exactly what it appears to be — chicken breast with slices of avocado, lettuce and tomato. Sandwiches start at $7.

Smoothie prices range from $6.50 to $7, while salads run from $9 to $10.

When it came to menu design, B.GOOD made a distinctive choice not to follow suit with vegan options like the Impossible Burger. Instead, the company created other vegan-friendly sandwich options, which they call “Flexitarian.”

“We are from the land, not the lab,” Jenkins said, who added that they recognize people decide to be vegan for a variety of reasons. Some of their Flexitarian burgers are vegan, while others contain eco-friendly meat options, like turkey.

The location will be open from 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sundays. The eatery is running a promotion where guests can enjoy a variety of sides for $2 from 2-5 p.m. until the end of the year.

The company also designed a rewards app that allows regulars to rack up points for free drinks and food. For every $1 someone spends, they will receive one point. At 50 points, people will earn a soft drink, at 75 points a smoothie or breakfast item and at 100 points, they will receive a free entre.

(Updated 11/20/19) People have some casual food and drink newcomers near the Spring Hill Metro station.

Jersey Mike’s and B.GOOD both have signs in their windows in Tysons West Phase III — a redevelopment that added new retail buildings across from Walmart — saying that they are hiring.

The development recently welcomed a Dunkin’ Donuts (1495 Cornerside Blvd, Suite 1C) and Smoothie King.

B.GOOD, a Boston-based eatery that offers a variety of grain bowls, salads, burgers, milkshakes and smoothies, also has a sign saying it’s opening this fall.

Next to the new Smoothie King, construction is currently underway on the new spot for the sandwich chain.

Tysons now has a Smoothie King.

The smoothie chain celebrated its grand opening by the Spring Hill Metro station on Saturday (Oct. 26), according to a press release.

Located at 1501A Cornerside Blvd, Smoothie King is near Walmart.

Smoothie King offers smoothies with protein, vitamins and “nutritional enhancers” including keto powder, fiber blend, vegan protein and probiotics.

Before the opening, the closest location for people in the Tysons area was the spot in Fairfax. The Dallas-based franchise has more than 1,000 locations across the world, the press release said.

A new tower is coming to Tysons’ skyline and snapping up the “tallest building in the region” title.

The tower is apart of Clemente Development Co. plans for The View development, which won approval from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last night (Tuesday).

The mixed-use development by the Spring Hill Metro station will add six buildings, including the 600-foot-tall building that will reach higher than Capital One’s headquarters.

Known as the Iconic Tower, building plans to capitalize on its height with a publicly-accessible botanical garden and observation deck.

The development has been praised for its varied building heights and sleek design, but the Iconic Tower’s height of 600 feet — 200 feet above the maximum for Tysons buildings — has received some criticism from the McLean Citizens Association.

Dale Stein, the president of MCA, said that the height “breaks the trust of the community.”

However, the supervisors felt differently.

Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth said that the height creates an architectural statement that will help define downtown Tysons.

“If we keep that 400-foot level… we will have a collection of 400-foot shoeboxes defining our skyline in Tysons,” Smyth said, adding that people are “starting to see that already.”

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said that while he understands the MCA’s position about the height, “I don’t necessarily agree with that concern.”

Supervisors also lauded the development’s planned entertainment uses, which include a black box theater, art walk and open-air theater, along with a nearby community center.

“We’re no longer suburbia,” Smyth said. “We are going into the future with this.”

Image via Fairfax County

The developer of two mixed-use developments by the Spring Hill Metro station will likely have to wait until next year for Fairfax County to determine the proposals’ fates.

Georgelas LLC is looking to redevelop car dealerships along the north side of Tyco Road into developments called West Spring Hill Station and North Spring Hill Station.

The development — particularly West Spring Hill Station — has faced concerns from county staff and the Planning Commission, including the projects’ synergy with The View, school overcrowding, and the abundance of artificial turf.

At the request of the developer, Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, the commissioner for the Providence District, pushed the decisions last night (Thursday) about the projects to the end of the year.

“Since the public hearing on the Georgelas application, we’ve had a series of discussions with the applicant that represent progress but more attention needs to be given to some of these specifics,” Niedzielski-Eichner said.

The proposed North Spring Hill Station would replace the existing Tesla dealership with four new buildings, including two residential towers, one office tower and a parking garage with an athletic field on top. The existing Verizon telecommunications facility on the site would stay.

Meanwhile, West Spring Hill Station would add four buildings — two for residential, one for residential or office space and the final one for offices — and three public parks.

Fairfax County planners said that the North Spring Hill Station addresses the expectations in the Tysons Comprehensive Plan — but not the West Spring Hill Station.

“[West Spring Hill Station] does not fully address the criteria, particularly with regards to providing a comprehensive, functioning grid of streets; the provision of open space; and, coordination of development,” the staff report said.

The staff report also notes that the West Spring Hill Station may require further development of the Koons Tysons Toyota site.

The Planning Commission deferred its decision on the projects to Dec. 11.

While the developments were set to go before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Oct. 15, the agenda indicates that the public hearing will get pushed to a later date.

Since the Board of Supervisors’ last full meeting of the year is on Dec. 3, the fate of the two developments probably won’t get determined until 2020.

Images via Fairfax County