Local photographers have been out capturing what the Tysons area looks like this summer as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the D.C. region.
While Jay Westcott, the staff photographer for our parent company Local News Now, is off until September, we’ve had support from freelancer Michelle Goldchain and readers who volunteered to snap some photos for us.
During recent visits to the Town of Vienna and Tysons, Goldchain captured well-known spots, like the red caboose in Vienna and the Capital One tower in Tysons.
She also snapped some photos of activity, like the construction that is underway at Tysons Galleria. Her photos show that the pandemic hasn’t stopped people from exercising along the W&OD Trail.
Whether or not there are people inside, the office and hotel buildings are still gleaming in Tysons.
We’ve also had several readers send us photos. Over the last few weeks, Joanne Liebig has shared the flowers she’s spotted around Westpark and International drives in Tysons:
Thank you to everyone who has submitted photos!
You can reach us at [email protected] or tag/direct message us on our social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).
Alpaca Party — “Earlier this summer, [Andrea] Diaz, who lives in Vienna, started a new business, My Pet Alpaca.” [DCist]
Lodging Revenue Nose Dives — Tysons-based Park Hotels “saw a 95.16% drop in revenue, from $434 million in 2019 to just $21 million in the most recent quarter. RevPAR for the second quarter was $14.47, down 95.1%. Occupancy for Park’s 18 consolidated hotels that remained open for the entire quarter was 20.8%. Today, 42 of Park’s hotels are operational, which accounts for 53% of its portfolio.” [Washington Business Journal]
Road Closure Alert — “The 100 block of N. West Street will be closed on Monday, August 10, from 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m. to allow for construction trailer movement at the Founder’s Row site.” [City of Falls Church]
Halloween Store Coming to Tysons — “Spirit Halloween stores recently announced plans to start opening its 1,400 U.S. locations in anticipation of Halloween 2020. The company typically occupies vacant storefronts leading up to Halloween season, and this year it will be at the former Performance Bike location at 8387 Leesburg Pike in Tysons.” [Patch]
COVID-19 Case Backlog — “An additional 2,015 coronavirus cases were reported statewide Friday, which the Virginia Department of Health attributed to a backlog of cases. The number reflects cases that should have been reported on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as Friday’s cases.” [Patch]
Local Author Releases New Novel — “If the Roman Empire never collapsed, would society be far more advanced than it is today? That’s the subject of a new history novel, “The Alternative History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” enthusiast Martin Missaiel has been working on since 2012.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Hand Sanitizer Recell — “The Food and Drug Administration has recalled 75 brands of hand sanitizer that contain methanol, which can cause serious health complications.” [Patch]
Photo courtesy Hilde Kahn
The Food for Others 5k and Fun Run in Tysons in September won’t resemble the race in previous years.
Instead of happening in-person on a set date, the event will now take place virtually during a weekend in late September. Just like the previous races, the registration fee will benefit food-insecure people in Fairfax County.
Located in the Merrifield area, Food for Others notes on its website that more than 70,000 people in Fairfax County live in poverty. The organization distributes food to more than 2,600 families weekly.
“Between March and July, Food for Others has served food to a total of 72,223 households, a 35 percent increase over the number of families we served between March and July of 2019,” the organization recently announced.
Participants will have the weekend of Sept. 25-Sept. 27 to complete the distance and can complete the 5k on a trail, treadmill or anywhere they can walk.
The cost to join the event is $30 per person, which will go toward giving rice and beans to 25 families. People who register before Sept. 10 can get a race t-shirt mailed to them. The race is also accepting sponsorships.
The event description asks that participants record their time and share photos on social media using #Foodforothers5K.
Some of the prizes will include awards for people with the best race costume, most creative route and best pet photo. The full list of prizes will be announced by Sept. 10 so that participants can prepare.
Photo by Bruno Nascimento/Unsplash
Metro to Give Out Masks — “Metro will start to hand out 500,000 cloth masks it received from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the transit agency announced [in late July]. It’s unclear exactly when and how they will be distributed throughout the system.” [DCist]
Northam’s Approval Rating Drops — “Approval ratings for Gov. Ralph Northam’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic have dropped 15 percentage points since a similar survey in April, according to a new poll from the Center for Public Policy at VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.” [Inside NoVa]
New Law Looks to Cut Back Predatory Payday Lending — “A new law in the commonwealth aims to curb predatory lending practices by limiting the annual rate of interest to 36% plus a monthly service fee. By comparison, the current average annual rate is 251% for payday loans and 217% for title loans.” [DCist]
Teaming Up on Testing — “Virginia is joining five other states in a new effort to expand the use of rapid antigen testing for the coronavirus.” [Inside NoVa]
Local Senior Sets State Golf Record — “In a duel between high-school teammates, rising Langley Saxons senior Kelly Chinn emerged as champion with a record-setting performance at the Virginia State Golf Association’s Junior Stroke Play Championships.” [Inside NoVa]
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors greenlighted changes that will create a mixed-use residential building in Tysons’ Scotts Run development.
Cityline Partners proposed replacing two residential towers with a 25-story building, which will have approximately 447 residential units and ground-floor retail.
“A private courtyard and rooftop terrace with amenities such as a pool and sundeck, landscaped terraces, sitting areas, fire pit, outdoor kitchen and grill and dog run area are also proposed for the building,” the county’s staff report noted.
As for the parking, the new building will be over a parking podium like the two previously approved towers, but will get slightly modified, staff said.
The new residential tower will reside in Scotts Run South — a portion of the development that is bringing new retail, office and residential buildings near the McLean Metro Station.
County staff noted that the change from two buildings to one will not substantially alter the development’s skyline.
The board approved the changes after a public hearing last Tuesday (July 28).
Image via Fairfax County
The “Tysons After Dark” series highlights different activities that keep people busy once the sun goes down.
Wildfire in Tysons recently joined the growing list of local restaurants offering to-go cocktails.
The restaurant (2001 International Drive) debuted several cocktails that diners can now order for pick-up.
The Skinny Pineapple Coconut, made from Bacardi Coconut Rum, lemon juice, pineapple juice and Monin Sugar Free Syrup, is one of the options on the menu. A serving for one person costs $11 and $30 for three.
Another cocktail is Stormy Night — a concoction of Effen Black Cherry Vodka, DeKuyper Watermelon Pucker and DeKuyper Island Blue Punch Pucker ($13.75 for one serving, $37.25 for three).
The rest of the available cocktails are:
- red sangria ($10.50 for one serving, $28.50 for three)
- margarita ($13, $35)
- Old Fashioned ($15, $40.50)
- Moscow Mule ($35 for three servings)
People can get them by calling 703-442-9110 or ordering online. Wildfire also sells red, white and sparkling wines; beer bottles and cans; and non-alcoholic drinks including coffee and Coca-Cola.
In May, Tysons Reporter rounded up more than a dozen restaurants, including Founding Farmers and Bear Branch Tavern, that offer boozy, to-go drinks.
Photo via Wildfire Tysons/Facebook
Tysons Company Reduces Workforce — “MicroStrategy Inc. (NASDAQ: MSTR) cut its workforce by 6% in early July as the company adapted to the business changes brought about by the continued spread of Covid-19 — and its recent cuts helped increase profitability for the Tysons business intelligence software company.” [Washington Business Journal]
Pizza Chain Struggling — “California Pizza Kitchen has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as the chain has been unable to surmount the challenges posed by a steep drop in sit-down dining due to the coronavirus pandemic… California Pizza Kitchen has five locations in Greater Washington, in Pentagon City, Bethesda, Tysons Corner Center, Fairfax Corner and Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg – all currently reopened in a limited capacity.” [Washington Business Journal]
Women’s Suffrage Month — “Fairfax County supervisors, after first being chided by one member, agreed July 28 that all the board’s members would sign a proclamation declaring this August as ‘Women’s Suffrage Month’ in the county.” [Inside NoVa]
Planning Commission OKs three-house subdivision — “Satisfied with planned noise-reduction measures, Fairfax County Planning Commission members on July 22 unanimously recommended the Board of Supervisors approve a three-home subdivision just north of Tysons.” [Inside NoVa]
Photo courtesy Joanne Liebig
The Fairfax County Planning Commission postponed its decision on a rezoning application for a proposed residential building near the Tysons Corner Metro station.
The owners of J.R.’s Stockyards Inn want to replace the restaurant with a 26-story residential mixed-use building.
The restaurant opened in 1978, and the owners have been in the Tysons area for a long time, John McGranahan, Jr., the lawyer representing the applicant, told the Planning Commission. J.R.’s Stockyards Inn closed its daily restaurant operations in 2011, Tysons Reporter previously reported.
The proposal wants the 270-foot-tall building to offer up to 244 units and a small retail space on the property at International Place and Watson Street, according to county documents. The project also includes a public park and an underground parking structure.
“We designed this parcel to be the first piece of the puzzle… We think it will be a catalyst to redevelopment in this part of Tysons Corner,” McGranahan said.
Following a public hearing last night, the Planning Commission decided to delay voting on whether or not to support the rezoning application. The postponement will give county staff time to work with the applicant on several issues and to review the revised proffers submitted on Wednesday afternoon.
The main issues for county staff and the applicant involve the proposal’s elevated deck over an access road, what Capital One will do with its nearby property and how much of a financial contribution the applicant should make to further Tysons’ grid of streets.
The Planning Commission will reconsider the rezoning application on Sept. 16.
Rendering via KGD Architecture
The Fairfax County Park Authority Board plans to present an award to Meridian Group for helping to create Quantum Field in Tysons.
The Meridian Group, which is behind the new Tysons development called The Boro, teamed up with the county’s Board of Supervisors and Park Authority to transform a former parking area into Quantum Field as a proffer agreement for The Boro.
The multisport athletic field fits into the vision for “a robust park system” in Tysons, according to the county’s announcement about the award on Tuesday (July 28).
The development company will receive the Harold L. Strickland Partnership and Collaboration Award, which is named after a former Park Authority board member and honors teamwork to add state-of-the-art facilities, during a virtual ceremony in November.
More from the county:
Through this unique partnership between developers and park planners, Meridian agreed Quantum Field would be operated by the Park Authority and built in accordance with FCPA standards. The agreement stipulated that Meridian would maintain ownership of the property and grant an easement to the FCPA, outlining the terms of maintenance and operation of the field. This partnership allowed Meridian and FCPA to overcome challenges with the site related to utility easements and the field’s location adjacent to the Capital Beltway.
The field, which opened in 2019, is built with synthetic turf and has a playing surface of 180 feet by 360 feet. It offers play for five sports and includes black vinyl perimeter chain-link fencing, concrete walkways, bleacher pads, parking lot lighting, sound-containing walls and landscaping.
Because it was built with synthetic turf, Quantum Field allows for year-round use and is not affected by weather to the degree of natural turf fields. Lighting allows for extended use into the evening hours. Concrete walkways make it accessible for all; landscaping enhances its aesthetic appearance; and the sound barriers benefit area residents who are not using the field.
The field, along with the county’s other athletic fields, is open for organized and permitted use as long as people follow COVID-19 guidelines from the governor, local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the county.
Synthetic fields can accommodate up to 250 people as long as people keep 10 feet away from each other when possible and officials, coaches and players undergo a COVID-19 screening before entering the fields.
Photo via Fairfax County Park Authority/Flickr
Fairfax NAACP Head May Run for Lt. Governor — “Fairfax County NAACP president Sean Perryman announced an exploratory bid for the position of lieutenant governor Monday, explaining that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and resultant economic crisis had catalyzed his run.” [WTOP]
Upzoning in Tysons — “While there are advantages and disadvantages relative to replacing single-family zoning with two- to four-unit zoning, Tysons’ plan may provide an alternative model for suburban upzoning in locations where eliminating single-family zoning runs into political roadblocks.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Gym Eyeing Tysons — “United Kingdom-based gym chain PureGym will open its first location in the United States in Springfield… Parties are now drafting construction drawings for the Springfield location to apply for permits with Fairfax County, the source said, adding that PureGym is eyeing more locations in the region, including in Tysons.” [Washington Business Journal]
Renamed School Holiday — “The Fairfax County School Board has voted to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day for the previously approved 2020-21 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) school year calendar as well as the yet-to-be approved 2021-22 school year calendar. The 2021-22 calendar is scheduled to be adopted in September.” [FCPS]
Topics for the 8/11 On Deck with Mercury include policing in Vienna, use of force, and a path forward. Advance registration is required and open to ToV residents only: https://t.co/zixwSegceY The conversation with Chief Jim Morris and others will be live-streamed on YouTube. pic.twitter.com/7R87DWXBf9
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) July 28, 2020
Photo courtesy Joanne Liebig
