With sunnier and warmer days ahead, a portion of Tysons Blvd is poised to become a space for cyclists and pedestrians looking for more room to social distance.
Robin Geiger, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Transportation Department (FCDOT), mentioned the plans during a town hall with county officials yesterday.
“We’re going to close a portion of Tysons Blvd to allow for safer biking and pedestrian access for exercise, to increase social distancing, so people can get around Tysons,” Geiger said.
The upcoming closure is part of a pilot project with Tysons Partnership, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, Geiger said. While Geiger did not say when the partial road closure is expected or which portion will be closed, she said that FCDOT will announce more information soon.
Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik praised the project, saying that “it does take quite a bit of coordination” for the county and VDOT to work on road projects.
“I’m just thrilled,” Palchik said.
Closing roads to give cyclists and pedestrians more space during the pandemic has been gaining traction around the U.S., WAMU reported.
“I know bikes are being sold quite a bit these days,” Palchik said, adding that “we take this opportunity to improve our bikeability and walkability.”
Image via Google Maps
Municipal Finances Spotlighted in Vienna — The Washington Post focused on how Vienna is responding to the financial crisis from the pandemic. [Washington Post]
Tysons Fintech Company Now Under Goldman Sachs — “The acquisition represents the culmination of discussions that started in 2019 and the closing, while subject to regulatory approval, is expected in the third quarter of 2020… The acquisition of Folio by Goldman Sachs brings together two leading financial services firms for the continuing benefit of our clients and business partners.” [Folio Financial]
Virtual Job Fair — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the largest school system in Virginia, is searching for educators with a strong academic background and a passion to make a difference in the lives of students during the 2020-21 school year. Principals will meet and engage with candidates at the FCPS Virtual Instructional Job Fair on Tuesday, May 26, Wednesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 28.” [FCPS]
ICYMI: Tysons Corner Center is Back Open — “Shoppers can find more than take-out from restaurants at Tysons Corner Center now that the mall is back open.” [Tysons Reporter]
Five companies headquartered in Tysons and one in the Falls Church area have made this year’s Fortune 500 list.
At #41, Freddie Mac in Tysons nabbed the highest spot of the 11 Fairfax County companies on the list, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA).
The rankings are based on the companies’ 2019 revenue, according to the press release.
The local companies on the list cover a wide variety of industries. “The wide diversity of the industry sectors represented here also is striking, everything from our traditional strengths in IT, aerospace and defense to financial services, hospitality and construction, and that also speaks well for the stability and resiliency of our business base,” Victor Hoskins, FCEDA’s president and CEO, said in the press release.
The Tysons companies on the list include:
- #41 — Freddie Mac
- #96 — Northrop Grumman in the Falls Church area
- #97 — Capital One Financial
- #155 — DXC Technology
- #338 — Hilton Worldwide Holdings
- #450 — Booz Allen Hamilton
“Only a handful of communities can say they are home to 11 Fortune 500 companies. It sends a really strong message from the corporate world that this is a strong, stable, resilient location for headquarters operations,” Hoskins said.
Last year, seven of the 10 Fairfax County companies on the Fortune 500 list were based in the Tysons area.
Two lifelong friends who work at Hoar Construction in Tysons and Clyde’s in Maryland recently teamed up to feed health care workers around the D.C. area.
By leveraging their connections at their companies, Bryce Yetso, the general manager of Clyde’s, and Mike Dramby, Hoar Construction’s senior project manager, said that they have handed out over $3,000-worth of food at two regional hospitals within the last few weeks.
Though Hoar Construction works on a variety of projects, Dramby specializes in hospital construction and expansion for the D.C. area office, so he said he was already somewhat familiar with the needs of hospital workers during this hectic time.
Meanwhile, Clyde’s was forced to furlough workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was able to bring people back to work recently with the new request for meals, according to Yetso.
“Bryce was looking to get his people back to work and we were looking for a way to help front line folks,” Dramby said, adding that it made sense to join the two efforts together.
Hoar Construction managed fundraising efforts and coordination with the hospitals while Clyde’s was responsible for meal preparation and delivery, the men said.
Though Hoar Construction originally offered to front the meal order cost, Dramby said that almost all of his coworkers contributed to the effort.
Dramby told Tysons Reporter that his company has been especially busy during this time, because hospitals are investing money in wing expansions to boost capacity for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Going forward, the two men hope to cater meals to medical staff at two other hospitals in the near future.
Photo courtesy Clyde’s Catering
The owner of a Tysons gym is gaining traction with an online petition asking that some restrictions get lifted for small gyms and fitness centers in Northern Virginia.
As Virginia readies to start its first reopening phase tomorrow (Friday), Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered that Northern Virginia maintain current COVID-19 restrictions until after Memorial Day.
Fairfax County has had the highest reported number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the state, and top officials in Northern Virginia have been pushing for more time to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
But Tucker Jones, who WJLA reported is the owner of CrossFit gyms in Tysons and Arlington, thinks that the soon-approaching rollback of business restrictions in the rest of the state should also apply to small gyms in Northern Virginia.
“We strongly feel that we can continue to provide access to health and wellness through fitness in a way that keeps everyone safe,” the petition says.
Jones started the online petition three days ago and, at the time of this article, it has gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
The petition says that small class gyms that are about 3,000-8,000-square feet with a maximum capacity of 25-75 people can take the following safety steps:
- capping class sizes at 10 people
- daily deep cleaning
- disinfecting equipment before and after every use
- starting contactless check-in
- switching to reservation-only
- taking away access to showers and water fountains
- requiring employees and asking clients to wear masks
“We believe we can begin to provide our services to members following very strict guidelines of social distancing and extreme cleanliness just as other businesses are providing as they reopen,” the petition says.
Jones told WJLA he had to cancel his plans to offer outdoor fitness classes after Northam announced earlier this week the reopening delay for Northern Virginia.
Currently, CrossFit in Tysons has turned to online fitness classes, a nutrition challenge on social media and equipment rentals to keep the business going while the gyms are temporarily closed.
Photo via CrossFit Tysons Corner/Facebook
Battle of the Books — “The Cunningham Park Elementary seventh annual (and first virtual) Battle of the Books took place on Friday, May 8, on Google Meet.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Student Turns Home Into Mask Factory — “13-year-old Sasha used her sewing skills to transform fabric, elastic, and lots of passion into 225 face masks for 911 first responders in Fairfax County. As the self-appointed project foreman, Sasha, a Cooper Middle School student, manned the sewing machine while her parents mostly helped cut and pin fabric.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Cha-ching for the Cleaners — “In Tysons, Bearfoot Ventures has branched out from mostly health care facilities to a broader base of buildings, ranging from foreign embassies to senior living facilities and commercial office spaces, said CEO Jeb Byrne… Byrne estimates Bearfoot is on a trajectory to boost annual revenue from about $1 million in 2019 to top $5 million over the next eight to 12 months.” [Washington Business Journal]
New Grant Program for Small Businesses — “The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted [yesterday] to create the Fairfax Relief Initiative to Support Employers (Fairfax RISE). Fairfax RISE is a new $25 million grant program to assist small businesses and nonprofits affected by COVID-19. The program will be funded using federal CARES Act funds provided to the county.” [Fairfax County]
Scavenger Hunt in Vienna — “In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Eric Monday Foundation collaborated with the Town of Vienna to create a #TakeDownTheStigma Scavenger Hunt to encourage families to walk on the trails.” [Eric Monday Foundation]
Officers from our McLean District station and Motor Carrier Safety had the privilege of hosting a parade along with @ffxfirerescue at Iliff Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. This was a fun and joyful way of showing support for the patients and staff at the center! #FCPD pic.twitter.com/zv6fYwiUGo
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 12, 2020
This afternoon, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved rezoning for two developments near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.
Georgelas LLC’s two mixed-use projects — West Spring Hill Station and North Spring Hill Station — would redevelop car dealerships along the north side of Tyco Road.
The projects include eight buildings, four parks, a new connection to the Dulles Toll Road and a sports deck that will include entertainment atop a building.
Elizabeth Baker, a senior land use planner who is representing the developer, told the county board that the companion developments move forward the vision to turn Tysons into a city.
“It’s really becoming a unified, urban environment,” Baker said about the area around the Metro station.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the developments back in September, but delayed the vote until this year to give staff and the developer time to work out issues with West Spring Hill Station.
Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said that the two projects “substantially improved” since when they were first proposed, praising the Dulles Toll Road Connection and “prominent parks.”
Images via Fairfax County
Tysons-based company hatchIT launched a new site in February to connect independent engineers, developers and entrepreneurs in the D.C. area.
Called Hatchpad, the site allows users to create a social media-type account to talk with people working on new projects, seeking jobs, hiring or simply wishing to network in their field, according to the website.
People can sort through posts and project collaborations based on tech stack (a.k.a. coding language), region or work location — at home, part-time or in an office.
Hatchpad founder Tim Winkler said that the idea came to the team after realizing talent recruitment in the area was difficult for startups and product designers. “It’s often hard to cut through the noise of government contracting,” he told Tysons Reporter.
The site only caters to people in the D.C., Virginia, Maryland and Baltimore areas, but Winkler said there are plans in the works to expand the site’s capabilities — both geographically and feature-wise.
Though there isn’t a way for people to chat on the site just yet, startups and engineers are encouraged to post a blog or video interview showcasing their projects, according to Winkler. From there, people can get in contact with one another by finding contact information online.
Roughly 450 people have accounts on the site, Winkler said, adding that more than 1500 people are on their listserv for a weekly email update.
For example, Reston-based startup Hawkeye360 uses the site to advertise job listings and talk about its product.
Like almost every other company, Hatchpad adapted to changing norms prompted by COVID-19 within the last few months.
“There is a push for us to bring a new line of virtual events during this time,” Winkler said, adding that engagement with digital events can be more difficult than with in-person events.
Before the pandemic hit, according to Winkler, people were more likely to attend in-person events since it was easier to gather and organically network over food and drink.
“Folks seek that social interaction and that’s why they enjoy physical events,” he said.
To solve this problem, hatchIT and Hatchpad are considering putting together invite-only, “round table” digital events where roughly 10 industry professionals would come together over a specific topic.
These events, potentially called “Hatchpad Huddles,” would be around 30-45 minutes in length and give people the opportunity to speak up and stay engaged, according to Winkler.
Though a lot of companies are experiencing hiring freezes, Hatchpad is encouraging the use of its platform by offering fun ambassador perks for current members.
People who bring new users onboard may score prizes like Hatchpad socks or free tuition to certain online workshops, much like the podcast Morning Brew does, Winkler said. “We really want the site to grow organically.”
Photo courtesy hatchIT
Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons and Idylwood Plaza and Tysons Station in the Falls Church area will soon have a contact-less pick-up program for their restaurants.
Federal Realty’s Pick-Up program launches next Friday, May 15 in the D.C. area, to allow curbside pick-up for eateries at its properties, according to a press release from Mittie Rooney at the Axiom Communications Group.
“The program is made available to all tenants and customers looking for comfortable ways to return to shopping at their favorite stores,” the press release said. “Customers will be able to place orders directly with stores by phone or on-line, and arrange for same day pick-up, or a time most convenient to them.”
Federal Realty’s three shopping centers in the Tysons area will have the program by the end of the month, Rooney said.
“We see this as a long-term solution to finding even more convenient ways for customers to shop,” Stuart Biel, the senior vice president of regional leasing for Federal Realty, said in the press release.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission voted last night to support two projects that would continue urbanizing Tysons.
Now proposed changes to open the Valo Park office complex up to the public and two developments near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tyson West will head to the Board of Supervisors with favorable recommendations.
Both proposed projects aim to enliven Tysons, Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, the commissioner for the Providence District, noted.
The Planning Commission kicked off its meeting by making a decision on Georgelas LLC’s two proposed mixed-use developments that would redevelop car dealerships along the north side of Tyco Road into West Spring Hill Station and North Spring Hill Station.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the developments back in September. Niedzielski-Eichner requested delays on the decision to allow time for the developer and staff to address concerns with West Spring Hill Station.
Staffer Tracy Strunk outlined the “high points” of the changes the developer made in the resubmission in January:
- reduced residential, meaning the parks and open space is no longer deficient
- “brought mix of uses into closer alignment”
- did new traffic study
- provided new information on connection to Dulles Toll Road
- gave more ideas for how surrounding properties could be developed
While the original staff report recommended denial of the project, Strunk said that the staff now support approving both developments even as the proposal is “still a little light on office.”
In response to the comment about the amount of office, Elizabeth Baker, a senior land use planner for Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh who is representing the developer, said that approved projects in Tysons West include millions of square feet of office space.
“So we have just been very cognizant of the amount of office in the area,” Baker said. “We want to be realistic about what can be built on this site.”
Strunk also noted that the proposed ramp will function more as a local street with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
“I fully support these applications,” Niedzielski-Eichner said, adding that they, along with The View and Adaire, will further transit-oriented development in Tysons West and make it an “exciting and vibrant place.”
During its second public hearing last night, the Planning Commission took up the proposal that would allow Valo Park in the North Central neighborhood to attract diners, shoppers and people looking to exercise.
The newspaper giant Gannett and cloud computing company Appian are headquartered at the roughly 785,000 square-foot office park (7950 Jones Branch Drive), which was bought by London-based Tamares a few years ago.
Tamares is looking to add shops, at least two restaurants and either a 5,000-square-foot craft beverage production establishment or restaurant on the roof on an existing parking garage. The owner also wants to open the office complex’s current conference center, auditorium and fitness center to the public.
The proposal did not receive any public comment during the hearing. Planning and zoning staff supported the proposed changes, and the Planning Commission voted to also back the plan.
Niedzielski-Eichner called it “a straightforward attempt to bring more people onto the property.”
Now, the Valo Park proposal is slated to head to the Board of Supervisors for a public hearing on June 9. The West and North Spring Hill Station developments will get a public hearing before the county board next Tuesday (May 12).
Images 1 and 2 via Fairfax County
