An employee at a building in Fairfax Square in Tysons has tested positive for coronavirus, JBG SMITH said.
“We were notified that an employee of one of our tenants at 8075 Leesburg Pike had tested positive for COVID-19,” JBG SMITH said in a statement to Tysons Reporter.
Located along Leesburg Pike directly behind Tysons Corner Center, Fairfax Square consists of several buildings with commercial and office space.
The building at 8075 Leesburg Pike houses Mynd Spa, Elegance by Roya, Roche Bobois Paris and Liljenquist & Beckstead on the ground floor, along with several office tenants.
JBG SMITH did not say which tenant the coronavirus patient works for.
More from the statement:
The ongoing health and well-being of our tenants, employees, vendors, and visitors to our buildings is our top priority. We are regularly monitoring developments related to COVID-19 and will continue to follow all of the guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and local health authorities.
A notification was then issued in the building and work began to “fully disinfect and sanitize the tenant’s interior space and common space,” the statement said.
An environmental contractor disinfected and sanitized the building’s lobby and common areas, the statement said.
“We also maximized the fresh outdoor air coming into the building and replaced all air filters,” JBG SMITH said. “After the close of business that same day, we brought in another environmental contractor to perform a second deep clean of all common areas in the building.”
Arjun Chaudhary, an employee at Roche Bobois Paris, told Tysons Reporter that building management has been keeping the furniture retailer regularly updated.
“They are doing a fairly decent,” he said. “There are so many hand sanitizers at every entrance.”
Chaudhary said that the sick employee did not work at Roche Bobois Paris, which is currently open to shoppers.
Ashley Hopko contributed to this story
Image via Google Maps
Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre is suspending its upcoming productions due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus.
“In response to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and local and state governments, 1st Stage is pausing all productions and closing the theatre to the public effective immediately,” the theater said in an announcement today.
“The safety and well-being of our community is our highest priority,” Artistic Director Alex Levy said in the statement.
Plans for the theater’s upcoming production of “A New Brain,” which was set to run March 26-April 19, are uncertain at this point.
“At this point, it is our hope to open ‘A New Brain’ and continue our season once the health crisis has passed. Given the current situation, we are unsure when that will happen,” the statement said.
The statement said that the theater will compensate the production personnel “most impacted by this sudden closure” and that the performers, designers and technicians for the show will be paid their full contract salary.
The theater is encouraging people who bought tickets or are season subscribers to exchange their tickets for a performance at a later date or to turn them into donations.
Updated 3:35 p.m. — The theater announced today (Tuesday) that it will close and postpone shows due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus.
Theater-goers now know what will be on the stage later this year and early 2021 at 1st Stage Theatre.
The theater announced its 2020-2021 season on Sunday (March 15).
The new season will kick off with “Mlima’s Tale” on Sept. 10.
Written by Lynn Nottage and directed by José Carrasquillo, the play follows the journey of ivory tusks poached from an elderly elephant in a protected reserve in Kenya. The play will run through Oct. 11.
From Dec. 3 to Jan. 3, 2021, “The Rainmaker” will tell the story of a spinster, whose father and brothers find a suitor — a con man — for her. Written by N. Richard Nash, the show will be directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes.
In February, people can see the sci-fi play “The Phlebotomist” — written by Ella Road and directed by Alex Levy, the theater’s artistic director.
Then in April, theatergoers can watch a musical and comedy about a gay burlesque performer. “The Nance” is written by Douglas Carter Beane and will be directed by Nick Olcott.
Alex Levy will also direct “The Last Match,” an Anna Ziegler play about a tension-filled tennis match. The show will run from May to June.
The season will end with the fifth annual Logan Festival, which will feature solo performers for two weeks.
Updated at 7:45 p.m. — Updated to reflect that Texas Jack’s Ranch and Texas Jack’s Barbecue are separate restaurants that are not affiliated.
Texas Jack’s Ranch is looking to open near the Greensboro Metro station this fall.
The restaurant will come to the Lumen apartment building (1755 Tysons Central Street), according to a press release.
Diners can expect the restaurant to “blend the best traditions from Central Texas and the rustic regions of Italy.”
The owner of Texas Jack’s Ranch is Steve Roberts, who is also involved in Texas Jack’s Barbecue in Arlington along with Paul Capetanakis. Capetanakis told Tysons Reporter that the two restaurants are not affiliated.
Texas Jack’s Ranch will occupy a 9,200-square-foot space “with 23-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a fully-heated patio,” along with a brick oven and two full bars, the press release said.
Updated at 5:15 p.m. — Includes more information from Scott Graham.
An employee at an office building along Leesburg Pike in Tysons has tested positive for coronavirus, Lerner Enterprises said.
“We have learned that an individual who works in an office at 7799 Leesburg Pike has tested positive for COVID-19,” Lerner said in a statement to Tysons Reporter.
The real estate developer said that they have contacted Fairfax County’s health department. Lerner declined to provide information on the patient’s identity or their exposure due to privacy concerns.
“At this time, the building remains open and we have continued enhanced sanitation protocols,” the statement said. “We strongly encourage all individuals to follow the recommendations posted on the CDC’s website and in the attached fact sheet.”
Tysons Reporter reached out to the tenants in the building and will update this story if they respond.
Scott Graham, a spokesperson for the Mid-Atlantic region for M&T Bank, told Tysons Reporter that the coronavirus patient is not an employee at the branch, which occupies one floor of the building.
“We sent our employees home this morning as soon as we learned about the case,” Graham said. “The building — including our floor — is being thoroughly cleaned this afternoon, and we expect to be open for business Friday morning.”
Ashley Hopko contributed to this report
Image via Google Maps
The Fairfax County Planning Commission is delaying its decision on two mixed-use developments by the Spring Hill Metro station again.
Commissioner Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, who represents the Providence District, asked the commission last night (Wednesday) to push its vote on the proposed project to next month.
Niedzielski-Eichner said the postponement is to give more staff more time to review a resubmission and changes by the developer, Georgelas LLC.
The project is split into two parts — North Spring Hill Station and West Spring Hill Station — and would transform current car dealerships along the north side of Tyco Road into commercial and residential units.
Previously, the project has been held up over Fairfax County planners’ concerns that the West Spring Hill Station doesn’t fulfill the Tysons Comprehensive Plan.
The decision was previously postponed from December, when Niedzielski-Eichner said that the Georgelas LLC asked for more time on the application.
The project is now scheduled to go before the Planning Commission on April 22.
Images via Fairfax County
(Updated 4:30 p.m.) Fans of fresh produce can find many farmers markets around Tysons with spring almost officially here.
Several markets recently announced opening dates for the spring season.
Though some markets are seeded in tradition, with founding dates over 30 years ago, there are several new options for shoppers that only popped up in the last year or so.
Tysons Reporter rounded up places — including a few year-round markets — where shoppers can score fresh food and locally-sourced items.
The Falls Church Farmers Market at the City Hall parking lot (300 Park Ave) is open year-round and offers shoppers choices from more than 50 vendors, according to the City of Falls Church’s website.
From April through December, the market is open from 8 a.m. until noon. From January through March, the market is open from 9 a.m. until noon.
The Vienna Farmers Market exclusively offers locally-sourced items, according to its website.
“The Vienna Farmers Market is a Certified Farmers Market, meaning that our farmers can provide proof of local produce and take pride in that they have produced the products available for sale,” according to the website.
The seasonal market will operate from May through the end of October for the 2020 season, the website said, adding that hours of operation will be 8 a.m. until noon each Saturday at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE).
NOVA Central Farm Market is part of a larger network of year-round markets around the area including ones in Bethesda and Westfield.
The closest location is open on Sundays from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. April through December and 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. January through March at Marshall High School (7731 Leesburg Pike) in Falls Church.
FARMFRESH Mosaic began last year and is located in the Mosaic District (2910 District Ave) on Sundays. It is open year-round but hours of operation vary depending on the season.
On Sundays, the market is open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. from April through December and from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. January through March.
The Tysons Farmers Market will take place seasonally beginning June 2 at The Plaza in front of Tysons Corner Center on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m, its website said. Programming at the market will also be family-friendly, according to the page.
This year, the McLean Farmers Market will be open from May 8 through Nov. 13 in Lewinsville Park (1659 Chainbridge Road). Every Friday, vendors will offer an array of locally grown vegetables, fruits, meats, freshly baked bread and other local products from 8 a.m. until noon, according to Fairfax County.
This specific market became a tradition in the area after its founding in 1980, according to the website, which added that many vendors have been setting up shop each season for over 30 years.
Photo via McLean Farmers Market/Facebook
(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) Capital One is reportedly asking its employees to work from home to help prevent the coronavirus — affecting possibly thousands of employees at its Tysons headquarters.
Bloomberg News first reported that the banking giant is letting people work from home starting on Thursday. For employees who can’t work remotely, the company plans to begin “spacing out employees,” the memo from CEO Richard Fairbank says.
“While to date we have no known cases of coronavirus among our associates, we are taking further steps to encourage and enable social distancing,” according to a copy of the memo Tysons Reporter obtained.
The memo said that the company will announce increased paid sick leave and flexible attendance policies.
As of late 2018, Capital One had moved approximately 2,000 employees to its new headquarters next to the McLean Metro station.
The company has 52,000 employees in total.
Now being called a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the spreading COVID-19 coronavirus has prompted schools to close or switch to online learning and companies to ask employees to work from home.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Virginia Department of Health says there are nine “presumptive positive” cases of COVID-19 in the commonwealth, with five in Northern Virginia.
The annual Tour de Tysons has been put on hold indefinitely, the event’s organizers told Tysons Reporter.
Typically, the race is held in early March, but organizers never announced dates for 2020 — leaving fans and past participants confused.
Tysons Reporter reached out to the National Capital Velo Club, who is in charge of planning the race, to find out what happened and was told that the race will be suspended indefinitely due to safety concerns for participants.
A spokesperson noted the rapid development in Tysons and the recent increase in traffic.
“As weekend traffic in that part of Tysons has increased, we decided that seeking road closures for a full day wasn’t a tenable solution,” the spokesperson told Tysons Reporter.
At last year’s fifth annual competition, cyclists raced down Westpark Drive before turning onto Jones Branch Drive and then Westbranch Drive.
Several days ago, a Tour de Tysons Facebook page admin posted a short message about the news:
Unfortunately, due to safety concerns, NCVC will not be able to host the Tour de Tysons at its most recent location and will not promote it in 2020. Should a nearby venue become available in the future, we will consider reinstating it on the MABRA road calendar.
Going forward, the NCVC spokesperson said that they’d be interested in hosting the event again, given the right conditions.
“We’re looking for new locations in the region for future editions of the race that will have less of an impact on neighbors and ensure participant safety,” the group said.
Photo via Tour de Tysons/Facebook
Happy Friday! Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:
Tysons-Based TV Company May Be Acquired — “Signaling ongoing consolidation of the broadcast business, Gray Television has made an $8.5 billion bid for larger rival Tegna, according to Reuters, sending Tegna stock up by more than 30% in premarket trading Friday in what looks set to be an otherwise down market.” [Deadline]
New Coffee Spot Eying Tysons — “[The owner] says For Five is also planning to open a location in Tysons within the next three to four months.” [ARLnow]
Founders Row 2.0 Planned in Falls Church — “The Economic Development Committee of the Falls Church City Council got the news at its meeting last Thursday… that the 4.3 acre Founders Row mixed-use project now coming out of the ground at West Broad and N. West Streets may be augmented with a two-acre “phase two” right across the street.” [Falls Church News-Press]
McLean Student Finalist in National Portrait Contest — “McLean High sophomore Libby Eick, a Photography 2 student, was one of 15 finalists nationwide in the National Portrait Gallery’s 2020 National Teen Portrait Competition. Eick’s work was selected from among 629 entries around the U.S. Her artist statement is below.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
New Store in The Boro — The Shade Store is now open in The Boro. [The Boro/Instagram]
