Drivers can expect delays from a crash this morning at the intersection fo Tysons Blvd and Galleria Drive.
A tow truck is on its way and drivers can expect a brief right lane closure, Sgt. James Curry, a police spokesman, told Tysons Reporter.
Traffic was heavy on Tysons Blvd around 9:55 a.m., according to Google Maps.
Curry said that no injuries have been reported.
Map via Google Maps
A Tysons-based entrepreneur struck a big deal with the founder of KIND Snacks on reality television last week.
Things were looking down financially for TahDah Foods before CEO John Sorial decided to appear on the season 11 premiere of “Shark Tank” on ABC — ultimately making a deal with Daniel Lubetzky, the CEO of KIND Snacks.
TahDah Foods began as a frozen falafel wrap line, which offers customers several flavor varieties. The products are naturally gluten-free since they are made with chickpeas. The company also donates 25% of profits to charity, aiming to help end hunger and inspire social change, according to the website.
The food has been in stores for some time — including Wegman’s, Whole Foods Market, Harris Teeter and MOM’s Organic Market. Recently, the company ran into a supply problem and was losing money because the product wasn’t being produced quickly enough.
Four people were doing the job of 12, he told the sharks. “I would stay up with the staff and was shoveling chickpeas myself.”
Sorial is the son of Egyptian parents, who fled to the U.S. because of political persecution. After working in chemical engineering, he decided to transition to a career he felt was more fulfilling.
“I took authentic foods from the motherland and gave them a fresh new taste and look,” he said, adding that the idea of helping his family and people around the world motivates him to succeed.
After some debate and competition with another shark, Sorial accepted a $500,000 deal in exchange for 25% of the business — not the original $300,000 in exchange for the 10% of the business, that he was seeking originally.
“Your story resonates a lot with me,” Lubetzky said, adding that he thought Sorial’s original goal wouldn’t be enough to get him out of the financial hole.
Photo via Facebook
A gas leak has closed the eastbound lanes of Leesburg Pike by The Boro in Tysons.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue crews are on the scene of a gas leak in the 8400 block of Leesburg Pike that was caused by construction crews hitting a gas line, the fire department tweeted.
“Units shutting down eastbound Leesburg Pike (Rte. 7) and Gosnell Road,” the tweet said.
The eastbound lanes of Leesburg Pike have been shut down, according to Fairfax Alerts.
Map via Google Maps
Tysons Galleria has welcomed a new restaurant focused on steak and fries.
“We are a new restaurant specializing in Steak Frites… We prep our ingredients daily in order to ensure only the highest quality food is served,” according to job postings on Snag for Butcher’s Cut.
The restaurant has line cook, cashier and server positions open and pays $15-$18 per hour.
Butcher’s Cut is one of 10 full-service restaurants at the mall, including Lebanese Taverna and the Cheesecake Factory.
As residential use explodes in Tysons, Fairfax County officials are quick to point to a growing amount of affordable housing in the area.
Chris Caperton, the director of the Urban Centers Section, updated the Board of Supervisors today (Oct. 8) on the progress in Tysons in the last year.
One of the biggest takeaways — “Residential is hot in Tysons,” Caperton said.
Currently, Tysons has 53.1 million square feet of development and is projected to reach 56.9 million square feet by 2021 — about 5.5. million square feet under the project in the comprehensive plan.
“We’re sort of catching up to that number,” Caperton said.
Of the 53 million square feet, more than half of it is office space, while about a quarter is residential.
“We do see an increase in residential use,” he said, saying that the jobs to household ratio jumped from 2.5:1 in 2005 to 6.8:1 now. (The comprehensive plan calls for a 4:1 ratio.)
Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth was quick to note that affordable housing units have increased, saying that more than 200 have been recently added to Tysons.
Caperton added 750 affordable housing units have been completed, while 4,220 are expected in the near future. It is unclear if Caperton’s calculations included just approved developments or also unapproved ones as well.
When Tysons Reporter wrote about Affordable and Workforce Dwelling Units (ADUs and WDUs) in May, Tysons had 536 units at the time with an average occupancy rate of 94% and 3,919 were committed by developers.
Residential uses aren’t the only increases in Tysons. Caperton shared that transit options — like an 8% increase of Metro ridership in the Tyson area since April — are flourishing. The Tysons Corner station is now the busiest one for Capital Bikeshare in Fairfax County since May — surpassing the Wiehle-Reston one, Caperton said.
Caperton and several supervisors pointed to growing connectivity in Tysons — from the new Vesper Trail to the Jones Branch Connector — that will hopefully get Tysons to reach the county’s vision as a place to work, live and play.
A crash today (Tuesday) has closed several lanes on Leesburg Pike near the ramp from I-495 in Tysons.
The east left lane and the left center lane are closed, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Drivers should expect delays due to the crash.
Map via Google Maps
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Thursday (Oct. 10)
- Design Lab: Drawing Treehouses — noon-1:30 p.m. at the Apple Store (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — This event will teach attendees how to design a treehouse on an iPad while keeping sustainability and the environment in mind. This is event is free and open to the public; iPads will be provided.
- Stars & Stripes Benefit for the Troops — 7-11 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton (1700 Tysons Blvd) — This prohibition themed networking gala will benefit the troops. Tickets start at $95 and include food, drink, raffles and activities. Attendees are encouraged to dress in 1920s attire.
- Power of Pink Tysons — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Equinox (8065 Leesburg Pike) — Join Equinox for a lunch and workout fundraiser to benefit the Arlington Free Clinic and Breast Care for Washington DC, which helps local women fight breast cancer. This event is donation-based, and all of the proceeds will go towards the cause.
Saturday (Oct. 12)
- Farm Day — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Avenue) — The Cherry Hill Farmhouse will host the community and have activities including horse-drawn hayrides, a petting farm, pony rides, pumpkin painting, scarecrow making, live music, tours of the farmhouse and barn, blacksmith demonstrations and food. Admission is free but there may be fees for specific activities.
- Halloween Window Painting Festival — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mr. Brown’s Park (223 Little Falls Street) — The community is invited to pitch ideas for window painting. The event is free but those wishing to participate must email Marty Behr at [email protected] with a design idea for approval.
- NAACP Candidates Forum — 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Vienna (450 Orchard Street NW) — This event allows the public to hear from Commonwealth’s Attorney and School Board At-Large candidates representing the NAACP. There will also be voter registration opportunities.
Sunday (Oct. 13)
- Free Koren Language Lesson — 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Shilla Bakery (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — Anyone who speaks Korean or is interested in learning can join this free event to practice their language skills and get to know others curious about Korean language and culture.
Photo via Cherry Hill Historic Farm
A refugee chef is planning to serve up traditional Afghan cuisine at Harth as part of a pop-up event series later this month in Tysons.
Hilton McLean Tysons Corner (7920 Jones Branch Drive) teamed up with Tables Without Borders on the limited dinner series featuring dishes by Chef Nejat Ahmadollah, which diners can experience with the tasting menu or a la carte, the Hilton press release said.
Some of the menu items will include:
- Kabuli — braised rice with lamb topped with raisins and slivered carrots
- Kadoo — baked pumpkin with yogurt sauce, garlic and mint
- Chicken kabob with an Afghan spice blend and cilantro chutney
Ahmadollah, an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan, came to the U.S. with his wife and kids in 2015.
“I’m looking forward to sharing my passion and love for cooking and Afghan cuisine with guests at Hilton McLean,” Ahmadollah said in a press release.
To prepare for the pop-up event, Ahmadollah plans to work with Harth’s Executive Chef Philip Thompson to create a menu that will focus on locally-sourced and traditional Afghan ingredients, the press release said.
Hilton is promoting the event as part of its “Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals” — the hotel chain’s strategy of encouraging sustainable, global travel.
“By 2030, we plan to double our social impact investment and cut our environmental footprint by half,” the press release said. “We track, analyze and report our environmental and social impact at each of Hilton’s nearly 5,900 hotels.”
The dinners will take place from 5-10 p.m. on three Fridays — Oct. 18, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.
Part of the proceeds from the dinners will benefit HIAS, a nonprofit focused on refugee resettlement and advocacy.
“Tables Without Borders enables me to showcase authentic dishes representative of my country’s history and timeless traditions while adding a modern twist,” Ahmadollah said.
Photo courtesy Hilton McLean Tysons Corner
Car Tax Due Today — Fairfax County “mailed more than 800,000 annual bills to vehicle owners, and because Oct. 5 falls on a Saturday, this year’s deadline to pay [the] bill is Monday, Oct. 7.” [Fairfax County]
Expect Metro Delays Today — The Orange, Silver and Blue lines will be impacted today due to an overnight rear-end train collision outside Farragut West. [WMATA]
CaliBurger Coming to The Boro — “Locally, the West Coast-styled company’s fries and burgers are served out of a teal-toned NoMa food truck at Wunder Garten. Under a newly inked deal, Caliburger will open next spring in the splashy Boro Development coming together in the heart of Tysons.” [Eater DC]
Art Around Tysons Metro Stations — “Public art not only adds beauty to a place, it can also help people orient themselves and find their way around. Tysons is no exception… Let’s take a look at four public art pieces at Metro stations in Tysons.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Mystery Set at Tysons Mall — “Like [Ellen] Butler’s first two Karina Cardinal mysteries, the setting of the book is local, starting with a mystery criminal absconding with diamonds from a Tysons Corner jewelry store.” [Patch]
The Grass is Greener — “New artificial turf has been installed at Larry Graves Park, replacing the natural grass field where bad weather contributed to game delays and cancellations. City officials hope the revamped surface will be more durable to the climate as well as to its users, but the installation wasn’t well received by all.” [Falls Church News-Press]
County Chair on Explosive Growth — “Sharon Bulova first won political office in Fairfax County 31 years ago on a slow-growth platform. She’ll leave the stage in January having presided over perhaps the most explosive period of growth in the county’s history. It’s a contradiction that Bulova fully acknowledges, and embraces.” [Washington Business Journal]
The new Boro development may change the way people live and work in Tysons — or so developers hope.
The Boro has taken more than five years to design and execute, Caroline Flax, a spokesperson for Meridian Group, told Tysons Reporter, adding that it is designed to be its own neighborhood complete with everything residents could want.
“We hope that by bringing a walkable urban experience to what used to be a solely office environment, other projects in the area will follow suit, which will create an overall better experience for employees and residents alike,” she said.
As the development nears completion, businesses and eaters are beginning to open around the area including Flower Child, Whole Foods and Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Two new apartment complexes also opened in The Boro near the end of September.
Flax didn’t answer Tysons Reporter’s question about how the new Boro development might affect pre-existing businesses and developments around the area, like Pike 7 Plaza where several new businesses have recently opened.
However she did say, “The Boro offers something different with the neighborhood feel we are trying to achieve.”
Flax was unsure how many people the development will draw to the area, but said that she hopes The Boro will become a model for future developments in Tysons.
“By creating this new neighborhood, it will help knit the rest of the community together with improved infrastructure, access to amenities and to more public transit options,” Flax said.
