The Helzberg Diamonds at the corner of the Tysons Corner Center food court is temporarily closed as the store seems to be mid-takeover for the adjacent vacant space.

The diamond store seems to be devouring the former Wetzel’s Pretzels, which closed earlier this month.

A sign at the construction-barrier notes that Helzberg Diamonds can still be found at a temporary location near the Lord & Taylor on the mall’s first floor.

The move leaves Pokeworks surrounded by empty space after Sweet Leaf’s closure, which was a part of a recent series of casualties in the first floor of the food court.

Like the rest of Tysons near the Spring Hill Metro station, the McDonald’s at 8512 Leesburg Pike is getting a facelift.

The restaurant is temporarily closed for renovations as the store is converted from its more traditional blue-sloped roof to a more modern design, like the one at 8111 Leesburg Pike.

Workers at the project said construction is expected to last two or three more weeks, though they declined to say what the new renovations entail.

A sweeping redesign is in the works for McDonald’s nationwide, though the efforts have been with met with some resistance from franchise owners.

Photo via Google Maps

As the Tysons-Pimmit Library continues its quarterly book sales, the library might get a new place to help store some of its books.

Fairfax County is looking to lease a property it owns to the Friends of Tysons-Pimmit Library, the non-profit that provides funding for the library.

“One of the primary methods for the Friends to raise this funding is to hold ongoing book sales at the library as well as much larger book marketplaces on a quarterly basis,” according to county documents.

The nonprofit plans to construct a 199-square-foot brick-faced building next to the library “to assist in their preparations for the book sales,” according to the county. The shed would store books and materials needed for the book sales.

The county’s Board of Supervisors OK’d today (Tuesday) to let residents know about a public hearing on the matter, which is set to be held on July 30 at 4 p.m.

Photo via Friends of the Tysons-Pimmit Library

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!

Tuesday (June 25)

• Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo — 7-10 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road) — Artists Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo — known for their songs like “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Love is a Battlefield” — are performing at Wolf Trap as part of a 40th anniversary tour. Tickets are $35 with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday (June 26)

• My Neighbor Totoro — 7-9 p.m. at Angelika Film Center & Café at Mosaic (2911 District Avenue) — Studio Ghibli classic My Neighbor Totoro will be on the big screen in the Mosaic District on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 11 a.m. Tickets are $14.50.

Thursday (June 27)

• Diana Ross at Wolf Trap — 8-11 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road) — Motown artist Diana Ross — the singer for classics like “I’m Coming Out” and “Stop! In the Name of Love” — will be performing at Wolf Trap this Thursday. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for lawn seating.

Friday (June 28)

• Summer Concert with Tauren Wells — 6:30-8 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — WGTS 91.9’s concert series continues with Grammy-nominated artist Tauren Wells. The concert is free at The Plaza (near Lord & Taylor) on Friday. Space is first-come, first-served and attendees are invited to bring their own chair or blanket.
• Macbeth Premiere — 8-8:30 at 1st Stage (1524 Spring Hill Road) — The 1st Stage Theater will host a production of The Scottish Play by Britches and Hose Theatre Company. The play premieres on Friday, but will have showings at 8 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Saturday (June 29)

• Yoga at Tysons Biergarten — 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — An hourlong, all-levels yoga event will be held inside the beer hall of Tysons Biergarten. Online tickets are $25 and walk-in tickets are $30. Tickets include a chip for a beverage after the class.
• Junior Ranger Day — 12-3 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road) — Children ages 5-12 are invited out to an event at Wolf Trap where they can be a ranger for a day, engaging in scavenger hunts and various ranger programs.
• Feast for Fireworks Tasting Event — 12-4 p.m. at Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market (6655 Old Dominion Drive) — Balducci’s has prepared an early Independence Day celebration. The market is planning to include a grill event and a selection of “summer essentials” for upcoming barbecues.
• Back to the ’90s: Incubus Tribute — 7 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 E. Maple Avenue) — Jammin’ Java is hosting a ’90s throwback evening with a celebration of Incubus on the 20th anniversary of the band. The evening will feature Incubus tributes from other bands. Tickets are $15 for general admission.

Photo via Wolf Trap/Facebook

Raglan Road Park between Tysons and Vienna just got a little bigger.

The Fairfax County Park Authority added another acre to the park by buying one acre at 8608 Raglan Road, according to a Fairfax County press release last Wednesday (June 19).

The additional land is meant “to help meet the future recreation needs of the growing Tysons area,” according to the county.

Raglan Road Park, a forested area adjacent to the Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream Valley, has long been slated for more recreational facilities, and the recent opening of the new Vesper Trail signaled that more amenities might be on the way.

Photo via Facebook

Fairfax County police are looking for the burglar who stole two Infiniti cars from a Tysons car dealership.

“Someone broke into the dealership and stole a 2011 Infiniti G35 and a 2010 Infiniti FX35,” according to the crime report.

The incident occurred around 1 a.m. on Thursday (June 20) at the Infiniti dealer (8527 Leesburg Pike).

Image via Google Maps

“Battle of the Brews” Voting — Several Tysons-area breweries are featured in a beer bracket to determine the best brewery in Northern Virginia. Voting for the second round begins today. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Metro Study Looking for Infrastructure Solutions — “Metro is launching is a two-year study of the Blue, Orange and Silver Line in order to find long-term options to meet future regional needs.” [Reston Now]

Falls Church Student Shares Story — “Junior Niharika Singhvi has attended Falls Church City Public Schools since 2006. In April of 2018, her parents’ work visas expired, and she was forced to return to India. Four months later, she arrived back at George Mason High School.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Local Restaurants Make Washington Post List — Fahrenheit Asian and Amoo’s in McLean made the “The 25 best casual restaurants in the D.C. area” list. [Washington Post]

Tysons Bartender Included in Photography Pop-Up — Shakara Ellison, a bartender at the Founding Farmers in Tysons Corner, was included in a photography project highlighting bartenders of color. [Washington City Paper]

MicroStrategy Sold Domain Name for Millions — “Tysons-based MicroStrategy Inc. (NASDAQ: MSTR) has struck a deal to sell the “Voice.com” domain name to a blockchain-based company for $30 million in cash — and that could be just the beginning of a domain name selloff at the business intelligence software firm.” [Washington Business Journal]

Little Library Memorializes Falls Church Kids — Lemon Road Elementary School opened a little library to remember three Falls Church kids who were killed in a collision with an alleged drunk driver. [NBC4]

Photo courtesy Caboose Brewing Company

The first day of summer is here.

With a budding nightlife scene in Tysons and nearby attractions in D.C., there is plenty to do around the area.

Now that the days are slowly getting shorter as the temperatures start to rise, let us know what your summer plans are.

Update 1:30 p.m. — A ribbon-cutting for a new athletic field in Tysons on Saturday, June 22, as part of a broader mission to make Tysons more park friendly.

The ribbon-cutting is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. at the new Quantum Field, tucked into the southeast corner of the Beltway-Leesburg Pike at 7980 Quantum Drive.

The field and adjacent parking lot are the result of a proffer agreement with The Meridian Group, the developers of the nearby Boro project. The Boro includes 700 residences along with commercial and office spaces and a movie theater.

“Meridian designed and constructed a synthetic turf athletic field with a playing surface of dimensions 180 feet by 360 feet to accommodate five sports, as well as black vinyl perimeter chain link fencing, concrete walkways, bleacher pads, athletic field and parking lot lighting, sound containing walls and landscaping,” a press release said. “The field development was substantially completed in May.”

Athletic fields have been identified by Fairfax County staff as a critical need for Tysons, particularly in the increasingly residential areas along Leesburg Pike.

As more developments come online in Tysons, more athletic fields are planned along Leesburg Pike. In April, developers of The Mile project submitted plans for a synthetic turf field at 8229 Boone Blvd.

Photo via Fairfax County Government

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) have joined the call for answers in the shooting of a Tysons man by U.S. Park Police in 2017.

Bijan Ghaisar, a 25-year-old, was shot on Nov. 17, 2017 by two U.S. Park Police who fired into his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Three days after the shooting, the FBI took over the investigation, but there’s been virtually no update on the case.

“We write today to once again request an update on the status of the Bijan Ghaisar investigation,” Grassley and Warner said in a joint letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI has failed to provide information on this investigation, which has been ongoing since November 2017, to us, our colleagues, or the public. The FBI’s slow pace and lack of transparency are weakening the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

The letter notes that family members and the press have had to rely on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for simple details like whether or not Ghaisar had a weapon when he was killed — which he did not, according to FOIA documents obtained by Ghaisar’s family.

The senators are not the first to call for answers. Last November, on the anniversary of the shooting, the McLean Citizens Association also issued a resolution demanding answers.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) also pushed for answers in 2018. The Grassley and Warner letter notes the FBI has previously responded that it would not discuss an active investigation.

Grassley and Warner also sent a joint letter to Dan Smith, the acting director of the National Park Service, with questions about the agency’s policies on the use of force.

The letters to the FBI and NPS demand an update from both organizations no later than July 2.

Image via Fairfax County Police Department