A new Fairfax Connector bus line is scheduled to start later this month, adding another set of connections from Tysons to Vienna and Dunn Loring.

The new bus line bridges the north-south gap between the Tysons Corner Metro station on the Silver Line and the Dunn Loring Metro station on the Orange Line.

Route 467 starts and ends in the same spots as Route 462, but takes a more circuitous route through Vienna, turning at the corner, running from Dunn Loring to the corner of Center Street and Maple Avenue before turning to travel along the western side of Maple Avenue up to Tysons.

Route 467 is scheduled to be active midday and evenings on weekdays and Saturday, starting Saturday, March 30.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission moved forward a plan for a new mixed-use residential and commercial development called Hanover Tysons in northern Tysons at its meeting last night (March 14).

The Hanover Company’s plan is to demolish the vacant seven-story office building that was built in 1983 and replace it with a new residential development.

The new residential building would be between five to seven stories with up to 420 dwelling units and include ground-level retail and nearby park space.

In keeping with Fairfax County’s efforts to promote more affordable housing around Tysons, workforce housing will make up 20 percent of the total units, according to the staff report.

Located just west of Jones Branch Park at 1500 Westbranch Drive, Hanover Tysons is a little under one mile from the Tysons Corner Station.

The county’s Board of Supervisors is set to take up the proposal with a public hearing next Tuesday (March 19).

Photo via The Hanover Company

The Fairfax County Police Department wants to roll out a new, urban-style service model that police leaders believe will help scale back crime as Tysons continues to grow.

“We have a whole new idea for how to police Tysons,” Major Bob Blakely told the county’s Planning Commission at last night’s Capital Improvement Program presentations.

Blakely said that the police department is hoping to add a new police station close to Tysons’ “main arteries.” He said police expect to receive land for the facility and construction assistance from a local developer, in an arrangement commonly known as a “proffer,” exchanging approval of a development for a public facility.

Unlike a traditional police station, the one for Tysons would serve as a “walk-up type facility” with reduced hours of operation, Blakely said.

Police would also have unique options to get around Tysons. “We’re trying to remove the idea of these big cruisers trying to get through traffic,” he said.

Instead of police cars, police would rely on segways, scooters and smaller vehicles to move around without getting stuck in the congestion.

Planning Commissioner Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner called the new Tysons policing proposal a “relevant, urgent need.” In response to Niedzielski-Eichner’s question about timing, Blakely said he’d rather see it sooner rather than later.

“When we look at the statistics, it shows we need to get ahead of the curve instead of behind it,” Blakely said.

Ultimately, Blakely stressed that pairing new technologies and innovations with the urban environment will help police respond faster and provide better service to the community.

Fairfax County fire investigators are trying to identify a woman seen lighting a trash can on fire in Tysons early Monday morning.

Authorities say the woman tried several times to start a fire in the garbage can before finally succeeding at starting a small trash fire. It happened around 3:40 a.m. outside of an office building at 8065 Leesburg Pike, near the Chef Geoff’s restaurant in Tysons.

More from the Fairfax County Fire Department:

Fire investigators are asking for the public’s help identifying a person of interest in a recent fire.

On March 11, at approximately 3:40 a.m., a woman ignited the contents of a trash can in front of 8065 Leesburg Pike in the Tysons area of Fairfax County. It took her several attempts to start the fire.

The person of interest is a female who was last seen wearing black pants, grey hooded pullover, black sneakers, carrying a large black shoulder bag, shoulder length hair and dark framed glasses.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator John Sherwood at (703) 246-4801 or [email protected].

The MacMillan Whisky Room is set to bring a high-end neighborhood bar offering international whiskies to the Mosaic District at the beginning of May.

Derek Anderson, who co-owns the bar along with his wife Emma Hand, told Tysons Reporter that they have seen construction move along quickly since they received their permits on Jan. 30.

Construction updates on the restaurant and bar’s Facebook page celebrated the recently built bar and drywall. Anderson said the contractor expects the work finalized by mid-April.

“If our schedule holds, we anticipate a week or two soft opening and then a big weekend grand opening between Friday, May 3, and Cinco de Mayo,” Anderson said.

Along with a variety of whiskies, scotches, vodkas and other liquors, the MacMillan Whisky Room (2920 District Ave) plans to serve burgers along with classic British bar fare like scotch eggs, fish and chips and other dishes.

After opening, Anderson said that the Kentucky Derby on May 4 is the next big event to look forward to with the “big hats and bigger mint juleps.”

A sign in the storefront window says that the MacMillan Whisky Room is hiring bartenders, servers, kitchen staff and supervisors.

Last two photos via Facebook

Nightlife may be one of Tysons’ weak spots, but local music in the area has a long history — and a wide-open future.

The Fairfax scene is very diverse, drawing on artists who are local to the county as well as those from elsewhere in the greater D.C. area.

Emblematic of that diversity is an upcoming performance on Saturday, March 23 at the VFW post in west Falls Church. Six different acts will be playing music — two punk groups, three rappers representing a variety of styles and an indie rock four-piece.

D.C. is famous for its historical punk scene, with names like Fugazi that defined a sound across the entire country — but much of that scene happened on the southern side of the Potomac. Although not all of its current residents are aware, Northern Virginia has a strong tradition of independent music. In the 1980s and ’90s, most of that tradition was being made in Arlington.

The little county was home to the nationally-successful punk group Minor Threat, whose frontman Ian MacKaye later starred in Fugazi, as well as many other bands. It also boasted the Dischord and Teenbeat record labels and the Positive Force activist group, which was closely associated with the “Riot Grrrl” feminist movement.

These groups were often based out of houses, dotted across Arlington. The county was successful musically because it was cheap and offered easy access to the city — but, unfortunately for the punks, the rest of society caught on.

Today, the median home on the Arlington market is listed at over $700,000, and there aren’t many places left in the county for young musicians living on a shoestring budget. In the words of Positive Force co-founder Mark Andersen, “there was another Arlington that existed, and that was a much more humble Arlington.”

In some ways, Fairfax carries on that tradition. By offering (relatively) affordable performance spaces, a large population of potential audiences and a wide network of musical collaborators, the county has a lot to offer a young musician.

There are some major differences, though: today’s scene isn’t only about punk music. Also, it’s less tied to D.C. than it used to be, and has more potential to define itself as “NOVA” music.  It does face some obstacles, though, including the drain of talent and attention to nearby cities like Richmond and Baltimore, and, as in Arlington, the difficulty of coexisting with some of the most desirable residential neighborhoods on the East Coast.

To understand what it’s like to record and perform in Fairfax today, Tysons Reporter spoke with Jason Saul, a melodic rapper native to the area.

Tysons Reporter: First, how did you get to be making music in VA?  Are you originally from the area?  When did you start rapping, and what’s driven you to the style you use?

Jason Saul: I was born & raised in NOVA. I started writing music when I was 13 but it was never anything super serious… Once I turned 20 I realized there wasn’t anything else that brought me the amount of joy that making music does. So now I’m seeking to make music my career. My style comes from influences of music that I listened to when I was young. I’ve always enjoyed storytelling or making music the correlates with the listener. To me, music is all about feeling. Eventually I started to make more melodic music since that’s what I always gravitated towards.

Tysons Reporter: Second, what should I know about the NOVA scene in general? How does it compare to other scenes around the D.C. area — does it have a particular identity compared to, say, D.C. or Maryland? Is it known for particular styles, or for particular venues? Do you want to stay around here, or, if not, where would you go?

Jason Saul: The NOVA scene is very interesting when it comes to music because I see it as a big question mark on the creative map. No one can really say NOVA has a particular sound, and I think that stems from no one really making it out on to the mainstream platform yet. I know there’s Kali Uchis but that’s just one artist. I respect D.C. a lot because it’s so rich with culture but I would definitely separate NOVA from D.C. just because it really feels like two different worlds. MD in my opinion is known for their raw rapping which is great. It’s up to NOVA to see what we come up with now. I’d love to stay here and I probably will but I also enjoy the weather in the west coast.

Tysons Reporter: Third, it’s pretty cool to see this wide a mix of sounds at a single show. Is that standard, would you say, or is this unusual? If it’s unusual, what helped bring it together this time?

Jason Saul: It’s very exciting to see a show like this going down because it’s bringing different groups of people together. I wouldn’t say it’s the ordinary but it’s definitely going to be a good show and should happen more often. What helped bring it together was the relationships some of us have outside of music, just knowing each other really. This gives the audience and artists a great opportunity to discover some music they never thought they’d listen to.

To listen to some of Fairfax’s local musicians, check out these artists, who will be performing at 6:30pm – 11pm on Saturday, March 23, at the VFW Post #9274 (7118 Shreve Road), just 10 minutes from Tysons on Leesburg Pike. There will be a $5 cover charge, and Respawn Thrift will be selling vintage clothing.

Desperry (NoVA, Hip-hop)

Holographic (NoVA, Hardcore punk bootgaze)

Jason Saul (NoVA, Melodic hip-hop)

Needle (D.C., Grind punk)

Wisteria (MD, Indie rock)

Lil Dynamite (NoVA, first show)

The deadline is nearing for the 30-minute Tour de Tysons bike race around Tysons this weekend.

The race is scheduled for Saturday (March 16) and, unlike most races, is ranked by how far the cyclists can ride. Adult races range from 30 minutes to one hour, while the race for children is around 20 minutes.

All of the men’s categories until the 1:45 p.m. time slot are currently filled, but there are still a few spaces at that time and open spaces for women and children throughout the day.

Registration for the race is $35 for adults and $15 for children.

The event is hosted by the Tysons Partnership and the National Capital Velo Club.

Cyclists who are not registered with the Mid-Atlantic Bicycle Racing Association will be required to purchase a one-day license with cash at the race.

The event, featuring 10 races from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., has drawn 300 competitors in previous years.

Photo via Facebook

The Whole Foods in The Boro is officially scheduled for a launch sometime in late summer or early fall, and several restaurants and smaller retailers are waiting in the wings to piggyback off that launch.

The Whole Foods is part of Boro Place, which has commonly been dubbed the retail spine of The Boro.

Furniture retailer Ethan Allen is set to form another entrance to the Boro Place, filling a two-story location at the corner of Boro Place and Westpark Drive.

Caroline Flax, a senior analyst for the Meridian Group, told Tysons Reporter that the restaurants and retail of Boro Place are planned to launch alongside the Whole Foods.

The idea of the development phases being brought online together rather retail than trickling in one-by-one as they were completed is part of a broader strategy to make The Boro feel like a commercial sector to rival the Tysons Corner Center mall.

Flax said a few contracts are still being finalized for the development, but here’s what we know is opening along Boro Place:

• North Italia — A full-service Italian restaurant planned to occupy 6,200 square feet
• Flower Child — A fast-casual restaurant with a focus on healthy food
• Fish Taco — A D.C.-based taco chain
• Tasty Kabob — The brick-and-mortar location for a popular local food truck
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe — A national smoothie chain
• Colour Bar Studio — A second floor of The Loft building on Boro Place
• Akira Ramen & Izakaya — A soba noodle restaurant offering a variety of ramens
• Poki DC — A Hawaiian-inspired cuisine with counter-serve style poke bowls.

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 (March 12)

• Workshop: Fair Housing Protections for People with Disabilities — 12-1 p.m. at The Arc of Northern Virginia (2755 Hartland Rd.) — Non-profit organizations Arc of Northern Virginia and Housing Opportunities Made Equal are hosting a workshop on fair housing protections for people with disabilities focusing on what state policies are for housing discrimination and what people with disabilities should look out for when moving into a home.

Wednesday (March 13)

• McLean Public Safety Program — 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Governmental Center Community Room (1437 Balls Hill Road) — The McLean Citizens Association invites the public to its Public Safety Program featuring Richard Schott, Fairfax County’s police auditor and Anna Northcutt, a member of the Fairfax County Police Civilian Review Panel.

Thursday (March 14)

• Community Forum on Housing for All — 7-8:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Vienna (450 Orchard St NW) — The Fairfax County NAACP will be hosting an event discussing issues related to affordable housing in Fairfax.

Friday (March 15)

• Farewell Bell’s at Tysons Biergarten — 11-2 a.m. at the Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — The Biergarten is celebrating Bell’s before the company’s beer is no longer sold in Virginia. Everything from fruity drinks to a selection of stouts will be on offer. Registration for the event is free. The event is free and open to the public. A similar event will be held in the Lost Dog Cafe in Merrifield on Wednesday.
• Chubbies Tysons Grand Opening — 5-8 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Rd.) — To coincide with the coming of spring, shorts chain Chubbies is celebrating with music and free gifts for the first 100 purchasers of items over $99.
• Backbeat Underground Live — 8-10 p.m. at 1st Stage Theatre (1524 Spring Hill Rd.) — The Backbeat Underground and Virginia Chamber Orchestra will be performing a “souljazz” concert in the Tysons black-box theater. Tickets are $25 at the door, $20 for seniors or advance purchasers, or $15 for students or military.

Sunday (March 17)

• The 8th Annual Nowruz Festival — 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (8100 Tysons Corner Ctr) — A bazaar with music, dance and costumed characters will be held at the mall to celebrate the Persian New Year. The event is planned to include six hours of live performances and an array of traditional Persian sweets, pastries and other dishes.
• Trade-In and Trade-Up Bicycle Blue Book Event — 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Spokes Etc. (224 Maple Ave E) — The Spokes Etc. Vienna location is offering credit for anyone who trades in an old bicycle and an additional 10 percent through March 31 for anyone upgrading to a Trek Disc Brake Road Bike. The Blue Book value guide can help assess the value of the bike for trade-in credit.
• Capitol Steps in Vienna — 4-6 p.m. at James Madison High School (2500 James Madison Dr.) — Bipartisan political satire crew Capitol Steps will perform at James Madison High School in a fundraiser for the school’s booster organization. Tickets range from $25 to $30.

Photo via Facebook

The partially open Jones Branch Connector will be completely closed this weekend — now the second weekend in a row for the closure — to facilitate some additional bridge work.

According to a press release from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT):

• The southbound 495 express lanes between the Jones Branch Connector off-ramp and the Jones Branch Connector on-ramp
• The eastbound Dulles Toll Road ramp to southbound 495 express lanes
• Eastbound and westbound lanes of the Jones Branch Connector between Jones Branch Drive and the 495 express lanes.

Like last week, VDOT says if the weather cooperates, the closure is scheduled to run from Saturday (March 9) at 5 a.m. to Monday (March 11) at 4 a.m.

The closure is to allow crews to continue working on the bridge deck, and further closures may be on the horizon.

“Following the closures this weekend, a few more weekend closures will be necessary in order to construct the new parts of the bridge,” VDOT staff said in an email. “We will send out traffic alerts for those future weekend closures once those dates are confirmed, before they’re scheduled to occur.”

Image via VDOT