One of the “guiding principals” of the Tysons Comprehensive Plan is a reduction of surface parking and moving vehicles through Tysons to drive pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
But at Bisnow’s Tysons State of the Market event last week, local developers said that utopian plan isn’t really shaping up the way it’s designed.
Brian Tucker, managing director for JLL, said changes in how space is filled in office developments has impacted local parking more than the comprehensive plan accounted for.
Despite ridership of the Metro increasing in Tysons, Tucker said parking supplied by new developments isn’t keeping pace with the demand for parking. According to Tucker:
“There was a time going back when we couldn’t give parking away. With the coming of the Metro, we all assumed things were going to continue on that trend. But it didn’t turn out that way. As buildings got developed, there were changes in terms of how people used their space. Floors became much more dense, and we had 30 percent more people on a floor than we had years ago.”
If you’ve found it difficult to find parking in Tysons, that’s by design. Where many localities have parking minimums for development, in Tysons, offices located near Metro stations have parking maximums. According to the plan:
“Office uses located between 1/8 and 1/4 mile of a station have a maximum parking ratio of 2.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of office, while those located between 1/4 and 1/2 mile have a ratio of 2.2 per 1,000.”
The comprehensive plan lists a number of strategies to wean Tysonians off their cars — including adding transit infrastructure and encouraging teleworking — but the plan also calls for a reduction over time in the ratio of parking spaces to the commercial floor area.
A chart in the comprehensive plan shows a scale of vehicle trip reduction goals connected to the amount of gross square feet of development in Tysons.
According to the plan:
In the past, each development was required to provide parking for its own peak demand, an approach that often leads to excess parking supply and a wasted uses of resources. In 2015, the Tysons Parking Study estimated that Tysons had 110,000 parking spaces. This amount of parking far exceeds what is necessary.
The comprehensive plan calls for parking in Tysons not to be supplied for individual use but regarded as a common resource for multiple uses.
But Tucker says those maximums are concerning to real estate developers.
“Real estate people would say ‘we know Metro is here and all the millennials are supposed to take it, but we’re scared to death [of limited parking],'” said Tucker. “We need a mechanism to bridge us to the date when people actually will be taking the Metro by allowing people the opportunity to park and wean people off of their car.”
Donna Schafer, managing director for Cityline Partners, said the vision of a car-free Tysons is going to take time to implement and more flexibility should be offered to offer temporary parking options, like “throwaway parking decks.” According to the Tysons Annual Report, a 711-space interim commuter lot was built in 2014. A stury of this lot in 2018 found that 558 of the spaces were filled on an average weekday.
Mark Carrol, executive vice president of Skanska Commercial Development, said driving around Tysons is part of the area’s DNA.
“The accessibility by car was part of the initial appeal,” said Carrol. “Some of the planning that went into place to try to change that, but it feels like we’re at the stage in Tysons where the behavior hasn’t changed.”
Tysons Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield and McLean. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Monday, Jan. 28
Vienna Town Council Meeting
Town Hall Council Chambers (127 Center Street S)
Time: 8 p.m.
The Vienna Town Council will hold their bimonthly meeting tonight. Plans on the docket include a new pedestrian link between Vienna and Tysons.
Tuesday, Jan. 29
Best Trails for Mushrooms and How to Find Them
REI (8209 Watson Street)
Time: 7-8 p.m.
William Needham, longtime Sierra outings leader and president of DC’s Mycological Society, will share slides of his favorite trails and the succulent mushrooms found along them. The class is free, but advance registration is required.
Introductory Course in Underwater Archaeology
McLean High School (1633 Davidson Road)
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Once you have completed the Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society (MAHS) course, if you are a certified scuba diver, you will be eligible for the MAHS Field School, which includes surveying a shipwreck. Admission for the class is $175.
Wednesday, Jan. 30
The Beatles Get Back to Vienna
Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave E)
Time: 7-11 p.m.
Over 22 performers will be performing at the Vienna in a homage to the 50th anniversary of the band’s rooftop concert. Tickets are $15 at the door and the event is limited to a 200 ticket total.
Thursday, Jan. 31
TFAA Membership Jury Information Session at Mosaic
Torpedo Factory Artists at Mosaic (2905 District Ave)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.
Learn about membership in the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association. Learn about what TFAA membership has to offer, and how the application process works. The event is open to the public with no RSVP required.
The Brothers Size
1st Stage (1524 Spring Hill Rd)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The 1st Stage Theater’s production of ‘The Brothers Size’ by ‘Moonlight’ writer Tarell Alvin McCraney premiers this week. General admission tickets are $39.
Friday, Feb. 1
Inca Social Grand Opening
Ince Social (2670 Avenir Pl)
Time: 4 p.m.
A new Peruvian restaurant in Merrifield will throw a grand opening celebration this Friday, after several weeks of a soft opening and special events. Reservations can be made online.
A busy stretch of street connecting Vienna to Tysons could be the next spot around the area to become a bit more pedestrian friendly.
At tonight’s Vienna Town Council meeting, the council is scheduled to vote on a $2.4 million project to build a new stretch of sidewalk, curbs, gutters and drainage along Old Courthouse Road. According to the construction agreement, the Town of Vienna would pay $550,000 while Fairfax County would pay $1.7 million.
The new improvements are planned to be installed on the north side of Old Courthouse Road from Westbriar Court (near Westbriar Elementary School) running as the street leads into Tysons, ending just behind the Tysons Square and Pike 7 Plaza shopping centers.
Katy Simenson, who has lived at the top of the nearby hill since 1960, was taking advantage of the nice weather to walk around the neighborhood. Simenson said the as long as the new improvements aren’t too overbearing, they’ll be a welcome addition to the little residential spot between the town of Vienna and its towering neighbor Tysons.
“It’ll be really appreciated,” said Simenson. “When there’s heavy rain, it runs down the hill behind these houses. It goes down through the big pipes under the road and floods along Old Courthouse Road.”
Simenson said as much as she’ll appreciate the new nearby sidewalk, the neighbors closer to Tysons will be the biggest beneficiary. Simenson noted that cars often come quickly down the hill, and there’s very little protection for nearby pedestrians. Just one block north of the improvements, a pedestrian was killed last year as he was crossing the street to help his wife.
Map via Town of Vienna
The Boro, one of the largest new developments transforming Tysons, almost didn’t happen — at least not in the form that it’s coming together now. More startlingly, it was also a fight to keep the nearby Tysons Biergarten alive for a transfer to a new site.
At Bisnow’s Tysons State of the Market event last week, several of the developers working on the Boro and surrounding projects met to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the project.
According to Gary Block, chief investment officer for developer The Meridian Group, some of the earlier development plans would have brought new developments online as soon as they were completed, but Block said they decided it was more important to open the development in a series of larger-scale phases.
“We knew we had a tiger by the tail,” said Block, “so after buying land, we tried to combine best of Reston Town Center and Fairfax City center, and we had to globalize and create a phase one that was all things to all people, a different type of retail that would compete favorably with the [Tysons Corner Center] mall. It had to be a different kind of office and a different kind of residential.”
The project also has funding support from the Rockefeller Group, though there was some initial hesitation about investing in Tysons.
“This was the first venture by Rockefeller in Tysons,” said Hilary Allard Goldfarb, regional development officer for Rockefeller Group. “We were nervous, but there’s a lot of office stability here.”
Several developers at the event recognized that developing in Tysons can be a gamble, especially with a portion of the site dedicated to costly residential units.
“It was tough looking at this initially to look at the numbers and justify development,” Bob Kettler, founder and CEO of the construction company Kettler. “But fueling the next wave of vertical construction was the right choice. Greensboro Drive is the Gold Coast of Tysons. It’s the highest land and you now have your core environment, and that is priceless. Now people have to deal with construction costs higher than when this project was priced out. If it was $850 million when [the Meridian Group] purchased it, it’s $1.1 billion today.”
Block said the announcement that Whole Foods would be moving in as a ground-floor retail anchor was a turning point for the development, one that cemented confidence from other investors.
“Whole Foods was a game changer,” said Block. “It’s [going to be] the largest in the country. It’s such a great place and people are going to be so happy with what they’re seeing.”
Now, Block says the final retail spots are starting to fill up.
“It’s like planning a wedding,” said Block, “and we’re down to the last few tables.”
But one of the pieces that almost got lost in the shuffle was the Tysons Biergarten, one of the few bright spots of Tysons’ nightlife. Donna Shafer, managing director for Cityline Partners, said finding a new home for the Biergarten was more of a challenge than she expected.
“There came a point when construction was advancing that [the Biergarten] was looking for a new home,” said Schafer. “We are firm believers in pop-up activities and the Biergarten did a good job of capturing that market. We don’t want these guys to leave Tysons, so we raised our hands and said, ‘We’ve got a lot of real estate, we’re happy to make a home.'”
The Biergarten would eventually land at Cityline Partners’ Scotts Run development, but the permitting for finding that new space was more of a challenge than Schafer had initially expected.
“We thought it would be an easy process, but while we have a fantastic comprehensive plan, there are moments where I think everyone’s heart is in the right place but this plan is operating like code or black letter later,” said Schafer. “So the flexibility has dissipated. So for us, it meant eight months of work, tens of thousands of dollars, and a hundred-page staff report for a pop-up Biergarten. I hope it becomes a pivot point… to help facilitate a good conversation without sacrificing goals.”
(Updated at 12:20 a.m.) 1st Stage may be a little theater in Tysons, but it’s drawing some big attention from the regional theater world.
The play “The Brothers Size” by Tarell Alvin McCraney will open on Thursday (Jan. 31). The play will be directed by José Carrasquillo, the director of artistic programming at Ford’s Theatre in D.C.
The play follows two brothers, as a hardworking man in the Louisiana bayou struggles to reform his brother, who was recently released from prison.
Currently the chair of playwriting at Yale School of Drama, McCraney achieved widespread acclaim after “Moonlight,” a movie he co-wrote and that was based on one of his plays, won the Academy Award for Best Picture last year.
“It’s a really stunningly beautiful, very tight three-person drama,” said Alex Levy, artistic director at 1st Stage. “It’s poetic and gripping and very funny. It’s a wonderful introduction to his world if folks are unfamiliar.”
Carrasquillo said he connects with the play on a very personal level. Like many of the characters, and like McCraney, Carrasquillo is a gay man and an artist of color. Like much of McCraney’s work, “The Brothers Size” tackles themes of machismo and differing views of manhood and sexuality in black communities.
“It’s been quite an exhilarating journey for me,” Carrasquillo said. “I’m a huge fan of the cultural spirituality that is inherent in everything he writes. I’m from Puerto Rico and can relate to a lot of that kind of religious and structure and deities… There’s a lot of feelings you have to keep to yourself, so in a way you have to live a double life because it’s seen as a sign of weakness.”
Carrasquillo said he’d been wanting to make the trip out to Tysons to work on a play for some time, and when Levy proposed directing “The Brothers Size” it seemed like a perfect fit. While Tysonians are predominately white and affluent, Carrasquillo notes that the region as a whole is diverse
“How do we bridge this? Because this community for this theater, they have embraced [Levy] and the work they do, but this feels like something really different than what they’ve seen,” Carrasquillo said. “I’m really hoping to have that dialogue with this community.”
“Theaters largely attract people that can afford that kind of ticket, but this is a very affordable theater,” said Carrasquillo. “This is a professional, young, hip community that come and support the work [at 1st Stage]. Those are people that will challenge you as a director because they really know their pop culture and they expect you to rise to their level of interest.”
Levy said the play is particularly important in light of current national conversations about black identity in America and the criminal justice system.
“I think theater is one of the last places where we’ve really come together and celebrate empathy and living in the lives of the people who are not like us,” said Levy. “It becomes a really important opportunity for those who are not part of the African-American community and important in our diversifying community that we celebrate voices and experiences of all of our community.”
The 1st Stage Theatre is a black box theater with very little distance between the audience and the stage, which Levy says is ideal for this type of play.
“It’s inherently a very intimate show,” said Levy. “I love the way it fits into our space. It’s a show where all three actors are on the stage throughout the show and are very connected to the audience. Having a space where the performance is so close to the audience is what really attracted me to the play.”
The play stars Gary-Kayi Fletcher as Ogun Size, Thony Mena as Elgba, and Clayton Pelham Jr. as Oshoosi Size.
The play will run until Feb. 24. Performances for “The Brothers Size” are:
- Thursdays — 7:30 p.m.
- Fridays — 8 p.m.
- Saturdays — 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Sundays — 2 p.m.
General admission tickets are $39, or $36 for seniors over 65. Students and military tickets are $15.
The cost of living in Tysons is high — most of the new residential developments around Tysons advertise their new living units as “luxury” — and there’s a good reason why.
And as developers fight over the last few pieces of prime real estate near Metro stations, some are admitting that the cost of setting up shop in Tysons is unlikely to go down anytime soon.
At Bisnow’s Tysons State of the Market event yesterday (Thursday) at 1600 Tysons Boulevard, developers met to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the region over the next few years.
“Costs have risen,” said Gary Block, chief investment officer for the Meridian Group, developers of The Boro. “It’s tough to underwrite new residential development today. Rents have to be very high to justify development.”
One of the biggest drivers of cost in Tysons is also one of the biggest draws: nearly unlimited density. Speakers at the State of the Market event said a high capacity for density means developers are looking to get more out of each plot of land, which means building up, and that means using more expensive steel frames rather than wooden frames.
“Wood frame is an option,” said Jim Policaro, senior vice president of Lerner. “But you’re giving up potential density. You’re going to have more noise issues with wood frame construction, but the net effect is rent that might be slightly lower. If you’re willing to give up some density and sacrifice the height you can get, it’s definitely a viable option.”
But the market for residential development in Tysons is focused on areas near Metro, areas where density is king.
“Residential coming into the market is driven by density, “said Mark Carrol, executive vice president of Skanska Commercial Development. “These locations are within walking distance of the Metro.”
Developers said a boosted demand for higher-end residential development will likely be one of the main impacts of the new Amazon headquarters in Arlington.
“Not everyone can live in Arlington, or wants to,” said Policaro. “Employees who are married with children might see Tysons as a laudable option for residential.”
Carrol added that from a cost perspective, developers have seen an escalation of almost 7 percent in this market. If there are residential developments that are more affordable than the new luxury developments, they will have to be in places further away from Metro access.
“Those further away from the Metro are going to have to make certain changes and accept the fact that their rent streams are going to be significantly lower,” said Brian Tucker, managing director for JLL.
As for who is moving into these high-end residential developments, Bob Kettler, founder and CEO of Kettler, said half of the people moving into condominiums in the area are “empty nesters” — older couples whose children have left their home. The other half is split between professional couples and affluent single professionals.
Kettler also noted that the demand is still very present for high-end residential, with prices on units moving up three times over the last four months.
Tune up the bike and break out the spandex, the Tour de Tysons is returning for its fifth annual competition this March.
On Feb. 20 at 12:15 a.m., registration is scheduled to open for the 2019 race around the Tysons area. The entry fee is $35 for men and women’s races and $15 for younger ages.
The event is hosted by the Tysons Partnership and the National Capital Velo Club.
Races vary from 30 minutes to one hour in length. The race starts on Westpark Drive, then turns onto Jones Branch Drive and Westbranch Drive.
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
(Updated at 4 p.m.) Happy hour at Chef Geoff’s in Tysons runs from 3-7 p.m., and if legislation passed yesterday (Wednesday) in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate is signed by Gov. Ralph Northam, the specials during that happy hour may even become public knowledge.
As it is written, current legislation forbids Chef Geoff Tracy and other Virginia restaurateurs from advertising happy hours outside the restaurant. Two-for-one drink specials are illegal and happy hours are not allowed to occur after 9 p.m. Last year, Tracy filed a lawsuit against the state, saying the regulations were a violation of his free speech.
The two companion bills introduced in the Virginia House and Senate to loosen those restrictions passed on a 90-4 and a 40-0 vote. According to the new legislation, restaurant owners would be able to advertise the prices featured for alcoholic beverages and market happy hours “provided those techniques do not tend to induce over-consumption or consumption by minors.”
“From our perspective, the legislation would give us everything we’re asking for,” said Anastasia Boden, a lawyer with the Pacific Legal Foundation, which is representing Geoff in the case. “It would give restaurants the ability to advertise happy hours.”
Boden said she’s pleased by the legislation, but they want to make sure the bills become law before officially dropping their lawsuit. The arguments for the case have finished, and Boden says the firm is waiting to hear back from a decision for the judge.
“Nothing is certain in the legislature,” said Boden. “We’ve had an argument on the merits, now we’re waiting for a decision, so we just have to see what happens first. [If the legislation passes] at that point, there would be nothing left for us to pursue.”
Like Boden, Tracy says he’s happy with what he’s seen in the legislature.
“The ability to tell people the price of a pint will be a victory,” said Tracy. “I think it’s a big win. It’s great for Chef Geoff, it’s great for Virginia restauranteers, great for Virginia happy hour customers.”
But Tracy also noted that he’s frustrated the arguments over happy hours came to this point in the first place.
“It’s a strange process that we went through. I think it’s interesting that while fighting me and running me ragged all over the place to come up with 50,000 pages of documents while I’m running a restaurant that simultaneously the Virginia ABC was working on legislation to do what I proposed earlier,” he said.
“It’s a weird thing that went down in terms of the process,” Tracy continued. “It’s a big victory for us, but a big loss for Virginia taxpayers, because they footed the bill of this lawsuit while Virginia ABC basically didn’t believe what they were fighting about. It’s a bit of a weird thing, but I’m happy with the result.”
Photo via Facebook
Urgent.ly, a Tysons-based startup that connects drivers in distress with nearby roadside assistance providers, announced yesterday (Wednesday) that it has secured $21 million in funding.
New investors in the project include car manufacturers BMW and Jaguar.
“Global automotive and new mobility companies are increasingly designing and marketing more transportation options with varying tasks, sizes and complexity,” the company said in a press release. “This level of innovation will render traditional roadside assistance obsolete, evolving into mobility assistance that can service today’s vehicles as well as fleets of the future that will include electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, micro-mobility vehicles, drones, robotic delivery and more.”
The company is headquartered at 8609 Westwood Center Drive, just off Leesburg Pike and west of the Dominion Square development.
Urgent.ly’s platform aims to make linking a driver to a roadside assistance program seamless and accessible. The company claims its product can provide a 50 percent reduction in response times and offers real-time tracking for both the driver in the crash and the roadside assistance company.
The BMW Group also selected Urgent.ly as a partner for further work with the manufacturer’s in-house roadside assistance system.
“We are truly gratified by the support of our investors, including some of the world’s top global automotive brands, as we work to define the future of mobility and roadside assistance and deliver experience customers demand and deserve,” Chris Spanos, CEO and co-founder of Urgent.ly, said in the press release.
Photo via Facebook
There are plans in the works for nearly every corner of Tysons East, and a distinctive curved glass building called “One Tysons East” is planned for a corner of Route 123 near the McLean Metro station.
“The proposed development of 1690 Old Meadow Road will fill in one of the final remaining pieces of developable property adjacent to the McLean Metro Station,” Fairfax County staff wrote in a report on the project. “The property is completely surrounded by… prior Tysons development approvals.”
To the north, across Route 123, is the sprawling Capital One development that was completed last month. The Scotts Run South development abuts the property on two sides. Working inside the tight confines of this space, the report says the proposed building is “a unique visual feature at a prominent location.”
The applicant, Akridge, proposes a single office tower on the property with ground floor retail accessible to pedestrians. The building designs show that it would be accessible from every frontage. Encouraging bicycle transit is a key part of the development proposal as well, with a bicycle storage room and changing rooms included in the design.
One Tysons East would include 250,000 square feet of office and 12,000 square feet of retail.
The property is currently a two-story brick building constructed in 1977, formerly a GEICO training facility, which will be demolished as part of the construction.
The building has been in the works since at least late 2015, when Akridge acquired the brick building. According to the Fairfax County government website, the development is still under review by county staff.
