Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

Annandale is more than a zip code: Dan McKinnon reflects on his vision for creating a “sense of place”

Annandale booster Dan McKinnon, chair of the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee, has done more than just about anybody to promote positive change for Annandale. His goal: to transform Annandale, an unincorporated suburban community in Fairfax County, into a “hometown” with “a sense of place.” The revitalization efforts are focusing on the commercial center … Continued

Annandale, a “suburb of Tysons Corner,” has potential for major growth

“Annandale is in effect a suburb of Tysons Corner,” says Gerald Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. As Tysons becomes more urbanized—and attracts major corporations—Annandale is poised to attract some of the smaller subcontractors that that will follow, he told local business leaders at an Annandale Chamber of Commerce luncheon … Continued

New details emerge on plan to transform Annandale into an ‘urban village’

Staff from the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment presented more details on their vision for a revitalized Annandale at a meeting of the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee March 9. That vision is all about transforming Annandale into a pedestrian-friendly urban village with an enhanced “sense of place.” Achieving that vision … Continued

Omni Financial moving to Custom Carpet site

Wonder what’s going on with the building under construction on the site of the former Custom Carpet shop in the center of Annandale? The building’s new owner, Stephen Lee, the president of Omni Financial Corp., plans to move the company’s headquarters to the new building once the renovations are complete. The firm is currently based at 7010 Little River … Continued

Urge the county to support the arts

If you agree that public places should incorporate the arts, I encourage you to urge the Fairfax County Planning Commission to approve the Visual and Performing Arts Policy Plan Amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. The commission will hear the amendment March 10. The amendment would encourage new public and private developments to provide … Continued

Annandale to get another Korean bank

Another new bank is coming to Annandale. Foster Bank, based in Chicago, is opening a branch next to Radio Shack in the Safeway shopping center on Little River Turnpike. It is expected to open in May. A company press release calls the Annandale location “a short 10-minute drive from Washington, D.C.” [Ha!] Foster Bank was … Continued

Sears development proposal withdrawn

Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross reports that the owner of the Sears property on Leesburg Pike has withdrawn the proposal for a multi-use development. That decision is being made due to other contractual obligations, not because of citizen opposition. The proposal for developing townhouses on the site of the nursery off Route 50 near Seven … Continued

Does Route 7 need 425 more condos?

If you’ve ever driven on Leesburg Pike between Seven Corners and the Skyline Center at just about any time of the day, you’ve probably run into some of the worst traffic congestion in Northern Virginia. How can it possibly get any worse? Unless Fairfax County officials act to stop it, a major new project will … Continued

Coming to Annandale: TD Bank and Blimpies

Two new little development projects are in the works for Annandale. A one-story TD Bank is slated to be built on the southwest corner of Little River Turnpike and Backlick Road, currently the site of a gas station. The 3,800-square foot building will have a drive through. On the northwest corner of Little River Turnpike … Continued

Annandale could be transformed into an ‘urban village’

If you want to know what the new, revitalized Annandale business center might look like in a few years, visit Clarendon, Reston, or West Hyattsville. These are some of the “urban village” models driving the Fairfax County planners who put together the design guidelines that are part of the revised comprehensive plan. The plan is … Continued

Target comming to Merrifield

The Merrifield redevelopment project is expected to include a new Target, a county official confirmed Nov. 18, although details are so far unavailable. The Merrifield Town Center project will include about 1,000 housing units, a 150-room hotel, retail and office space, parking garages, and road improvements. In April, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors created … Continued

The future of Annandale: more urbanization

What’s the central business district of Annandale going to look like in 2030? According to plans for the Annandale Revitalization District underway in the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning, we could see a more pedestrian friendly town center with a “higher-intensity mix of retail, office, and residential uses,” including a movie theater and … Continued

New movie theater planned

For those of you who miss the movie theater on Lee Highway in Merrifield, there is some good news. Phase 1 of the redevelopment project underway in that area will include a new movie theatre to be completed in late 2011 or early 2012, reports Julie Culbreath, communications director at Edens & Avant, the Columbia, … Continued