Tag: redevelopment
Ground broken for Good Fortune supermarket at Eden Center
An illustration of the new grocery store from the architectural firm Dimensional Strategy. Elected officials, business leaders, and members of the Vietnamese community gathered at the Eden Center in Falls Church Aug. 13 to break ground for the Good Fortune supermarket. The 44,000-square foot store will be the largest international grocery store in Northern Virginia. … Continued
Seven Corners property owners consider redevelopment potential
The Seven Corners Shopping Center used to be an enclosed mall. The Seven Corners Land Use and Transportation Task Force has some pretty ambitious plans for turning the aging commercial crossroads into a higher-density, walkable hub with a mix of more upscale housing, retail, and office structures. But will the Seven Corners property owners be … Continued
Fairfax County to consider allowing tiny studio apartments
An example of a residential studio apartment from a video by USA Today. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed last week to consider a new zoning category to allow tiny apartments, known as “residential studio units.” These single-person units, with about 500 square feet, would be aimed at lower-income people, including the elderly, students, … Continued
Fairfax County approves agreement to begin design of Columbia Pike Streetcar
An artist’s conception of what the Colulmbia Pike Streetcar could look like. [Fairfax County photo] The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with Arlington County July 30 to take the next step to plan and design the Columbia Pike Streetcar. The agreement allows the project to move forward with additional environmental planning and … Continued
Proposal calls for a new TD Bank at Pinecrest Plaza
The Exxon station at Pinecrest Plaza. There are plans to replace the Pinecrest Service Center and Exxon station on Little River Turnpike and Braddock Road with a TD Bank. The Mason District Land Use Committee heard a presentation on the proposal July 23 and will consider it again Sept. 24. TD bank is seeking a … Continued
Hess gas station celebrates grand reopening with prizes and discounts
The Hess gas station on the corner of Little River Turnpike and John Marr Drive in Annandale is celebrating its grand reopening through tomorrow with prizes and special deals. The new station has a Hess Express convenience store with Dunkin’ Donuts products. There are raffles every day for a $100 Hess gift card, Xbox, iPod, … Continued
Central plaza proposed as a ‘quick fix’ to encourage Annandale redevelopment
Annandale banners designed by students at Westwood College. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of interest in a major redevelopment project in Annandale, at least for the time being, so Jeffrey Levine, an architect/urban planner with Levine Design Studio, came up with an idea for creating a town center plaza in the heart of … Continued
After sale of Hillwood Square, residents struggling to find affordable housing
The interior of the Hillwood Square community is accessible by paths, not roads. The sale of the Hillwood Square community in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County means some longtime residents are struggling to find an affordable place to live. The new owner of the nearly 20-acre property, AvalonBay Communities Inc., plans to build … Continued
Gross agrees to strengthen community input on land use issues
In advance of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ hearing on Fairfax Forward next week, representatives of the Mason District Council of Community Associations (MDC) met with Mason Supervisor Penny Gross to express their concerns with potential changes to how land use decisions are made. Fairfax Forward revises the procedures for updating the county’s Comprehensive … Continued
Seven Corners Task Force puts together outline for redevelopment
Seven Corners Task Force members during the charrette. Seven Corners could be vastly improved with a town center on the site of the Willston shopping centers and Willston Multicultural Center along Route 50. That’s one of the key outcomes from a marathon “charrette” session held by the Seven Corners Land Use and Transportation Task Force. … Continued
Office building will serve as temporary home for Wilson Library
6066 Leesburg Pike The lease is expected to be signed this week allowing the Woodrow Wilson Library in Bailey’s Crossroads to relocate temporarily to an office building at 6066 Leesburg Pike, while the library undergoes a major renovation. The library is scheduled to close Aug. 17 and reopen in a limited capacity in the much … Continued
Joseph’s Coat will close at the end of July
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of Joseph’s Coat. Bethany House Executive Director Catherine Hassinger is third from the left, next to Mason Supervisor Penny Gross. Joseph’s Coat, the thrift store that opened in central Annandale just over a year ago, will close by the end of July, confirmed Catherine Hassinger, executive director of Bethany … Continued
Landmark redevelopment project to begin in spring 2014
Landmark redevelopment design by Howard Hughes Corp. The City of Alexandria has approved a rezoning plan for total redo of Landmark Mall. The Howard Hughes Corp. plans to tear down the 11-acre middle section of the mall and replace it with an open-air, mixed-use development with shops, apartments, and a movie theater. The existing Sears … Continued
Transportation systems need to evolve to accommodate urbanization
Rush hour on Route 50 in Falls Church. Fairfax County Supervisor Sharon Bulova’s “Evolution of Transportation” forum June 12 covered trends from way back—when Route 7 was an Indian trail—to the future, when we might be able to watch TV or nap while our cars drive themselves. The present state of transportation is a mess, … Continued
Korean community center task force has challenging agenda
Plans to establish a Korean community center in Fairfax County are proceeding despite conflicts over leadership within the task force set up to organize the project. The task force members include representatives of several Korean social service and business organizations. William Hwang, former president of the Korean American Association of Virginia, is serving as … Continued