Tag: redevelopment
Angelika Film Center: classy but pricey
There’s lots to like about the brand-new Angelika Film Center in the Mosaic District in Merrifield: The screens have state-of-the art projection and sound technology, the stadium seating is roomy and comfortable, and there are gourmet food options at the café and concession stand. The theater will show mostly independent and foreign films, and you … Continued
Fairfax County seeks input on new stormwater ordinance
This stormwater management facility, on Degroff Court, is considered inadequate to prevent flooding in the Annandale Acres neighborhood. The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) is seeking community input in the development of a new stormwater management ordinance. The new ordinance, required to comply with new state regulations, could have a … Continued
Groups formed to continue discussions on future of Seven Corners
Route 50 at Seven Corners The Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization is forming three groups to continue the discussions on the future of Seven Corners, following two “visioning workshops” last spring. A Land Use and Transportation Task Force will review the history of the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan for the Seven Corners area and … Continued
Neighbors raise concerns about Brightview senior housing project
The conceptual plan for Brightview. The main road to the left is Gallows. At an Aug. 28 meeting of the Mason District Land Use Committee (MDLUC), several people who live near a proposed assisted living facility planned for Gallows Road raised concerns about increased traffic on an already-busy thoroughfare. Other issues brought by residents include … Continued
Columbia Pike animal hospital annex will house boarding and grooming services
The annex to the Columbia Pike Animal Hospital in Annandale will be open “within the next six months, hopefully sooner,” reports Alex Walz, a manager at the veterinary clinic. The new building, facing Columbia Pike, will house grooming and boarding services, while the existing building, at 4205 Evergreen Lane, will be used purely for medical … Continued
New Westlawn Shopping Center to open on Annandale Road in 2014
A rendering of the Westlawn Center The old, run-down Westlawn Shopping Center on Annandale Road by Arlington Boulevard is gone, but the new retail center isn’t expected to be completely finished until sometime in 2014. The site plan should be approved by Fairfax County within the next 60 to 90 days, says Shane Murphy, an … Continued
Annandale can do more to attract investments
Gerald Gordon, president of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (EDA), says older, commercial areas of Fairfax County—like Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads, and Seven Corners—can attract investments by “marketing their natural assets,” like proximity to Washington, the Pentagon, and National Airport and cheaper rents than other areas. Speaking to members of the Bailey’s Crossroads Revitalization Corporation … Continued
Ballot question on eminent domain could increase redevelopment costs
If Virginia voters approve a constitutional amendment on eminent domain, efforts to revitalize Annandale would be more difficult and “significantly more expensive,” says state Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37). “It will slow down the whole process.” The amendment, a priority of the Tea Party, as well as Gov. Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, both … Continued
Decision on Columbia Pike streetcars expected by the end of July
Streetcars scheduled to start running in DC next summer The fate of the proposed Columbia Pike Transit Initiative could be decided within the next couple of weeks. The Arlington County Board will vote on Monday, July 23, whether to adopt the streetcar as “the locally preferred alternative” and authorize the county manager to file a … Continued
Burying utilities in Fairfax County: prohibitively expensive
The intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road in McLean, where the wires will be buried. The most recent storm—and extensive power outages—in Annandale have gotten people wondering why we can’t bury the power lines here.s “amazingly expensive,” says W. Todd Minnix, chief of the Transportation Design Division in the Fairfax County Department … Continued
‘Annandale Arbors’ proposed for sprucing up streetscape
Little River Turnpike, not the best place for walk. Have you ever walked around downtown Annandale? Strolling down Little River Turnpike isn’t all that pleasant. There are a ton of cars whizzing by and a lot of open parking lots in front of and between the buildings—and good luck trying to cross the street. Jeffrey … Continued
Construction on Annandale Walgreens to start in September
Construction on the new Walgreens in central Annandale is expected to start by mid-September, if all approval processes go smoothly, Elizabeth McKeeby of Walsh and Colucci told members of the Annandale Commercial Business District Planning Committee July 10. The new drug store will occupy a key position in central Annandale, bordered by Little River Turnpike, … Continued
Movie theatre to open in September in Merrifield
An artist’s rendering of the new theatre. The eight-screen Angelika Film Center and Café is slated to open in September at the Mosaic development in Merrifield. According to Reading International, the company that operates the Angelika theatre chain, the new cinema “will showcase the best in independent, foreign, and specialty film in auditoriums featuring plush … Continued
New Seven Corners complex aimed at ‘yuppies’
An illustration of the proposed complex next to the existing office buildings New details emerged on the proposed 195-unit residential/retail complex for Arlington Boulevard in Seven Corners at a recent meeting of the Bailey’s Crossroads Revitalization Corporation. The project would be located on the sliver of land between Route 50 and South Street, next to … Continued
Seven Corners residents explore vision for future redevelopment
The Seven Corners Shopping Center Seven Corners residents and business owners at the second “visioning workshop” last night were thoroughly engaged in the process to form a long-term plan for redeveloping the area, yet there was quite a bit of frustration over the need for immediate action to clean up the appearance of the area. … Continued