This morning the much awaited Cityline project Arbor Row began demolishing the 2 story bank building that constitutes their southeastern property line. We don’t believe that the project has attained full approval but it is a good sign that they are preparing for construction once they attain it by preparing the site now. The project will entail 8 total buildings along Westpark Drive which includes residential, office, retail and hotel uses.
The project has been tight lipped on discussing where they are in the process but the recent agreements and consensus attained between the developers on infrastructure funding, paralleled by the planning commissions agreement on funding, will likely mean projects that have been delayed will suddenly begin moving again. Demolition, rough grading, and utility site work are all important first steps in preparing a site for building construction. We have been noticing some spot improvements to utilities along the frontage of Arbor Row for a few months, so we hope that once the cranes start being placed the construction can be expedited.
Many employees of the Greensboro Drive corridor will likely be thinking that the work being performed this morning was a fire by the looks of it, but the hoses and tarps are laid down for dust control and sediment capture in order to protect local water bodies and air quality.
The 2.5 million square foot project is important to the future of TOD along Westpark and will transform the abandoned and aged eyesore structures into a busy residential core with new high rise and mid rise towers. This development will also create a better connection between the pedestrian region along Westpark and buildings by removing all frontage parking, replaced by structural parking garages and rear parking. This will improve the walkability of one of the more pedestrian friendly neighborhoods of Tysons Corner. We will try to attain more information on when building construction is expected but at this time project approval is anticipated for this fall or early winter based on Fairfax County’s review status.
