Today around the corner;
There is some construction now occurring in the vicinity of Building 3 of Tysons Tower (at the AMC entrance of the Mall). Building 3 is located in front of Neisha Thai, in the surface parking lot, and it was assumed that Macerich would continue using that as a parking swing space while Tower 1 and 2 were constructed. Today I noticed significant demolition and construction occurring in that zone. It is possible they are setting up a third crane to help in construction of Tower 2, it is also possible they are moving forward with the 3rd building which would make the Tysons Tower project extremely ambitious. We’ll provide additional updates when we figure out what Macerich is doing.
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The Silver Line tunnel was a concern for many in the area, when it was noted by a Patch article that some consolidation of the soil had sunk the tunnel about an inch. Structural engineers reviewed the tunnel and it has been found that the settlement was within the acceptable and design range and that the tunnel is safe for operation. That is good news and should keep construction on track for an on-time delivery within budget.
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Unfortunately, the management body that will take over control of the Silver Line is not as well run as the construction operation creating it. WMATA told us this week (see the article by the Washington Examiner) that because of an ineptitude in the ability to plan for the future, a construction project which should have only taken 12 months (a rail yard) was delayed and now will cause a delay to the opening of the Silver Line. Instead of opening in December (when construction would have allowed) the Silver Line might not open until late January at best, perhaps as late as February. Yay! Thanks WMATA, can’t wait to see the amazing way you operate our 6 billion dollar investment that we built for you. (Washington Examiner)
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In entertainment; Panache will now have Comedy nights on Fridays. No word yet from Fairfax County about the food truck ticketing discrepancy between ordinance and permits.
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In business; SAIC’s corporate split is having an employment impact locally with a few hundred employees being laid off in the HR and administrative branches. (Patch)
Urbanism Concept of the Day
Fairfax County is interested in Pop-Up shops and interim facilities along the Silver Line. Our hint for them, google image “pop up container” and see a myriad of very attractive concepts that won’t look like a shanty town. My favorite is an ingenious container shopping area created in Christchurch New Zealand after the devastating earthquakes two years ago. The key to the idea is that the level of comfort living in an area today should not be ignored just because there are grand plans in the future. Fairfax County could have the same thing happen at metro exits in Tysons if they released the free-market to do so. There is a lot of retail money being pushed out of the malls due to high lease costs that would love to fill in temporary space around town, especially in areas where foot traffic might exceed those at the mall.