It was only a few months ago when we watched some spectacular demolition at the future “Boro” community, at the corner of Greensboro Drive and Westpark Drive in Tysons. The aging and empty office building came down to make way for a future multi-phase mixed use project that will turn surface parking lots into a community.
You never know how long it might be between demolition and construction, there have been a handful of cases in Tysons that seemed to be green lit that went on to take many months to begin. That’s why it is good to see an immediate transition at The Boro from demolition to ground breaking and on to construction.
The ceremony held this past Wednesday turns the first shovels full of dirt which will eventually turn into a site with a flagship Whole Foods, luxury movie theater, ground level retail, housing, and offices. This is a big deal, and a new day in Tysons.
Most of the projects to date in Tysons have been individual towers, which will be accompanied in the future by mixed use phases. The Boro is the first all in one project that will truly create a neighborhood of its own on Day 1. Think Mosaic District, but taller and adjacent to metro.
What The Boro will mean to Tysons is more than just a construction project; it will serve to rebut cynics who don’t think things will ever change in what has traditionally been viewed as a car-centric office park. Like Mosaic District, The Boro will be tangible and appreciable from a stand point of the user. This is similar to the success that Tysons Corner Center has seen with its own mixed use project at The Plaza, but even more accessible to the surrounding community.
We can’t wait to watch this project build!