A lot of demolition has been happening in Tysons recently — most notably the mid-rise Best Western and the old Booz Allen office building on Greensboro. Lost in the mix of those crane mounted wrecking balls was the smaller but equally interesting demolition of the old Business Bank of Virginia building at the Pike 7 shopping plaza off Leesburg Pike.
The building has been abandoned for several years and was an unsightly vestige at a core intersection of Tysons. Its final occupant was MWAA, but after the construction of the Silver Line Phase 1 the building was unused. Last year Federal Realty acquired the parcel which previously created a complicating notch into their property at Pike 7.
The demolition makes way for a next chapter at Pike 7. Although large scale redevelopment plans are not in the works at this time, Federal Realty has considered their options previously, including this investor presentation (page 55) regarding the property. The parcel will host a new pad building site (low-rise) which much like the small scale redevelopment at Levant/Crust pizza on near by Old Courthouse Road shows a maturing in the type of development and infill occurring in Tysons.
Even if the new pad building doesn’t turn out to be the perfect restaurant, or a much needed entertainment venue, whatever it does become will be a big improvement over the abandoned shack that had marred the intersection for years.
