Despite the cold temperatures heading our way, the site and earth work at the newest ground breaking in Tysons has continued. At the northwestern quadrant of the 123 / 7 interchange, what was a low rise strip mall building, on the hillside of the Clyde’s restaurant, is quickly changing. In its place will rise a 32-story mixed use apartment building dubbed “Lumen”. The building is part of NV Commercial’s overall rezoning at this nook of Tysons which will include several buildings, public plazas, and hopefully some great retail and restaurant options.
Before all that can happen, construction crews have to clear the parcel of any construction debris from past eras, relocate utilities around the future foundations, and begin foundation preparation for the building. While it doesn’t seem like much work, site construction is the most weather dependent phase of any new tower. The soil has to be soft enough to excavate, heavy rain fall can slow operations to a trudge, and temperatures have to remain well above freezing for traditional concrete curing.
Lumen has a long way to go until it is topped out — just around 350 feet — but it will begin making an impact on the skyline along the Route 7 corridor as early as next April. The construction will last through 2017 with delivery expected in the fall of 2018.
