It’s been a busy week in Tysons: A new art installation pops up at Tysons II, Tysons West may be preparing for a next phase, the sun has returned so get out the world’s biggest slip and slide, Falls Church to launch BikeShare.
Tysons West Gets A Big Retail Tenant
It has been a while since Tysons West completed Phase 1 of its multi-phase redevelopment project at the corner of Westwood Center Drive and the Sheraton Hotel. The first phase included medical offices, ground floor retail, and a urban format Walmart. This past week we found out that Phase 2 will include the relocation of the Container Store in addition to 400 new apartment units.
The building massing has changed slightly to accommodate the big box format necessary for the container store, you may recall the prior renderings showed more small format stores at the gateway of Leesburg Pike. The relocation of the container store puts it squarely within the fastest growing residential district of Tysons (Ascent, Adaire & Tysons West). No word yet on whether the current free standing Container Store parcel will look for a new tenant or consider redevelopment.
A New Sculpture Installation In Tysons
There have been some innovative art installations in Tysons over the past 5 years, the newest is by acclaimed sculptor Alice Aycock. The new sculpture at 1775 Tysons Boulevard is located at the properties Central Park, and evokes the stacking and rise of Tysons.
Alice Aycock has a career spanning several decades, and her sculptures have been featured everywhere from the University of Michigan to Park Avenue in New York City.
Slip and Slide
Three blocks of Tysons will become an urban waterpark this July, allowing visitors and inner tube enthusiasts to enjoy the world’s longest water slide. At 1000 feet, Slide the City won’t just be a good way to cool off, but also a sight to see. The slide will be situated in the most populated district of Tysons — near the intersection of Westpark and Jones Branch Drive.
Here’s a video of Slide the City in Salt Lake City. Tickets for the event in Tysons are for sale right now: Find Out About All Events In Tysons.
Little City Gets BikeShare
Falls Church has announced plans to bring BikeShare in 2017, joining Reston and Tysons — both of whom announced similar plans earlier this year. The addition of BikeShare in Falls Church should provide improved connections from the West Falls Church, and East Falls Church metro to portions of the burgeoning “Little City” as well as Broad Street — Falls Church’s main retail corridor.
City officials are looking to install 16 stations, which given the overall size of Falls Church, could provide some very good coverage and inter-connectivity. The addition of BikeShare in Falls Church could also provide a nodal connection for cyclists between Falls Church and Tysons. Planners should take a look at whether improvements along Haycock/Great Falls as well as Route 7 could provide connectivity between the two regions in advance of transit improvements along Route 7.
