Tysons Corner has long been known as a shopping destination for Northern Virginia, thanks to the large mall there, but what else can be said about it? There are a ton of parking lots. It’s full of office parks. Traffic is horrible. It’s more of a place one passes through than any place that they actually stay. Well, in coming years, all of that is about to change. In a massive redevelopment effort that experts say could be the largest in all of the United States, Tysons Corner is about to become something else entirely: a residential metropolis that affords residents tons of walkable space to live, work, and play. With four Metro stops, Tysons already has the infrastructure in place to handle the commuting needs of the hundreds of thousands of residents that developers hope to bring to the area.
The new year is slated to be one of overwhelming growth for Tysons Corner. A recent Washington Post article outlined what is coming soon for the area. By the McLean Metro station, the Commons of McLean is being built: a condo development that will eventually boast 2,500 units. Nearby is the building project that is destined to become the tallest commercial building in the D.C. metro area, the Capital One Building. This 470-foot building will serve as the company’s headquarters, and will be anchored at the base by a Wegman’s grocery store.
?By the Tysons Corner Metro station will be The Residences at Tysons II, championed by longtime area developer Ted Lerner. Lerner has, for years, built retail and commercial space in Tysons Corner. Now he is turning his attention to residential real estate as well. The building will have 31 stories and 225 units. There will be no retail within it, but Tysons Corner Center will be accessible via an elevated walkway.
And there’s more, as per the Post: “Lerner Enterprises is pressing ahead with 1775 Tysons Blvd., one of the most environmentally advanced buildings in the region and the future home of consulting firm EY. Greystar, the company that built the first Tysons high-rise, is at work on its second, the 400-unit Adaire.” All told, there is 4.5 million square feet in building projects on the slate for next year spread between five projects, on top of seven that are currently under construction.
Plans are to create a street and sidewalk grid that will connect these buildings and make Tysons Corner feel more like a community, and less like a hodgepodge of unrelated landmarks, which is how it is perceived now.
