TThhee FFAAIIRRFFAAXX NNeewwsslleetttteerr Your Real Estate News and Research Resource Since 1955 Volume 60, Number 23 ♦ December 11, 2015 Wegmans Headed for Capital One Mixed-Use Project in Tysons It’s official! Wegmans is headed for Capital One’s five The 82,000-square foot Chestnut Hill store “taught us we can million-square foot transit-oriented “new urban deliver the same experience in a smaller footprint,” Natale neighborhood” in Tysons on 26 acres on the north side of says. The stores carry the same products – with emphasis on Route 123 adjacent to the McLean Metro station. fresh produce and meats, organic foods, bakery, and prepared foods – most desired by Wegmans’ customers, just not all the With a lease in hand with Wegmans, Capital One recently brands and sizes, she notes, adding “we will not disappoint.” filed plans with the county for development of an 80,000- The only significant difference between the Chestnut Hill square foot “urban-style” Wegmans to open in late 2018. The Wegmans and the proposed market at Tysons is that the store Rochester, NY-based family-owned company opened its first at the Capital One project will be on a single level while the urban format store – the Chestnut Hill Wegmans Food Market Newton store has the 10,500-square foot wine and beer shop – in 2014 in Massachusetts. on a second level. The Wegmans market, along with an additional 25,000-square feet of complementary retail and restaurant uses, is planned for Block C – described as the “Residential Commons,” across Capital One Drive North from the new 470-foot-tall headquarters tower now under construction. “Although grocery stores typically bring large quantities of additional traffic, Wegmans was chosen in part because of its unique traffic patterns,” the statement filed on behalf of Capital One by attorney Antonio J. Calabrese (Cooley LLP) reads. With Wegmans – described in the statement as “one of the most dynamic and sought-after grocers in the Washington, DC region” – offering both grocery and dining options, its customers “tend to shop longer and combine shopping trips with dining trips.” Chestnut Hill, MA Wegmans; Source: www.wegmans.com The store will draw not only customers from Capital One associates and other on-site employees, but will be within The store proposed for the Capital One site in Tysons will be “easy walking distance” of future residents on-site as well as similar to the Chestnut Hill market, which offers the full-range from nearby neighborhoods, the statement notes. of grocery, pharmacy, and wine and beer services found in the typical Wegmans, according to Jo Natale, vice president of With the addition of the Wegmans, the retail square footage at media relations for the company. the Capital One site will grow from the previously-approved 128,781 square feet to 252,071 square feet. 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The FAIRFAX Newsletter The final development plan amendment – along with the An innovative idea under consideration by the financial associated proffer condition and conceptual development plan institution for the residential units on Block C is offering them amendments – filed by the company also proposes additional for-sale and/or rent exclusively to Capital One associates and changes to the three residential buildings approved as part of some contractors, according to the submission, which points the original plans for Block C. Capital One plans include an out that federally-chartered banks are not permitted to increase in the average size of the units, as well as taller speculate on residential real estate. buildings with smaller footprints than originally proposed under the approved conceptual development plan. Capital One’s latest plans for Block C also include construction of a 100,000-square foot Capital One Corporate “The residential buildings will have staggered heights to create Center which will supplement the 26,000-square foot facility a more interesting and dynamic skyline,” the statement reads. located adjacent to the existing headquarters building. “The The buildings will range from 390-feet in height down to 260 Corporate Center will exist primarily…to expand Capital feet, the plans state, with a total of approximately 826 units One’s ability to conduct large-scale training, speeches, and included. related events.” Calabrese says that since the center is still under design, more details on the final size and configuration will be forthcoming. “Stay tuned,” he remarks. New Capital One Headquarters Building Rendering; Source: Capital One Bank, NA Capital One Project Block Layout; Source: Fairfax County -2- The FAIRFAX Newsletter “The proposed changes to the application further the design of Place to the south, and Leesburg Pike to the west. Plans call the three residential buildings…and will fully incorporate for five new high-rise multi-family residential towers, five them into the Wegmans store and the adjacent Capital One office buildings, the cinema, a possible hotel, and associated Corporate Center,” the statement maintains. Calabrese retail uses and garage parking. describes the proposed configuration of the parking, Wegmans and additional retail, and the corporate facility, stacked to According to the development plans, the five residential provide a “layer cake effect.” towers are proposed for Blocks A and B, with the lower levels of the blocks comprised of block-wide podiums faced with A couple of other changes to the plans based on the addition retail space and multi-family units. The theatre, hotel, and of the new Wegmans and corporate center are also proposed central open space – called “Magnetic Park” – are planned for in the FDP. The park spaces for Block C have been revised, Block C; and the new office buildings will be located with the proposed practice field eliminated. The architects, the primarily on Block E/F, closest to the Metro, according to the submission notes, will design a replacement park space for the conceptual development plan associated with the rezoning. block. The plans approved with the FDP by the commission at the The company is also proposing to widen Capital One Drive December 3rd meeting focus on two blocks – Blocks C and F – South from two to three lanes to allow for easier exit from the on the southerly 12.5 acres of the property subject to the Wegmans garage, and create right-in/right-out access from the rezoning. The area is currently developed with four office Block C parking deck “to allow traffic to easily access the buildings and a parking garage. The three buildings, totaling Jones Branch Connector” on the west side of the site, which approximately 600,000 square feet, and the parking garage will link Scotts Crossing Road with Jones Branch Drive. The closest to the Metro will be retained as part of The Boro. The statement notes that the proposed changes will accelerate the fourth, a 13-story building shown partially on the FDP (called completion of the on-site street grid. the Enterprise Building) and its surrounding surface parking lots, will eventually be demolished and replaced as part of redevelopment. Theatre, Office Building Plans Approved – Conditionally – for “The Boro” The planning commission on December 3rd approved The Meridian Group’s plans for a new cinema complex and office tower proposed as part of “The Boro” mixed-use redevelopment proposed on 18.33 acres on the west side of Leesburg Pike adjacent to the Greensboro Metro station. The final development plan approval granted for the two buildings, proposed in The Boro’s “Block C” at the intersection of Greensboro and Solutions drives, follows approval in October of another FDP for the proposed project for three residential buildings and up to 165,000-square feet of retail – including a Whole Foods grocery store. Block C Rendering; View from Park Avenue and Madison Street; Source: Fairfax County What hasn’t yet been approved for The Boro is the actual Explaining the plans for Block C included in the FDP, project rezoning upon which both FDPs are contingent. The rezoning coordinator Bob Katai with the Department of Planning and (RZ 2010-PR-022) and concurrent conceptual development Zoning said the cinema complex (Building C2) may range in plan received a recommendation for approval from the th height from three to six stories and the office tower (Building planning commission at its October 7 meeting but awaits a C3) could range from 12 to 23 stories high, noting that the hearing before the board after the New Year. final heights for both buildings will be dependent on the number of above-grade parking levels incorporated into the The rezoning covers plans for redevelopment of the former buildings and tenant-related requirements. The two buildings, SAIC campus bordered by Westpark Plaza to the north, each of which will contain street-level retail, will be connected Greensboro Drive to the east, Solutions Drive and Station -3- The FAIRFAX Newsletter by an underground parking garage. The third building planned Speaking on behalf of the applicant – Meridian’s TMG for Block C – either a hotel or residential building – will be the Solutions Plaza Land LP – Elizabeth D. Baker, land use subject of a future FDP application. planner with the law firm Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, & Walsh, PC, pointed out to the commissioners at the hearing that “this Block C is planned as a transition between the project’s FDP before you today is strictly a commercial one, which we employment core planned on Blocks E and F and the don’t have a lot of in Tysons lately.” residential/retail core on Blocks A and B, with the block containing the majority of the entertainment and open space The proposed theater complex at the corner of Solutions and and a hotel, according to the proposal.