Mixed-Use Development Pushed for Route 1
Plans under way for Kings Crossing, Penn Daw Plaza, the Beacon of Groveton
Photos
Editor's Note: This is the second of a three-part series examining transportation, development and business along the Route 1 corridor. Part one, focusing on transit, ran Tuesday. Part three, focusing on hotels, will run Thursday.
The Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan sets lofty goals for commercial development along the Route 1 corridor.
The plan characterizes the corridor as disjointed, with viable retail space mingling with obsolete or blighted commercial properties resulting from decades of unplanned development. It discourages small commercial and isolated parcels, as well as car washes, pawn shops and drive-throughs. It promotes improving the corridor’s image through streetscaping, tree cover, modern urban design principles, and the consolidation of existing commercial properties into larger, mixed-use developments.
Elizabeth Hagg, deputy director of the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment, said the county is focusing on six key commercial centers along Route 1.
Most new development, except for hotels, will likely be concentrated between Huntington and Hybla Valley due to closer Metro access.
“We envision those becoming more mixed-use,” Hagg said. “So, some of the older commercial development will be upgraded, enhanced, and some new development will come in, and some of the new development will be mixed-use.”
The Southeast Fairfax Development Corp., or SFDC, which seeks to market the Route 1 corridor and facilitate development, does not take part in land-use disputes. Still, Executive Director David Versel said, “We want to see more unified and higher-quality development. We want to see development that has greater effort put on visuals, the environment, walkability of streets and other parcels.”
Unified Efforts at Penn Daw
A prime example is the county’s Penn Daw Task Force, part of a county-level special study to redevelop Penn Daw Plaza. The shopping center has been without an anchor store since Walmart opened across the street at Kings Crossing and is unlikely to see a new tenant anytime soon.
“That represents the first time we’ve seen multiple property owners and the county working together to create a unified vision,” Versel said.
The Penn Daw Task Force, which consists of representatives from the community and the SFDC, began meeting in December 2010 and is considering multiple options for mixed-use development with a primarily residential component. The task force’s recommendations are expected in early 2012 and will then be submitted to the Lee District Land Use Committee, which will vote on approval, according to Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay.
Many local residents were disappointed by the construction of Walmart, preferring higher-quality, mixed-use development instead, McKay said. “We have an opportunity, in my mind, to make up for the Walmart going across the street,” he said.
The site is close to the Metro, he said, and could have broad consequences for the entire corridor. “It will be a dramatic, positive image improvement in that area if it is actually built,” he said. “…This will be cutting-edge for Route 1 in terms of quality.”
The Penn Daw Special Study stands out from other studies due to intense county involvement, including market and transportation studies, and a shorter time frame, McKay said.
“What I’ve heard from people, over and over again, is let’s stop studying things. Let’s get going and actually get things built,” he said.
Expanding Retail and Housing Options
Plans are currently under way to expand retail options at Kings Crossing shopping center, anchored by Walmart, which opened in 2010. Phase II will include 20,000 square feet for restaurants and other retail grouped into four single-story buildings, two of which will face Route 1, said Michael Skena, acquisitions and development associate for the site’s developer, Chevy Chase, Md.-based JBG Rosenfeld Retail.
The developer is waiting on site plan approval from county officials and expects to receive it in early 2012 and begin construction then, Skena said. Some leases for new retail space have already been signed, although Skena would not disclose tenant names. Some, however, are for “fast casual” restaurants and the company is also courting a medical office.
“There is significant interest,” Skena said. “The Walmart drives a lot of shoppers to that shopping center.”
JBG Rosenfeld will also add additional turn lanes from the shopping center onto Route 1 and is working with the county to improve the access road in front of the development, which will eventually be replaced with a multi-use path. Also coming down the pipeline are pedestrian improvements to the intersection leading into the shopping center, Skena said.
“It will be a positive addition to the shopping center, and we think the shops moving in will be a positive addition to the Route 1 corridor,” he said.
Phase III of the Kings Crossing project is slated for mixed-use development.
The Beacon of Groveton, located just south of the Beacon Center, is currently under construction. The first phase includes 290 high-end apartments plus 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. Phase II involves additional commercial development. Ultimately, the Beacon of Groveton will encompass 360,000 square feet of mixed-use development.
Further south, the shuttered Mount Vernon Multiplex Cinema will be demolished to make room for a Costco Wholesale, which hopes to close on the property in early 2012. The Costco warehouse will cover more than 143,000 square feet on a 12-acre site and is also expected to add to traffic congestion, with an estimated 4,500 new daily trips on weekdays.
The county’s Comprehensive Plan also calls for future mixed-use redevelopment at the Beacon Center, the Mount Vernon Plaza shopping center and the Bestway Supermarket site, although no current projects are planned for those locations.
New businesses mean more than close-to-home shopping and dining opportunities for residents along the corridor. It also means increased property tax revenue for the county.
“More commercial investment equals higher commercial property values equals less burden on the taxpayers,” said Versel with the SFDC.
Kerry
7:28 am on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
with all of this new development, especially the new Cost Co, what are the plans for Rt.1 and traffic? What a nightmare.
T Ailshire
8:51 am on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
I live less than a mile from the Mt Vernon multiplex. Increased congestion will drive me to Old Town, which I can access via the GW Parkway, and keep me away from any businesses on Rte 1. Should others join me, and I hope they will, existing businesses on Rte 1 will suffer. I believe in doing business with small, local firms, but if it takes significantly more effort to get there, I'll find that same type of firm in Alexandria.
Cookie
8:58 am on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
I agree with you Kerry. Eventually they will have to build overpasses all down route one. Improper planning. I feel for the seniors in this area. Time to head to a new jurisdiction. What a diaster!
MSandyDogg
2:24 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Actually, I often wonder why there aren't overpasses -- seems like that would solve much of the traffic flow problem. In general, Northern Va. seems to prefer four-way intersections to cloverleafs...but, outside of historic areas, I'm not sure I understand why.
LawMom
9:27 am on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The new Walmart at King's Crossing has resulted in a traffic nightmare and adding fast food restaurants is only going to make the situation worse. What are all you county planners thinking??? Shouldn't we be encouraging smaller scale retail with more diverse types of business (no more check cashing/payday loan places)? Wouldn't that be more attractive and wouldn't that encourage walking rather than driving to each giant store complex? We should be modeling ourselves on Old Town not Rockville Pike. I don't want more Applebee's and Chili's, I want interesting non-chain restaurants with high quality offerings.
MSandyDogg
2:23 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
"We should be modeling ourselves on Old Town not Rockville Pike." I'm afraid you're dreaming. The lack of a grid design, with parallel streets and walkways, means Route 1 will never be like Old Town. And, frankly, there's no reason for it to be. We already have Old Town within a short drive. (Which, BTW, itself is struggling to attract and retain quality retail -- I just Restoration Hardware on King is shutting down, as did Books a Million earlier tis year.) The opportunity for Fairfax County, it seems to me, is the shuttering of Potomac Yards in a few years, to make way for yet another Town Center development. If the county can get its act together, and push developers to create a center like that, Fairfax will yield a genuine tax benefit -- both keeping Fairfax purchases in the county and drawing Alexandrians and Arlingtonians without a similar shopping venue. BTW, think of the traffic quagmire Potomac Yards represents. Route 1 is the only road leading directly into the center, and it's significantly narrower in Alexandria than it is in the Hybla Valley. How can that traffic flow work (OK, admittedly, traffic there can back up, but it's never taken me more than about 5 minutes to get past it), while Route 1 can't?
Adam Froehlig
11:31 am on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Agree with all. But until we can beef up the transportation options (mentioned in yesterday's article), we're not going to get the quality development we need along Route 1.
Regarding Penn Daw (and even Kings Crossing to an extent), there's an opportunity here that the county should capitalize on. Unbeknownst to many, the Yellow Line tracks actually go about 3/4 mile south of Huntington Metro...this gets them ALMOST to Penn Daw. Because of this, it would be a lot easier than one would otherwise expect to extend the Yellow Line to Penn Daw. Some of that land at the old Shoppers development could be used for Metro station development while the rest could easily support high quality mixed-use development right next to a Metro station...and having a Metro station right there would also be a catalyst for better development at Kings Crossing. Thus far, I have not seen anyone else consider this.
maret
3:18 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
the slapdash development going on on rte 1 will only make things much worse. No one has really focused on "the heights at groveton" development just south of beacon mall,-- 290 apts (290,000 sqft) plus , 50,ooo sf of office, 500 parking spaces and 10,000 sf of retail --all on less than 4 acres. give us a break!
unlikely anyone willd pay $2000 a month for less than 1000 sf ((yes, they call them "high-end") to live in such a setting, which is neither convenient to belvoir (as the developers believe), or to the metro, and is unllikely to have any amenties (other than the detention center in the basement?) . the buildings are so close to rte 1 that they couldn't widen that increasingly congested area if they wanted to.(interesting that construction started without getting vdot comments on its proximity to rte 1, though that was supposedly required.)
and where's the dog park near the giant that the developers supposedly gave $50,000 to the county to build? and was huntley meadows mansion ever redone with the other proffer?
eveyone is hysterical about costco, but 143k sf on 12 acres is nothing compared to the heights at groveton.
bottom line, someone with some sense should be watching the henhouse.
John Boling
4:41 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
I love the fact that I won't have to drive 30 minutes to the nearest Costco. All the options are awesome and an advantage for the area in my opinion.
Phil
11:54 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
I'm new to the area, but it's hard for me to envision mixed-use developments succeeding along the Rt. 1 corridor. Traffic is already a nightmare during rush hour and on weekends. EVERYONE who moves into these buildings will have cars. This will put more traffic on Kings Highway and side streets that were never meant to handle so much volume. These kinds of developments will inevitably bring more gridlock.
Additionally, does anyone envision the young professional 20- and 30-somethings who populate mixed-use developments suddenly being drawn to this area? Even with a few new restaurants, there won't be the kind of nightlife, culture or parks that makes areas like Clarendon/Courthouse or Shirlington attractive to that demographic. And with the defense industry boom coming to an end, will there still be enough demand for this kind of housing -- especially if it's not directly on a Metro line? Seems like a gamble.
You want an anchor store for Penn Daw? How about a Trader Joe's. It seems like the kind of grocery store that would not be intimidated by Wal Mart, since each caters to a different consumer base. I'm sure there are other stores that would fit as well. Wal-Mart is not an all-powerful monolith that everyone is helpless to avoid. The other stories at Penn Daw -- CVS, Books-a-Million, the auto parts store -- serve a practical purpose and would thrive with the right kind of anchor there.
Meg Williams
1:12 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I think adding a Trader Joe's is a fantastic idea! And would offer the contrast to the WalMart and a higher scale shopping center without completely out pricing the current residents.
Adam Froehlig
7:28 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Phil: people thought much the same thing about Wilson Blvd in Arlington 30 years ago. Plus, if we have effective transit along Route 1, NOT ALL who move into those buildings will have cars, especially with a WalMart right across the street and both Giant and Target right up the street.
True, the lack of nightlife/culture/parks will reduce the appeal for the young professionals, but a quality transit system that connects to jobs and Old Town will make up for that.
Phil
11:54 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Adam -- the difference with Wilson Blvd is that the Metro was there before the majority of the mixed-use development came in. And even after the Metro was built, it took close to two decades for Arlington to shape that corridor into what it is now. Increasing density on Route 1 before any promise of extending the Metro seems reckless.
I agree with you100 percent that Metro should be extended down Route 1, and I'd love to learn more about how we can make that happen. But until Metro is built, I'm very worried about any development that will send more cars onto roads -- especially side streets -- that simply cannot handle the volume.
On another note -- if these new developments for Penn Daw are approved, they absolutely must make the Kings Highway corridor from School Street down to Southgate Drive a more walkable and bike-friendly area. Right now I wouldn't dream of walking to businesses in that area, much less across Route 1. And neither will the new residents, I'm guessing.
Cookie
8:20 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Nicely put Maret. All have valid complaints. It's not what you know but who you know. Nothing more than favoritism no matter what the cost to the community. This place is going to be larger than the life here!
capitol5555
8:27 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Hey, I have a great idea! How about the county perfoming another "study" for Route 1! In all seriousness, take some time to do something good for a worthy charity/organization or even a person/family who really needs a helping hand. It is such a good feeling to know that you have lent a hand to someone who really is down and out thru these difficult economic times. May God bless all of you!
Kerry
9:22 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
As citizens we need to hold public officials accountable. Take a stand. They are not used to that! Public transit? Possibly, but let's just start with this before spending even more money! Merry CHristmas!
Jeffrey Pandin
12:02 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
If metro really can be extended to Penn Daw at limited cost, that's an intriguing concept. Probably the reason it hasn't happened is because Metro like to have commuter parking at end points and extensive commuter parking at Penn Daw seems unlikely.
As far as any other unnamed "transportation improvements" on Route 1...all these studies keep coming up with the same result: underground Metro tunnels are way too expensive. Elevated trains can't deal with the incline at Beacon Hill. There is no room to go alongside route one at grade (either for auto, HOV, light rail, or dedicated buses). Bus service in the existing traffic lanes is already pretty good, but the speed of travel is limited by the existing traffic.
Wilson Boulevard-style development can't happen without Metro. A six-lane highway is not going to become an inviting pedestrian-friendly boulevard like Del-Ray. There just isn't any workable vision for this mess that can be funded with the available pots of money. So everyone keeps dreaming their dreams and studying their studies and blocking each others alternatives. Or, politicians who mouth platitudes out of both sides of their mouths to try not to offend anyone.
Jeffrey Pandin
12:03 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Meanwhile, developers (at least those who have grandfathered rights or the right connections) give us Wal-Mart, Late-Night video, Check cashing, Big Box stores, and fast casual food. And blighted properties like the Dairy Queen lot, the TV repair shop, etc. continue to languish.
What we need is somebody with a workable vision and the political muscle to make it a reality. I'm not holding my breath...
Sally Spangler
2:05 pm on Friday, December 23, 2011
Curiosity - With the new shopping/eating places along Lorton Station Road what is the tally of being used by local residents? If the locals, such as myself aren't using them? Who is? and If they are being used - why so much advertising? Giveaways/coupons don't show me that business along Lorton Station Road is doing well!
Back to School Physicals
10:46 am on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
I applaud your diligence in covering these issues, very important to Mount Vernon Lee District residents/businesses. I am a little surprised, however to see that neither Gerry Hyland (who's office sponsored a fairly comprehensive taskforce early last year to solicit community feedback on the transportation/development issue) nor Holly Dougherty (Exec Dir of Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce which represents a significant portion of the businesses in the Districts) were quoted. Perhaps they are in Part three...