Krispy Kreme: Set to Re-Open Interior 'In a Few Weeks'

Renovation of interior should be complete soon; drive-through remains open during construction.

Construction workers were busy Thursday working on renovations at Krispy Kreme, the area's beloved doughnut emporium that serves up freshly made donuts. Workers on site said Thursday they expect to see the interior re-open in a few weeks, likely just after Memorial Day weekend. Will you go check out the new interior at Krispy Kreme? What's your favorite doughnut?

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Man Holds Up TD Bank on Richmond Highway

Fairfax County Police are investigating afternoon robbery near Beacon Hill Road.

Fairfax County Police are investigating a bank robbery that occurred Thursday around 1:30 p.m. A man entered the TD Bank located at 6615 Richmond Highway and implied he had a weapon, according to a news release from the Mount Vernon Police District. The suspect then demanded money from a teller who complied and the suspect fled. There were no injuries during the incident. The suspect was described as black, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, 180 to 210 pounds and wearing a reflective construction vest with orange reflective stripes with blue pants or jeans and a construction hard hat. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, or email or text “TIP187” plus your message to …

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Constituents Corner

Improving U.S. 1 North of Fort Belvoir

A look at improving Route 1 near Fort Belvoir.

The other day, I came across an article about the widening of Route 1 in Woodbridge.  Between that and the coming federally-funded widening through Fort Belvoir, I often get queries from constituents who want to know why Route 1 is being improved there, but not between Woodlawn and the Beltway.  There are two reasons – planning and money.  Before a road can be widened there are a series of required studies that lay the groundwork for construction.  In our community, that process was started back in 1991 by Senator Toddy Puller who passed multiple resolutions through the General Assembly to initiate the planning process.  That process was called the Route 1 Centerline Study - an effort to set the general configuration of Route 1 from …

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MVCCA Planning and Zoning Committee Meets Tonight

Baywood Hotels, Belle Haven Towers will deliver presentations on zoning plans.

Representatives from Belle Haven Towers and Baywood Hotels will deliever presentations at the MVCCA Planning and Zoning Committee meeting Monday night. Belle Haven Towers The owner of Belle Haven Towers, located at 6043 Richmond Highway, is seeking the committee’s comments and concerns on a preliminary plan to construct a fourth building where a parking lot currently stands. The project proposes a five-story building containing 145 multi-family units that will be located southeast of the buildings on the property. Baywood Hotel Keith Martin will give a presentation on the proposed rezoning from C-6 to C-8 with a special exception to build a hotel at 8668 Richmond Highway. The 92-room, four-story hotel will be LEED Silver certified and …

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Your Turn: How Would You Revitalize Route 1?

What would you like to see on the Route 1 corridor?

Route 1 development has made headway over the last decade. The majority of local residents believe that the Route 1 corridor is improving, according to a SFDC survey conducted earlier this year. A slew of new businesses have opened on Route 1 this year so far, including Jersey Mike’s Subs and Candlewood Suites. The Beacon of Groveton apartment complex will open this summer and reflects a new trend of green development: energy efficiency, walkability and on-site stormwater facilities.  The Kings Crossing shopping center will also open later this year. New businesses slated for Kings Crossing include Panda Express, Sarku Japan, and Jimmy John’s. Patch wants to know: what type of development would you like to see on Route 1? Would you like to…

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Your Turn: You Fix Traffic On Route 1

How would you alleviate traffic on Route 1?

Route 1 handles about 60,000 vehicles daily, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation, and that number is expected increase as more traffic comes to the area due to BRAC. The Pentagon has provided $180 million towards Route 1 improvements near Fort Belvoir to accommodate the wave of traffic caused by BRAC. Current road widening plans call for six lanes on Route 1 near Fort Belvoir. These plans are being met with opposition by community members because the proposed plans would cut through historic land and jeopardize the future of Woodlawn Stables. Road improvements will soon begin at the intersection of Ladson Lane and Route 1, where the new Costco will be located. Costco is paying for these road improvements, which are …

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PHOTOS: Multiplex Demolition Nears Completion

Costco Wholesale will take the place of the old movie theater on Richmond Highway.

The demolition of Mount Vernon Multiplex Cinema is nearly complete, paving the way for a new Costco Wholesale. Preliminary work on the future Richmond Highway home of Costco began in April. The store is slated to open sometime in 2013. It will cover more than 143,000 square feet. Costco closed on the 12-acre site on Jan. 9. In its traffic-impact analysis submitted to the Fairfax County Planning Commission, Costco analysts predicted that 737 new peak-hour trips on Saturday and 4,496 new daily trips on weekdays would occur after completion of the store. According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond Highway handles about 60,000 vehicles per day.

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Visions for Vacancies

Visions for Vacancies: Storefront on Richmond Highway

What type of business would you like to see locate to this vacant storefront?

This storefront was previously occupied by St. Clair, a former appliance distribution company. The building is next to the Kings Crossing development, which currently includes a Wal-Mart and a Chuck E. Cheese.  The shopping center is on Richmond Highway across the street from the vacant Rite Aid.  County officials and local business organizations are not aware of any plans for the site. Calls to the leasing agents were not returned. So, what would you like to see occupy this storefront? Is there a type of business you think our community needs?  Take our poll or tell us in the comments!

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Route 1 Transit Study Moves Forward

Actions have been taken by both Prince William and Fairfax counties to move transit study initiative forward.

In 2011, I introduced and got passed a bill to initiate and fund the Route 1 Transit Study in both Fairfax and Prince William Counties. I am pleased to report that actions have been taken to move this initiative forward. Prince William County will propose a plan for their section of Route 1 and Fairfax Country a proposal for their part of Route 1. In Fairfax, the Fairfax Department of Transportation is going to perform an alternative analysis study to recommend various ways to assist with transit in this area. They have applied for a $2 million grant from the Federal Transit Authority. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit has made available $500,000 to assist with the alternative analysis study. Completing this alternative …

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Scott Surovell

10:07 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012

C- Federal Law does not allow the Federal Highway Administration to approve a new Route 1 design until a transit study has been completed that shows that the mode of transit contemplated is feasible from multiple perspectives - e.g. ridership, engineering, etc. I would like to just start widening Route 1, but it's not that simple. There are many moving pieces and I've written about this several …   more ›

Speak Out: Transitway to Alter Route 1 Intersections

Bus Rapid Transitway construction expected to begin in July.

North of the Richmond Highway corridor, the creation of the Crystal City-Potomac Yard transitway will alter the layout of Route 1 to offer fast, reliable and safe bus service, project planners said at a community meeting Wednesday at Cora Kelly Recreation Center. The Bus Rapid Transitway in Alexandria will consist of exclusive bus lanes in the median of Route 1 between Potomac Avenue and E. Glebe Road. The transitway will eventually connect Braddock Road and Pentagon City Metro stations. Work is being performed in partnership with Arlington County.   The northbound lanes of Route 1 are currently being expanded. To create the BRT, the existing northbound lanes will be repurposed with concrete for a two-lane bus way. There will be 12-foot …

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