News and notes from Reston (tm).

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Craft Junkies Rejoice! Preliminary Plans for Plaza America Redevelopment Would Maintain Existing Retail

plaza.jpgAs redevelopment plans near the future Wiehle Metro station begin to emerge, we've wondered what will become of Plaza America, which, like the Spectrum Center, takes a traditional strip mall approach to retail which is really already out of character with present-day Reston, much less the future high-rise urban nightmare transit-oriented development. On the other hand, it's got a bitchin' craft store, and we'd hate to have to drive to Sterling the next time we need three gross of googly eyes. So we're torn.

But good news! Members of the Reston Master Plan Task Force Which Will Require All Future Task Forces To Have Acronyms of Twenty Letters or More (RMPTFWWRAFTFTHATLOM) have learned that Plaza America's owners plan to maintain the existing retail and build residential units above it.

Adam Schulman of Atlantic Realty and Jared Wilcox, architect, came to present preliminary AR plans re Plaza America. They are thinking of adding, in phases, 5 stories of residential (with underground garage) over the existing retail. They would keep the existing retail parking. 410-430 residential units; wood frame construction, pool outside/internal gym.
Sounds pretty nice. And if that wood frame construction ever shows signs of wear, you could always pop downstairs and get some glitter glue to fix it right up!

11 comments:

  1. Gee, I'm SO happy that they'll preserve the existing retail parking, which is ample, well designed, and easy to navigate. Talk about your excellent sight-lines!

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  2. Jeez. It's enough to make you wonder if any of these people have ever been in Modell's at the height of the fitness rush hour. Let's hope they find room for a Bed Bath & Beyond, so the people planning to live upstairs from the health club can replace all their dishes and glassware with snappy, shatterproof acrylic!

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  3. I'm with Anon 10:13 but nearly as subtle. The parking there SUCKS and is designed to make people be HATEFUL to one another. It brings out the very worst in selfish behavior in Reston, especially during the holiday season. We essentially boycott it on any weekends from about mid-Nov through end of Dec. because we've had such horrible experiences.

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  4. I thoroughly despise the parking lot at Plaza America. It needs to be ripped out and replaced with parking that actually makes sense.

    I'm hesitant to mention it, but I've found a very convenient and much less stupid alternative to that lot. The parking garage behind Whole Foods allows shopping center customers to park there, and is almost empty on weekends. Shhh! Don't tell anyone!

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  5. How is that out of character with the rest of Reston? It has an annoying parking lot, and you can't tell what's in there from the main road.

    Can you really build five stories out of wood? Wouldn't you feel every footstep and hear every toilet flush? Sounds like a future slum.

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  6. Most of the new towers in Reston, especially those on the east side of Reston Parkway, are twig structures. If you want poured concrete floors with a load-bearing exterior, then you may want to look at our totally rad garden apartments

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  7. Just wait a second here. Are they saying they'll add new apartments so that I could live above Champps? That would be an urban paradise! I mean who needs DC or Arlington when you can walk downstairs from your Plaza America apartment, and see all those hot waitresses in referee shirts.

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  8. Where are the North Restonian's going to shop without being able to get to our Beloved Whole Foods? No way with sunrise Valley a parking lot . . . stop the madness, I need my organic free range turkeys every year.

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  9. Oh darn, I meant Sunset Hills but no matter.

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  10. Amongst the 'Hoods in Colvin WoodsNovember 5, 2010 at 6:52 PM

    "How is that out of character with the rest of Reston? It has an annoying parking lot, and you can't tell what's in there from the main road."

    BEST REPLY EVER!

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