0. Transforming Tysons Barbara Byron
Office of Community Revitalization Fairfax County, Virginia
September 16, 2014

1. What’s Happening? What’s happening in Tysons? A lot!
2005 – Planning for Tysons with Silver Line Begun
Task Force representing full spectrum of stakeholders
100+ public workshops, outreach sessions and public hearings
Over 4 years discussion about “what Tysons should be”
Resulted in shared community plan for Tysons
2010 – Tysons Plan Amendment Adopted
Moved into implementation phase
Creating new ways to make the community vision for Tysons happen
2014 – Visual Transformation of Tysons Evident
The Silver Line is open
Developments have been approved
Development activity is occurring
The Plan is happening!
Discuss some of the planning background (earlier plans had rail/no rail options)
2010 – mention staff changes (core team, dedicated site plan reviewers, exploration of urban development)

2. Vision for Tysons A Livable Urban Center
Multi-modal transportation options
Focus on urban design and the pedestrian realm
Transportation infrastructure coordinated with development
Improved jobs/housing balance
200,000 jobs; 100,000 residents
Growth focused at Metro (75% of growth within 1/2 mile)
This is to just sort of throw up on the screen what topics you’ll cover more as follows 2

3. Tysons Today Economic engine of No. Va. 12th largest CBD in U.S.
49 million sq. ft. of development
28 million sq. ft. of office
12 million sq. ft. of residential
6 million sq. ft. of retail
3 million hotel, industrial, car dealerships, etc.
Poor jobs/housing balance with
105,000 jobs/17,000 residents
167,000 parking spaces
Lack of parks, public facilities
Auto-oriented, single-use pattern
CHANGE FROM 2010 – APPROX
2 million more development overall
1 million more office
1 million more residential
1 million more retail
1 million LESS etc. (hotel / industrial / auto dealers +)
Image source: Fairfax County EDA 3

4. Tysons Today New development primarily a mix of residential and office
Near term market appears to favor residential products
Current residential focus is rental apartments
Owner-occupied on horizon
12th largest business district in the U.S. and largest outside of a central city
More office space that Downtown Denver, Cleveland, Baltimore, or Atlanta.
Wasn’t planned for lots of residential, so parks and public facilities were not a significant part of earlier planning efforts
Image source: Fairfax County EDA 4

5. Implementing the Vision
19 rail-related development applications have been approved to date:
13 million sq. ft. of office
15 million sq. ft. of residential
2 million sq. ft. of retail and hotel
(in addition to what is existing and under construction today)
9 additional rail-related development applications under review
4 million sq. ft. of office
8 million sq. ft. of residential
1 million sq. ft. of retail and hotel
If all are built:  93M sq. ft. total development in Tysons
An increase of over 23,600 residential units
An increase in the ratio of non-residential to residential from 3:1 to 3:2
Today 10,000 residential units 5

6. Vision: People-Focused Urban Setting
A place people want to live, work and play
A new grid of streets to break up superblocks into pedestrian scale
Urban standards for buildings, services, roads, public facilities and infrastructure
Incorporation of parks, public facilities, cultural and institutional uses
Tysons today has a
Image source: PB PlaceMaking 6

7. Vision: Focus Density/Improve Use Mix
TOD development pattern: Focus density at metro stations
- 1/8 and 1/4 mile rings have no maximum FAR
1/3 and 1/2 mile rings planned for FAR
Orange areas are assigned specific densities in the Plan, up to 1.8 FAR plus bonuses
Yellow areas are planned for low densities to provide a transition to the surrounding neighborhoods

8. Shift in Employment and Housing
2011
2050
Red Dot = 50 Employees
Blue Dot = 50 Residents

9. Vision: Quality Urban Design
Tysons Corner Urban Design Guidelines; endorsed by BOS in Integral part of all recent applications design
Support the transition from an auto-oriented suburban place into a cohesive, functional, pedestrian-oriented and memorable urban destination

10. Vision: Parks and Active Rec
Concept Parks Plan for Tysons; update to concept in Comprehensive Plan
“Green network” will be public and private: small urban pocket parks, civic plazas and common greens, two large central parks
90 acres of parkland in Tysons today
Additional 50 acres have been proffered via approved applications
3.5 new athletic fields have been proffered via approved applications
New residents in high-density environments– parks will be essential.
Plan sets a hierarchy of urban parks modeled on successful park standards in cities like Seattle and New York.
Also a need for athletic fields, but since land is at a premium, we are looking at creative strategies like rooftop fields.
Currently have commitments for 3.5 athletic fields approved, plus 2 confirmed in current cases, working with the rest of the applicants
Image source: LCOR/WDG Architecture; 10

11. Vision: Public Facilities
6 existing public facilities within Tysons
Additional facilities needed to meet new demands resulting from development
Fairfax has been aggressive in securing facilities with development applications
Existing Facility
(1) Fire Station #29
(2) Dominion Power Electrical Substation
(3) U.S. Post Office
(4) Fairfax Water Storage Tank
(5) Tysons Corner Center Community Space
(6) Westgate Elementary School
Proffered Facility
(7) Replace Fire Station #29
(8) Arts Office & Funding
(9) New Elementary School
(10) Community Center
(11) New Fire Station
(12) College/Community Space
(13) Indoor Recreation Space
Additional commitments for facilities include: a new fire station, a relocated fire station, a new elementary school site, a community center, and education and indoor recreation spaces 11

12. Vision: Increase Transportation Options
Fundamental to success of Tysons
Multi-modal
Urban Standards
Multifaceted public/private funding plan
Construction with development
Road fund contributions
Tax District
Federal, State and Local funds 12

13. Transit - Metrorail Silver Line
Metrorail Silver Line opened for service on July 26, 2014
Other transit options adjusted, including Fairfax Connector and Metrobus
Tysons Circulator
Pedestrian access improvements for key links to Metro 13

14. Smaller, walkable, human-scale blocks
Improved Road Network
2010
2050
In addition, larger transportation improvements are in design.
The first large project to be completed will be the Jones Branch Connector, a new multi-use crossing over I-495.
Tysons “super-blocks
Smaller, walkable, human-scale blocks
An urban street grid = pedestrian scale, more choices for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians
Intersection improvements in surrounding neighborhoods

15. Greater Accessibility in Tysons
Facilities for pedestrians, bikes, transit vehicles, and cars
currently 2.7 mi of bike lanes and shared use paths
propose 57.7 mi by 2050
Expanded bicycle network and bicycle parking requirements
Ashgrove Trail – complete
Vesper Trail – in design
Sidewalks included in all new developments
currently 47mi of sidewalks
critical links of up to 7.5 mi to be added, plus new street sidewalks
TMSAM projects – 11/41 completed to date. County has allocated $21.7M for these projects 15

16. 2014 Building Deliveries
In 2014, three major buildings were delivered:
The Ascent at Spring Hill (404 unit, high-rise residential)
First building constructed under the new Plan and Zoning District
Tysons Tower (526,000 sq. ft. office)
Largest in Tysons since 2002
Ovation at Park Crest (231 unit, high-rise residential) 16

17. Under Construction There are 7 buildings currently under construction:
Two residential buildings with 890 units total (1M sq. ft. total)
Retail expansion of the Tysons Corner Center (37M sq. ft. total)
Hyatt Regency hotel at Tysons Corner Center (252M sq. ft. total)
3 additional office buildings (1M sq. ft. total)
Anticipate an additional 6 buildings will begin construction within 12 months 17

18. Community Building
Tysons Partnership: Partner in implementing the Vision 18