Reston Town Center, still under the thumb of Boston Properties, remains more sluggish than before the disastrous parking debacle. Over 30 businesses departed with very few replaced by anything near their equal. We do miss the old days, but there are a few glimmers of hope – for example, the long-awaited arrival of Metro on RTC’s southern edge, a high quality 2022 holiday parade, Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse restaurant, and hopefully a replacement for the leveled Mercury fountain.
But still there are gaping holes around the ice rink and on the west end. What about the prospect of a performing arts center across from the RTC Metro Station? The space proffered for it by BP is smaller than what Founder Robert Simon hoped would be a regional attraction for world-class entertainment. I like the idea in principle, especially along the lines Bob envisioned. However, it appears that the combined efforts of BP and Fairfax County will likely result in either a more modest (perhaps 500 seat venue), or, perhaps a compact athletic field. The latter is something sorely needed due to greatly increased demand as we grow to over 100,000 people with little space for additional fields.
2023 is another election year for Reston. We get to vote for Hunter Mill Supervisor. One-term incumbent Walter Alcorn got out of the gate early announcing he will seek a second term. Fully recovered from bypass surgery, he has proven to be a high energy Supervisor (a term I really dislike). As the centerpiece of his first term, he engineered a new model Comprehensive Plan for Reston’s future to take us from about 63,000 to perhaps 120,000 a generation from now. The Plan is wending its way slowly through the Fairfax County processes to likely final approval in spring 2023.
Following demonstrations by Reston’s homeless, tent resident population, Alcorn unveiled a truly major affordable housing initiative, comprising about 400 new units in north Town Center, near his office and the Reston police station. Unfortunately, the small group of existing, nice-looking brick, affordable units nearby will be torn down to accommodate part of the new project. The new project doesn’t address lowest-income homeless persons such as those in tents. It will be dedicated more to median income families. But, it is a step in the right direction. This Progressive hopes that Alcorn will set his sights lower if re-elected.
In other news, I can assure you that the Reston Farmers Market will indeed return to Lake Anne for its 26th season in 2023, on Saturday, April 29 to be precise.