JBG arrives in Reston with new town center project

Friday, November 30, 2007
JBG arrives in Reston with new town center project
Washington Business Journal - by Joe Coombs Senior Staff Reporter
 
Ongoing construction and the future arrival of Metrorail will soon transform the Dulles Toll Road corridor, and The JBG Cos. is drafting plans to be part of those changes.

The Chevy Chase-based developer has embarked on a 35-acre town center project that will surround the current Reston International Center office building on Sunrise Valley Drive. JBG wants to demolish a small group of buildings next to the International Center, and replace them with 498 residential units, a 210,000-square-foot office building and about 100,000 square feet of retail space.

The plan also calls for various upgrades to the 15-story Reston International Center to bring it to Class A status, said John Schlichting, JBG's managing director.

The site is also within a quarter-mile of a future Metro stop at Reston Parkway.

"Our intentions are to build vibrant, amenity-rich projects near Metro," Schlichting said. "Connectivity is critical to that area, not just to Metro but to Reston Town Center and other properties."

Future plans include an additional 1.5 million square feet of retail and office space at what will be called Reston Heights. In the town center's first phase, JBG is building a 175-room Westin hotel set to open in the spring of 2008.

JBG also will reserve 12 percent of Reston Heights' residential units for work force housing, Schlichting said. The developer is banking on government contractors and other large tenants to fill out Reston Heights' office space, and retail will be an important element of the plan, Schlichting said.

"We've got a number of ideas," he said. "It could include some luxury retail and an upscale grocery store. We believe the south side of the toll road is under-amenitized in that regard."

Source: Washington Business Journal. View Article.

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