No doubt it will a decade or two before we seen and development and who can blame Lerner for going ahead and getting approval before any new Reston plans are approved. It will not be soon for Reston Heights has a lot of land (Reston International) much closer to the TC Metro stop and that will be developed first. And think about it we now have more than 6 million sf of vacant commerical space along the toll road west from Hunter Mill.
So as much as I hate to see BN go it is a sign of the times and they were not bumped out by Lerner.

Am I missing something? It was my understanding that Borders lease was not renewed even though Borders wanted to renew. It was felt that the container store was a stopgap until the construction could begin. What happened? Why did we lose Borders if construction may be decades away?

Barnes and Noble said they wanted to renew and Lerner said they offered to renew it but they could not agree. Maybe Lerner wanted more rent money or maybe BN would not sigh up for 10 years. B&N announced recently they will be closing some 100 stores in the near future. So are stuck with a container store...I have never ever been one of those. What do they do?

Yes B&N not Borders. Senior moment I'm afraid. I've never been to a container store either. I guess they sell boxes..

This stunt could be one of two things:

1. An attempt to "shut up" opponents with what's essentially a deliberate mis-statement.

2. A realization that the "development fest" is over.

Both are highly likely. Developers, as well as their allies on the BOS have used this sort of thing to get people to stop paying attention to what they're doing - especially if it's something people don't like or oppose, then they work under the radar, hand in hand, in this case with Hudgins and then blind side you with it.

The other is that they've realized that the "development fest" is over. There are far too many empty or marginally filled buildings in both Fairfax and Loudoun (Loudoun looks worse to me). Anyone with sense would know better than to go "full steam ahead."

Which do I think it is? I think it's the first. Most developers get paid by investors. The investors lose the money, not them. The losses then trickle down to the rest of us. An investment company needs to layoff people, maintenance staff needs reduction or termination, some losses get passed on to the taxpayer - bankruptcy court and filings aren't free. A lot of developers will simply take their money and say "tough cookies, buyer beware."

They won't put this off. This is a stunt they're using, probably under Hudgins guidance to get the residents to "shut up." A population that doesn't know what's going on can't complain about it.

No they are trying to get the max zoning approved before any new master plan or rules go into effect. Like at 1760 Reston Parkway..the 23 story the bos approved, there is little demand right now as there is about 6 million sf of vacant commerical space in the Dulles corridor from Hunter Mill to the airport.
It is just rational for Lerner to try to get the max zoning up front so if there is a boom down the road they will be able to build as much as they can sell or rent. Makes business sense but the chances of any of this happening over the next decade is very, very remote. The growth military-industrial complex is coming to a halt for the Chinese do not have the money to loan us anymore. Like Rome when caesar crossed the Rubicon the end is in sight.

Thank the deities and dieties and braise the Lard! This is, as Martha Stewart might term it, "a good thing." Whew!

"Affordable housing" = more ghetto subsidized apartments. We already have more than anywhere else in FFX. Co, enough is enough. Also, why does Harris Teeter need twice as much space? That is ludicrous.

Analyst - It wasn't exactly an announcement. It was an answer to my question "Do you have a timetable?"

Given the high vacancy rate in Reston office space and the still slow improvement in the residential market, I expect Lerner to take their time to redevelop the Spectrum area. Indeed, the office and residential markets will be hit again with sequestration for however long it's in place.

The bad news is that the Spectrum effort and the 23-story Whelan building are beyond the 1/2-mile limit associated with transit-oriented development (TOD) limits. The implication is that, when fully developed, the two will add about 1,400 residences and 1.2 million square feet of non-residential uses. That will mean about 2,800 new residents, three-quarters of them workers, and about 3,700 new jobs.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these new workers and new jobs will be going to or coming to work via their personal vehicle. A few may live near where they work and walk or bike, fewer than one-fifth are likely to use transit if history is any indicator, and the rest will be on the road--Reston Parkway, Town Center Drive, Baron Cameron, etc. That will come to about 5,000 new vehicle trips per workday as a result of a Spectrum and Whelan build out.

We can hope that developers within the TOD area will move first and within in reason (market conditions permitting) and that the new residents and workers there are attracted to Metrorail for their commute.

Good I hope it takes decades. I will be out of this area by then.

Is there a limit on how long a developer can wait before starting on an approved development plan?

What if we gave a party and no one came? Fairfax County's political leadership is counting on new construction along the Silver Line and Route 28 to expand the tax base and allow continuation of low taxes. This has been the County's goal for at least the past ten years. A recent discussion of the County budget included the comment that financial pressures would be less in 2016/17 when new revenues started to flow from the Silver Line-based development.
But what if little or no development takes place? Vacancy rates in commercial space are high now. It's not clear how much demand exists for condos. The Federal government and defense contractors seem to be facing reduced spending. What if more landowners/builders follow the Lerners' example?