Community Corner

Reston Station: Live, Work, Play, Shop, Catch a Train

Developer Comstock has specifics on what will be located at transit-oriented development.

(Second in a two-part series. To read the first installment, click here.)

What is now a commuter parking lot will eventually be a new mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhood when the first Silver Line Metro stop comes to Reston.

Comstock has big plans for what will be called Reston Station. The expiration of the Reston Center for Industry and Growth restrictions allows the developer to build residential units, but the vision is coming into place about what else will be located on top and close to the 2,300-space parking garage.

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"We're planning 1.2 million square feet of space," says Comstock spokeswoman  Maggie Parker. "One of the most exciting things is the station will connect to the plaza via a pedestrian bridge. You will land on the civic plaza."

The civic plaza will be "an inviting space for the arts, cyclists and pedestrians," said Parker.

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"It will have more of an urban flavor than the ," she said.

Comstock is envisioning the plaza as a pedestrian-friendly location that will be closed to cars from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It sees a place with public art (the company has had conversations with Reston's Initiative for Public Art), movies on the green, outdoor concerts.

Some of the highlights of the nine-acre area:

* Buildings will be built with the goal of obtaining LEED Silver certification.

* Residential: 550 residential rental units. Comstock is in talks with several area and national firms that have experience in and are interested in developing the transit-oriented development housing. Residents will be members of Reston Association.

Comstock will set aside 19.5 percent of the units as workforce housing.

In addition, Comstock will be establishing a fund to which they will contribute cash for every square foot of office space leased.

* Retail: There will be about 70,000 square feet of retail space. No anchor tenants have been signed yet, but Comstock is envisioning a little bit of everything. Parker says the company would like to have "a gourmet grocer, some white-tablecloth restaurants and speciality service stores to serve transit riders and residents."

* Office: 645,000 square feet of office space in three buildings. Nearby, the low-rise office condo complex and Kaiser Permanante will remain.

* Hotel: Comstock is planning for a 220-key hotel. No hotel company has been signed, but it could bring a high-end, boutique-style property.

* Parking: The underground parking garage, a public/private partnership between Comstock and Fairfax County, is scheduled to be completed in fall 2013.

There might be additional above-ground parking, but it will be screened in some fashion to camouflage cars.

* Other highlights: Comstock will aim for "significant" improvements to bicycle and pedestrian access and will make a cash contribution to Reston Association's Parks and Recreation department.


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