Dead Weight: Golds Gym Opening Another Blow to Tall Oaks

From the sudden closing of midscale chain eatery Chammps to the new ownership of its fitness center, it's been a busy month for signmakers at Plaza America. But Gold's Gym's move to take over operations of the former Fitness First is an apparent blow to one of Reston's older, more stucco-y, town centers.

You see, for more than a year, the rumor was that Gold's was going to move into the anchor spot at Tall Oaks Stucco Wasteland Shopping Center. This was never confirmed, but it was well known that Gold's was planning to expand to Reston. But apparently Tall Oaks' vacant spot, most recently the home of two short-lived international grocery stores selling sexist bread, Didn't Do. Who knows, maybe they were frightened by the lingering spirit of "Susie de los Santos".

It's now been nearly three years since Tall Oaks has had an anchor tenant. Not even 7-11 or Burger King could make a go of things there, and smaller tenants have left in recent years, although the village center is still home to a couple of Reston's finest, non midscale chain eateries.

So what exactly is going on? As RCC began exploring other potential locations for its planned indoor recreation center, Tall Oaks' management company apparently told them they're not interested in selling, according to our BFFs at Reston Now. With master planners possibly making a (long delayed) shift to focus on the existing village centers, they may just be biding their time, waiting to build a more modern midscale model of bollardy goodness. But that hasn't stopped other, more container-intensive stores from opening in spots whose days are already officially numbered.

All we know is three years is a long time for a major eyesore vacancy in a spot soon to be within walking distance of a Metro station, the end.