On the YouTubes: Reston Station From Above

Please to be enjoying this exciting view of Reston from one of the construction cranes working on building the vowel-free, 21-story BLVD apartments at the Wiehle Avenue Metro station. Among other things, we're told the crane operator goes up to the cab every morning with lunch, a drink, and "a bucket." Alrighty then!

We also learn that the first of the parallelogram office buildings to be built on the site is in the permitting process, but that there "is no tenant and no plan, at this point, to construct the 16-story, 350,000-square-foot, Helmut Jahn-designed property on spec." But where will we park the Official Restonian Action News Chopper until the helipad is built? It doesn't quite fit in our carport.

Meanwhile, the Connection news-paper did a "think piece" long article on the imminent arrival of the Silver Line, eliciting this quote from RA President Ken Knueven:

More companies making the move to Reston, with its new access to rail transportation as a factor when choosing an operating location is one of the benefits that Reston Association President Ken Knueven says they’ve been counting on. “The arrival of the Silver Line can’t help but positively impact our area economically through increased business opportunities, job opportunities and up-valuing our real estate.” A Reston resident since 1987, Knueven was quick to make assurances that the Reston values are being protected. “Sustainability, and the connection to the natural, right in our own commercial backyard, is part of what has made Reston the great community it is, and the Reston Association and our many civic organizations are working to ensure that the spirit of Reston is preserved as we move forward. Reston has been at the forefront of visionary community planning since its conception and we will stay there.”

TO THAT END, Knueven expressed his pleasure with the working coalition of so many involved in the Silver Line and the attendant developments. And it’s a pretty large group. Aside from the Reston and Herndon leadership, there is WMATA in the mix, VDOT, county governments and citizens’ advisory groups, and the Dulles Corridor stakeholders. “It’s along the tollway Corridor that you will see most of the development, and the highest density. We may not always agree, but everyone has come to the table, and I am happy to report that the work has been cooperative and goal oriented. Get cars off our roads wherever possible and provide our residents with exceptional opportunities to ‘Live, Work, Play and Get Involved’ – the Reston motto.” Part of Reston’s Phase 2 is focusing on the redevelopment of the town “villages.” “All of this, Metro and Reston’s growth and refreshing, goes together.”

Knueven does wish that the Wiehle-Reston Station East was not the short-term terminus for the Silver Line. “Of course that creates its own problems with traffic, but we have planned and prepared and will do everything we can to offset those problems. We have a variety if multimodal plans in play to make access to Metro and around Reston even easier for bikes, and pedestrians, as well as intersection improvements to help keep the traffic flowing. I really believe the positive effects far outweigh any of the possible growing pains.”

We'll find out soon enough.

Bonus points to the videographer, who, upon returning to the ground, points out that one of the garage's escalators is actually working. That's one more thing to add to the punch list, the end.