The monthly survey of the City of Falls Church’s Economic Development Office released Tuesday confirms that there is a flurry of new and impending openings of small retailers in the Little City this spring.
Other big news contained in the report is that the Spectrum condominiums project at 444 W. Broad is now officially sold out, and the popular Clare and Don’s Beach Shack has been approved for a variance that will permit the restaurant to build a 600 square foot second level deck above its existing outdoor seating area now expected to be open next spring.
The new businesses reported include Beadazzled (beads and jewelry), Caribbean Plate, Curry Mantra 2, Dominion Jewelers (in their new space at 917 W. Broad, site of the old Zunzal), Stylish Patina near the Artspace Falls Church on S. Maple, Sleepy’s Mattresses,and the Front Porch (furniture repair and sales).
The new restaurants, Caribbean Plate and Curry Mantra 2, have taken the City by storm. The first, located in the recently-rebuilt two-story 101 Annandale Road building that rose from the ashes of its older predecessor that burned down in 2011, has a cheerful Caribbean-style interior and a range of tasty items from barbecue chicken to a surprisingly tasty shrimp salad. Curry Mantra 2, in the West End shopping center (home of Kennedy’s, Economy Party Supply and more, offers Indian fare, including a buffet, to compete with the highly-acclaimed Haandi a couple blocks away, and eases the burden on sparse parking by offering a valet service.
Soon to open are the following: Zinga Frozen Yogurt at 1106 W. Broad next to the Giant; a Subway location next to the new Dunkin’ Donuts in the new 101 Annandale Rd. building; Troika-Gastronom grocery in the Tower Square shopping center at 157 Hillwood; Five Rings Fitness behind the Meat in a Box (where a major building renovation is now underway); Orange Monkey, a frozen yogurt place next to Curry Mantra 2; Bambu Desserts and Drinks, a large chain, in the Eden Center; Edible Arrangements, coming in next to the Dunkin’ Donuts; a frozen and soft yogurt business at 230 W. Broad; and, two separate uses on the ground floor of the Broadway, 502 W. Broad that are coming soon, Ortho Care and Urgent Care services.
Also, plans for the addition of a Burger 7 location next to the Staples in the Falls Plaza shopping center have shifted. The Burger 7 people decided it would be too close to another Burger 7 just up the road in the Idyllwood Plaza so, instead, they’ll offer steak and chicken “shawarma” (Mediterranean-style seasoned, grilled and shaved meat sandwiches).
While Bob Young’s architecturally-creative renovation of his multi-retail building at Annandale and S. Washington St. (catty-corner to the 101 Annandale Building, where Meat in the Box is staying open) continues to turn heads, the Northgate project on N. Washington and Hilton Garden Inn on W. Broad are rising out of the ground and the Odd Fellows Hall at 105 N. Maple is under contract for sale.
Young, known for the novel Art Nouveau architecture at two of his buildings on W. Broad, the Read Building and the so-called Flower Building, will be bestowing another such novel artistic treasure on the more modest structure he’s now renovating.
In addition, the Falls Church City Council, its budget deliberations by and large complete, will be turning its attention to two large-scale mixed use projects that are before it with special exception applications, and that are eager to proceed once those applications are approved.
The first is the Rushmark Properties project in the 200-300 block of W. Broad, which will be anchored by a large Harris-Teeter grocery store. The second is a Lincoln Properties project on S. Washington that is slated to feature another grocery store, the Fresh Market. The two prospective groceries will be supplemented by a third, the 44,000-square foot Good Fortune Supermarket, set to open the end of this year or early 2014 in the Eden Center (site of the former National Wholesale Liquidators).
