Members of the NVAR Commercial Council participated in the 2022 NAIOP Northern Virginia Bus Tour, exploring new developments and commercial properties inside the beltway. Known as the premier bus tour covering Northern Virginia, this event featured new information regarding key developments such as the construction of Amazon’s HQ-2 in National Landing, investments in art spaces in Old Town North, and the transformation at the Capital One Center in Tysons, and more.  

Before the Bus Tour, attendees had the chance to interact with exhibitors at an expo hall in National Landing, and to exchange information and network. The morning culminated in a raffle for a chance to win various prizes. Registrants then boarded the buses with their official NAIOP Bus Tour Guide, a 92-page book providing a comprehensive overview of the areas, properties, listings, features and trends covered during the tour.  

Highlights  

National Landing: Home of the trending Amazon HQ-2 development, National Landing comprises of three thriving neighborhoods – Pentagon City, Crystal City, and Potomac Yard. This large, walkable downtown area is fueled by $12 billion in public and private investment, enlivening street-level retail, entertainment, and public parks. This innovative district has inspired Virginia Tech to develop a $1B Innovation Campus, bringing emerging tech and cutting-edge research to Northern Virginia. It has also been reported that Boeing is reallocating resources to establish their Pentagon City office as their new headquarters.  

Old Town North: Old Town North, an area north of Oronoco Street and east of Washington Street, stretching up almost to National Airport, has evolved through new investments within the last five years. Much of the focus has been on providing art spaces and/or affordable housing, with several buildings under construction and other projects still in the development approvals pipeline. This extension of Alexandria’s commercial waterfront has been Alexandria’s first modern-era mixed-use neighborhood, emerging as a center for arts and innovation, with a diverse, growing population.  

Capital One Center and Tysons East Neighborhood: While it may seem unthinkable today, Tysons originated as a peach orchard in a rural farm town. It is now the 13th largest employment center in the country, ranking higher than many large cities. Sparkplugged by the arrival of the Silver Line metro in 2014, Tysons has expanded around four metro stations. Tysons has a 40-year master plan to grow from 100,000 employees and 17,000 residents to a vibrant, urban center home to 200,000 employees and 100,000 residents, with eight neighborhoods surrounding the four metro stations.  

Capital One first purchased land in Tysons nearly two decades ago. Their development has evolved to attract and retain the nation’s top talent, providing outdoor space and cultural amenities for the growing population. The Capital One Center is a 25-acre mixed-use development in the Tysons East neighborhood, located 500 steps from the McLean Metro Station and anchored by Capital One HQ.  

NVAR Commercial Council members thank the local police for providing an escort for the NAIOP Buses, as they used the Bus Tour as an opportunity to train and practice.  

The bus tour and subsequent mixer provided many opportunities for networking, bringing together professionals across the industry. Led by volunteer NVAR members, Lieu Nguyen (Chair), PJ Moore (Vice-Chair), Pauline Thompson, Peter Bixby-Eberhardt, Will Wiard, Deborah Marzano, Shirley Johnson-Boyd, Deniz Senyurt, Kristi Bick and Donna Kamm, the Commercial Council is emerging as an influential voice in our region. The council works continuously to help NVAR provide resources, knowledge, connections and opportunities to Realtors® who are looking to take their next (or first!) steps in the world of commercial real estate.