Could Springfield really be a destination?

[Anonymous]

Looks like it could be a good place for shopping and dining, as early as this year.

http://kingstowne.patch.com/groups/business-news/p/springfield-town-center-to-open-in-october

Coupled with BRAC, will housing prices go up? We are thinking of moving that way and do not want to get caught in the upswing of values.

[Anonymous]

Not a destination but I think it will provide a nice amenities for the area - Kingstowne, Springfield and Burke

[Anonymous]

Wait. Chuy's of Austin, TX, is coming to Springfield?? So. Excited.

But no, I don't think it will make a huge difference, because at least in the area around the mall, which is pretty developed, it's mostly smaller, older homes, and the schools at least directly nearby, aren't all that special. West Springfield, which has always been in higher demand, is a little bit of a drive still. It will make traffic a problem, which it already is in that area, so I'm interested to see what they do there.

But exciting to see what's coming in. I wish they could do something similar with Landmark.

[Anonymous]

No, but it should be lightyears better than when the rundown gang infested springfield mall closed!

[Anonymous]

You can't build a fake city that you have to drive to. It needs to be multi-use!! Not apartments across the street and not just for certain demographics.

You need side walks and everything connected. Alexandria and DC and Arlington work because they are walkable. You don't park at X and walk to Y.

It will be better than what was there, but they didn't tear down enough to make it truely work. It won't be successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't build a fake city that you have to drive to. It needs to be multi-use!! Not apartments across the street and not just for certain demographics.

You need side walks and everything connected. Alexandria and DC and Arlington work because they are walkable. You don't park at X and walk to Y.

It will be better than what was there, but they didn't tear down enough to make it truely work. It won't be successful.

Yard House, Chuy's, I'm excited.

It won't be Arlington. But what about the suburban malls: Tyson's I and II, Fair Oaks, etc?

[Anonymous]

It will likely raise prices in W Springfield and Burke, but probably not in N Springfield.

[Anonymous]

Town Centers in Reston and Fairfax certainly bumped up values in those areas. Yes, I think if you want to buy there, you should do it soon - spring or summer - before prices really start to go up. Come September, prices will be overinflated and people will buy and then lose value as they come back down to appropriate levels for outside of the beltway.

[Anonymous]

We live in W. Springfield, and in the past couple of years, prices have really gone up. It is a pretty great place to live, and not terribly far from the city, so I don't doubt it.

As PPs say, it won't be Arlington, but it will be pretty great. And the metro is right there, so I wouldn't be surprised if it is a little more like Tysons or Vienna. Which is great!

[Anonymous]

I hope to hell it won't be like Arlington. Really looking forward to this opening.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

I'm not too far from Springfield, and I don't know where it is.

[Anonymous]

The major issue is that the area around it has very low incomes and poor performing schools. Could this change all that? Yes maybe but you need at least another external factor to give an area a chance to improve or else it will end up like bailey's cross roads skyline area.

[Anonymous]

Eh...skyline doesn't have metro and is a completely different set of demographics. There is money in Springfield and Burke. Schools right around the town center aren't great, but further west they are some of the best in Nova. The types of stores coming in mean people who evaluate areas for a living think this will be a success. People love a town center...especially in the warm months. Shame it will debut in Oct right as it gets cold. Area prices will go up, esp. west of the town center. Looks like there is country club down that way according to Google maps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh...skyline doesn't have metro and is a completely different set of demographics. There is money in Springfield and Burke. Schools right around the town center aren't great, but further west they are some of the best in Nova. The types of stores coming in mean people who evaluate areas for a living think this will be a success. People love a town center...especially in the warm months. Shame it will debut in Oct right as it gets cold. Area prices will go up, esp. west of the town center. Looks like there is country club down that way according to Google maps.

Which is exactly why the streetcar on Columbia Pike needs to be built. Metro would have been even better of course, but that's 4x as expensive.