[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF TYSONS CORNER CENTER

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                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 27, 2018

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 50th anniversary 
of Tysons Corner Center and to celebrate the opening of a new art 
exhibit which will showcase the journey this location has experienced 
over the last half-century. Truly, no area in the 11th Congressional 
District or in the Commonwealth of Virginia has had a more 
transformative impact on the regional or statewide economy than Tysons.
   In the 1950's, Tysons Corner consisted of a single intersection and 
was surrounded by a few small stores and a fruit stand operated by 
William Tyson, for whom the area is named. It was a rural area; in 
fact, Fairfax County was considered the dairy capital of the 
Commonwealth of Virginia. However, this bucolic life was soon to be 
transformed when in 1962, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors 
approved the construction of a new shopping center originally called 
Tysons Corner Shopping Center. At the time of its opening, Tysons 
Corner Center was the largest enclosed mall in the world, and to this 
day, remains the largest shopping mall in Virginia and in the 
Baltimore-Washington area. Today, Tysons Corner Center is one of the 10 
largest malls in the United States and consists of more than 2.1 
million square feet, 16 movie screens, and more than 300 retail stores, 
eateries, and restaurants. Even the most optimistic among us could not 
have foreseen what that decision would bring to Tysons, to Fairfax 
County and to Northern Virginia as a whole. It was the beginning of 
Tysons' transformation into the thriving urban center that it is today. 
Tysons has grown to become the economic engine of Fairfax County and by 
extension, of the entire state.
   This transformation continues through to today and will continue for 
decades into the future. Following the success of Tysons Corner Center, 
the area surrounding the mall began attracting large businesses and 
employers. Sadly, the infrastructure and overall planning to manage 
this unprecedented growth lagged far behind. In 2011, there were 
105,000 jobs in Tysons, but only 17,000 residents.
   Recognizing the tremendous growth that was underway and the 
challenges it created, I convened a task force as Chairman of the Board 
of Supervisors to develop a plan to harness that transformative energy 
and direct it towards the creation of a new, transit-oriented 
development and thriving urban community. The Comprehensive Plan that 
we developed calls for 200,000 jobs and 100,000 permanent residents and 
a key element of this plan was the creation of the Silver Line, which 
would finally deliver a permanent rail link between our area's major 
international airport and downtown Washington, D.C. Phase 1 of this 
project was completed in 2014 and the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held 
at the new Metro station for Tysons Corner Center.
   Another focus of the Tysons plan, in addition to encouraging 
transit-oriented development, was a renewed focus on public art in this 
urban space. I am therefore very pleased that Tysons Corner Center has 
elected to install an art exhibit featuring local artists to celebrate 
this golden anniversary. The work begun by Tysons Corner Center fifty 
years ago continues to this day and I trust that this location will 
remain a fixture of Fairfax County and of Northern Virginia for another 
half-century.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in once again 
congratulating Tysons Corner Center on its 50th anniversary and in 
extending my thanks to those visionaries, developers, planners, and 
their partners in the public and private sectors who have worked so 
diligently to make the success of the last fifty years possible. I also 
wish to thank the Macerich Corporation and the Lerner Group, who have 
been steadfast and invaluable partners throughout the development 
process. I thank them for their immense contributions to our community 
and wish them continued success.

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