
JBG Companies: A Good Neighbor 02/08/2008 : Connection JBG Companies: A Good Neighbor JBG awarded Reston honors for reaching out to the community. This is the second article in the series on 2008 Best of Reston Award Winners. As the Reston community grapples with the transformations brought on by the turn of the century, a development company’s vision for 35 acres along the Dulles Toll Road could shape Reston’s features around one of its landmarks, the Reston International Center. The land, which stretches east of the Reston Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive intersection, is planned to erect 16 buildings, including residential, office and hotel buildings with retail components as a part of them. The project's perspective is based on environmental sustainability, according to John Schlichting, managing director for JBG Companies. What the Reston community can come to expect out of Reston Heights, the 35-acre site JBG will develop, he said, is commitment that the development will be LEED silver, or better, certified for its environmental features that 12 percent of the residential units will be preserved for workforce housing. “One of our goals is to always become an integral part of the community we are working in,” said Schlichting. “A good developer is a good neighbor,” he said. In terms of the workforce housing commitment, Schlichting said it is important to preserve affordable housing at metro stations. The west end of Reston Heights is only about a quarter of a mile from the planned Reston Parkway metro station. Schlichting said having such housing on metro lines would help control and reduce the sprawl experienced in the region. “We can’t continue to grow with people buying and renting farther and farther out,” he said. Apart from Reston Heights, JBG also owns a building at the other planned Reston metro station, at Wiehle Avenue. As a part of JBG’s philosophy, the employees are required to reach beyond their desks and get involved in the communities they and the companies serve, said Schlichting. Following that philosophy, JBG became involved in a number of Reston organizations and events. The companies sponsored the 2007 Taste of the Town to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the 2007 Reston Home Tour to benefit the Reston Historic Trust. Schlichting himself sits on four different boards of directors, including the Dulles Corridor Rail Association board. “Serving the community is an important philosophy,” said Schlichting about the companies’ and his personal involvement in community organizations. For their efforts in sponsoring Reston events and becoming active in Reston organizations, JBG was awarded the 2008 Best of Reston honor. “I think it’s wonderful,” said Schlichting about what the award means to the developer In an attempt to reach out to the Reston community, JBG hired Myers Public Relations to find most effective ways to have a positive impact on the community. “They ask questions and they listen to measure what’s the flavor in this community,” said Marion Myers, president of Myers Public Relations. “They are sincere and I appreciate that.” Despite being relatively new to Reston, Myers said JBG was eager to help. “No sooner did they go in did they get involved,” she said. Myers added that it is refreshing to see a developer focus resources on things JBG focuses on, such as transit-oriented development. “They are a very large, very well-established development company and they are so concentrated on workforce housing and green technology,” said Myers. She said Reston Heights’ environmental commitment is not only very important to Reston and its residents, but also to the rest of the world. “It is certainly to the advantage of everyone,” said Myers. Pam Nicoson, Dulles Rail Association president, said JBG would not introduce development already seen throughout the region, office buildings with delis below. “They have a larger vision of what these neighborhoods might look like,” said Nicoson. “They genuinely want to create something any resident in Reston might enjoy. Nicoson is thrilled about the missed uses planned for the Reston Heights development. “They get what rail offers,” she said about JBG’s commitment to affordable housing and need for residential and commercial development near metro stations. “We are very fortunate to have a project of the caliber of Reston Heights at the Reston [Parkway] station when rail comes,” said Nicoson.

JBG Companies: A Good Neighbor

02/08/2008 : Connection
JBG Companies: A Good Neighbor

JBG awarded Reston honors for reaching out to the community. This is the second article in the series on 2008 Best of Reston Award Winners.

As the Reston community grapples with the transformations brought on by the turn of the century, a development company’s vision for 35 acres along the Dulles Toll Road could shape Reston’s features around one of its landmarks, the Reston International Center. The land, which stretches east of the Reston Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive intersection, is planned to erect 16 buildings, including residential, office and hotel buildings with retail components as a part of them. The project's perspective is based on environmental sustainability, according to John Schlichting, managing director for JBG Companies. What the Reston community can come to expect out of Reston Heights, the 35-acre site JBG will develop, he said, is commitment that the development will be LEED silver, or better, certified for its environmental features that 12 percent of the residential units will be preserved for workforce housing. “One of our goals is to always become an integral part of the community we are working in,” said Schlichting. “A good developer is a good neighbor,” he said. In terms of the workforce housing commitment, Schlichting said it is important to preserve affordable housing at metro stations. The west end of Reston Heights is only about a quarter of a mile from the planned Reston Parkway metro station. Schlichting said having such housing on metro lines would help control and reduce the sprawl experienced in the region. “We can’t continue to grow with people buying and renting farther and farther out,” he said. Apart from Reston Heights, JBG also owns a building at the other planned Reston metro station, at Wiehle Avenue.

As a part of JBG’s philosophy, the employees are required to reach beyond their desks and get involved in the communities they and the companies serve, said Schlichting. Following that philosophy, JBG became involved in a number of Reston organizations and events. The companies sponsored the 2007 Taste of the Town to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the 2007 Reston Home Tour to benefit the Reston Historic Trust. Schlichting himself sits on four different boards of directors, including the Dulles Corridor Rail Association board. “Serving the community is an important philosophy,” said Schlichting about the companies’ and his personal involvement in community organizations.

For their efforts in sponsoring Reston events and becoming active in Reston organizations, JBG was awarded the 2008 Best of Reston honor. “I think it’s wonderful,” said Schlichting about what the award means to the developer

In an attempt to reach out to the Reston community, JBG hired Myers Public Relations to find most effective ways to have a positive impact on the community. “They ask questions and they listen to measure what’s the flavor in this community,” said Marion Myers, president of Myers Public Relations. “They are sincere and I appreciate that.”

Despite being relatively new to Reston, Myers said JBG was eager to help. “No sooner did they go in did they get involved,” she said.

Myers added that it is refreshing to see a developer focus resources on things JBG focuses on, such as transit-oriented development. “They are a very large, very well-established development company and they are so concentrated on workforce housing and green technology,” said Myers. She said Reston Heights’ environmental commitment is not only very important to Reston and its residents, but also to the rest of the world. “It is certainly to the advantage of everyone,” said Myers.

Pam Nicoson, Dulles Rail Association president, said JBG would not introduce development already seen throughout the region, office buildings with delis below. “They have a larger vision of what these neighborhoods might look like,” said Nicoson. “They genuinely want to create something any resident in Reston might enjoy.

Nicoson is thrilled about the missed uses planned for the Reston Heights development. “They get what rail offers,” she said about JBG’s commitment to affordable housing and need for residential and commercial development near metro stations. “We are very fortunate to have a project of the caliber of Reston Heights at the Reston [Parkway] station when rail comes,” said Nicoson.