Politics & Government

Reston Barnes & Noble Closing in Early 2013

The Container Store will open in bookstore space as Spectrum gets ready for new look and expansion.

Reston's Barnes & Noble will close its doors in February 2013.

The lease for the longtime tenant at The Spectrum shopping center was not renewed. Lerner Enterprises, which owns the shopping center, says The Container Store will take over the 25,000-foot space in the fall of 2013.

 Barnes & Noble has shuttered many brick-and-mortar stores nationwide over the last two years as more people turn to iPad and e-reader books. As of now, there is no plan to open another location nearby.

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David Deason, Vice President of Development at Barnes & Noble, said the company wanted to stay in Reston and was willing to pay more to do so.

“We tried extremely hard to come to an agreement with the property owner to extend the lease at our Reston location, but despite our offering significant additional rent, the property owner was unwilling to agree to an extension," he said in an email. "We regret that we will be closing this location at the end of February, 2013.”

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Barnes & Noble's departure leaves Reston without a book store in which to purchase new books. Reston's Used Book Shop, located at will celebrate its 35th anniversary in January.

The Spectrum is set to undergo a massive renovation in coming years. Plans have been in the works for nearly a decade to transform the strip malls, home to such stores as   PetSmart and Office Depot.

After more than a year of delays and deferrals from the developers, the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Nov. 1 recommended for approval the renovation plans, which include a proposal for a mixed-use development. featuring 774,879 square feet of non-residential space and 1,426 multifamily housing units.

The new Spectrum will also feature a minimum of 4,648 parking spaces and 30 percent open space.

There are also plans to replace the five-story building at 1760 Reston Parkway, just next to The Spectrum, with a 23-story retail and office tower. That plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year.

The Spectrum plan will next move on to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for final approval. No date has been set.

"The proposed redevelopment of the application site requires the gradual removal and redevelopment of the existing Spectrum shopping center, with the exception of the existing Harris Teeter/Office Depot and drive-in financial institution which are located in the north end of the subject property," says a county staff report on the project.

To read the entire staff report, click here.

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