Development by the military and intelligence sectors in Tysons began in 1952 with the construction of a microwave transmission tower, known as the Tysons Corner Communications Tower, by the United States Army. Built upon the highest elevation in Fairfax County, the tower relayed microwave transmissions between Washington, D.C. and government facilities near the Blue Ridge Mountains to enable emergency continuity of government. Tysons itself was a rural crossroads community until 1961, when the Central Intelligence Agency completed its headquarters in nearby Langley. This spurred defense contractors to setup offices in Tysons. In 1962, real estate developer WestGroup received county approval to build its WestGate and WestPark office parks in Tysons which were among the first in the area. That same year, the county also approved plans for Lerner Enterprises to build the Tysons Corner Center shopping mall, which subsequently opened in 1968.