Photos: Heming apartment building in Scotts Run on track for 2023 finish

When it’s completed, Heming residents will be able to see all of Tysons from their home. On clear days, D.C. and even mountains to the west can be glimpsed from the top floors.

Those upper levels are now coming into place after construction workers reached the top of the 28-story luxury apartment high-rise on March 10, keeping developer Skanska on track to deliver its first units in mid-2023.

A centerpiece of the Scotts Run development emerging next to the McLean Metro station, Heming will feature 410 apartment units, including 82 affordable dwelling units and 12 larger, two-story apartments.

It will also boast 38,000 square feet of retail space and a three-floor outdoor plaza called “The Levels.” Two of the levels will be publicly accessible, while the third will have a swimming pool, outdoor gardens, and other amenities exclusive to residents.

“One of the things we focused on — and really, it kind of grew out of the master plan for Scotts Run — was a heavier focus on the retail component,” Mark Carroll, Skanska’s executive vice president of commercial development in D.C., told FFXnow during a tour of the construction site yesterday (Monday).

Expected to ultimately encompass 6.5 million square feet of development on 30 acres of land along Route 123, Scotts Run currently consists of the Mitre 4 office building, Archer Hotel Tysons, and The Kingston and Haden apartment buildings, which don’t include retail.

Before starting construction on Heming in August 2020, Skanska talked to retail brokers and consultants to gauge whether the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the viability of the planned commercial space, according to Carroll.

While some nearby developments have backed away from retail, Skanska decided to move forward without altering its plans. It envisions the 1800 Chain Bridge complex of restaurants, shops, and services as an alternative to Tysons’ malls for both Scotts Run residents and visitors from McLean and even Great Falls.

“It’s going to be a different concept than the mall,” Carroll said. “…We felt like there was still a large need that it could fill not only for this development, but also some of the other neighborhoods around the area.”

Carroll says Scotts Run’s accessibility to Tysons, nearby McLean, and the Metro station was a critical draw for Skanska, which announced its Heming project in 2019. The overall master plan was created by developer Cityline Partners and architectural firm SmithGroup.

In addition to the abundance of retail, Heming will be distinguished by an emphasis on outdoor spaces, inspired by its proximity to Scott’s Run Trail.

Along with “The Levels,” whose public areas will have outdoor seating, landscaping, and a water feature, the building will include an outdoor courtyard for residents on its 25th floor.

A private street that will be built on the Route 123 side could be blocked off for events, such as farmers’ markets. Dubbed Platform Avenue, the road will cut through what’s currently a gravel-covered construction site, connecting Colshire to Dartford Drive.

“One of the things we’ve tried to focus on is trying to create connections to the outdoors — outdoor spaces that are more walkable — while still getting the benefits of some of the density being around the Metro,” Carroll said.