Economic climate leads Comstock to temporarily halt Downtown Herndon redevelopment

The redevelopment of Downtown Herndon through a partnership between the Town of Herndon and Reston-based developer Comstock is temporarily on pause.

The project, which was expected to break ground nearly two years ago, could be on pause for up to two years, according to a statement in the town’s business community newsletter, published Wednesday afternoon (July 13). The town says the pause was the result of “increases in construction costs for the project.”

“Comstock continues working to ensure that they can quickly commence the project as soon as economic conditions allow,” the newsletter said.

That means the latest construction would begin is in April 2024. Town spokesperson Anne Curtis said no other information on the topic was available.

The plan would redevelop nearly five acres of land into a mixed-use project with 273 apartments and roughly 17,000-square-feet of retail. An arts center and a 726-space parking garage are also planned as part of the project.

The news comes after months of little to no information about the project being disclosed to the public. In May, town staff said they were working with Comstock to negotiate a new construction schedule and financing package.

The cost of the $101 million project increased by $25 million due to issues related to materials, labor, and workforce restrictions caused by the pandemic. It’s unclear what the current estimate is.

Comstock’s agreement with the town, which was passed in November of 2020, allows the developer to pause construction due to market conditions and other issues.

“The town will continue working with Comstock to move the project forward and will provide an update project schedule once available,” the newsletter said.

For now, the development site will continue being used as a site for shared parking.

A spokesperson for Comstock did not immediately return a request for comment.