Tysons auto dealerships to close permanently, maybe setting stage for redevelopment

(Updated at 7:10 p.m.) Permanent closures are coming for three auto dealerships near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.

The Priority Nissan and Mazda shops, which share a building at 8525 Leesburg Pike, will close at the end of this month with either July 31 or Aug. 1 as their final day of business, a customer service representative told FFXnow.

Next door, Sheehy Infiniti of Tysons is set to leave 8527 Leesburg Pike on Aug. 10, an operator confirmed.

“All our services will be transferred to Chantilly,” the operator said, referring to the Sheehy Infiniti dealership at 4145 Auto Park Circle.

While unsure of the reason for the closures, the Priority representative said warranties for vehicles purchased in Tysons will continue to be honored, and customers can access services at other locations. The closest dealership is the Safford Brown Mazda and Nissan (11010 Fairfax Blvd) in Fairfax.

According to the Sheehy Infiniti operator, there are plans to build apartments on the site.

The roughly 12-acre parcel south of Route 7 near the Vesper Trail is part of the massive Dominion Square redevelopment plan approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2017.

Split into “east” and “west” portions along Spring Hill Road, the proposals from then-property owner Capital Automotive Real Estate Services (CARS) collectively envisioned replacing the existing auto dealerships with as much as 3.6 million square feet of mixed-use development.

About 2 million of that will be in Dominion Square East, which includes the Sheehy and Priority dealerships. The plan calls for six buildings, including multifamily residential, office, hotel and retail space, as well as new streets and recreational amenities, such as a public trail connection from the Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream Valley to the Spring Hill Metro station.

CARS sold the land for $60.2 million in 2019 to LHL Dominion Square LLC, an apparent affiliate of the New York-based apartment developer Algin Management.

It’s unclear what the impending dealership closures mean for the future development. Algin didn’t return a request for comment by press time, and no new applications have been filed with the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development.

“[DPD staff are] not aware of any proposed development,” a county public information officer said.

While there has been little movement on Dominion Square East since the development was approved, construction on at least part of the 7.6 acres to the west could begin as soon as December.

That’s when the nonprofit Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing anticipates breaking ground on two 21-story, all-affordable residential buildings at 1592 Spring Hill Road. The plan, which includes a community center for Tysons, was approved by the Fairfax County Planning Commission in February.

Hat tip to Adam Rubinstein. Images via Google Maps (photo, map)

Correction: This article originally misstated the closing date of Sheehy Infiniti as July 10, and apologies to Adam Rubinstein for the initial misspelling of his name.