A Chantilly-based property management company wants to transform the Fair Oaks Business Park into a 22-acre mixed-use development.
According to Fairfax County records, the project, dubbed Fairfax Crossing, aims to replace the 1980s office park with 706 housing units, 20,000 square feet of retail, a 1.6-acre central park and 2.25 miles of pedestrian walkways.
Located in the southeast quadrant of the intersection of Waples Mill Road and Pender Drive, the area is currently a mix of 11 low-rise offices and is owned by the property management firm Peterson Companies.
Peterson has requested that the county change the property from industrial to a Planned Development Commercial zone, stating that the current building fails to “provide a communal gathering area to serve the existing Fairfax Ridge residents and numerous office tenants.”
The development would consist of 420 multi-family apartments across two buildings and 286 stacked townhomes, with 140 units designated as affordable for those earning 60% of the area median income.
One of the apartment buildings would include up to 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail or amenity space and a 1.6-acre Central Park, supported by an above-grade parking garage. The developer is also seeking an option to alternatively build a continuing care facility for seniors “to preserve flexibility.”
The affordable housing units would be located in the second apartment building, which is planned to be 75 feet tall with a mix of structure and surface parking spaces.
The project area includes three parcels, one of which hosts Inova’s Kellar School, a therapeutic education program that serves students in grades 3 through 12 who qualify for special education services.
In 2022, Peterson acquired the two adjacent parcels to Kellar for $36.5 million, per the Washington Business Journal, which first reported on the application.
Kellar currently occupies approximately 27,660 square feet. Peterson Companies plans to retain the property’s existing layout, with an additional 14,000 square feet designated for potential future expansion, according to the application.
“Fairfax Crossing will include a diversity of housing options — providing attainable housing welcoming an array of residents across various income levels,” a statement of justification for the application says. “The community created by the proposed intersection of varied housing options is bolstered through retaining Inova’s Kellar School and the thoughtful addition of meaningful gathering spaces and community-oriented amenities.”
In addition to the 2.2-acre central park, which is “designed to invite the broader community” with event space, play areas and other amenities, the five acres of proposed green space encompasses a linear “Crossing Park” and a pocket park intended to particularly appeal to the Kellar School.
Fairfax Crossing would also provide 2.25 miles of pedestrian walkways, including links to potential future connections across the border with Fairfax City, and reduce the number of curb cuts for the site by consolidating two vehicle entry points on Pender Drive, the application says.
“The rezoning…will allow for the transformation of an outdated auto oriented office park to an pedestrian oriented activity center providing a new public realm and wide range of housing types to serve various demographics,” Holland & Knight land use attorney David Schneider wrote in the application. “Fairfax Crossing has been thoughtfully designed with generous public spaces.”
