Planning is officially underway for the redevelopment of the office building at 575 Herndon Parkway.
The Town of Herndon’s Architectural Review Board will hold a work session tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss plans to replace Dulles Overlook — a five-story office building formerly occupied by the consultant Booz Allen Hamilton — with a multi-family residential, retail and office building.
If approved, the new development would face the residential mixed-use building proposed by Penzance at 555 Herndon Parkway. Site plans for the first phase of that project are currently under review.
Constructed in 1988, Dulles Overlook’s proximity to the then-upcoming Herndon Metro station made it a draw for Booz Allen Hamilton, which leased 82% of the office space in 2010, and marked it for eventual mixed-use redevelopment as part of the Herndon Transit-Oriented Core (HTOC) plan adopted by the town in 2012.
The 4.8-acre site was acquired by Kiddar Capital for $33 million in 2018, but it got turned over to investors in 2019 after the private equity firm’s CEO pleaded guilty to securities fraud. Booz Allen Hamilton’s lease expired at the end of July 2023, according to now-owner Bristol Capital Corporation.
The existing building will be demolished to make way for the redevelopment, town staff said in a memo, noting that the property serves as a “gateway symbol of the town” with at least three facades of the future building facing the Metro station.
According to a design narrative submitted to the ARB, Bristol Capital and prospective developer Woodfield Development hope the building will “enhance Herndon’s visual identity” by creating an “urban promenade” where commercial and retail uses are planned on the ground floor.
A seven-level parking structure will be located within the mostly residential building.
“Although the design is still in progress, we are incorporating four different architectural solutions to break up the mass of the long building,” the narrative says. “…We are using common elements such as tall windows, dark metal features, and ground-level storefront systems to unify the building’s composition.”
In their memo, town staff encourage the applicant to find ways to ensure a more “thoughtful and intentional approach to urban design and building architecture within the town” and distinguish it from other developments in surrounding areas.
Staff noted that the project team’s presentation for the ARB includes examples of existing multi-family developments “in Herndon” that aren’t actually within the town, such as The Ian apartments on the south side of the Dulles Toll Road.
“Since the applicant has apparently utilized these developments as precedent it demonstrates the concern of regional sameness that Herndon, as the only authentic town along the Silver Line, must guard against,” staff said.
Staff also encouraged the applicant to limit the overuse of panels and instead rely more on brick veneer to add texture to the design. In addition, the use of eight to 10 different facade colors, material and patterns results in an “overly complicated and incoherent” design, staff said.
The Architectural Review Board’s discussion tomorrow will serve as a preliminary analysis of the design plan, which is part of a submitted rezoning application.
“The project would return to the ARB as an official case following the approval of the rezoning application and the site plan for the project,” town staff said.
