The window has closed for developers, property owners and other community members to nominate sites in Fairfax County for future redevelopment.
The county received about 50 nominations during its Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process, which lets members of the public propose changes to the comprehensive plan that guides future land use and development. The submission period lasted from Jan. 13 through last Thursday, Feb. 13.
After the 2022-2023 SSPA cycle focused on commercial-to-residential changes, with about half of the 75 nominations getting approved for staff consideration in April 2023, the latest proposals range from minor zoning changes to allow vehicle sales or increased density for planned housing subdivisions to significant overhauls of vacant or languishing properties.
Several sites have been targeted for redevelopment before, including the Food Star building in Bailey’s Crossroads, Kingstowne’s Hilltop Village Center and Reston National Golf Course, potentially reigniting old battles between developers and residents. Other locations, such as the Tysons Plaza office park and Office Depot in Penn Daw, are exploring changes for the first time.
The 2025 submissions, broken down below by magisterial district, are set to be presented to the Board of Supervisors on March 4, when they will decide which ones to advance to a screening phase.
Braddock District
- StorageMart (11325 Route 29, Fairfax)
- Current plan recommendation: Designated as a self-storage facility with an option for office redevelopment. An adjacent, vacant parcel also included in the nomination is planned for up to three residential units per acre.
- What’s proposed: An expansion of StorageMart to the adjacent parcel
Franconia District
- 6404 Telegraph Road (Rose Hill)
- Current plan recommendation: Commercial use. Right now, the 67,954-square-foot parcel consists of a warehouse-style building whose tenants include Budget Truck Rental, a plumber and a hair salon.
- What’s proposed: A “complete redevelopment” of the property to allow “medium-density townhouse-style” residences
- Beulah Street at Steinway Street (Kingstowne)
- Current plan recommendation: Residential development at 1 to 2 units per acre
- What’s proposed: Increased density of five to eight units per acre that would include a mix of single-family houses and townhomes “to be compatible with adjacent development”
- Hilltop Village Center (7920 Heneska Loop, Kingstowne)
- Current plan recommendation: Recreation and residential use with 3-4 units per acre, though there’s an option for retail and office uses up to a floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.30, referring to the amount of building space compared to the site’s land area
- What’s proposed: A mixed-use development with retail, office and housing up to .41 FAR. That would allow a slightly lower density than a previous proposal to redevelop the Wegmans-anchored shopping center that was ultimately batted down by community opposition.
Hunter Mill District
- 10700 Sunset Hills Road (Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: The mostly vacant land around the Sunset Hills and Hunter Mill Road intersection is designated as residential with 0.2 to 0.5 units per acre, but includes the former Fairfax Christian School building.
- What’s proposed: A rezoning of the 67 acres to allow up to 100 homes
- 11600 Sunrise Valley Drive (Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Zoned for industrial uses, the property is occupied by a four-story office building constructed in 1972, per county records.
- What’s proposed: The proposed comprehensive plan designation is only listed as “other” with no attachments or details included.
- 2000 Association Drive (Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: High-rise office. The site is in a light-intensity industrial zone and developed with a six-story office building.
- What’s proposed: Office is listed as the proposed plan designation, but no additional details are available.
- Several other properties on Association Drive have also been eyed for redevelopment.
- Alexander Bell Plaza (1851 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Office with a focus on higher education encouraged. The two-building office park was sold for $13.6 million on Nov. 19, 2024 to an affiliate of Northpoint Realty, per county property records.
- What’s proposed: An option for up to 20 units per acre of residential use, including single-family attached and stacked townhouses
- Haven Reston (11023 Becontree Lake Drive, Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Multifamily residential use at 4-5 units per acre. The site is currently the Haven Reston apartments.
- What’s proposed: An option for additional residential development on two parcels consisting of up to 85 units, including townhomes and/or low to mid-rise multi-family buildings
- Midline Reston Station (1820 Reston Row Plaza, Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Mixed-use development up to 3.0 FAR
- What’s proposed: The SSPA would combine Reston Station’s planned Midline district with two office properties east of Plaza America to allow up to 5.0 FAR of mixed-use development. “The vision for this district is for significant redevelopment in a mix of mid-rise and high-rise buildings,” the proposal says.
- Parkridge I (10800 Parkridge Blvd, Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Office. Built in 1984, the two-story office building’s main tenant right now is the Social Security Administration.
- What’s proposed: An option for residential development
- Parkridge III (10701 Parkridge Blvd, Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Low-rise office. The existing four-story office building’s tenants include Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Acuity International.
- What’s proposed: The nominator is still proposing that the site be designated as office, but the county’s online PLUS database doesn’t include any more details.
- Parkridge IV (10690 Parkridge Blvd, Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Planned for office, the three parcels in the SSPA include a six-story, “nearly vacant” office building constructed in 1988, surface parking and part of a stormwater management pond that serves the Parkridge Center office park.
- What’s proposed: The property owner, an affiliate of the Bethesda-based developer Stewart Investment Partners, wants to turn it into a residential neighborhood, suggesting options that range from converting the existing office building to adding townhomes and constructing a new multi-family apartment building.
- “The Nomination presents a vision to transform the Property into a vibrant residential neighborhood and contributes to the potential evolution of Parkridge Center. The Property has experienced changes in circumstances over the past several years, but with those changes come opportunity,” a statement of justification says, adding that the applicant “intends to conduct community engagement” with Reston Association.
- Reston National Golf Course (11875 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Despite repeated pushes for redevelopment by owners Weller Development and War Horse Cities, including a rejected SSPA nomination in the 2022-2023 cycle, the property is still designated for private recreational use, specifically as a golf course.
- What’s proposed: A development with “attainable housing” and over 80 acres of open or park space, community amenities and trail connections
- Winwood Children’s Center (1841 Explorer Street, Reston)
- Current plan recommendation: Though the property is developed with a two-story child care center, the county’s comprehensive plan permits up to 125 residential units.
- What’s proposed: An increase in residential density to 350 units, which will “essentially” change the housing from for-sale to rental units, per a nomination summary
Mason District
- 4104 Woodland Road (Annandale)
- Current plan recommendation: The 1-acre lot is vacant but recommended for two to three residential units per acre.
- What’s proposed: An increase in residential density to 8-12 units per acre
- 4125 Horseshoe Drive (Annandale)
- Current plan recommendation: One single-family home currently occupies the 0.5-acre site, which is planned for two to three units per acre.
- What’s proposed: Increased residential density with 12-16 units per acre
- 5300 Shawnee Road (Lincolnia)
- Current plan recommendation: Industrial and office uses. In addition to the Washington Senior Healthcare Center, the property is home to the Iglesia Mision Latina church.
- What’s proposed: Residential development with a density of 16 to 20 units per acre and a mix of market-rate and committed long-term affordable dwelling units
- 5505 Cherokee Avenue (Lincolnia)
- Current plan recommendation: Planned for industrial and office uses, the one-story commercial building on the site since 1975 currently houses the training gym Urban Evolution.
- What’s proposed: Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based gas station and convenience store chain, is looking to build a fueling station, convenience store and carryout restaurant. This would be its second location in Fairfax County after opening in the Oak Hill area south of Herndon in 2023.
- 6675 Little River Turnpike (Annandale)
- Current plan recommendation: Four parcels that include the former Miracle Garden Center site, the Pro Computers building and a single-family house are recommended for retail with an option for office use.
- What’s proposed: An option for residential mixed-use development up to 2.75 FAR
- 7304 Braddock Road (Annandale)
- Current plan recommendation: A suburban residential neighborhood near Wilburdale Park with 0.5 to 1 unit per acre
- What’s proposed: Increased density to up to three single-family homes per acre
- 7616 Little River Turnpike (Annandale)
- Current plan recommendation: Low and mid-rise office and retail uses
- What’s proposed: A mixed-use development with housing, office and retail would replace three existing office buildings, including the Wells Fargo building, apparently expanding the scope of a residential redevelopment proposed last year.
- Bren Mar Park (6326 Edsall Road, Lincolnia)
- Current plan recommendation: Residential development with 3 to 4 units per acre
- What’s proposed: A residential townhouse development with up to 12 units per acre on a 3.5-acre, currently wooded parcel
- Brighton Mall (6261 Little River Turnpike, Lincolnia)
- The SSPA targets the existing Exxon gas station and free-standing KFC building as well as part of the Grand Mart-anchored shopping center’s main building.
- Current plan recommendation: A comprehensive plan amendment adopted in 2015 envisioned the shopping center as a future mixed-use development with multi-family buildings ranging in height from four to six stories.
- What’s proposed: An increase in the potential building heights to five to 10 stories
- Food Star (5521 Leesburg Pike, Bailey’s Crossroads)
- Current plan recommendation: The Board of Supervisors approved a plan amendment for the grocery store property in 2023 that allowed mixed-use development with up to 1,390 dwelling units and retail.
- What’s proposed: An option for “additional residential and/or independent living uses up to 20 stories with community-serving commercial use”
- Former Sears site (6211 Leesburg Pike, Seven Corners)
- The property has been unused since Sears closed its store in 2020.
- Current plan recommendation: An option for 539,000 square feet of mixed-use development, including townhouses and multi-family housing, office, retail and entertainment, was included in a 2015 update of the county’s comprehensive plan for Seven Corners.
- What’s proposed: A new option for residential development with up to 600 units
- Shell gas station (6543 Little River Turnpike, Lincolnia)
- The SSPA consolidates the existing gas station with two currently vacant parcels.
- Current plan recommendation: Retail or townhouse-style office development
- What’s proposed: Mixed-use development up to 3.65 or 3.8 FAR with eight-story buildings
- Strawbridge Square Apartments (5100 Lincoln Avenue, Lincolnia)
- Current plan recommendation: Four to five residential units per acre
- What’s proposed: The addition of up to 131 new units of affordable housing
- The Jefferson (6166 Leesburg Pike, Seven Corners)
- Current plan recommendation: Up to 20 dwelling units per acre of residential uses. The site is currently a six-story, 310-unit apartment building constructed in 1962.
- What’s proposed: More residences with the addition of townhomes
- Versar Center (6800 and 6850 Versar Center, Springfield)
- Current plan recommendation: Office buildings up to .35 FAR with industrial uses, including specialized equipment and heavy vehicle sales, rentals and services.
- What’s proposed: A “narrow” amendment to allow sales of passenger vehicles, including electric vehicles
Mount Vernon District
- IMP Building (8850 Richmond Highway, Woodlawn)
- Current plan recommendation: Built in 1987, the existing three-story office building is planned for office, retail or a hotel and conference center.
- What’s proposed: Multi-family residential development that would include a hotel
- Office Depot (6211 North Kings Highway, Penn Daw)
- Current plan recommendation: Retail use up to approximately 30,000 square feet
- What’s proposed: Mixed-use redevelopment with buildings up to nine stories tall
- Pohick Road Assemblage (Lorton)
- The proposed site spans 49.55 acres along the east side of Pohick Road from I-95 past Cullum Street, ending at the existing Pohick Estates single-family residential neighborhood.
- Current plan recommendation: Vacant “for many years,” the land is zoned for residential and industrial uses.
- What’s proposed: A concept plan shows a multi-family residential building between I-95 and Lagrange Street and single-family detached homes on either side of Cullum Street. The remaining 30 acres would be preserved as public open space.
- From a statement of justification: “The Nominator’s proposal will address Fairfax County’s need for housing and diversify the type of housing in the area and will bring higher density development in reasonable proximity to the VRE Lorton Station, thus providing an enhanced opportunity for county residents to live in proximity to their workplace and /or in proximity to mass transit.”
Providence District
- 118 Gordon Road (Idylwood)
- Existing buildings on the targeted site include Falls Church Animal Hospital, the Washington Diamond building and the VAL Collision Center.
- Current plan recommendation: Neighborhood-serving commercial uses up to a 0.25 FAR that’s “compatible with nearby stable residential neighborhoods”
- What’s proposed: An option for one or more mixed-use multi-family residential buildings up to a 3.0 FAR with ground-floor retail
- 2719 Dorr Avenue (Merrifield)
- Current plan recommendation: Occupied by a one-story warehouse built in 1972, the property could be redeveloped as either office with supportive retail and service uses, or mixed-use residential up to 1.35 FAR
- What’s proposed: Increase the residential intensity up to 2.5 FAR to allow a seven-story multi-family building with up to 375 units and retail on the first floor
- 2800 Dorr Avenue (Merrifield)
- Current plan recommendation: The warehouse could be redeveloped with office up to a .85 FAR or mixed and residential uses up to a 1.35 FAR
- What’s proposed: Another option for mixed-use and/or residential development up to a 3.0 FAR
- 2832 Dorr Avenue (Merrifield)
- Tenants of the two existing commercial buildings include USA Marble & Granite and Sherman-Williams Automotive Finishes.
- Current plan recommendation: Warehouse and industrial uses
- What’s proposed: A redevelopment option for a mix of uses or residential uses up to 3.0 FAR
- 8302 Merrifield Avenue (Merrifeld)
- Current plan recommendation: Developed with low-lying commercial buildings, the parcels have options for office or mixed-use and residential redevelopment.
- What’s proposed: An increase in the maximum FAR for mixed-use development from 1.35 to 1.8 up to 3.0 to 3.2
- Corporate Ridge (2000 and 2010 Corporate Ridge, Tysons)
- Current plan recommendation: Two office buildings, though the 10-story building at 2000 Corporate Ridge was approved for repurposing as a live/work development in 2023
- What’s proposed: Rubinstein Partners, which owns the 2000 building, says “market headwinds” have undermined the planned repurposing and now hopes to work with the adjacent property on a residential redevelopment with up to 203 units, shown in concept plans as single-family townhouses.
- From a statement of justification: “New for-sale housing products will help accelerate Tysons’s full transformation into a complete 24-hour community while simultaneously stabilizing the tax base and activating an underutilized property with new community serving amenities.”
- Eaves Fairfax Towers (2251 Pimmit Drive, Idylwood)
- Current plan recommendation: Up to 16-20 residential units per acre. The nearly 17-acre site is developed with a 13-story, 415-unit apartment building and a 549-space parking lot.
- What’s proposed: Property owner Avalon Bay Communities is seeking to replace the parking lot with a 437-unit, seven-story multi-family building and approximately 139 townhouses. The existing Eaves Fairfax building would remain and be served by a new parking garage.
- As an alternative, the developer has been working with county housing staff to instead provide “a significant amount of affordable housing” using the county’s preservation policy, but that would be withdrawn if the SSPA nomination is accepted.
- Mary Street Assemblage (West Falls Church)
- Current plan recommendation: Residential use with 2-3 dwelling units per acre. There’s an option for five to eight dwelling units per acre 10 adjacent parcels along Mary Street are consolidated.
- What’s proposed: Property owner Andrew T. Ross has consolidated three parcels on the west side of Mary Street and hopes to phase in additional parcels on the east side. He’s proposing additional near-term residential development with a concept plan for up to eight units per acre for 43 total units, including affordable dwelling units.
- Tysons Plaza (1430 Spring Hill Drive, Tysons)
- Current plan recommendation: Office use up to 0.85 floor area ratio with an option for mixed-use development
- What’s proposed: Options to turn the existing office park into mixed-use development with housing and supporting retail or service uses. The maximum building height would be 75 to 130 feet.
- Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive, Tysons)
- The 30-acre office park was originally built in 2001 as the corporate headquarters for Gannett, but the USA Today publisher departed last year.
- Current plan recommendation: Tamares, the property owner and nominator, got the county’s approval in 2020 for a rezoning so it could add retail, restaurants and other amenities.
- What’s proposed: Two submitted concept plans both call for up to 240,000 square feet of new office space, up to 185,000 square feet of multi-family residential development, totaling 213 units, and additional retail space, potentially dining options.
- From the statement of justification: “The additional uses and the proposed layout create an outward focused community that clearly complements the approved mixed use residential/office/retail uses across Jones Branch Drive and moves closer to the desired vibrant, cohesive neighborhood envisioned for Tysons.”
- Vine Church (2501 Gallows Road, Dunn Loring)
- Current plan recommendation: Residential uses with a density of up to three to four units per acre
- What’s proposed: A redevelopment option for mixed-use housing with up to 150 residential units, a place of worship and a child care facility on the ground floor
- Vinson Hall (1733 Kirby Road, McLean)
- Current plan recommendation: Residential use with 1 to 2 units per acre
- What’s proposed: A “modernized continuing care retirement community” that would expand on the existing senior living facility. Additional independent living units and common spaces would be a focus, Vinson Hall’s chief operating officer told the Washington Business Journal.
Springfield District
- 12716 Route 29 (Legato)
- Current plan recommendation: The Fairfax Automotive Supply building is planned for one to two units per acre of residential development.
- What’s proposed: Increased density of four to six residential units per acre to allow an independent living facility with approximately 117 units
- 12729 Route 50 (Greenbriar)
- The 39,187-square-foot parcel is currently occupied by a single-family house constructed in 1952 and remodeled in 1990, per county property records.
- Current plan recommendation: Two residential units per acre
- What’s proposed: Attached and stacked townhomes
- Federal Systems Park Drive (Fair Lakes)
- The site is currently an office park occupied by Northrop Grumman.
- Current plan recommendation: Residential use with an option for office mixed-use development that would include an additional 230,000 square feet of office and/or hotel use, an additional 140,000 square feet of retail and up to 700,000 square feet of housing
- What’s proposed: A residential development option “that can include a combination of multi-family buildings, townhomes, and/or stacked townhomes”
Sully District
- Community of Faith United Methodist Church (13224 Franklin Farm Road, Herndon)
- Current plan recommendation: One to two units per acre of housing
- What’s proposed: An option for all-affordable, multi-family residential development with a density of 27 units per acre
- Former Bob Evans (14050 Thunderbolt Place, Chantilly)
- Current plan recommendation: “Campus-style” office and industrial/flex uses
- What’s proposed: Allow free-standing retail or shopping center for a drive-thru restaurant
