The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a conceptual development plan on Tuesday (Nov. 18) that calls for a mix of housing, office, retail, hotel and park space on a key 4.8-acre parcel near the Spring Hill Metro station in the Tysons West area.
The unanimous vote in support of Piazza at Tysons is the latest step in a redevelopment effort that has been under review for five years.
“We’ve worked through all the issues. We’re very happy with the way it turned out,” said Michelle Rosati, a land-use attorney working for developer Tysons MK LLC, a subsidiary of Capitol Petroleum Group.
The proposal calls for a trio of buildings — two rising 33 stories, the other 30 stories — with an European “Amalfi coast” theme on a parcel bounded by Leesburg Pike, Spring Hill Road, Broad Street and West Street.
The conceptual plan calls for:
- “Building A” to be 30 stories at Spring Hill Road and Broad Street, with up about 480 units of residential and smaller amounts of office and retail space
- “Building B” rising 33 stories along Leesburg Pike with a 310-room hotel, nearly 300 residential units, 30,000 square feet of retail space and indoor pickleball courts
- “Building C” also rising 33 stories adjacent to Leesburg Pike and Spring Hill Road with 760,000 square feet of office space and 33,000 square feet of retail
A central piazza area and gathering space would tie the buildings together. The plan also includes a 900-square-foot retail kiosk that could be used for pop-up shops and events.
The developer will determine later whether the residential units will be rental apartments, for-sale condominiums or a mix, the applicant told Planning Commission members in October.
The site will incorporate 2 acres of urban parkland and provide a significant number of workforce-housing units, Rosati told supervisors.
The proposal also calls for construction of a county-owned arts or cultural center attached to Building A facing Spring Hill Road. Alternatively, the county government could seek a cash payment to fund a public facility elsewhere.
Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said the plan, which was recommended for approval by county staff and the planning commission, provided an “exciting mix” of amenities.
She noted that approval of the conceptual development plan was another step forward but doesn’t guarantee the project would be built.
“There’s still more work to be done,” Palchik said, praising work by the planning commission that “brought this to an even better place.”
Board Chairman Jeff McKay noted that the developer, staff and community had worked hard in recent years to find common ground on a host of issues.
The fact there were no speakers in opposition to the plan at the Nov. 18 public hearing was testament to those efforts, McKay said.
If built, the project would replace the Tysons 3 shopping center at 8520 Leesburg Pike, an Exxon gas station and surface parking currently occupying the site.
