Plans for an apartment building once slated to open near the McLean Metro station in Tysons in early 2024 are getting revised under a new owner.
Developer Rushmark Properties is seeking tweaks to the design of the residential building — designated as Building D in the Johnson Block of the Scotts Run neighborhood — that would allow fewer but larger units, according to a rezoning application submitted to Fairfax County on Monday (May 11).
“To meet evolving market demands and support the recruitment of professional talent to the area, the project prioritizes a larger mix of two- and three-bedroom floor plans than neighboring developments,” Rushmark said in a press release. “This strategic unit mix ensures the project serves a diverse range of residents and household sizes while conforming to the density and urban vibrancy prescribed in the original Conceptual Development Plan.”
Located at 1750 Chain Bridge Road in the same block as Heming, a 28-story apartment building with retail completed in October 2023, Johnson Building D would be 30 stories tall with approximately 370 units and 13,700 square feet of ground-floor retail space under Rushmark’s amended plan.
Rushmark bought the 1.3-acre site in November 2024 for $18.5 million from previous owner Quarterra, which had announced plans in 2021 for an apartment building called Paxton that would’ve delivered 447 apartment units and 14,713 square feet of retail.
Though it’ll have fewer apartments and less retail than what Quarterra had planned, Rushmark’s proposed building will be slightly taller at 326 feet instead of 300 feet, while occupying a smaller footprint, according to a statement from Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh land use attorney Lynne Strobel.
“The smaller building footprint results in a larger plaza on the west side of the building including an outdoor amenity area at the corner of Levels Plaza and Chain Bridge Road,” wrote Strobel, who is representing Rushmark in the rezoning case.
Levels Plaza — a 21,000-square-foot, tiered outdoor public plaza lined by retail — was delivered by the developer Skanska as part of Heming, which features 38,000 square feet of retail space. Businesses currently located there include Sunday Morning Bakehouse, the Japanese restaurant Modan, Body Fit Training and Apparati Wellness Studio.
Rushmark’s plans for the new Johnson Block building focus mostly on private amenities for the future residents, including a fifth-level terrace with a swimming pool and a 28th-level terrace with a bioretention planter and green space. But some seating, landscaping and what looks like a playground are also shown at the street level for the general public.
The building will be supported by a partially below-ground parking podium with 560 spaces, plus three loading spaces and 46 spots for bicycles.
More on the podium from the application:
“The parking podium on Chain Bridge Road is one to two levels of retail, one level of residential lobby, and up to three levels of parking … The podium will be treated with a high-quality architectural screen that will obscure the view of vehicles. Additionally, the podium will provide an artistic element facing the levels at Platform Avenue. The first floor will have a floor-to-floor retail height between 20 feet and 24 feet, which will ensure an activated pedestrian experience.”
“Innovative design and activating the pedestrian experience are at the core of this project,” Rushmark Properties President Dan Doty said in the company’s press release. “Every detail contributes to a more welcoming and enjoyable daily experience, whether that is commuting to work, utilizing the suite of on-site amenities, or appreciating the view from a well-designed residence.”
Approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2013, the original master plan for the Scotts Run neighborhood envisioned 6.5 million square feet of mixed-use development across 30 acres of land on the south side of Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road), near what would become the McLean Metro station.
Some pieces of the project conceived by master developer Cityline Partners have since materialized, including the Mitre 4 office building, Archer Hotel, and Heming and Haden apartments. Others, however, have languished, particularly the planned office buildings.
Several parcels were acquired in February by Capital One, which also took over the 9.4 acres of land on the north side of Route 123 for $37 million in May 2019. Initially included in Cityline’s plans as “Scotts Run North,” the site is now being incorporated into Capital One’s nearby headquarters campus with a baseball stadium and urban park.
In the press release, Rushmark Managing Director Neal Kumar expressed confidence that Capital One’s investment in the area “will be a great catalyst for the development of Scotts Run.”
For one of the parcels acquired by Capital One earlier this year, Cityline Partners received the county board’s approval in 2024 for a Hilton-branded hotel in place of a planned office building, but it’s unclear if Capital One intends to move forward with that project as is.
County staff are still reviewing an application for a senior living complex from Galerie Development that would be built on the Taylor Block of Scotts Run at at 7581 Colshire Drive, where the food and entertainment pop-up Shipgarten is currently located.
