A proposal to replace two aging office buildings with 37 residential units and a small retail facility has met with mixed responses from members of the Fairfax City Council.
While some members praised the proposal for redevelopment of 3541 Chain Bridge Road with housing, others voiced concern about the decline of commercial property in the Northfax area of the city.
At a July 28 work session, representatives of Network Realty Partners met with City Council members to detail its proposal, which is in the earliest phase of review.
The current plan calls for razing the pair of two-story office buildings on the 2.09-acre site, replacing them with a mix of townhouses and “two-over-two” stacked units.
The parcel, currently owned by Standard Properties, sits at the southeast corner of Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place, west of University Drive and north of Fairfax Blvd.
In addition to the residential units, the proposal calls for a 2,750-square-foot retail space on the University Drive side of the parcel.
The stacked units are proposed to rise to a maximum height of 60 feet, with the townhouses and retail space having lower heights.
Swapping out the 1970s-era office buildings with housing is a good trade, Mayor Catherine Read said at the work session.
“I really have confidence in this project,” she said. “Townhouses and two-over-twos in this area are going to be very appealing due to the proximity to I-66. I predict they’ll be sold before they are completed.”
But before they are completed, they have to be approved. A number of City Council members voiced concern about the limited amount of commercial space that will be part of the proposed project.
Council member Billy Bates said the city’s small area plan for the environs calls for commercial use.
“There might be room for compromise,” he said, suggesting building a larger amount of new commercial space while not diluting the number of residential units planned.
Council member Thomas Peterson also wondered why commercial use wasn’t a larger part of the proposal.
“If we are trying to expand commercial in this area, why aren’t we focusing the approach on this particular site?” he asked.
Peterson also had concerns about bringing yet more housing. Currently, more than 3,000 units are in various stages of development across the city.
Other City Council members who spoke generally were positive about the proposal:
- “I actually really like this plan a lot,” Council member Rachel McQuillen said.
- “I like the linear park and green space [that are proposed],” Council member Anthony Amos said.
- “There’s a lot of really good things here,” added Council member Stacy Hall, although Hall suggested some of the pieces of the proposal be moved around on the site.
Robert Brant, a land-use attorney representing Network Realty Partners, said whatever ends up being done on the site, the time has arrived for the 50-year-old office buildings to come down.
“They’re deteriorating and frankly the costs of getting them back to where they need to be … it’s approaching the point where it’s cost-prohibitive,” he said.
The buildings are now about 40% vacant, and are expected to be fully empty within about 18 months. The current property owner would work to help displaced tenants find new space, with an emphasis on keeping them in the city, Brant said.
As for specifics of the plan, the attorney said they would be sketched out as the planning process moves forward.
“We’re early in the process,” he said.
The development team could return for another work session with City Council members, or could opt to first submit a formal land use application to get the ball rolling.
“We’re on the first step of 100,” Read said.
