A developer is moving forward with plans to build affordable homes in Tysons Central with the support of Fairfax County’s housing authority.
Lincoln Avenue Communities submitted a rezoning application to the county last Wednesday (Oct. 7) seeking to amend previously approved plans for the neighborhood to allow two “all-affordable” high-rises totaling 525 homes on a currently vacant site near the Greensboro Metro station.
“The Applicant’s proposed amendment reflects the continued evolution of Tysons Central in response to market conditions, the Comprehensive Plan’s emphasis on increasing residential density and mixed-use developments to accommodate those who work and live in Tysons, as well as the Board of Supervisors’ renewed commitment to providing affordable housing options in transit station areas,” Brian Clifford, a senior land use planner for DLA Piper, wrote in a statement supporting the application.
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) announced in March that it had partnered with Lincoln Avenue to acquire a 1.7-acre site in Tysons Central, identified on maps as 8346 Leesburg Pike and in county property records as 8350 Leesburg Pike, for an affordable housing project.
Sold to the FCRHA for $13.75 million on Jan. 5, the property constitutes a portion of the 5.79 acres rezoned in November 2013 for the Tysons Central development, which was expected to feature over 2 million square feet of office, residential, hotel and retail space across six buildings.
So far, only two buildings have been delivered: the 32-story Lumen Apartments that opened in 2019 and a 21-story office building completed in 2022. Originally named Tysons Central, the office building struggled to land tenants and was sold in June 2025 to The Meridian Group, which rebranded it as “Boro Central.”
Now, Lincoln Avenue is proposing to revive two of the planned multifamily residential buildings. One labeled Building B would be 29 stories tall and include up to 229 units, while the other, Building C, would be around 38 stories tall and have up to 296 units.
The application doesn’t specify the income range that the developer intends to target, but a statement listing proffers or conditions for the project says “at least the baseline” affordable and workforce dwelling units required by the county’s policies must be provided.
“By providing another 525 affordable residences within 1/8-mile of the Greensboro Metro station, the Proposed Development not only implements the Comprehensive Plan but also the Board’s vision of adding to the County’s affordable housing stock in a significant and meaningful way,” Clifford wrote, referencing the Board of Supervisors’ 2022 goal to add 10,000 affordable units by 2034.
The number of homes in the two buildings “will not exceed” what was approved in the original Tysons Central development plan for those blocks, but the housing in Building B would no longer be paired with a 200-room hotel, the application says.
In addition, the amount of space reserved for an unspecified “public facility” to serve the community would be reduced from 14,500 square feet to 5,700 square feet. Located in the southwest corner of Building B’s first floor, the space would be built by the developer at no cost to Fairfax County to house “community, cultural, and educational uses” determined by the Board of Supervisors, according to a proposed proffer.
The developer is also committing to completing a Metro Plaza Park that was partially delivered with the Boro Central office building and further building out Tysons Central Street and a Center Street in its interim condition.
The two new buildings would be joined by a seven-level, partly underground parking garage podium with approximately 460 spaces. Proposed private amenities for the future residents include a fitness facility, a business center and various “passive and active recreational facilities.”
“Adding Buildings B and C will further enliven the Greensboro Metro Station area consistent with the original Rezoning,” Clifford wrote. “The Applicant has gone to great lengths to design the project so as to minimize the deviations from the approved layout.”
If approved, Lincoln Avenue’s project would join two other all-affordable developments underway in Tysons. The Indigo at McLean Station’s 456 income-restricted apartments are expected to be ready for full occupancy this month, and the Exchange at Spring Hill Station is on track to add another 516 units next year.
A study released in December by the Tysons Community Alliance estimated that the urban center will need over 10,000 new homes by 2040 to accommodate its future population growth, including 800 more rental units and 250 more for-sale units for people earning 30% or less of the area median income, which is currently $166,100 in Fairfax County for a household of four.
