Within the next few years, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church will welcome dozens of new neighbors to the Idylwood property where it has stood for nearly six decades.
The developer EYA announced earlier this month (Nov. 4) that it has officially closed an acquisition of undeveloped land behind the church at 7526 Idylwood Road for Idylwood Hill, a 70-unit townhouse community expected to be fully delivered in late 2028.
The developer declined to share how much it paid for the 6.97 acres of land, and as of press time, the sale doesn’t appear to have been recorded yet by Fairfax County.
“Site work is now underway, with home sales expected to launch this month and construction anticipated to begin in spring 2027,” a public relations representative for EYA said.
Approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in August 2025, the development emerged out of a years-long push by the church to build on unutilized portions of the approximately 10.7-acre property it has occupied since 1968, per Fairfax County land records.
St. Paul’s had considered selling land to fund a “family life center” that was approved for the site in 2005, and a development proposal submitted in 2019 with a Toll Brothers affiliate would’ve allowed 67 townhomes and two-over-two multifamily residential units. The family life center was ultimately never built, and the Toll Brothers application was put on hold while under county review.
Despite those setbacks, St. Paul’s persisted in its search for a development partner, landing on EYA in 2023. The church anticipated using funds from the sale of its land to expand its assembly building, EYA previously told FFXnow.
“We are grateful to reach this important milestone with EYA and see the vision for this property continue to move forward,” St. Paul’s Pastor Mark Shaltanis said. “From the beginning, our goal has been to find a partner who understands the importance of this site to our congregation and the surrounding community. EYA has been thoughtful and collaborative throughout the process, and we look forward to welcoming Idylwood Hill as a new part of the neighborhood.”
Home sales at Idylwood Hill will kick off this Saturday (Nov. 14) with a preview event from noon to 3 p.m. Prices will start in the upper $900,000s, or $1.3 million for any units that include an optional private elevator.
Four different floor plans are available, ranging in size from 1,690 to 3,600 square feet with three to five bedrooms and 2.5 to 4.5 bathrooms. All of the homes will feature a two-car garage and a rooftop terrace.
As a condition of the project’s approval, EYA will designate four of the homes as “affordable” units that will be sold at below-market rates to households earning 70% of the area median income or less, according to a proffer agreement finalized on Aug. 14, 2025.
Residents of the new homes will have access to a central entry park, a pollinator garden, nature trails connecting to nearby neighborhoods and retail, and a “signature staircase” leading to the adjacent church building.
EYA has also committed to providing a number of traffic improvements, including:
- The addition of a high-visibility crosswalk with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons for pedestrians at the neighborhood’s entrance
- An alignment of the main site entrance with McLean Park Road to create a four-way intersection
- Construction of concrete pads for bus stop shelters that will be installed by Fairfax County
- Changes to the Idylwood Road and Leesburg Pike (Route 7) intersection, including an extension and widening of the left-turn lane on Idylwood, modifications to the traffic signal pole and mast arm, and curb-ramp and pedestrian improvements
According to the EYA spokesperson, the improvements at Route 7 and Idylwood are intended “to better accommodate the northbound left-turn movement.” Concerns about increased traffic congestion had cropped up during public hearings on the proposed townhouse development.
The transportation improvements are expected to be implemented “as construction progresses,” the spokesperson said.
In a statement, EYA Chief Acquisitions Officer Aakash Thakkar said the Bethesda-based company is “excited” to move forward with Idylwood Hill and Prosperity Park, its recently approved redevelopment of the Prosperity Business Campus in Merrifield.
“We are drawn to properties where there is an opportunity to create something that can have a lasting role in the local community,” Thakkar said. “That often means taking a property that has served one purpose for decades and thinking differently about what it can become next. We look at the potential of each site, the needs of the surrounding community and how we can bring those pieces together to create something meaningful and lasting.”
More collaborations between developers and faith communities could be in Fairfax County’s future after the Virginia General Assembly passed, and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed, legislation to make it easier to build affordable housing on properties owned by religious organizations and other tax-exempt nonprofits.
Set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, the “Faith in Housing” bill requires localities to allow by-right affordable housing development on sites that have been owned by eligible faith-based organizations and other qualifying nonprofits for at least five years. At least 60% of the units in any resulting projects must be dedicated to households earning up to 80% of the area median income for at least 30 years.
By-right developments are only subject to administrative reviews with no need for public hearings or approvals by planning commissions and local governing boards.
Local governments can retain some oversight. The legislation requires the housing to be located within 500 feet of existing water and sewer lines, and developers must still adhere to environmental and historic preservation standards.
EYA confirmed that it’s open to taking advantage of the new law and exploring future partnerships like the one it established with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.
“We see significant potential in these types of partnerships and are absolutely open to pursuing additional opportunities with nonprofits, faith-based organizations and other mission-driven institutions,” the developer told FFXnow. “Collaborations like these allow us to bring our experience in creating thoughtfully designed communities to sites that may otherwise be underutilized, while helping address the need for more attainable housing options across Virginia.”
