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A long-idle property near the Tysons water tower could become home to as many as 525 affordable housing units, replacing pieces of a mixed-use development envisioned more than a decade ago.

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority has partnered with Lincoln Avenue Communities to acquire the 1.7-acre site near the Greensboro Metro station. The property is identified as 8346 Leesburg Pike on maps and 8350 Leesburg Pike in county records.

Lincoln Avenue proposed building up to 525 homes after the county announced Aug. 26 that approximately $48 million was available for projects involving affordable housing construction and preservation.

The housing authority purchased the property Jan. 5 for $13.75 million. That was slightly below the $14 million NV Commercial paid EagleBank for the site in September, according to property records. EagleBank had foreclosed on NV Commercial and planned to auction the land last September.

FCRHA Chair Lenore Stanton said the partnership would turn unused Tysons land into housing for workers while connecting residents with jobs, transportation and The Boro. She also said the authority acquired the property below market value.

A new direction for Tysons Central

The land was once part of a larger Tysons Central project planned by NV Commercial and Clyde’s Real Estate Group in the early 2010s, when the Greensboro Metro station was still under construction.

That development was intended to replace several low-rise retail properties, including Clyde’s of Tysons, Men’s Wearhouse, a Virginia ABC store and a combined Sleepy’s and Big Screen Store.

Fairfax County supervisors approved plans in November 2013 for between 1.8 million and 2 million square feet of residential, office, retail and hotel development across nearly 5.8 acres north of the Route 123 and Route 7 interchange.

Only two of the six planned buildings have been completed. The 32-story Lumen Apartments opened in 2019, while the 21-story Tysons Central office building was finished in 2022 but did not secure tenants.

Foulger-Pratt sold that office building to the Meridian Group last June. The property, at 1750 Tysons Central Street, was subsequently renamed Boro Central as part of an effort to attract tenants.

The original plans called for two buildings on the property now owned by FCRHA. One would have combined as many as 200 hotel rooms, 175 apartments and 33,000 square feet of retail. The other would have included up to 350 homes, 8,000 square feet of retail and a 14,500-square-foot public facility.

The planned public facility was never specifically defined, though the developer committed to providing the space rent-free for public or community use.

A 2013 county staff report also anticipated a 27,000-square-foot grocery store in the office building now known as Boro Central. That element was removed in 2017 after Whole Foods Market committed to the nearby Boro development.

Details remain under review

Lincoln Avenue’s affordable housing proposal will include some nonresidential space, according to FCRHA, but it remains unclear whether that will mean public stores and amenities or services reserved for residents.

Above-ground parking is also proposed. The property is currently vacant aside from part of a parking lot and has been used as a temporary green space with trees, benches and a path connecting the Boro Central entrance with Greensboro Station Place.

FCRHA and Lincoln Avenue have entered an initial development agreement and begun analyzing the site, assessing the project’s finances and contacting nearby stakeholders.

Lincoln Avenue Vice President and Regional Project Partner Nick Bracco described the property as a rare opportunity to secure a premier development site while adding much-needed affordable housing in Fairfax County.

The developer is already working with the county on the Residences at Government Center II apartments, which are under construction.

The Tysons proposal comes as Fairfax County faces mounting housing demand. An analysis released earlier this year estimated that the county may need as many as 95,000 additional homes by 2035, with a particularly severe shortage for households earning no more than 60% of the area median income.

A separate Tysons Community Alliance study released in December projected that Tysons alone will need more than 10,000 new homes by 2040. Although many incoming residents are expected to have middle or higher incomes, the study found that demand for affordable homes will persist.

If finalized, the Lincoln Avenue development would join two affordable housing projects already underway in Tysons. Indigo at McLean Station and Exchange at Spring Hill Station are expected to provide a combined 972 units for households earning between 30% and 70% of the area median income.