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Fairfax County and nearby municipalities are pursuing redevelopment of vacant or aging office and commercial properties into housing and mixed-use communities, with proposals spanning Reston, Herndon and Vienna.
The effort includes the 119-acre Reston East Planning Study, which covers land north of Sunrise Valley Drive between Upper Lake Drive and Hunter Mill Road. Supervisor Walter Alcorn initiated the study in April, and the county held or publicized an open house on Aug. 4.
“This study looks at potential changes and community needs throughout this industrial-zoned corridor after several landowners nominated their properties to be redeveloped with new housing,” Alcorn said.
The study includes five associated Site-Specific Plan Amendments involving potential residential development or adaptive reuse. Among the proposals is a 9.1-acre Preston White Drive project that would replace 1980s offices with housing at up to 30 units per acre or a 1.2 floor-area ratio.
Another proposal on 7.5 acres of Alexander Bell Drive would replace two four-story office buildings with up to 132 units: 86 townhouses and 46 stacked townhouses. Three Parkridge Boulevard sites totaling 22.9 acres were described as proposals for adaptive reuse or residential replacement, including townhomes, apartments or senior housing.
The redevelopment push comes as reported office vacancy ranges from 16% to 20% countywide. The reported rate was 22.2% in Fairfax Center-Oakton and 23.5% in Vienna. The supplied reporting did not identify an underlying report for those figures.
Herndon projects are also concentrating new housing near the Metrorail station and using existing infrastructure. The Nell, at 555 Herndon Parkway, is planned as a 400-unit Fairfield Residential community next to the Herndon Metro station. At 575 Herndon Parkway, a seven-story, 525-unit mixed-use project involving Bristol Capital and Woodfield Development was reported underway.
“Thoughtful redevelopment or property conversion in the right locations, particularly around the Metrorail station, allows us to create housing where infrastructure already exists, support local businesses, and preserve the character of established neighborhoods by directing growth where it makes the most sense,” said Keven LeBlanc, mayor of the Town of Herndon.
Other Herndon projects include a Boston Properties development reported to be replacing two vacant office buildings at 13100 and 13150 Worldgate Drive. Rooney Properties plans to redevelop Van Buren Office Park at 250 Exchange Place into 400 apartments and 62 townhomes.
Vienna projects cited in the reporting include 44 condominium townhomes over retail at 245 Maple Avenue West, a four-story, 151-unit building at 444 Maple Avenue West, and 82 apartments replacing an auto shop at 380 Maple Avenue West.
The projects vary in size, housing type and reported status. The supplied reporting does not independently document approvals, schedules or other timelines for several of them. It also does not provide unit counts, a project name or approval details for the Boston Properties proposal.