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Construction on a sweeping set of transportation improvements around the West Falls Church Metro station could begin later this summer, laying the groundwork for a mixed-use neighborhood on the station’s parking lots.
The work is expected to start shortly after the project secures financing, which developers anticipate closing later this summer, according to Evan Goldman, executive vice president of acquisition and development at EYA. A firm timeline has not been set.
EYA, Rushmark Properties and Hoffman & Associates plan to develop more than 1 million square feet of residential, office and retail space across roughly 24 acres at 7040 Haycock Road in Idylwood.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the project in June 2023. Plans call for 810 multifamily units, 90 townhomes, as much as 110,000 square feet of offices and up to 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
A proposed amendment filed with the county in May would move 23,326 square feet from one multifamily building to two townhouse blocks. EYA said the change would give all townhomes a uniform four-story height without altering their number, type or overall design. The affected apartment building would still contain the required 180 to 210 units.
Roads, trails and crossings planned
The developers agreed to build several transportation upgrades as a condition of the project’s approval. The improvements were shaped partly by recommendations from a county-convened group studying safety and congestion in the transit station area.
Along with creating an internal street network, the developers are expected to provide:
- A shared-use trail on the north side of Haycock Road across Interstate 66.
- Crosswalks, pedestrian-activated signals and median changes on Falls Church Drive, including an eastbound left-turn lane.
- An exclusive left-turn lane and one shared through-and-right-turn lane in each direction on Haycock Road at Great Falls Street.
- A right-turn lane on Grove Avenue at Haycock Road.
- At least four bus shelters.
West Falls Station Boulevard, built as part of the nearby West Falls development in the City of Falls Church, would also be extended through the Metro property.
The Haycock Road trail is planned to be at least 10 feet wide. On the I-66 bridge, a 3-foot-wide Jersey barrier would separate pedestrians and cyclists from traffic. A new crosswalk would be installed across Turner Avenue, where the trail is expected to begin.
The trail commitment includes an alternative if Virginia Department of Transportation approvals or right-of-way problems prevent construction. In that case, the developers could contribute $350,000 to Fairfax County for other pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
EYA said the development team currently intends to make the Haycock Road pedestrian-safety upgrades and is coordinating with VDOT on permits.
Buildings would follow infrastructure work
Completing all infrastructure is expected to take about 24 months, although most of the work could be finished during the first nine to 12 months.
Building construction would begin after the infrastructure is completed. The first phase is slated to include 85 EYA townhomes and a Rushmark apartment building.
Plans under Fairfax County review show Rushmark’s Building D with 305 units, including 32 income-restricted workforce dwelling units. It would sit at Falls Church Drive and the extended West Falls Station Boulevard, across from the townhomes.
Later phases would add two more multifamily buildings, one each from EYA and Rushmark. EYA also holds the rights to build the planned office building on the surface lot north of the existing parking garage, which is expected to remain.
The Metro redevelopment is one piece of a wider effort to revitalize the West Falls Church transit station area. Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center campus is also being redeveloped, with construction underway on a new headquarters for HITT Contracting.
Fairfax County and the City of Falls Church are separately planning new pedestrian facilities along the Shreve Road and Haycock Road sides of Leesburg Pike.