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McLean is set to gain 70 homes through two sharply different projects approved unanimously by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on March 17.

One development will replace an underused downtown office complex with 56 apartments, retail space and a public plaza. The other will bring 14 single-family houses to nearly 5 acres near the Dulles Toll Road.

Downtown offices to give way to apartments

The McLean Office Center at 1368 Beverly Road will be rezoned from commercial use to a planned residential mixed-use district. Its two existing two-story office buildings will be replaced by a seven-story apartment building on the compact 0.56-acre property at Beverly Road and Elm Street.

Plans call for at least seven workforce dwelling units, 2,120 square feet of ground-floor retail and a landscaped public plaza featuring artwork.

Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said the retail space was added after the original proposal, helping activate the street and giving the broader community another reason to visit the building. He said the corner plaza could serve as a needed gathering place while drawing more customers to nearby restaurants and businesses.

Evan Pritchard, a land-use attorney representing Cypress Real Estate Company, described the current offices as underused despite occupying a central location in the McLean Community Business Center. He said the redevelopment is intended to advance the vision adopted in the area’s comprehensive plan.

Because the project can provide only 0.09 acres of public park space on-site, Cypress will contribute money toward urban park amenities elsewhere in the county.

The developer must also document the Corner House, a 1934 building at 6830 Elm Street that will be demolished for the project. The house belonged to Charlotte Troughton Corner, one of Franklin Sherman School’s first teachers, and was later rented as office space.

Cypress agreed to conduct an architectural survey and provide $5,000 to the Fairfax County History Commission for a historical marker or interpretive display commemorating the property.

Street improvements are expected to include interim striping for 6-foot bicycle lanes on Beverly and Elm, an accessible bus pad and bench at the existing Fairfax Connector stop on Beverly, and striped crosswalks across both roads. The work will require approval from the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The developer was unable to persuade neighboring owners to combine their properties with the project site, limiting the development’s potential size. Bierman and Pritchard nevertheless expressed hope that the new building will encourage additional investment in McLean’s aging downtown properties.

Spring Hill Road subdivision moves forward

The board also approved a Wormwald Companies rezoning request for 14 single-family houses on nearly 5 acres along Spring Hill Road.

The four parcels—1336, 1340, 1344 and 1348 Spring Hill Road—sit just north of the Dulles Toll Road and across from Sunrise of McLean. Each currently has a house, but much of the combined land remains vacant.

Property owners Shanker and Nayan Patel previously sought to build townhouses there. After neighbors argued that townhomes would not fit the surrounding area, they brought in Wormwald to pursue single-family housing instead.

The subdivision, named Spring Hill Reserve, will feature about 2 acres of open space with passive recreation amenities, landscaping and preserved tree areas. The trees are also expected to provide residents with a buffer from the toll road.

A new private street will provide access to the homes and serve Baptist Charity Church immediately north of the property.

The development will include 5-foot sidewalks and on-street guest parking. Planned improvements beyond the property include a northbound left-turn lane on Spring Hill Road, a southbound bicycle lane, striped crosswalks and a bus shelter.

Bierman praised the commitments to sidewalks, bicycle access and tree preservation, saying the single-family development matches existing residential construction across the street and fits the surrounding neighborhood.