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Combined Properties presented revised conceptual plans for a two-phase redevelopment of Fairfax City’s approximately 10-acre Courthouse Plaza site during a July 28 City Council work session, drawing generally favorable reactions from council members while leaving questions about the number of new homes.
The proposal remains under consideration and was not presented as an approved development. If it advances, the plan would add 630 multifamily residential units in buildings up to six stories, along with approximately 62,000 square feet of retail, more than 1,700 parking spaces and approximately 120,000 square feet of open space.
The site is bounded by Blenheim Boulevard, University Drive, Democracy Lane, Plaza Drive and the City of Fairfax Regional Library. Combined Properties owns the property.
The first phase would demolish the former CVS wing and replace it with 315 housing units and approximately 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. Most of the existing shopping center would remain during that phase.
A potential second phase would replace the rest of the shopping center with 315 additional residential units and approximately 50,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The timing of that phase was not specified, and the proposal’s implementation schedule remains unresolved.
The revised concept includes reduced building height near Democracy Lane and University Drive, updated architectural materials and a revised color palette, facade improvements, and a more detailed tenant-relocation plan.
Molly Novotny of Curata Partners said, “We’ve made significant, significant revisions.”
Mayor Catherine Read said the team had responded to feedback from city officials. “You incorporated so much of what you heard,” Read said.
Council Member Rachel McQuillen continued to question the scale of the residential component, saying, “It’s still a lot of units there.” At the same time, she described the revised concept as “a much better fit than previous submissions.”
Read also referred to the property’s Safeway, saying, “I’ve been looking at the Safeway since 1981.”
The council’s generally supportive response indicates that the revisions addressed some concerns raised about earlier submissions. However, members’ questions about the unit count show that the overall amount of housing remains an issue as the concept moves through review.
The proposal’s final approval status, construction schedule, tenant-relocation outcomes and the timing of any second phase require further verification. The amount and distribution of retail, parking and open space could also change as the redevelopment plan advances.