Fairfax County’s plan for the future can be summed up in a single term: mixed-use.
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The county, which through much of the 20th century was a quintessential suburbia with shopping malls, highways and single-family homes, is now throwing itself headfirst into development projects that support denser, more urban hubs built around corporate outposts and public transit corridors.
The next generation of Fairfax towns won’t be bedroom neighborhoods or suburban corporate parks, but diverse, urban-inspired mixtures of office, multifamily, hospitality, retail and entertainment options.
The Metro’s Silver Line, which currently runs to the eastern edge of Reston, is close to unveiling its final form, with three new stops in Fairfax County set to open in 2020. Development around the Phase 2 transit stops — at Reston Town Center, Herndon and the newly dubbed Innovation Center — has been hurrying along in preparation, with a few massive apartment complexes set to be delivered by opening date and much more to come as the areas grow.
Many of these newly minted Fairfax County hubs are looking to Tysons for inspiration — the concerted efforts of the county and a corps of developers have turned an area once known only for its shopping center into a 21st-century magnet for companies and residents, partially fueled by the Silver Line's Phase 1. Whether areas like Reston, Herndon and West Falls Church will see as much investment and success remains to be seen.
Developers, owners, corporate tenants and public officials will gather at Bisnow’s Future of Fairfax County event on Oct. 10. Register here for the event.
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