Developers Start Work On 24-Acre Mixed-Use Project At West Falls Church Metro
The West Falls Church Metro station has become one of the busiest for construction amid the D.C. region's broader development slowdown.
Two months after Hoffman & Associates completed a five-building project on 10 acres near the station, another development team has begun construction on the first phase of a 24-acre mixed-use development nearby.
Developers Rushmark Properties and EYA are partnering with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority on the project, which ultimately calls for up to 1M SF of residential, office and retail.
The team was joined by Virginia officials Wednesday morning to celebrate the groundbreaking of the development's first phase, which includes 305 multifamily units, slated to deliver in the second quarter of 2028, and 82 townhouses, scheduled to start opening in Q3 2027. The second phase, a 266-unit multifamily building, is projected to deliver in 2029.
“With the redevelopment of the Metro parcel now underway, we’re completing a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood that reflects true public-private partnership — delivering housing, infrastructure, and public spaces that strengthen our region for generations to come,” EYA Executive Vice President Evan Goldman said in a release.
Rushmark, a Falls Church-based developer founded in 1998, has built office, multifamily and industrial projects in Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia, according to its website.
WMATA selected the developers in August 2021, part of its push to spur transit-oriented development on underutilized land around Metro stations across the region. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in June 2023 approved the team's plan for up to 810 multifamily units, 110K SF of office and 10K SF of retail on the site.
The transit authority targeted West Falls Church for higher-density development after the Silver Line's 2014 opening — which extended the system through Fairfax County to Dulles International Airport and beyond — led the station's ridership to decline, according to a post from the development team's land use attorney, Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh.
“With the Silver Line’s arrival, these lots became underused, creating an opportunity to build a community steps from the station,” WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke said in the release. “When we build more housing near transit, the entire region benefits — from growing ridership to reducing traffic congestion to creating better quality of life opportunities and more access to jobs and entertainment.”
The project Hoffman completed in September at the West Falls Church station includes a 400-unit apartment building, a 126-unit condo building, an extended-stay hotel, a senior living building, a medical office building, 123K SF of retail and a public green space.
Also near the station, HITT Contracting broke ground in January on a six-story, 270K SF office building that will house its own headquarters. It is also planned to include a 40K SF research lab in partnership with Virginia Tech.
