Developer Seeks Rezoning to Convert Virginia Office to Multifamily

The office-to-residential pattern continues, this time in Annandale, Va.

An affiliate of Nicholas Development has filed a rezoning request with Fairfax County to convert a mostly vacant Annandale office into a multifamily building, Business Journals first reported. The proposed conversion at 7620 Little River Turnpike would also include a two-floor expansion, raising the six-story 56,875-square-foot building and adding both rooftop and amenity spaces. 

While the building would be largely residential, commercial tenants would continue to occupy the ground floor. Wells Fargo currently leases space on the property, and, per the Business Journals, has been the tower’s sole tenant for about three years. 

The proposed plans would likewise affect neighboring buildings, including an adjacent nine-story, 115,000-square-foot office. The rezoning would expand that building’s ground-floor retail footprint, and convert a neighboring storage building into a cafe, with additional plans for a potential fitness studio, according to the report. 

“We’ve done our homework,” Timothy Sachs, senior vice president at Nicholas Development, told the Business Journals. “We want to invest in this area. Annandale needs this investment.”

Rust Orling Architecture and R.C. Fields & Associates have been tapped as the project’s architect and engineer, according to the Business Journals. It is unclear when Nicholas’ request will be considered and construction might begin. 

The proposed office-to-residential conversion corresponds to similar trends both in Washington, D.C., and beyond. The D.C. area has especially been a major proponent of such projects post-pandemic, with offices receiving funding and tax breaks for residential overhauls. 

A spokesperson for Nicholas Development did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Anna Staropoli can be reached at astaropoli@commercialobserver.com.