Fairfax County Approves Infill and Multifamily Development on Two County Sites

Under the plan, the city plans to construct four public buildings, bringing the site’s total square footage of public buildings to more than 2 million. The buildings will afford space for county agencies, nonprofits and volunteer groups. 

Only one supervisor, Pat Herrity, voted against the law during the board meeting; Herrity told Business Journals that the proposed plan lacked details about the expansion of the existing courthouse or detention facilities. A spokesperson for Fairfax County did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Although the Board of Supervisors only just approved the new plan, Fairfax County has been planning for it since 2018. As neighbors on county-owned land, 4110 Chain Bridge Road and 10700 Page Avenue currently contain roughly 1.4 million square feet of public buildings. These include the Fairfax County Judicial Center and Fairfax County Circuit Court, among other facilities. 

Under the plan, however, the city will reconfigure the lots, starting with the construction of a 176,000-square-foot office intended for court support services and select court records. Plans for rezoning are already underway, with a vote slated for the fall. Currently, the lot intended for the office consists of nothing more than grass and a parking lot. 

To make room for the other new buildings, the county plans to demolish a police evidence storage facility, former school administrative buildings and a parking garage. The size of the public buildings — which will be constructed in front of the existing judicial center — will range from 150,000 to 195,000 square feet, according to a rezoning document.

Meanwhile, the affordable housing component will be a public-private partnership on the western end of the lot.

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