5 Northern Virginia Projects to Keep Your Eye On
If you live in Northern Virginia, you’re no stranger to construction zones and development projects. The entire region seems to be bursting with new builds. From multifamily townhomes to entire tract neighborhoods, construction shows no sign of letting up or slowing down.
While it might mean a bit of extra traffic as you navigate those construction cones and temporary stop lights, these new projects are actually great news for anyone looking to buy or to sell a home in the area in the near future. These new developments are bringing life, fun, and vitality into the area. For home buyers, that means a higher quality of life; for home sellers, it can mean bigger price tags on their properties.
With that in mind, here are five new construction projects set to hit the NOVA area in and around 2020:
- Array Apartments at West Alex
- Location: 3445 Berkeley Street, Alexandria, VA 22302 Contact: (833) 240-4366
This brand-new apartment building can be found atop a Harris Teeter grocery store at the corner of Beauregard and King. It officially started taking in renters on December 1, 2019. Floor plans include studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, which are currently available for anywhere from $1,885 to $2,700. Complex amenities include a club room (sporting a couch and television), a stocked fitness center, and a lobby community bar. The area also boasts an eclectic array of retail opportunities and restaurants—all of which look to keep popping up throughout 2020 and beyond.
For anyone just relocating to the area, this could be a great place to land. It’s fun, convenient, and hip, and you can take the time to assess if Northern Virginia is somewhere you want to eventually buy and call home long term.
- Campus Commons, LLC
- Location: Next to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station
This 1.35 million-square-foot development is set to feature residential units, office space, retail space, and recreation areas. Development depends on final approval by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. This massive complex was originally proposed all the way back in 2017, but it received an overhaul of improvements to usage, transportation, and overall design. This delayed the project but, ultimately, led to a more useful space that will go further to improve the area and to up surrounding home values.
- Isaac Newton Square
- Location: North of the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station
This area is going to be hopping in 2020! In addition to the Campus Common, LLC, Isaac Newton Square is the second mixed-use development proposed in this immediate area. The 32.14 acres will span a neighborhood that includes residential, retail, and office space. It will even boast an adjacent athletic field outfitted with synthetic turf. An official completion date hasn’t been set yet, but approval by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has enabled developers to begin sketching out initial plans.
For those worried about the increasingly steep cost of living in this area, the project does intend to include affordable dwelling units.
- Sterling Meadow Development
- Location: Existing Regal Countryside movie theater at 45980 Regal Plaza, Sterling, VA 20165
This proposed housing development in Sterling looks to take the current location of a Regal Countryside movie theater, which has been there for over twenty years. The Loudoun County planning commission is still considering this bid, which proposes 166 stacked multi-family residences in place of the old theater. The proposal states that the surrounding retail spaces will be left intact. Sterling Meadows, LLC, originally submitted this plan in April of 2019, but at that time it was lacking all the requirements for land ordinance and building design. Subsequent looks at the plan will determine if and when this moves forward.
- The Iconic at the View
- Location: 1575 Spring Hill Road, Vienna VA 22182
This one is still pretty far down the line—a site plan is slated for submission in 2020, with an opening date at some point in 2021—but it looks to be one of the most exciting projects from a design standpoint. The Iconic at the View is currently on track to be the region’s tallest building, soaring to about six hundred feet. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the initial plan in mid-October 2019, which allowed Julie Clemente (the president of Clemente Development Company, Inc.) to move forward on this highly anticipated project. The majority of the building will be dedicated to office space, but the 1.14 million square feet will also be allocated to residential space, outdoor recreation, a hotel, and retail space.
How New Developments Impact the Region
New development projects undoubtedly impact home values and the quality of life for those living near them, but whether that’s for good or ill depends entirely on the nature of the project itself. If, for example, a new warehouse or factory goes into a neighborhood, homeowners might start to get a bit concerned. Unsurprisingly, fumes, chemicals, and smog can all be highly undesirable new features for your home’s once-pristine backyard! However, if the development brings upscale amenities, businesses, services, and residences, that only looks to help your existing home value (not to mention your ability to partake in those new restaurants and other commercial spaces).
Projects involving the expansion of public transportation and cultural endeavors (everything from high-quality restaurants to local theaters) tend to have a particularly positive impact on home values.
Do you live in the city of Fairfax and find yourself having trouble keeping track of all these changes? Here’s a handy list of major Fairfax development projects that are either under review, approved, under construction, or recently completed.
Do these new residential and commercial projects sound intriguing? Thinking about relocating to the Northern Virginia area? Great! Give us a shout. We’d love to discuss what you’re looking for in that perfect home!
