Development is expected to surge around Fort Belvoir once plans for a massive personnel relocation materialize.
“I think you are going to find an incredible amount of interest in locating close to Belvoir,” said Mount District Supervisor Gerald Hyland.
He said the growth will depend on the eventual placement of approximately 21,000 military personnel and civilian employees who are slated to relocate to the base by 2011 under the Base Realignment and Closure recommendations. The supervisor expects private sector development to group near the portions of the base that receive the worker influx.
“Contractors are going to be looking for space that’s close to the base; we’re seeing that already,” said Lara Fritts, executive director of the Southeast Fairfax County Development Corporation.
Already, development has picked up in the area, most of which was planned before the BRAC announcement, Fritts said. Fort Belvoir is somewhat close to revitalization efforts in Springfield and at Lorton prison.
The Belvoir New Vision Planners, a group of firms hired to plan for the BRAC relocation, are set to produce a final plan for Fort Belvoir in May 2007. The planners have until the end of the month to deliver initial recommendations on where to locate the many military agencies.
“I think it’s inevitable that you’re going to have office development that’ll occur up and down Richmond Highway, I think as soon as the decisions are made,” Hyland said.
“It’s a fairly safe assumption” that growth will follow the BRAC relocation, said Paul Reagan, a spokesman for the Belvoir New Vision Planers.
“When that will occur and the size of it, that’s not something I can quantify right now,” he said.
Planning timeline
» June 22: The Belvoir New Vision Planners will present some possible development scenarios to the Base Realignment and Closure Board of Advisors
» June 30: The deadline for the planners to deliver site recommendations to the Army
» May 2007: The planners complete a master plan for the entire relocation
