The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to consider this month a development project that would pack 500 dwellings, new retail space and a 120,000-square-foot theater into the core of Merrifield.
Developer Edens & Avant wants to revamp the 31-acres near Gallows Road with what it bills as a pedestrian-friendly “urban renewal project.” The proposed rezoning, which could also include space for offices and a hotel, will be among the many considered on the board’s Oct. 15 agenda.
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The project, if approved, would be part of a larger campaign to redevelop Merrifield, one of the county’s most highly touted targets for revitalization. Fairfax County planners have identified two specific areas to be overhauled: the neighborhood near the Dunn Loring Metro station and where the Edens & Avant property sits, according to Fairfax County Supervisor Linda Smyth, who represents the Providence District.
“The idea in the comprehensive plan is to really develop that area into a town center, with a mix of uses,” Smyth said.
The comprehensive plan is a document that guides county land use policy. Smyth declined to discuss the Edens & Avant proposal because a public hearing has not yet taken place.
Fairfax County planning staff has recommended the board approve the rezoning.
Late last year, Fairfax County supervisors approved a 720-dwelling mixed-use project near the Dunn Loring station proposed by developer Trammell Crow, part of a larger effort to cluster dense new development around rail stops in Fairfax.
