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SOURCE: FFWnow by Angela Woolsey
Dunn Loring Center in Merrifield has been quiet since Fairfax County approved a redevelopment of the 1980s-era office building more than three years ago.
Rest assured, though, that the planned apartment building with retail is still in the works, says property owner and developer Elm Street Development, which hopes to start construction at 2722 Merrilee Drive in 2025.
A site plan submitted to the county back in September 2022 appears to be nearing approval, pending a recalculation of funds that the developer has agreed to provide for bonds and conservation efforts to adjust for inflation.
As proposed in the rezoning plan that the county’s Board of Supervisors approved on Jan. 26, 2021, Elm Street intends to replace the Dunn Loring Center — a three-story office building constructed in 1984 — with a seven-story, 239-unit apartment building with ground-floor retail space.
“For Merrilee, essentially no changes have been made since zoning,” Elm Street partner and vice president Nicholas Flanagan told FFXnow. “The project will still have its retail component and the parking and outdoor greenspace/amenities have stayed the same.”
According to the site plan, the 3,875 square feet of retail will be provided in a two-story podium, which will also contain 302 garage parking spaces. That will include 30 spots reserved for retail visitors but no electric vehicle charging spaces, though the garage will be designed so at least 2% of all spaces can get stations installed in the future.
The site plan features about 20,000 square feet of open space, including a plaza with a public art pedestal at the entrance to the retail shops, a linear dog park along Merrilee Drive, an outdoor fitness area with exercise stations, and outdoor seating for dining, a lounge and a gaming area.
The availability of urban park space on the 2-acre site was a top concern for county officials during the rezoning process. Elm Street said it could only fit 0.17 acres, offering to find another 0.45 acres off-site or contribute $500,000 to the Fairfax County Park Authority if no possible locations emerged.
In a July 2023 letter to the park authority, Flanagan reasserted the developer’s commitment to finding off-site park space by reaching out to nearby property owners for potential collaborations. However, at that time, Elm Street hadn’t received any responses, and no other development plans had been filed in Merrifield “that would make sense for a partnership.”
“In order to continue to fulfill our proffer commitment, we plan to continue to reach out to [the Department of] Planning and Development and nearby property owners on a semiannual basis and we will update you on any developments,” Flanagan wrote, noting that, if needed, the park authority contribution would be made when the county issues its first residential use permit for the apartment building.
The Board of Supervisors authorized comprehensive plan amendments in April 2023 for three properties in Merrifield to allow for proposed redevelopments, including the Prosperity Business Campus, the Dunn Loring at Merrifield Station apartments and the Alliance Center commercial condominiums near the Mosaic District.
However, no formal development plans have been submitted, and no meetings are scheduled right now on the proposed amendments.
Elm Street’s other projects in Fairfax County include a condo building in the Reston Midline development that could also start construction next year and the Woods at Occoquan Overlook, a single-family housing subdivision in Lorton that’s slated to open a model home in September.
