Fairfax County, VA news release:
Largest Mixed-Use Development Next to Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station Approved
Posted on December 8, 2016
As construction continues on the Silver Line’s second phase, the drive to redevelop the area around Reston’s only rail station that’s open now as part of phase one intensifies. The Board of Supervisors signed off on two separate projects near the Wiehle-Reston East station on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Developer Vornado’s Commerce Metro Center will build about 1.1 million square feet in new mixed use development at the site of existing office park, while the Lincoln will be a seven-story apartment on an adjacent property.
This office park redevelopment is one of the last development opportunities directly adjacent to this Metro station. The Metro Commerce Center project will include the three six-story office buildings currently on the site, along with the parking garage. The surface parking lot will be demolished to make way for four new towers, including two residential towers, a new office and a 175-room hotel. The project includes 17,000 square feet in ground-floor retail in every building, with the exception of one residential tower.
The 11.5-acre property lies directly south of the station and Dulles Toll Road along Sunrise Valley Drive between Wiehle Avenue and Commerce Park Drive.
Metro Commerce Center will be built in four phases, and the final development plan for the first phase was also approved on Dec. 6. The first phase is a seven-story apartment at the corner of Sunrise Valley Drive and Wiehle Avenue. The 200-unit, brick, stone and metal building will have a four-level underground garage. This first phase of development also includes a temporary volleyball court and pathways to the Metro station.
The second phase will build a 24-story, apartment tower with up to 300 units, and the third stage adds a 22-story office building located immediately next to the Metro station. Next to this future office will be a direct pedestrian connection to the station from an elevated terrace along the building. The project’s final phase consists of a 14-story hotel near Sunrise Valley Drive.
Overall, Metro Commerce Center will offer 1.52 acres in parks, including five pocket parks and a civic plaza. These will be built in phases along with the rest of the development. In addition, Vornado will make financial contributions to building athletic fields in Reston.
The development also pushes forward the construction of a 10-foot shared use path on the north side of the Sunrise Valley Drive. As envisioned by our Bicycle Master Plan, this path will extend from Wiehle Avenue to Preston White Drive/South Lakes Drive. Vornado will build a segment of this path, and they will build an up to 15-dock bikeshare station near the Wiehle station.
On a 3-acre site next to Metro Commerce Center, the Lincoln apartment complex will be built where the surface parking lot for the Executive II office condo is now. Located at Sunrise Valley Drive at Commerce Park Drive, the 260-unit apartment will have an interior courtyard and underground parking. The developer also will help to build the planned shared use path along Sunrise Valley.