For decades, Fairfax City has struggled with its historic downtown in terms of driving people to the locale. Sure, there are restaurants and some shopping, but it has never been looked at as a destination like Old Town Alexandria, Leesburg or Middleburg. Could that be changing?
By Lynn Norusis
Earlier this year, Ox Hill Companies proposed a project that would consist of a 4,000-seat concert hall, a 163-room hotel and approximately 18,500 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant uses. Where would this go? In the already Ox Hill-owned site near Sager Ave. and Chain Bridge Rd. (40200 University Dr., 4029 Chain Bridge Rd., 4031 Chain Bridge Rd., and 4057 Chain Bridge Rd.). The project is being called The Ox Fairfax.
Ox Hill Companies brought this initial concept to the City years ago when they purchased the land, but once the pandemic hit, and spacing and infrastructure constraints became apparent, they re-envisioned the space to a mixed-used residential condo building called City Centre West. The developer is now back bringing the original dream to the city in a new location.
The art center will include a bar area, small lounge and a gallery. The seven-story hotel, along with the 163 rooms, will include a recording studio, conference center, rooftop space and the 18,500-square feet of ground floor retail and restaurant space facing Sager Ave. and University Dr.
To allow for better flow of the traffic, there will be an extension of South St. between Chain Bridge Rd. and University Dr. A traffic impact study will be conducted as well, but the proposal does include a 459-space parking garage and a 147-space surface parking area.
The Fairfax City Council heard the pre-application meeting regarding The Ox Fairfax on May 9, with staff passing along the comments from the Planning Commission as being “excited”. A formal application still needs to be submitted and, if done, will go though the whole process of determining the future of the project.
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