The future of Fair Oaks Mall looks to be going the way of open space, residential units and a Metro station. And the future may be coming sooner rather than later with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors amending the development plan of the area November 2020.
By Lynn Norusis
Plans call for “a more urban mix of residential, retail, hotel and office uses integrated with the mall, with multiple levels of intensity tied to the availability of roadway and transit improvements, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Metro rail extending from the Vienna Metro rail Station along I-66,” as stated in the staff report.
So what does the future of Fair Oaks Mall look like?
There will be a reduction in retail space, down to 20%-25%, and residential space will take up 45% of the 109.5-acre space. The proposed plan anticipates that the mall would downsize, and the land area occupied by retail spaces and associated surface parking may be replaced with more residentially focused mixed-use development; currently proposed at 4.8 million square feet of development. Plans also call for a central plaza or park and other urban parks throughout the development that will allow for cafes, gathering spaces and a space for public events.
A few hurdles have to be removed for this redevelopment to move forward, one of which is already moving along, which involves lowering parking space requirements for the mall. This was approved in December 2019. Plans to include the Metro extensions have been decoupled from the proposed plan as a linchpin of moving forward, as suggested by the staff, though this is still the long-term goal. This will allow redevelopment to move forward as funding for future Metro rail is worked out.
All said and done, this is a 10-15 year process.
PARKS
The plan recommends that a central plaza or park be included in the development. There is also the possibility of an additional central plaza or park on the opposite side of the mall building, and a recreation-focused neighborhood park is also noted as a desirable option on the site, plus a recreational trail system connecting the park and trail network throughout the area.
TRANSPORTATION
A 820-space park-and-ride facility at the intersection of Monument Drive and Government Center Parkway is planned on the south side of I-66 and is expected to be complete by 2022 to coincide with the completion of the I-66 express lanes.
Surrounding the current mall area 15 intersections were analyzed (see map) as well as impacted intersections such as: West Ox Road / Fair Lakes Parkway; Monument Drive / Fair Lakes Parkway; West Ox Road / Monument Drive and West Ox Road / Legato Road / Fairfax Towne Center. County staff is analyzing the traffic patterns for a 2045 scenario.
FUTURE METRO
A future Metro station is planned in the median of I-66, generally in the location at the southwest corner of the current mall area. The county’s planned 820-space parking facility is intended to connect to the planned Metro station near that location.
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