Given the twists and turns of the real estate market, we often feel like cooking up some popcorn, sitting back, and watching the show. But this is taking things literally. Out in Fairfax County, the Merrifield Multiplex Cinema, located where Lee Highway meets up with Gallows Road, might soon be demolished and replaced with a massive 27-acre "town center" complex containing 800 residential units, 600,000 sf of retail (plus a rebuilt theater), and possibly hotel and office space, if South Carolina-based developer Edens & Avant and Bethesda-based Clark Realty have their way. Initial plans for this project were honored last year by the Washington Smart Growth Alliance, which praised the town center concept, along with plans to include three new urban parks throughout the site. There will also be a focus on mass transportation, with free shuttle service and pedestrian/bicycle accessibility to the nearby Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station. To date, the development team has spent over $100 million just acquiring land and planning for the project, and expects to have final site-plan approval before the county’s Board of Supervisors in October 2007. If approved, ground could be broken by Summer 2008. Together with Trammel Crow Residential’s plan to build a 720-unit apartment building with retail down Gallows Road on a 15-acre lot at the Metro station, Merrifield might soon be known for its bustling activity rather than rundown warehouses.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Our Feature Presentation: More Development!
Given the twists and turns of the real estate market, we often feel like cooking up some popcorn, sitting back, and watching the show. But this is taking things literally. Out in Fairfax County, the Merrifield Multiplex Cinema, located where Lee Highway meets up with Gallows Road, might soon be demolished and replaced with a massive 27-acre "town center" complex containing 800 residential units, 600,000 sf of retail (plus a rebuilt theater), and possibly hotel and office space, if South Carolina-based developer Edens & Avant and Bethesda-based Clark Realty have their way. Initial plans for this project were honored last year by the Washington Smart Growth Alliance, which praised the town center concept, along with plans to include three new urban parks throughout the site. There will also be a focus on mass transportation, with free shuttle service and pedestrian/bicycle accessibility to the nearby Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station. To date, the development team has spent over $100 million just acquiring land and planning for the project, and expects to have final site-plan approval before the county’s Board of Supervisors in October 2007. If approved, ground could be broken by Summer 2008. Together with Trammel Crow Residential’s plan to build a 720-unit apartment building with retail down Gallows Road on a 15-acre lot at the Metro station, Merrifield might soon be known for its bustling activity rather than rundown warehouses.
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2 comments:
I used to love going to the drive-in theater that was on that parcel when I was in high school. Big changes coming. The plans sound good.
My apologies for an off topic posting here guys but since I cannot log into Blogger today, this is my only way to get a question to you.
At one time there was a DC housing web site that showed how far along a particular condo conversion in the area might be - how many units have sold out of the X number available.
Might any of you recall the site or be able to lead me to it?
Thanks
Mitch
Mitch.Greenstein@GMail.com
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