Lennar Pitches 470-Unit Project On Richmond Highway
A new multifamily project is moving forward on Richmond Highway near one of the planned bus rapid transit stations where Fairfax County has envisioned high-density development.
Lennar Multifamily Communities this week filed plans with the county for a 470-unit project on a 7.6-acre site near the intersection of Richmond Highway and North Kings Highway.
The property currently consists of several single-family homes and one retail property, occupied by consignment shop Evolution Home, and the application says the developer plans to demolish all of the existing structures. It then plans to build the 470 units in phases.
The plan includes a seven-story multifamily project along Richmond Highway with 385 units and an above-ground parking garage behind the building. The building's amenities would include a pool, two courtyards, grilling spaces, a fitness center, coworking space and a gaming area.
Next to the multifamily building, the developer plans to build 85 townhouses, a mix of four-story stacked units and traditional townhouses. The townhouses would feature two-car garages and rooftop decks.
The development would add a new public street connecting Richmond Highway to Quander Road, and it would have a series of private alleys. The developer also proposed a cycle track along Richmond Highway and multiple public parks throughout the development.
The property sits near one of the sites where Fairfax County plans to build a new BRT station. The county passed a land use plan in 2018 calling for higher-density development in the "community business center" areas surrounding the stations. The BRT project is still in the design stage.
Lennar's site is part of the Penn Daw community business center, a hub that the plan envisioned as one of the highest-density areas. The plan called for buildings rising up to 15 stories with 2,910 housing units and 915K SF of nonresidential development in the area.
Multiple projects have previously moved forward in the Penn Daw area. Combined Properties broke ground in 2018 on its 400-unit, Aldi-anchored South Alex project. The under-construction building was heavily damaged by a five-alarm fire in February 2020, but the development team restarted the project and is reportedly aiming to deliver it this year.
Another multifamily project is planned on a nearby site with vacant retail buildings at the intersection of Richmond Highway and Fairview Drive, a property Fairfield Residential acquired from Novus after the land use plan was passed. Fairfield plans to build a 350-unit project.
