Major development proposed for Food Star site in Bailey’s Crossroads
A comprehensive plan amendment is in the works for a section of the Town Center District in the Bailey’s Crossroads Community Business Center.
George Hong, the owner of the Food Star property at 5521 Leesburg Pike, told the Bailey’s Crossroads/7 Corners Revitalization Corporation (BC7RC) Sept. 29 about a proposal to develop four apartment buildings in that location (subunit B-5 of the Town Center District).
Sub-unit B-5 is located west of Skyline Towers between Leesburg Pike, Carlin Springs Road, Gorham Street, and Seminary Road. Food Star opened in February 2020 in the former Toys R Us building.
Hong is proposing three 14 or 15-story towers along Leesburg Pike and a midrise apartment building in the middle of the block. The buildings would have a total of 1,120 units and retail on the ground floor.
The floor-to-area ratio (FAR), a measure of density, would be increased from the current level of 1.5 to about 2.8.
Related story: Food Star supermarket opens
The Board of Supervisors authorized the consideration of a comprehensive plan amendment for sub-unit B-5 on May 10. The Carousel Apartments on the other side of Seminary Road are in sub-unit B-5 but would not be covered by the proposed plan amendment.
The current comprehensive plan for that area allows up to 500 units in sub-unit B-5 and buildings with up to four to six stories – with an option for seven stories if all the land in B-4 and B-5 is consolidated.
Hong says the owner of the Bank of America building at the rear of the block on Seminary Road is amenable to consolidation. That building also houses the Somali Fashion Center, Tobacco Mart, and Crown Lounge.
Fairfax County planning staff would also like to see the other properties on the block – occupied by a Shell Station, Seminary Corner Auto, and Haifa Grill – also consolidated. Staff hasn’t yet determined whether the project could move forward without including those parcels.
Public hearings on a plan amendment would be scheduled sometime in spring 2023. The planning staff would release a staff report after a community engagement process and about a month before the Planning Commission hearing. If a plan amendment is approved, the proposed project would go through a rezoning process.
BC7RC President Mike Van Atta suggested Hong contact the businesses in the retail strip on the other side of Gorham Street to gauge their interest in the project. That retail center includes Denny’s, Auto Zone, America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Oven Fresh pizza shop, Mint Tobacco, Filipino Global Supermarket, a pawn shop, and Malisa Beauty Salon.
No commentary on how transportation would be improved before adding 1000+ cars to the rt 7 corridor?
Cars don’t need to be added, let’s build better public transit and make it more walkable and bikeable.
How many years will that take.? The Silver Line still isn’t open. Metro has major safety and financial problems. You are dreaming if you think there won’t be more cars. I agree, to get people out of cars there needs to be regular bus runs and maybe make them free so there are fewer obstacles. But that will not happen in this state. The locals (in Fairfax County) don’t have control of thier own roads. And what about people with disabilities or who have some issue that prevents them from walking or biking. There isn’t a one size fits all answer to these problems.
And they don’t have a brain or vision in their head to make this happen. Bike lanes are way too narrow to be safe anymore and they pretty much don’t go anywhere. The network is detached. Entire area needs to be reimagined. Free busses that run in their own lane regularly to metro stations would be a godsend.
Cars would be added. People who live and shop in this area do not rely on public transport alone. And I wouldn’t want to walk anywhere over there – too much crime.
There is not an above average amount of crime in that area, untrue..
With how hard it is to get any development headway in Mason district and and Bailey’s crossroads, unfortunately waiting for the perfect conditions before allowing potential investment just isn’t practical. I think transportation and density studies should be performed, but maybe some of that has to be conditional.
There are people who walk over there all the time… Everyone does not have the money to have a vehicle.
This was not the case a few years ago with the foot traffic but now it is different. The economy has changed and this area should become more pedestrian friendly.
The problem is that there is no good public transportation in that area right now. And ten years ago when there was a push, they punted. It is a highly congested area and you are adding more apartments to an area with a ton of apartments. It will impact traffic.
We know how well tat goes. All the new bike lanes in the area and I have yet to see any people actually riding their bikes. Pedestrians are getting hit by cars because they do not use the crosswalks and the traffic is horrible in that area. This area looks like the pits even with all the “beautification” projects.
All these politicians wish Virginia was California. They want to outlaw gas cars and make everyone ride bikes. The weather in nova is not conducive to riding bikes for like 75% of the year. When it is nice enough to ride a bike, you never know if it’s going to rain later in the day when you’re getting off work. I used to ride my bike to metro when I moved here from California and I couldn’t afford a car. I had so many work clothes ruined from riding home in the rain. And I spent so much money on Ubers when it was raining in the morning. And people kept stealing parts off my bike (seat, rack, tire) at West Falls Church metro. Now they are making money renting lockers out there. Replacing cars with bikes like they do in California will never work here. It’s dumb and a waste of money. It’s narrative over fact (in this case, weather).
You do know that plenty of other countries have amazing bike infrastructure and ridership even in not perfect Californian weather. DC has one of the highest biking numbers and our weather is practically the same so no I don’t think the weather is the narrative on this issue. The idea that we can continue on this unsustainable car dependency is just gonna continue crippling the budgets and financial stability of people here and further increase traffic if we ever want to increase opportunity or population. The dumb waste of money is widening these roads to make even more widening and transportation costs even higher rather than have more transit/ mixed transportation that is holds more people and reduces traffic.
Agreed!
Valid point but is it really more traffic or that much more compared the amount of traffic generated by current businesses located there, some of which are very busy. I actual studies can flesh that out.
The last thing we need is denser development in an already crowded area; does our county ever consider quality of life impacts?
It’s great to see this project especially after losing out on Mill Creek project close by. More of this.
“BC7RC President Mike Van Atta suggested Hong contact the businesses in the retail strip on the other side of Gorham Street to gauge their interest in the project. That retail center includes Denny’s, Auto Zone, America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Oven Fresh pizza shop, Mint Tobacco, Filipino Global Supermarket, a pawn shop, and Malisa Beauty Salon.”
Excellent point. Any development on this intersection and Bailey’s as whole can hopefully bring other business along or at least be mindful of related future redevelopment in the area and possible upgrades to roads, intersections and sidewalks and such. Carlin Springs Road for example from Seminary to Columbia Pike needs serious attention in terms expanding to two lanes, significantly upgrading all the intersections and sidewalks and possibly realigning and straightening the road. Its busy roads with lots pedestrian traffic.
Where is VDOT’s input on how to handle 5,000 cars. School buses, delivery trucks ad nauseiam? The area is already overpopulated. Why not require the developer to include the East Taj Mahal government center? This will be named the Penny Gross memorial white elephant As for the comment that it wii not be car concentric, and pushing for better public transportation well that streetcar has long rumbled by. I commented when Skyline was built that FFC should be pressing for a Columbia Pike line but was told it would cost too much because of the density? Yet METRO has plans for another tunnel at Rosslyn with a line running through Georgetown? Dah and Georgetown isn’t densely populated?
You need density to support public transportation. There’s actually quite good transit in the area already compared to most parts of Fairfax County that are not close to a subway station.
I absolutely agree thats why we need more mixed use redevelopments, apartments and make roads more hospitable to transit and bikes.
So I lose my grocery store, my bank, my chicken place and all those people get to lose their jobs for apartments that nobody around here can afford to live in? This stinks.
Daisy, you should consider community college. The NOVA counselors make dreams come true. In 2-8 years, you’ll have an AA degree which will make you highly competitive in this booming economy. Then you could afford one of those beautiful apartments, and you’ll have the skills and know-how to open your own chicken place!
Edie, all I can says is I hope you actually know Daisy and her life situation well enough to make the numerous assumptions that are inherent in your response. I don’t know her, but I can only imagine she didn’t exactly welcome your comments, even though you may (?) have actually meant them to be constructive.
That’s unfair and presumptive
Edie that was a very unkind thing to say. Do better.
I would like to see the affordable housing component to this proposal.
Those were kind of my thoughts, daisy! Who here can afford all these “luxury” apartments they keep building? Seems like they’re pushing folks out of their neighborhoods. Buildings with retail seem nice…until you experience the traffic, parking, noise, pollution, etc that come with all that. Not as lovely for residents, and building managers seem to care more about the retailers than residents…but maybe that was just my experience.
In my humble opinion, anyone that pays a premium to live in that area is out of their friggin mind. I would rather rent a bedroom for $500 in Woodbridge than live in a “luxury apartment” in BAILEYS CROSSROADS. Might as well build a McMansion next to a landfill.
Someone please help me. I read the above article and another article describing the proposed development several times, and was unable to find any reference to “luxury apartments.”
I would greatly appreciate it if SCG, Trunt, or anyone else could point out the references to “luxury apartment buildings” as opposed to just “apartment buildings” in the description of the proposed development.
Because to be completely honest, I think that if the assumption is these proposed apartments are going to be any more “luxury” than other recent apartment buildings built near this location — such as Bailey’s Crossing Apartments near the intersection of Leesburg Pike and George Mason Drive — I think that assumption is incorrect.
Luxury was in reference to another recent AT article discussing luxury apartments in the same area. That’s why SCG said “all the luxury apartments they keep building”
Thank you Rona for this information.
Are you able to share with us the date of the other recent AT article discussing luxury apartments in the same area?
I would greatly appreciate it.
I would hope the existing retail businesses would be offered special rates to be included in the new building’s retail. Apartment dwellers would be added patrons.
Don’t worry folks, it will never happen for that is Mason’s history. Big open lots on Columbia Pike remain vacant after the big rush to build the grand dame of homeless shelters.
Edie, I live in the West End because it suits me. I actually like my Ethiopian, Korean and Latino neighbors. If I wanted to live in a soulness, artificially pretty mono income, mono culture suburb I would have moved there.
Soulness? I think you meant soulless. That’s a pretty presumptuous and bigoted statement!
That was my excuse when I was like 20.
You go daisy don’t let this ignorant boomers bully you! I love living in a diverse neighborhood as well.
Please no more development without a plan for infrastructure. This area is already a traffic nightmare and public transportation is a joke. Not everyone who lives in this area can walk or hike to work, the metro doesn’t serve the area, and the bus lines don’t effectively serve the community as it is. There is not one bus stop on Sleepy Hollow Rd, from Route 7 to Columbia Pike there is no public transportation option. When my daughter worked at Seven Corners she had to walk out to Annandale Rd, catch a bus that crossed over Route 50, get off at 7 and Annandale in the city of Falls Church, then transfer to another bus that took her back to Route 50 and then to Seven Corners. There is no direct bus route if you live in the neighborhoods along Sleepy Hollow that will to take you in either direction. By car it’s a 5 minute drive, but again, not everyone has a car. Studies and funding of infrastructure needs and improvements must be a requirement of any new development. And significant infrastructure improvements are needed now to effectively serve our existing neighborhoods in Mason District.
How about we allow for more of these mixed use developments so future new public transportation funding is utilized the best extent (which will be in demand more because of these developments). Car loving anti transit people love to oppose any new funding for public transportation because it is a waste of money and not “enough” ridership to a lot of shopping center developments.
I’ve lived in Skyline since 2018, and I CAN’T WAIT for this area to raise the quality of surroundings to something even remotely as good as Arlington or Alexandria. The whole area east of the Skyline high rises needs to be leveled and started anew with fresh restaurants bars, and shops that attract higher earners to spend more money in this area. There’s nothing good or attractive about it right now – it’s sketchy. If they delay due to lack of infrastructure, then it will never happen. I’m ok with worse traffic if the area’s surroundings increase in quality.
It’s the people that make the area sketchy. Infrastructure doesn’t solve much anymore. Look at Tyson’s. I took my kids there the other day and they were mortified and barely recognized the place. The stores were trashed. Employees acted put off if anyone asked for help. Employees were swearing in front of customers. No high school kids work there anymore. (I would never let my high schoolers work there!)
If you want to have a better area, you have to get rid of 90% of the current residents. That’s not going to happen. There is a multi-family construction revolution almost underway. The result will be the opposite of what you want. This is the equity agenda bearing its toxic fruit.