Planning Commission endorses Skyline live/work project
The Fairfax County Planning Commission at its Feb. 8 meeting agreed to recommend approval of a rezoning for a second live/work project at the Skyline Center in Bailey’s Crossroads.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the rezoning application on Feb. 21.
Developer Robert Seldin, CEO of Highland Square Holdings, is proposing to convert two vacant nine-story office buildings at 5113 and 5111 Leesburg Pike, into 510 flexible units where tenants can live, work, or do both. The buildings would also have ground-floor retail and restaurants.
Seldin’s project to develop live/work units at buildings 1, 2, and 3 at the Skyline Center is nearing completion. The first units are expected to be ready for occupancy in May.
The rezoning application, for buildings 4 and 5, includes an extensive upgrade of the property surrounding the buildings.
Some of the existing surface parking would be removed to provide space for three parks.
Related story: Big changes coming to Skyline
A community sports park in front of buildings 4 and 5 would have pickleball courts, a volleyball court, and a place for yoga. A new park space overlooking George Mason Drive would have seating and game tables. It would connect via a pedestrian bridge to a community art park along George Mason Drive.
New walkways within the property would enhance pedestrian connectivity. A new crosswalk would be constructed on George Mason Drive.
Tenants would have free memberships at the Onelife Fitness gym at Skyline and could walk to Target via an underground walkway.
Really exciting stuff happening in skyline. If they can deliver on the retail/restaurants I think these projects are a slam dunk for revitalizing the area.
This is exciting. My concern is how successful will this development be without good transportation to DC? The 16L bus, which was an express bus has been discontinued, I suspect as a result of COVID. Poor transportation options have been the achilles heel for Bailey’s Crossroads and it surrounds.
You nailed it.. Developers and county staff never think about transportation to other jurisdictions. They’d rather pretend Arlington Tysons DC don’t exist.
I wholeheartedly support this project!
I hope the parks come to fruition. We need the green/recreation space to make it a neighborhood, but I fear this will be the first thing to be sacrificed if the budget goes over.