Planning moves forward for live/work concept at Skyline office buildings

A rendering of the Skyline redevelopment project.

The Fairfax County planning and zoning branch is reviewing a proposal to amend the development plan for three office buildings at the Skyline Center in Bailey’s Crossroads.
The application was submitted by the Wolff Co. (KIW Skyline), which purchased the three mostly vacant buildings in 2019 at 5201, 5203, and 5205 Leesburg Pike.

Local developer Robert Selden of Highland Square Holdings is working with Wolff to transform the 16-story buildings into multifamily residences. Two of the buildings have a live/work format. Renters would be able to use their units for living, working, or both, like the arrangement at Mission Lofts at 5600 Columbia Pike, Bailey’s Crossroads, which Selden also developed.

The third building would become age-restricted housing for seniors. That building would have a live/work concept, too, Selden says. All residents will get a home occupancy license, so if retirees want to have their own consulting or other business, they would be able to work from home.

A public hearing on the application by the Fairfax County Planning Commission is scheduled for July 15. If the approval process goes smoothly, Selden would like to start interior demolition this fall.

Everything inside will be redone, he says. There will be new windows, a new plaza level, and an overhaul of the grounds on the 6.5-acre site.

Related story: Live/work concept proposed for Skyline office buildings

There would be about 224 units in the building for seniors and 270 in each of the other buildings. Selden is seeking flexibility to have third-party retail in the two non-senior buildings.

“It’s going to be super exciting,” Selden says. “We think it’s going to re-establish Skyline as the real center of Bailey’s Crossroads, as it should be.”

The three office buildings began to empty out in 2011 in response to BRAC (the federal consolidation of military facilities). “The property was largely overleveraged at that point,” Selden says. It was difficult for the prior owner to justify filling the buildings with new tenants, so the keys were handed over to a special servicer. After that, there was no incentive to sign leases. The buildings are currently about 98 percent vacant.

Related story: Mission Lofts to start signing up tenants in January

Meanwhile, Selden is still working with the county to finalize the occupancy inspection for Mission Lofts, which he says should happen within a week or two. After that, prospective tenants can sign leases and move in.