A plan is afoot to bring as many as six restaurants to the Westfields Corporate Center area in Chantilly. The Long Co. is the developer, and representative Brian Self and attorney Lee Fifer presented details, last week, to the West Fairfax County Citizens Association (WFCCA) Land-Use Committee.
Long proposes constructing three, separate buildings in the vicinity of Stonecroft Road, off Route 28. Anywhere from three to six restaurants could occupy the buildings, with the typical restaurant ranging in size from 2,500 to 3,500 square feet.
Discussions are underway with several prospective tenants; one of them is Texas Roadhouse, similar to Outback Steakhouse. The architecture is expected to be high-quality, and each building would probably house two business — at least one of which would be a restaurant.
LONG WANTS to locate the restaurants in Westfields because of all the businesses and residents already in the local area, as well as the potential for attracting even more customers when the National Air and Space Museum Annex opens in Chantilly in December. But step one is obtaining the county's approval.
"They need a rezoning to allow for fast-food restaurants to be built there," explained WFCCA Chairman Jim Katcham. "But they said there'll be no drive-through windows."
Following their appearance at the Sept. 16 WFCCA meeting, Self and Fifer will return in a few months with more details. The applicants don't yet have any architectural drawings, but the WFCCA members advised them that they don't want to see neon lighting on the exteriors of any of the new restaurants.
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs