Town of Herndon: Located across from Worldgate Centre, this six-story 1980s office structure which previously totaled more than 350,000 square feet was torn down in Nov. 2025. Boston Properties and NVHomes' mixed-use redevelopment project is replacing the vacant commercial site with a 461-unit residential community featuring a five-story apartment building, townhomes, and stacked condo units.
Replacing vacant commercial parcels with housing and mixed-use developments is trending across Fairfax County as a prime redevelopment strategy. As post-pandemic office vacancy rates skyrocketed past 16% to 20% countywide — climbing even higher in non-transit submarkets like Fairfax Center-Oakton (22.2%) and Vienna (23.5%) — a development pattern replacing low-demand commercial space with housing is rapidly emerging, particularly near Silver Line hubs.
Reston Town Center East
In the latest move, Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn invited residents to an open house regarding the 119-acre Reston East Planning Study to consider amending the Comprehensive Plan for residential development north of Sunrise Valley Drive, between Upper Lake Drive and Hunter Mill Road.
This study looks at potential changes and community needs throughout this industrial-zoned corridor after several landowners nominated their properties to be redeveloped with new housing," said Alcorn, who initiated the effort in April.
The event allowed community members to speak with planning staff and Alcorn about the study's five associated Site-Specific Plan Amendments. On Preston White Drive, a 9.1-acre site would replace 1980s offices with housing at up to 30 units per acre or a 1.2 floor area ratio. Along Alexander Bell Drive, a 7.5-acre proposal replaces two four-story offices with up to 132 units (86 townhouses and 46 stacked townhouses) at 18 units per acre. Meanwhile, three Parkridge Boulevard sites — 7.6 acres at 10690 Parkridge Boulevard, 8.1 acres at 10800 Parkridge Boulevard, and 7.2 acres at 10701 Parkridge Boulevard (up to 1.35 FAR) — propose adaptive reuse or residential replacement for townhomes, apartments, or senior housing.
Town of Herndon
Town of Herndon officials are leaning into large-scale redevelopments near Metro. Along Herndon Parkway, developers are replacing aging commercial inventory with high-density housing, led by The Nell at 555 Herndon Parkway — a 400-unit Fairfield Residential community adjacent to the Herndon Metro.
Site preparation is also underway for Bristol Capital and Woodfield Development’s seven-story, 525-unit mixed-use project at 575 Herndon Parkway; Boston Properties’ development replacing two vacant office buildings at 13100 and 13150 Worldgate Drive; and Rooney Properties' redevelopment of Van Buren Office Park at 250 Exchange Place into 400 apartments and 62 townhomes.
"In Herndon, we've recognized that some aging office properties no longer reflect today's market and we are largely built out as a town," said Mayor Keven LeBlanc. "Thoughtful redevelopment or property conversion in the right locations, particularly around the Metrorail station, allows us to create housing where infrastructure already exists, support local businesses, and preserve the character of established neighborhoods by directing growth where it makes the most sense."
Town of Vienna
The town is selectively approving smaller redevelopments fitting its low-density character, favoring boutique multifamily and mixed-use structures along Maple Avenue that preserve street-level storefronts. Projects like Vienna Market at 245 Maple Ave. W. (44 condo townhomes over retail), 444 Maple Ave. W. (a four-story, 151-unit building), and 380 Maple Ave. W. (82 apartments replacing an auto shop) illustrate how smaller municipalities balance growth with neighborhood preservation.
Whether through regional plan amendments or municipal rezonings, redeveloping underperforming office properties into residential communities is becoming the primary formula for reimagining commercial corridors across Fairfax County.