Six years in the making, Tuesday marked a milestone for the transformation of the area around the Spring Hill Metro Station, the western most rail stop in Tysons.

The Board of Supervisors approved the last redevelopment plans that the county has received so far for this area, known as Tysons West. They also signed off on two adjoining projects, called Dominion Square East and Sunburst, that sit on the west side of Leesburg Pike along Spring Hill Road.

These two projects total up to 3.8 million square feet in new apartments, offices and shops within about a ¼ mile from the Metro. Their approval brings the overall future redevelopment around the station up to more than 13.3 million square feet spread across five projects.

While technically two separate zoning cases, the two developers worked closely together to create a coordinated local street grid, establish parks, make significant environmental improvements and provide land for new a Dominion Power substation.

9 Mainly High Rise Buildings Approved

Developer Capital Automotive, or CARS, LLC, will construct up to 2.04 million square feet on the more than 12-acre site along Leesburg Pike. The auto dealerships on the property today will be replaced by six high rises:

Three, up to 25-story office towers connected by a public sky park two stories up

A 25-story hotel with approximately 250 rooms

Two residential buildings with up to 600 units

Up to 125,000 square feet in retail space

Sunburst Hospitality Corporation plans to put up 1.3 million square feet on their 4.29-acre property along the south side of Spring Hill Road. The 35-year old Quality Inn Tysons Corner motel will be torn down to make way for three new buildings.

The approved development plans offer two options. One allows for three 26-story apartment buildings with up to 1,355 units, plus ground floor retail. Or, Sunburst can build two, 26-story apartments and one 19-story office building with retail space in all three buildings.

Both developers will dedicate 20 percent of their apartments for affordable and workforce housing.

Athletic Field and Sky Park

Dominion Square East will offer 5.62 acres of park space, including an athletic field. At 300 x 180 feet with 15-foot overruns, the rectangular, synthetic-turf field is almost full size. It will allow for future expansion to full size if the land can be acquired.

An adventure play area adjoins the field. It will contain play equipment set in a natural environment with berms and boulders for climbing.

The development also includes a .64-acre sky park, elevated 40-feet up from the street. This public green space includes a sand volleyball court, synthetic ice rink, bocce courts, lawn, game tables and movable furniture.

New Local Street Grid

Collectively, the two developments will carve out eight new blocks, creating a significant portion of a new local street grid for this area as envisioned by our plan to remake Tysons. Today, the western side of Route 7 between the Dulles Toll Road and Gosnell Road is considered a “superblock.” Two cul-de-sacs, Westwood Center Drive and Spring Hill Road, offer the only way to access this single large block.

Together, the projects will create three north-to-south streets that connect with Spring Hill Road:

Dominion Street: a local two-lane public road with parking and sidewalks on both sides.

Roseline Street: a two-lane public road with bike lanes and parking, plus sidewalks.

Boone Boulevard: a two-lane public street.

Three new streets that run north-to-south will provide a way in and out of the developments, including from Route 7:

Commonwealth Street: a local, public street with two lanes and sidewalk will connect Route 7 to Boone Boulevard.

Infinity Way: a private street, which will not connect with Route 7, includes two lanes and sidewalks.

Service Alley: an unnamed, private alley with two lanes and sidewalk will connect Boone Boulevard with Roseline Street.

Environmental Improvement

Developed before today’s environmental rules, the two properties currently allow untreated stormwater to flow directly into Old Courthouse Springbranch Stream.

Dominion Square East and Sunburst committed to capture this polluted stormwater and reuse it. They will detain 97 to 98 percent of the stormwater from their properties, and they will retain the first inch of rain.

To catch and treat the runoff, innovative techniques will be used like green roofs, bioretention areas, permeable pavement and underground vaults. The stormwater will be reused to water landscaping, cool air condition units or other purposes.

New Electrical Substation

To satisfy public facility requirements, both developers will provide land for a second Dominion Power substation that needed in this area in Tysons.

Developer CARS will dedicate 15,718 square feet for the facility, and Sunburst will dedicate 12,826 square feet towards this effort. This land, combined with the county-owned utility corridor, will allow for the future 42,516 square foot substation site.

Five Developments Approved in Tysons West

Dominion Square East and Sunburst join three other previously approved redevelopment projects near the Spring Hill Metro station:

The Board of Supervisors recently signed off on Dominion Square West, a 1.7 million square foot project on a 7-plus acre site on the north side of Spring Hill Road. Further north along Route 7, Tysons West will add 1.7 million square feet that includes up to 700 apartments, a 20-story office building and an urban Walmart that opened in 2013. Spring Hill Station sits on the east side of Leesburg Pike. Not only is it the biggest project in Tysons West, but also it was the very first Tysons redevelopment approved following the 2010 adoption our transformation plan. The 24-acre project will erect 15 new buildings with more than 5.9 million square feet in mixed use development.

Two of Spring Hill’s residential buildings have been completed within the last three years. Called the Ascent, a 26-story high rise that was completed in 2014 offers 404 luxury apartments across from the Metro station. A second residential high-rise, the Adaire, a 34-story, 400 unit, apartment, opened in 2016.