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Place · on the record since 2024 · discussed in 24 transcribed meetings

Fairfax Circle

Fairfax Circle is a defined activity center and geographic area in the City of Fairfax, Virginia, that has been the subject of coordinated planning, infrastructure, and development activity across multiple city bodies. 10 separate matters touch this place; each has its own status.

Private Development · Pre-Application

Circle Gateway

proposed

Circle Gateway is a proposed mixed-use redevelopment at 3226 and 3250 Blenheim Boulevard in Fairfax, located south of Fairfax Boulevard, north and east of Fairfax Circle Shopping Center, and west of The Home Depot and Old Pickett Road. The applicant is Aksoylu Properties LLC.

  • Pre-application briefing on the Circle Gateway proposal at 3226 and 3250 Blenheim Boulevard

    Fairfax Circle Shopping Center is referenced as a neighboring landmark in the Circle Gateway pre-application briefing scheduled for this work session.

Private Development · Under Review

Courthouse Plaza

in progress

Courthouse Plaza (10300 Willard Way, with associated parcel at 3922 Blenheim Boulevard) is a shopping center redevelopment proposal in the City of Fairfax, pursued by Combined Courthouse, LLC. The project has gone through two distinct application cycles.

in progress

The Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center (WSHCC) is a proposed health and community center project in the City of Fairfax, closely associated with senior services and intended to replace or supplement the aging Green Acres facility. The project faced an early setback in April 2025 when PRAB was informed it might not continue due to staffing and security concerns, with all trails-related work paused pending a City Council presentation on April 22, 2025.

The City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan is the city's primary long-range land use and policy document, guiding development, housing, transportation, and related decisions. A five-year review process culminated on October 8, 2024, when City Council unanimously adopted Resolution R-24-30 approving the updated plan dated September 27, 2024.

  • Public hearing and recommendation to City Council on the proposed Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan

    Fairfax Circle is the geographic focus of the Small Area Plan approved at this meeting; public comments raised concerns about crime, road connections, and property access in the area.

    passedMotion to adopt Resolution PC-24-02 approving the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan and recommending approval and adoption to City Council in the draft dated June 24, 2024, subject to final approval of associated amendments in the update to the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan, and specified modifications including property access preservation, a transportation safety study, analysis of widening walkways/shared use paths, and three textual edits to the plan document.
    ✓ Feather✓ Briggs✓ Coleman✓ Rice✓ Cunningham· Denton· Lockhart
  • December 2nd Council Presentation

    Fairfax Circle Area was referenced via the board membership, which includes a Fairfax Circle Area business representative.

in progress

Beacon Landing is a 54-unit supportive affordable housing development in the city, developed in partnership by Wesley Housing and the Lamb Center. The project drew on 23 separate financing sources, including a $700,000 gap financing investment from the city's Housing Trust Fund in February 2023 — a critical contribution that enabled the project to assemble its full financing stack.

Pathway Homes is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Fairfax City that provides housing and supportive services to low-income residents. Its primary tracked project involves the redevelopment of a building at 4010 University Drive (Tax Map 57-4-02-087-B) in the CR Commercial Retail Zoning District and Old Town Fairfax Historic Overlay District.

Private Development · Under Construction

The Botanist

under construction
Private Development · Approved

Davies Property

approved

The Davies Property refers to the redevelopment of 4131 Chain Bridge Road (a ~2.69-acre site currently containing a large vacant house), proposed by The Hill, A Davies Family, LLC. The application sought to rezone the parcel from RM (Residential Medium) to CU (Commercial Urban), retaining the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District (TOD), with a General Development Plan for a mixed-use building of up to 276 apartments, approximately 10,796 sq ft of ground-floor commercial space, and a 3-level below-grade parking garage.

Private Development · Under Review

Fairfax Square

proposed

Fairfax Square Professional Center (9840–9946 Main Street) is a ~10.4-acre commercial site on the north side of Main Street, adjacent to the Fairfax Square garden-style apartment complex. The property owner (Van Meter Companies) is proposing a phased mixed-use redevelopment that would demolish most of the existing low-slung commercial buildings while retaining the five-story office building and an existing bank; the concept calls for roughly 300 new apartment units in two or three buildings, along with some ground-floor retail (~10,000 sq. ft.).

The Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan is one of four Activity Center Small Area Plans adopted by the City of Fairfax. Plan development began in Spring 2023.

  • Public hearing and recommendation to City Council on the proposed Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan

    Fairfax Circle is the geographic focus of the Small Area Plan approved at this meeting; public comments raised concerns about crime, road connections, and property access in the area.

    passedMotion to adopt Resolution PC-24-02 approving the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan and recommending approval and adoption to City Council in the draft dated June 24, 2024, subject to final approval of associated amendments in the update to the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan, and specified modifications including property access preservation, a transportation safety study, analysis of widening walkways/shared use paths, and three textual edits to the plan document.
    ✓ Feather✓ Briggs✓ Coleman✓ Rice✓ Cunningham· Denton· Lockhart
  • Future Stream Restoration Projects – Satoshi Eto, Storm Water Manager

    Fairfax Circle was identified as one of seven prioritized stream segments for restoration.

Other mentions
  • Discussion of a potential review and update to the adopted small area plans for Old Town, Northfax, Kamp Washington, and Fairfax Circle

    Identified as one of the areas whose small area plan may be reviewed and updated.

  • Discussion of potential reviews and updates to adopted Small Area Plans for Old Town, Northfax, Kamp Washington, and Fairfax Circle

    Fairfax Circle was identified as one of four areas with adopted Small Area Plans under potential review and update discussion.

In full

The Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan was adopted by Planning Commission Resolution PC-24-02 on July 8, 2024 (5-0 vote), recommending City Council approve the June 24, 2024 draft subject to amendments to the 2035 Comprehensive Plan and specific modifications including property access preservation, a transportation safety study, walkway/shared-use path analysis, and three textual edits. As of early 2026, the Small Area Plan is one of four (alongside Old Town, Northfax, and Kamp Washington) being considered for potential review and update, with work session discussions held at both the Planning Commission (June 8, 2026) and City Council (June 23, 2026), though no action has been taken. Fairfax Circle was also designated by the Planning Commission as one of five activity centers requiring special attention and zoning review for mixed-use development (reported February 2026), and a stream segment near the area was prioritized for restoration as part of a city-wide assessment (June 2025).

A pre-application briefing was held July 13, 2026, for the Circle Gateway proposal at 3226 and 3250 Blenheim Boulevard, a 1.64-acre site adjacent to the Fairfax Circle Shopping Center proposing approximately 159 dwelling units per acre with ground-floor retail and 16 affordable units; separately, a nearby 11-story, 261-unit apartment building on the former Lottie Plaza market site (~1.5 acres) has also been referenced in community discussions. The Fairfax Circle intersection itself has been identified as a major infrastructure project, with an RFP for design services issued as of October 2026 and an alternatives evaluation/concept development phase anticipated to take at least a year and a half.