Northfax
Northfax is one of five activity centers in the City of Fairfax designated by the Planning Commission (reported at the February 12, 2026 PRAB meeting) for special attention and zoning review for mixed-use development, alongside Old Town, Kamp Washington, Fairfax Circle, and Pickett Rd/Main St. 2 separate matters touch this place; each has its own status.
Courthouse Plaza
Courthouse Plaza (10300 Willard Way, and later also 3922 Blenheim Boulevard) is a shopping center redevelopment project in the City of Fairfax, pursued by Combined Courthouse, LLC. The project has gone through two distinct application cycles.
- Feb 12, 2026Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 5dStakeholder Update – Planning Commission
Northfax was designated by the Planning Commission as one of five activity centers requiring special attention and zoning review for mixed-use development.
- Mar 9, 2026Planning Commission · item 4aPresentation from students at Katherine Johnson Middle School on ideas for development at Northfax and Courthouse Plaza
Students presented development ideas for the Northfax area, focusing on stormwater management, pedestrian safety, greenery, and solar panels.
- May 4, 2026School Board · item 2.03KJMS Student City Redevelopment Presentation
[2.03] KJMS students presented redevelopment ideas for the Northfax area, including pervious surfaces, daylighting a stream, greenery, solar panels, and mixed-age business suggestions.
- Jul 9, 2026Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 4Stakeholder Updates
A townhouse proposal north of the Marriott in Northfax was discussed at the most recent Planning Commission meeting.
Willard Sherwood
The Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center (WSHCC) is a City of Fairfax project to develop a new health and community center, intended primarily to serve older adults and replace 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 building security concerns, and all work on City trails projects was paused pending a City Council presentation on April 22, 2025.
- Feb 12, 2026Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 5dStakeholder Update – Planning Commission
Northfax was designated by the Planning Commission as one of five activity centers requiring special attention and zoning review for mixed-use development.
- Jun 2, 2026City Council · item 1aKatherine Johnson Middle School students' presentation focusing on sustainability for Northfax and Courthouse Plaza Shopping Center
Katherine Johnson Middle School students Mohana, Halima, and Claire presented a redevelopment proposal for Northfax focusing on sustainability, stormwater, pedestrian safety, and local economy.
- Jun 8, 2026Planning Commission · item 8bDiscussion 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.
- Jun 23, 2026City Council · item 11aDiscussion of potential reviews and updates to adopted Small Area Plans for Old Town, Northfax, Kamp Washington, and Fairfax Circle
Northfax was identified as one of four areas with adopted Small Area Plans under potential review and update discussion.
- Northfax Concept Phase Four Briefing – Work Session
A Phase Four pre-application briefing for the Northfax concept was scheduled, proposing one seven-story multifamily building, one upper-story mixed-use building, a seven-story parking garage, up to 350 multifamily units, and up to 7,000 sq ft of ground-floor commercial on 3.31 +/- acres.
In full
An adopted Small Area Plan exists for Northfax, estimating 1,400 new residential units in a near-term 10-to-15-year window; as of late July 2026, 1,088 units were already in some phase of the land use process in the activity center. The most active current proposal is Northfax West Phase 4, a pre-application concept briefed to the Planning Commission on July 27, 2026, proposing one seven-story multifamily building, one upper-story mixed-use building, a seven-story parking garage, up to 350 multifamily units, and up to 7,000 sq ft of ground-floor commercial on a 3.31 +/- acre parcel at 3570 Chambers Road; the site is currently zoned CR (commercial retail) with a proposed rezoning to CU (commercial urban). The small area plan also identified University Drive as a multimodal spine, a project that originated in 2020 and whose construction contract award was anticipated for the September 8, 2026 City Council consent agenda.
Potential review and update of the Northfax Small Area Plan was discussed at both the June 8, 2026 Planning Commission work session and the June 23, 2026 City Council meeting, with no action taken at either. Students from Katherine Johnson Middle School presented sustainability-focused redevelopment ideas for Northfax — including pervious surfaces, stream daylighting, greenery, and solar panels — to the Planning Commission (March 9), School Board (May 4), and City Council (June 2, 2026).