Quick Answer: A developer has asked Fairfax County to rezone most of the Lake Fairfax Business Center in Reston, a mostly vacant office park, for between 956 and 1,042 homes. The Board of Supervisors is expected to take it up on November 17. Nothing changes for Reston landlords this year, because approval, site work, and construction take years. But the plan adds townhomes and apartments to the part of the market that already has the most inventory, so owners of attached homes and condos nearby should plan for more competition later this decade.
Drive down Sunset Hills Road and you can see what's happened to the office market without reading a report. The parking lots tell you.
The Lake Fairfax Business Center is one of the clearest examples. According to FFXnow's reporting, the park has seven office buildings. Six are completely vacant, and the seventh is partly empty with a lease that ends next year.
So the owner is doing what a lot of office owners in Northern Virginia are now doing. They're asking to build homes instead.
What is actually being proposed?
EYA Development, based in Bethesda, wants to rezone about 49 acres of the 88-acre property at 1780 Business Center Drive. The site sits off the Dulles Access Road, near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
The application has two options:
- The smaller option: 956 homes, made up of 385 apartments, 329 side-by-side townhouses, and 242 stacked townhouses
- The larger option: 1,042 homes, made up of 517 apartments, 316 side-by-side townhouses, and 209 stacked townhouses
Both include about 22,000 square feet of retail, roughly 20 acres of parks and green space, and about 4 acres set aside for a future elementary school. The gym, hotel, Montessori school, and data center already on the property aren't part of the rezoning.
Where does it stand?
The Board of Supervisors changed the county's comprehensive plan in August to allow housing and retail on the property. That was the policy step. The rezoning is the detailed step.
The Planning Commission held its hearing on September 23 and put off its vote to give the developer time to answer staff questions. One of those questions is noise from the existing data center, which is about 100 feet from part of the planned housing.
Barring more delays, the rezoning is expected to reach the Board of Supervisors on November 17. We'll be watching.
Why is this happening across Northern Virginia?
Because the offices aren't coming back the way they were. A commercial real estate report from Avison Young put Northern Virginia office availability at 22.9% in the second quarter of 2026. That number has been improving, and it's still more than one in five square feet.
An empty building costs its owner money every month. Housing is in demand. Counties want the tax base and the homes. So office parks near Metro stations are being reimagined one at a time, and Reston has several of them.
Will this lower rents in Reston?
Not this year, and not next year. Here's the honest timeline. A rezoning vote is the start. After that come site plans, permits, demolition, utilities, and construction in phases. Projects this size take years to deliver their first homes and longer to finish.
So if you own a rental in Reston today, this plan doesn't change what your home should rent for this winter.
What it changes is the longer view. And the longer view depends on what you own.
Which landlords should pay attention?
Look at what's being built: apartments, townhouses, and stacked townhouses. No detached homes.
Now look at what's already for sale. In the August report from the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, active condo listings were up 44.8% from a year earlier. Detached listings were down 8.5%.
That's the same split we wrote about last month, and it's getting wider. The attached and condo side of the market has plenty of supply. The detached side doesn't. New projects like this one add to the side that's already full.
If you own a detached home in Reston, Herndon, or Vienna, this isn't your competition. A family that wants a yard and four bedrooms isn't choosing between your house and a stacked townhouse.
If you own a townhouse or condo near the Toll Road, it is your competition, eventually. New construction with new kitchens and new systems sets the standard renters compare everything else against.
What should owners of older townhomes and condos do?
You have time, which is the good news. Use it.
- Keep the home current. You don't need a full renovation. Fresh paint, good lighting, and working, matching appliances are what renters notice. Dated is fine. Tired isn't.
- Hold on to good tenants. A tenant who's happy where they are doesn't go touring new buildings. Quick repairs and fair renewals are still the cheapest way to protect your income.
- Price to the home, not the headline. When new buildings open, they often offer move-in specials. An older home competes on space, storage, parking, and a lower total cost. Price it honestly from the first day.
- Know your association. Rental caps, fee increases, and special assessments matter more in a competitive market. Go to the meetings, or at least read the minutes.
Is there an upside for existing owners?
There is, and it's easy to miss.
An empty office park doesn't do anything for a neighborhood. A thousand households, a new park, new shops, and a school site do. More people living near the Wiehle-Reston East station means more reason for restaurants and services to open there, and that makes the whole area a better place to rent.
Reston has absorbed growth like this before. Reston Town Center was once a plan on paper too. The homes that hold their value through it are the ones that are well kept and fairly priced, and that hasn't changed in the years we've been doing this.
Want to know how your Reston rental stacks up right now? Send us the address and we'll pull current comparables for your specific home type.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is planned for the Lake Fairfax Business Center in Reston?
EYA Development has applied to rezone about 49 acres of the office park for between 956 and 1,042 homes, a mix of apartments, townhouses, and stacked townhouses, along with about 22,000 square feet of retail, roughly 20 acres of green space, and land for a future elementary school.
When will Fairfax County vote on the Lake Fairfax redevelopment?
The Planning Commission deferred its vote in September. Barring further delays, the rezoning is expected to go to the Board of Supervisors on November 17, 2026.
Will new housing in Reston lower rents?
Not in the near term. Even if the rezoning is approved, site work and construction take years. Over the longer term, new apartments and townhouses add competition for existing townhome and condo rentals more than for detached homes.
Does new construction hurt older rental homes nearby?
It raises the standard renters compare against, so condition matters more. Older homes that are clean, updated where it counts, and priced fairly continue to rent, often to tenants who want more space or a lower total cost than a new building offers.
Why are so many Northern Virginia office parks being turned into housing?
Office demand has dropped and a large share of space is still available, while demand for housing near Metro remains strong. Converting or replacing empty offices gives owners a use for the land and gives the county new homes and tax base.
