Upscale Student Housing Project Begins In Fairfax City

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

09/15/2020 2:37 PM

Capstone Collegiate

A redevelopment project has begun to replace the aging low-rise office buildings located at 3807 University Drive in Fairfax, Va. The buildings, built in the late 1970s, were 50 percent vacant when the property was purchased by Capstone Collegiate Communities, a company with a portfolio of purpose-built student housing developments around the country. Anticipated to be completed in 2022, Capstone Collegiate will be home to 825 year-round residents near Old Town Fairfax’s business district and fill a need for off-campus housing for George Mason University students.

Capstone Collegiate will increase tax revenue to pay for city services, generate associated economic activity for Old Town Fairfax restaurants and businesses, and strengthen the community’s relationship with Mason. The city’s downtown area will benefit from additional residents and an in-demand housing type not represented in the city, a goal outlined in the city’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan.

The project includes the removal of the existing buildings and the construction of two connected four- and five-story residential buildings on the 6.15-acre parcel bounded by University Drive, Layton Hall Drive, and Democracy Lane. The 275 units will be a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and four-bedroom apartments that are designed for and marketed to college students. Residents will have a dedicated parking garage, surface lot parking, and secure storage for up to 75 bicycles. Capstone Collegiate is coordinating with the city on CUE bus service and a potential future Capital Bikeshare station. The complex will be managed by a professional staff present in the development 24 hours a day.

Landscaping, pocket parks, and the construction of 10-foot sidewalks will enhance the pedestrian experience and provide connectivity to Old Town Fairfax. The on-site stormwater management facilities will be upgraded and include underground storage to capture runoff during heavy rain events. Nearly 14 percent of the site will be shaded by trees, and Capstone Collegiate is supporting additional tree planting off-site elsewhere within the city.

As the region’s population grows, the demand for residential space has continued to increase and can serve to balance established commercial areas into mixed-use activity centers, as is supported by the Old Town Fairfax Small Area Plan adopted in June 2020. Capstone began discussions with the city on the redevelopment project in 2017 and submitted an application in early 2018. Fairfax City Council approved the Comprehensive Plan amendment, rezoning, special exception, and Certificate of Appropriateness on December 11, 2018, allowing the project to proceed.

For more information about this project and other major development projects in the city, visit the project website.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.