Future Development Near High School Named West Falls

FALLS CHURCH, VA — The future mixed-use development coming to the site of the old George Mason High School has been named West Falls. Falls Church Gateway Partners, comprised of developers Hoffman & Associates and EYA, submitted a special exception site plan to the City of Falls Church on Wednesday.

The submission is the next step for the project, which will be located adjacent to the future George Mason High School. The project was chosen for the city's West Falls Church Economic Development Project to defray costs of the George Mason High School construction. A $120 million bond referendum was also passed by voters to fund the new high school.

The West Falls development will be 1.2 million square feet with office, hotel, residential, retail and park uses. Included in the plans are 400 apartment units, 127 condominiums, 225,000 square feet of senior living, 120,000 square feet of a grocery store and other retail, a 150-key hotel, up to 400,000 square feet of office space and half-acre park.

Hoffman & Associates and EYA were selected as the city's partner for the project in 2018. The comprehensive agreement with the developers was approved by City Council last spring, followed by a special exception entitlement in July 2019. A separate transportation project bringing multimodal improvements near the future development and high school broke ground last spring.

"The [special exception site plan] is a crucial next step to delivering this mixed-use urban space that will spark new connections while highlighting what sets the Falls Church community apart," said Shawn Seaman, president of Hoffman & Associates. "We look forward to continuing to work with the City and our partners towards this vision."

Construction for West Falls is expected to begin in 2021 after the new George Mason High School is completed. Completion of the development's first phase is slated for late 2023.