Eleven commercial buildings scattered across McLean, Chantilly, Ashburn and Sterling changed hands last week in a $58 million deal that leaves more than 90 small businesses — from a McLean eye clinic to an Ashburn taco counter — right where they are. The nearly 320,000-square-foot portfolio was 94% leased at the time of sale, and the new owner says it plans to keep it that way rather than tear anything down.
Fairfax-based Aggregate Real Estate Investors closed the acquisition on August 28, purchasing the properties from longtime Chantilly developer Clarke-Hook Corporation, according to Shopping Center Business. As reported by Commercial Observer, the deal transferred the full 11-building portfolio, which hosts a mix of retail, light manufacturing and logistics tenants across Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Aggregate Managing Principal Greg Jacobsen said the properties would continue to operate as commercial properties, with management initiatives and physical aesthetic upgrades planned across them, the outlet reported, noting the firm typically focuses on acquiring open-air retail and industrial assets in Mid-Atlantic submarkets.
A McLean Retail Hub Dating to 1968
Among the properties is McLean Commerce Center, a 17,200-square-foot, two-story retail building at 1471-1475 Chain Bridge Road that Fairfax County records show was constructed in 1968. Per FFXnow, the center sits within McLean's Community Business Center and is zoned C-6 for community retail commercial use. Its tenant roster includes longtime local businesses Village Eye Center and The Gourmet Basket, alongside Kids Language Arts and My Gym, according to Shopping Center Business.
In Chantilly, the largest asset in the portfolio is West Fairfax Commerce Center at 14506 Lee Road — six single-story industrial buildings totaling 150,000 square feet, built in 1985. The same FFXnow report describes the complex as industrial. Its tenant lineup spans Weber's Pet Supermarket, EmblemAx, Frontline Collectibles and Haute Fabrics, per Shopping Center Business.
Ashburn's Mixed-Use Anchor and a Family Business Tie
Further out in Ashburn, University Commerce Center brings three retail and flex buildings totaling 106,000 square feet into the portfolio. The property sits inside the 600-acre University Center mixed-use park near George Washington University's Virginia Science and Technology Campus. Tenants there include Potomac Taphouse, Huzzah Hobbies, Taco Zocalo, Authors Ice Creams & Coffee, iCode Ashburn and Xaymaca Fusion Kitchen, Shopping Center Business reports.
University Commerce Center is also home to Brickyard Coworking, a flexible workspace brand launched in 2016 by Ann Orem — daughter of Clarke-Hook CEO Ed Zigo. Zigo joined Clarke-Hook in 1982 after working on the New York Stock Exchange marketing team. Brickyard's presence as a tenant at University Commerce Center illustrates the connection between the seller and the business center before the sale.
Sterling's Cargo Connection to Dulles
Rounding out the portfolio is Dulles Trade Center, a 40,529-square-foot industrial building at 23480 Rock Haven Way in Sterling. The building is occupied by third-party logistics companies servicing cargo operations near Washington Dulles International Airport, according to Patch, which notes that proximity to the airport continues to drive demand for nearby warehousing.
Why Investors Are Betting on Flex Space Over Office Towers
The purchase lands amid a broader divide in Northern Virginia's commercial real estate market. Industrial vacancy across the region held at a tight 3.8% in the second quarter of 2026, backed by 274,000 square feet of positive net absorption, according to CBRE. That stands in sharp contrast to the region's suburban office market, where vacancy remained elevated at 22.5% in the same quarter, per Cresa.
That purchase included a portfolio of small-format retail and light-industrial buildings. The portfolio was 94% leased at the time of sale, and Aggregate plans long-term ownership. How the promised aesthetic and management upgrades will affect the portfolio's small-business tenants remains to be seen.
