The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority has quietly picked up two parcels of land right next to the Innovation Center Metro Station in Herndon, setting the stage for a future affordable housing project that could bring roughly 400 units to one of the county's fastest-growing transit corridors. The roughly two-acre site won't see shovels in the ground anytime soon, but the land grab signals where the county is placing its next big affordable housing bet.
The authority confirmed it acquired 3625 and 3627 King Johns Way in Herndon, describing the properties as directly adjacent to the Metro station, according to the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The agency said the purchase was an off-market deal worth $23 million, funded with federal dollars. A reported price of $22.9 million is consistent with rounding that figure to the nearest million.
Whatever the exact figure, the roughly two-acre property has development potential for about 400 affordable housing units, per the housing authority's own announcement. That's a sizable number for a plot of that size, though the authority was clear that construction is nowhere close. The project will take several years to develop, and per the Business Journals report, the agency has no timeline yet for issuing a request for proposals to builders.
How the Deal Came Together
The housing authority says it used flexibilities tied to its status as a HUD Moving to Work agency to move quickly on a marketplace opportunity. Fairfax has held that federal designation since 2013, giving it more latitude in how it uses certain housing funds and programs compared to a typical public housing authority.
The purchase lands amid a broader push to pack affordable housing next to Fairfax County's Metro stations, particularly along the Silver Line corridor where Innovation Center sits. Just weeks earlier, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval of the Woodland Park redevelopment near the Herndon Metro stop, a project spanning four parcels across 34.7 acres that could produce between 429 and 584 housing units, according to FFXnow. One development option on the table includes 319 townhouses and 110 stacked townhouses, while a second calls for 244 townhouses, 110 stacked townhouses and 230 multifamily units — with twelve percent of whichever mix gets built designated as affordable or workforce dwellings.
Tax Breaks Could Sweeten Future Projects
Fairfax County staff have also floated a plan that would hand out long-term property-tax breaks for affordable housing developments, including one proposed near the very same Innovation Center Metro station. The pitch, detailed by the same outlet's reporting, would target projects at Dulles Greene near Innovation Center and at East County in Bailey's Crossroads, potentially eliminating property taxes on qualifying properties for up to 50 years.
At Dulles Greene specifically, the FCRHA has partnered with the nonprofit True Ground on a proposal for two apartment buildings totaling 435 units, with homes reserved for residents earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. County staff argue the tax relief matters because property taxes typically eat up 5% to 10% of operating costs at a for-rent affordable complex, or roughly $3,000 per unit — a cost burden that can make or break a project's long-term finances.
A Pattern Near Transit Stops
The Herndon acquisition isn't an isolated move. Near the Greensboro Metro Station, the housing authority bought a site for $13.75 million in January and is partnering with Lincoln Avenue Communities on a proposal for two affordable apartment towers totaling up to 525 units, as reported by Patch. That plan calls for a 29-story building with up to 229 apartments alongside a 38-story building with up to 296 units at 8350 Leesburg Pike.
Taken together, the Herndon, Woodland Park, Dulles Greene and Greensboro projects reflect several affordable housing efforts near the county's Metro stations, even as each project moves through its own separate timeline of approvals, financing and design. For now, the Innovation Center lots remain just that: land with potential, awaiting the years of planning that typically precede groundbreaking on a project of this scale.
