McLean mixed-use project, Mars expansion approved

As the third wealthiest community in the U.S., McLean is known for its luxurious mansions and classic suburban feel. That’s starting to change.

In June 2021, Fairfax County supervisors adopted a plan, known as the McLean Community Business Center, to redevelop the town’s 230-acre downtown, bounded by Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road, to include zoned density and increased height requirements closer to the town’s core to transform it to a walkable village, a shift away from its car-centric strip malls.

The largest-yet phases of that transformation were approved by supervisors in October 2023. They include the Astoria, a seven-story, 130-apartment mixed-use building that will include 3,000 square feet of office and retail. Cost and a construction timeline have yet to be finalized, according to Michelle Rosati, who represents Astoria’s developer, JAG Partners.

Next door, candy and pet food manufacturer Mars, the largest privately held company in Virginia, is expected to begin an expansion of its headquarters, from 53,000 square feet to 125,000 square feet, during the summer, according to Pete Rowan, Mars’ vice president of U.S. public affairs. Mars declined to provide the anticipated cost of the project.

The Astoria is across the street from McLean’s first-ever mixed-use development, the Signet, a 123-unit luxury condominium with 5,475 square feet of retail space that has yet to be leased. The Signet was built in 2018.

“The major motivation was people moving to the area and feeling like we lacked a sense of community because we didn’t have a place where the community could gather,” Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust says, adding that the areas outside the business center’s boundaries will retain the suburban feel of old McLean to avoid becoming as urban as neighboring Tysons.

While McLean may not be aiming to copy Tysons, its transformation includes other projects that could achieve that village feel, including a 90,000-square-foot, 122-unit Sunrise Assisted Living facility that opened in spring 2023, and a nine-story, 44-unit condo building that began construction in March 2023. In April 2023, the owner of McLean Professional Park submitted plans to redevelop six townhouse-style office buildings into a 104-unit residential building.

“I think people are starting to feel like maybe change is actually possible and this is a catalyst that will lead to a revitalization of downtown McLean,” Rosati says.