Commercial Real Estate: Education Anchors Falls Church Commitment to Economic Development

Education Anchors Falls Church Commitment to Economic Development

By Frank Dillow

FALLS CHURCH HAS BEGUN CONSTRUCTION of its West End Development, featuring a new stateof-the-art high school surrounded by commercial development. Included in the plans will be The Little City Commons – a pedestrian friendly promenade through the project that could become a major regional focal point and gathering place for community events.

Falls Church has long attracted residents and businesses by

prioritizing high value – not solely low costs – in its belief that money spent wisely on education and city services is a good investment.

“In our community, the schools and library are really important,” said Vice Mayor Marybeth Connelly, who also serves as the community outreach director for Falls Church City Public Schools. The new high school will anchor the project, which will become the “Western Gateway” to Falls Church.

The community took root more than 250 years ago when the still thriving Falls Church Episcopal Parish was established on the road from Alexandria to Potomac Falls. The church founded and gave its name to the semi-rural collection of farms, churches and commercial enterprises that grew up around it. By 1875, it had grown enough to achieve township status within Fairfax County.

Like old churches, old communities take on a personality of their own, and in 1948 local residents decided to incorporate Falls Church as their own city. Branding it “The Little City,” they provided their own city services including schools and a library to separate Falls Church from the suburban sprawl spreading westward from Washington, D.C.

With some of the highest property tax rates in the state, Falls Church leaders determined that the city needed to attract an increased commercial tax base, Connelly explained. In the past few years, numerous downtown retail and multifamily projects have been completed to attract businesses and residents.

One of the largest projects to date, the West End Development is a $500 million project that will demolish and replace the outdated George Mason High School, while simultaneously developing the 10.3-acre site for commercial use. Planners predict the project will increase the city’s tax revenues to help pay for the high school, while adding commercial space that includes a new hotel, nearly 125,000 square feet of retail space and 330,000 square feet of offices. The project will also add apartments and condominiums, including up to 225 senior housing units.

The longer-term outlook includes potentially integrating the project with planned renovations to the adjacent Virginia Tech Graduate Center and the West Falls Church Metro station. This would create a 40-acre development extending the Little City Commons by a half mile, from Leesburg Pike to the Metro station.

Quality schools are frequently on the minds of homebuyers, but Realtors® might be surprised to learn that businesses are also keenly aware of a community’s commitment to quality education. Businesses value the advantages of an educated workforce and also appreciate the role that schools and libraries play in equipping a community’s residents for success in an increasingly knowledgebased economy.

Education impacts the local business climate, but businesses can