A rezoning proposal that would reshape 15.95 acres next to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station goes before the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

The plans call for more than 2 million square feet of new development on the Commerce Metro Center site at Wiehle Avenue and Sunrise Valley Drive, according to a Reston Association civic alert. That includes 540 homes, a 21-story office building along Sunrise Valley Drive, a hotel, retail space, parking and pedestrian improvements.

The stakes are personal for nearby residents.

Reston Association said it will contact members in the five communities that border the site: Whethersfield Cluster, Harborside Cluster, Hunters Green Cluster, Hampton Meadows and Upper Lakes Drive.

What's proposed

Comstock, the Reston-based developer behind Reston Station on the north side of the Dulles Toll Road, filed to rezone the property in February 2022. The site sits south of the toll road, west of Wiehle Avenue and north of Sunrise Valley Drive. It holds four six-story office buildings and surface parking lots.

Under draft proffers dated May 2026, the full build-out would cap at just under 2.4 million square feet, Greater Reston Living reported in a detailed explainer. The plan includes three new office towers totaling roughly 1.25 million square feet, a 240-room hotel, up to 540 homes in a pair of seven-story residential wings, and about 44,000 square feet of retail.

The signature structure is Commerce 10, a 21-story, 340-foot office tower at the corner of Wiehle Avenue, designed by Chicago firm Jahn. Building heights step down from 340 feet near the toll road to about 85 feet facing Sunrise Valley Drive, keeping the tallest structures away from neighborhoods.

One existing building, Commerce 3, would be demolished to make room.

Housing and affordability

The residential building's planning assumptions show a quarter of units as three-bedrooms, according to Greater Reston Living. The outlet described that share as "rare in transit-oriented buildings anywhere in Northern Virginia," noting that most Metro-adjacent apartments skew toward studios and one-bedrooms.

Draft proffers commit a minimum of 16.2 percent of all residential units as Workforce Dwelling Units (WDUs). On 540 homes, that works out to roughly 87 income-restricted units, according to Greater Reston Living's review of the proffer documents.

Timeline and next steps

The hearing was moved from Oct. 21, according to Greater Reston Living's coverage of the broader West of Wiehle study. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors makes the final decision at a later hearing that has not been scheduled.

The plan is structured for flexibility, Greater Reston Living reported. Construction can proceed in two phases in any order, meaning the homes and hotel could lead while the office towers wait for tenants. Even on an optimistic path, the first new buildings are years away, according to the explainer.

How to testify

The Nov. 18 hearing begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Board Auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.

Residents who want to speak must sign up on the Planning Commission's speaker page or call 703-324-2865 by 1 p.m. on Nov. 18. Pre-registered individuals get four minutes. Representatives of a recognized community organization, including homeowners associations, civic associations, professional associations, academic institutions and religious institutions, get seven minutes. Speakers who do not pre-register get three minutes.

Written testimony can be sent to [email protected] or mailed to 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 552, Fairfax, VA 22035.