New "Suburban Village Centers" Could Reshape Mixed-Use Development Across Fairfax County

The Fairfax County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors voted on August 25, 2026, to place the "Suburban Village Centers" Comprehensive Plan amendment at a Tier 1 (priority) status on the county's Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program. This initiative, which builds on the county's sweeping "Plan Forward" policy update adopted in December 2025, would have major implications for the future of suburban commercial properties throughout the county.

Suburban Village Centers

The proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment defines "Suburban Village Centers" as "mixed-use community focal points within Suburban Neighborhoods located along arterial roadways" and are appropriate locations for medium-density, multifamily residential uses, including stacked townhomes. Suburban Village Centers occupy a different tier than the county's existing Suburban Centers, Community Business Centers and Transit Station Areas, as they are designed around a more moderate scale of mixed-use activity that integrates into the surrounding suburban context rather than importing the higher-intensity development pattern seen in Tysons or Reston Town Center.

Key Impacts

• Streamlined Development Path: The most significant practical impact of the Suburban Village Center designation is a faster path to zoning entitlements. Under the current process, a property owner seeking to redevelop a suburban shopping center for mixed-use or higher-density residential must often first secure a site-specific comprehensive plan amendment, which is a time- and resource-intensive process. Under this Comprehensive Plan amendment, property owners within Suburban Village Centers would be able to proceed directly to zoning applications without a separate plan amendment.
• More Housing Options in Suburban Areas: The initiative will encourage medium-density housing, including mid-rise multifamily buildings and townhouses, in areas currently anchored by neighborhood and community shopping centers.
• Flexibility for Office and Retail Repurposing: The designation would also support the repurposing of aging office and retail buildings into new uses, recognizing shifting market trends in commercial real estate.
• Cost and Time Savings for Developers: By eliminating the plan amendment stage, the designation reduces consultant fees, legal costs and carrying costs for developers pursuing mixed-use redevelopment.
• Community-Specific Outcomes: Since each potential Suburban Village Center will be evaluated based on its unique characteristics, the final designations and development criteria are expected to reflect the diversity of Fairfax County's neighborhoods.

Next Steps

County staff has begun to identify and designate specific Suburban Village Center locations based on criteria established in the Land Use element. The board's motion allows the amendment to be processed in multiple phases, meaning some sites may be designated before others.

Property owners and developers should be proactive by 1) making the case for their sites' inclusion and designation as a Suburban Village Center, 2) participating in the public process as Area Plan updates take shape and 3) laying the groundwork to file zoning applications promptly once designations are finalized.

Holland & Knight's D.C. and Northern Virginia Land Use Team has been tracking the Plan Forward initiative since its authorization in 2022 and is closely monitoring the Suburban Village Center implementation effort. If you are interested in having your property designated as a Suburban Village Center or have questions about how the Suburban Village Center designation may affect your property or development in Fairfax County, please contact the authors or your Holland & Knight relationship attorney.