Major Herndon Development In Downtown Could Get Finalized Soon: Town Manager

HERNDON, VA — It's only been a month since Herndon Town Manager Bill Ashton officially assumed his new role, but there's no question about what his top priority is for 2017: finalizing a major deal with Comstock Partners to redevelop a portion of downtown.

Ashton, who filled the position vacated by retiring Town Manager Art Anselene back in January before formally taking over July 1, told Patch in a recent phone interview that a comprehensive agreement on the downtown development is the town's top priority, and he hopes to get it done this year.

"That was No. 1 during the interview process, and it's at the forefront of every conversation," Ashton said.

Late last year, Herndon selected Reston-based Comstock to develop the 5-acre site that sits in the historic downtown area along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. Now, Comstock and the town are in the midst of negotiations to draft a comprehensive agreement, which would then undergo public hearings.

The proposal includes 281 residential units in three buildings, 17,600 square feet of ground-floor retail, an arts center spanning 18,000 square feet, public plazas, and 761 parking spaces, according to a Washington Business Journal report.

Ashton said while there really isn't a timeline on the Comstock development, he is pushing to get the deal done promptly.

"I've had folks that have suggested we're moving at a pretty decent pace on this," he said. "We have to have a commercially viable product, and a politically viable product."

Image via Town of Herndon