Reston Library, Homeless Shelter Priorites Revealed In RTCN Project Update

RESTON, VA — Fairfax County officials provided an update Monday night on the Reston Town Center North project, including when the new library and homeless shelter are expected to be constructed, as well as the latest iteration of the Central Green.

“We're making progress slowly but surely,” said Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill), who hosted the community update at the North County Governmental Center. “We can't get a new regional library and a new improved homeless shelter fast enough.”

Fairfax County and Inova Health Care Services signed an agreement in 2015 for a joint rezoning of the Reston’s Town Center North District, which is located south of Baron Cameron Avenue, north of Dominion Parkway and between Town Center Parkway and Fountain Drive.

The district consists of a mix of properties owned by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Inova. The area included the Reston Regional Library, the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter, and the Health and Human Services Building.

The current RTCN project maps consists of eight blocks, each of which are planned for a variety of uses.

• Block 1: Fairfax County Public School Site
• Block 2: Residential Mixed Use (Medical, Commercial, Institutional)
• Block 3: New Reston Regional Library
• Block 4: Residential Use (Medical, Retail, Commercial, Institutional
• Block 5: Health and Human Services Building; New Embry Rucker Shelter/Supportive Housing
• Block 6. Residential/Mixed Use (Medical, Retail, Commercial, Institutional)
• Block 7: Athletic Field
• Block 8: Recreation Center

"We believe that the library is going to be the first thing to develop — block three of this project — and that's the most likely scenario," said Tim Sampson, a commercial real estate attorney with Inova. "But we're planning for a host of scenarios."

The county estimated that the new library would cost approximately $58 million to build, which will be financed with an Economic Development Authority bond that was already part of the county's capital improvement plan.

The proposed block-configuration does not exactly line up with the actual properties owned by the county and Inova. Ownership of portions of the properties will need to be swapped in order to create the new blocks in the master plan.

"Without subdividing the existing properties into the new blocks, none of the proposed uses on the blocks can be constructed," said Dave Sittler, president of Sittler Development Associates "For example, with the current property configuration, Inova owns about 50 percent of the land where the library is proposed on Block 3, and the County owns almost all of the land for the Inova proposed residential on Block 4."

Alcorn said that the county and Inova would need to come to an arrangement about who owns what property before construction could begin on any of the blocks. However, he said the negotiations were progressing and he expected an agreement by mid-2026.

Once that agreement is made and all the planning and zoning is approved, work could begin on the new library and homeless shelter on Blocks 3 and 5, respectively.

Another point of discussion at Monday's meeting was the latest iteration of the Central Green, which will serve as a centerpiece for the entire project. In addition to the large grassy area in the middle of the property, a performance area would be added on the west of the property, acting as a link between the green and the new library.

A smaller green space and a playground surrounded by trees would be located on the north end of the Central Green, close to the FCPS site on Block 1. No school has been planned or approved for the prooperty at this time.

The Central Green will be accessible for pedestrians and bicyclists. There will also be onsite bike racks and street parking along the adjacent streets.