The wooden boardwalk along the lake at Lake Fairfax Park on a summer day, with geese on the water and wooded hills beyond
Updated monthly

What’s Changing in Northern VirginiaNew homes, roads, airports, stores and laws: October 2026, on one map

Every change gets its stage, from Proposed to Open, its next date, and the official page it comes from.

By Lake Fairfax: offices to homes?· Reston, Fairfax County

Every item checked October 27, 2026 at its official source. Pictures: artist’s renderings of real places.

This month on the map

11 changes, from Proposed to Open.

LOUDOUNFAIRFAXPRINCE WILLIAMARLINGTONDC1234567891011

ProposedNew homes

1GWU’s Ashburn campus: a deal for homes, not data centers

Ashburn, Loudoun County

Next: Final agreements: “in the coming months” (no date set)

The details and the source ↓

Where

Stage (tap one to show only that stage)

Showing all 11 changes. Edition: October 2026, checked October 27, 2026.

Pins sit in the general area. A short line means a pin was moved a little so two pins don’t cover each other. The dashed circle: a law for the whole county.

Tap a pin or a name. Filter by where and by stage under the map.

October 2026 edition, checked October 27, 202611 changes, each at its official sourceNext update: the first week of November 2026

Quick answer

This month’s biggest changes in Northern Virginia: Loudoun voted for a deal that would put homes, not data centers on GWU’s Ashburn campus; Fairfax’s Board votes on November 17 on turning part of a Reston office park into homes; Route 29 in Centreville gets its third lanes this fall; Dulles is finishing a 14-gate concourse; and a new Virginia law lets churches and nonprofits build affordable homes on their land from January 1, 2027. Each item below has its stage, its next date and its official source.

This month, in six numbers

From the official pages, October 27, 2026

11changes on the map this month, each checked at its official source
7already being built or opening soon
2,700homes planned at Rivana, by the Innovation Center Metro
14new gates in Dulles’s Concourse E
Nov 17Fairfax Board hearing on homes in a Reston office park
2028the new Inova Alexandria Hospital opens at Landmark

Each number comes from the item’s own source, listed on its card and under Sources. Checked October 27, 2026.

This month

Every change, with its stage and its next date.

Proposed is not a promise. The tracker on each card shows how far along it is.

In shortThe two to watch: homes, not data centers in Ashburn, and the November 17 vote on homes in a Reston office park.

1

ProposedNew homesLoudoun

GWU’s Ashburn campus: a deal for homes, not data centers

Ashburn, Loudoun County

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

On October 20, 2026, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted unanimously for a preliminary deal with Amazon Web Services for the George Washington University campus in Ashburn. The deal is meant to rule out data centers on the site and speed up homes and mixed-use buildings instead. The county and Amazon still have to sign the final agreements.

97 acresAmazon keeps, for homes and mixed use
25 acresto the county, worth $65 million (one-time)
$5 millionto the county’s housing fund (one-time)
4.5 yearsGWU keeps running the campus

Next dateFinal agreements: “in the coming months” (no date set)

What it means The county says it may build an indoor sports and recreation center and a community arts center on its 25 acres. No home count or building plan is public yet.

Source: Loudoun County news release (October 22, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.

2

BuildingNew homesLoudoun

Rivana at Innovation Station broke ground

By the Innovation Center Metro station, Loudoun County

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

Rivana, a new neighborhood with offices, homes, a hotel and shops beside the Silver Line’s Innovation Center station, broke ground on April 20, 2026, Loudoun Economic Development says.

2,700homes planned
3.5M sq ftof office space planned
450hotel rooms
2public parks

Next dateFirst buildings: opening dates not announced

What it means A walk-to-Metro neighborhood is coming to Loudoun’s side of Route 28. It will take years to build out.

Source: Loudoun Economic Development (May 21, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.

3

Opening soonAirportsLoudoun

Dulles: a new 14-gate concourse, and a VIP terminal picked

Dulles International Airport

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

Dulles is finishing Concourse E, a new 14-gate concourse. The Airports Authority has not announced the day the first flights use it. Separately, on October 20, 2026 it picked daa International to build and run a 37,000-square-foot VIP terminal on a 1.2-acre site near the cargo buildings, open to passengers on any airline.

14new gates in Concourse E
435,000 sq ftConcourse E
37,000 sq ftVIP terminal

Next dateConcourse E first flights: date not announced

What it means More gates and AeroTrain access at the airport many Loudoun and western Fairfax buyers live near.

Source: Airports Authority news (VIP terminal) (October 20, 2026) · Dulles GlobalGateway plan (read October 27, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.
Local news tip: Concourse E size and gate count: the Airports Authority’s own post, October 2026.

4

ProposedNew homesFairfax

Reston office park to homes: the Board votes November 17

Eastern Reston, north of Sunset Hills Road

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

The builder EYA wants to rezone part of the Lake Fairfax Business Center, an office park between Sunset Hills Road and Lake Fairfax Park, for a new residential community. Fairfax County’s plan for the area looks at townhouses and apartments with some shops on about 49 acres. The Planning Commission recommended approval on October 14, 2026.

~49 acresof the office park in the plan
Oct 14Planning Commission: recommended approval
Nov 17Board of Supervisors public hearing

Next dateTuesday, November 17, 2026: Board of Supervisors hearing

What it means New townhouses near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro would add homes for sale in a part of Reston that has mostly offices today.

Source: Hunter Mill District land use cases (page updated October 15, 2026) · Fairfax County plan amendment (read October 27, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.

5

Opening soonRoadsFairfax

Route 29 in Centreville: the third lanes open soon

Centreville, Union Mill Road to Buckleys Gate Drive

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

VDOT is widening a mile and a half of Route 29 from four to six lanes between Union Mill Road and Buckleys Gate Drive, with a shared-use path on both sides. A ribbon cutting was held October 8, 2026. VDOT says the new lanes and paths open in the coming weeks, and the work finishes later this fall.

4 → 6lanes
1.5 milesof Route 29
29,000vehicles a day
$94.4 millionproject cost (one-time)

Next dateNew lanes open “in the coming weeks”; done later this fall

What it means The backup at the Stringfellow and Clifton Road light was the bottleneck this fixes, VDOT says.

Source: VDOT project page (updated October 8, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.

6

Opening soonStoresFairfax

Toys R Us is back: Springfield is open, Fair Oaks is next

Fair Oaks Mall and Springfield Town Center

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

Toys R Us has a store at Springfield Town Center on its operator’s store list, with hours. A second store is coming to Fair Oaks Mall, in space a Go! Toys and Games store used. No opening date has been announced for Fair Oaks.

2stores in Fairfax County
Sept 23Springfield opened, local news reported

Next dateFair Oaks Mall opening: date not announced

What it means A small one, but the kind of opening people ask about.

Source: Springfield store page (Go! Retail Group) (read October 27, 2026) · Fair Oaks Mall store page (read October 27, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.
Local news tip: Springfield opening day and the Fair Oaks plan: FFXnow, October 22, 2026.

7

BuildingRoadsPrince William

Prince William Parkway at Minnieville Road: an interchange is going in

Prince William Parkway at Minnieville Road, Woodbridge area

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

Prince William County is building an interchange where Prince William Parkway meets Minnieville Road, so the two roads cross on different levels instead of at a light. Work started in early March 2026; the groundbreaking was May 5, 2026. The county says it sets up the planned Quartz District, a walkable shopping center with homes around it at the northwest corner.

$81 millionproject cost (one-time)
Spring 2028finish, the county says

Next dateSpring 2028: interchange done

What it means Expect work zones on the Parkway until 2028; the Quartz District is the bigger change after that.

Source: Prince William County news (May 2026) · PWC Works project page (read October 27, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.

8

ApprovedAirportsManassas

Airline flights from Manassas: the FAA certificate is in

Washington Manassas Airport, City of Manassas

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

Washington Manassas Airport earned its FAA Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate, the last FAA step before airline passenger service. The City of Manassas expects passenger flights to start by the end of 2027. No airline has been named yet.

Part 139FAA certificate earned
End of 2027passenger flights expected
0airlines named so far

Next dateBy the end of 2027: first passenger flights (target)

What it means A close-in airport for Prince William and Manassas, if an airline signs on.

Source: City of Manassas news release (August 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.

9

BuildingNew homesAlexandria

Old Town: 598 new apartments at The Heritage, in two buildings

South Alfred Street, Old Town Alexandria

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

Jair Lynch is rebuilding The Heritage at Old Town. Phase 1 is 598 apartments in two buildings: Block 4 (310 apartments) is due in 2027, the developer says, and work on Block 1 (288 apartments) started in October 2026. 140 apartments are set aside for families from the old Heritage’s housing assistance program.

598apartments in phase 1
310Block 4, due 2027
288Block 1, started October 2026
140set aside for the old Heritage’s program

Next date2027: Block 4 opens (developer’s target)

What it means Hundreds of new homes a few blocks from King Street and the waterfront, over the next few years.

Source: Jair Lynch project page (read October 27, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.
Local news tip: Block 1 groundbreaking on October 20: Alexandria Brief, October 22, 2026.

10

BuildingHospitalsAlexandria

The new Inova Alexandria Hospital at Landmark opens in 2028

The former Landmark Mall, Alexandria

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

Inova is building the new Inova Alexandria Hospital on the former Landmark Mall site, with a larger emergency room, a cancer center and a medical office building, in a new mixed-use neighborhood. City Council approved rezoning the current hospital site on Seminary Road for townhouses and single-family homes.

2028opening, Inova says
~50specialty doctors in the medical office building
2024 to 2028hospital construction

Next date2028: hospital opens

What it means A new hospital on the West End, and new homes later where the old hospital stands.

Source: Inova project page (read October 27, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.

11

ApprovedNew lawArlington

A new Virginia law lets churches and nonprofits build homes on their land

Arlington County (applies countywide)

  1. Proposed
  2. Approved
  3. Building
  4. Opening soon
  5. Open

A new Virginia law (SB 388) lets a tax-exempt religious group or nonprofit that has owned its land for at least 5 years build homes there without a rezoning, if at least 60% of the homes stay affordable for 30 years. It runs from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2031. Arlington County has a page on how it works there.

60%of the homes must be affordable
30 yearsthey stay affordable
45 ftheight allowed (or the tallest nearby)
Jan 1, 2027the law starts

Next dateThursday, January 1, 2027: the law takes effect

What it means Some church and nonprofit land near you could get new homes faster. Check the county’s page for what is allowed where.

Source: Arlington County: Faith in Housing (read October 27, 2026). Checked October 27, 2026.

What moved

What moved in October.

Each month, this lists the items whose stage changed, with the day it happened.

  1. Route 29 in Centreville: the third lanes open soonBuildingOpening soon

    Ribbon cutting; the third lanes open in the coming weeks.

  2. Reston office park to homes: the Board votes November 17

    Planning Commission recommended approval. The Board votes November 17.

  3. GWU’s Ashburn campus: a deal for homes, not data centers

    Board voted for a preliminary deal: homes and mixed use, no data centers.

  4. Dulles: a new 14-gate concourse, and a VIP terminal picked

    The Airports Authority picked the company to build and run a VIP terminal.

  5. Old Town: 598 new apartments at The Heritage, in two buildingsApprovedBuilding

    Work on Block 1 (288 apartments) started, local news reported.

Past months

This is the first edition, October 2026. Each month, the items that finished (fully open, or closed) move here with the month they finished, so the map stays about what is still changing.

Dates to watch

The next dates, soonest first.

Tap one to jump to its card.

Dates are the agency’s or builder’s own, in Eastern time. Targets can slip; we recheck each one every month.

How we check

Where every item comes from.

The same official pages every month, so the stages are comparable.

Fairfax CountyLand use cases by district, Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors agendas
Loudoun CountyCounty news releases, Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission agendas, land applications
Prince William CountyCounty news and PWC Works road projects, Board of County Supervisors agendas
Arlington CountyCounty Board agenda highlights, site plans, housing programs
City of AlexandriaPlanning Commission and City Council dockets, development projects
The citiesManassas, Manassas Park, Fairfax and Falls Church news and planning pages
Roads and transitVDOT Northern Virginia project pages, county road project pages, WMATA
AirportsThe Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (Dulles and National) and Washington Manassas Airport
StoresThe store’s own store list or the mall’s own page, never a rumor
New lawsVirginia’s Legislative Information System and the county’s own explainer

Our rules. Local news can tip us off; the official page decides. Every item says where it stands, with the date we checked it. A proposal is not a promise, so we never say a project “will” happen before the vote. We describe places and projects, never who lives there.

When it updates. The first week of every month, plus any big vote in between, with its date. Next update: the first week of November 2026.

Buying or selling near one?

Near a project? Check the house, not the headline.

A proposal can change a street; a vote changes it for real. Start with the house itself.

Questions

What people ask about what’s changing.

How often is this page updated?

Once a month, in the first week of the month. A big change in between, like a Board vote, gets added with its date. The next update is planned for the first week of November 2026.

Where do these items come from?

Each item is checked at its official source: the county or city, VDOT, the airport authority, or the builder's or store's own page. Local news sometimes tips us off first, and when a fact comes only from local news, the item says so.

What do the stages mean?

Proposed: someone asked for it and no final vote has happened. Approved: the vote, permit or certificate is done, but building has not started. Building: work is underway. Opening soon: built or nearly built, opening date coming. Open: done. Closing: going away.

Does a project near a house change its value?

It can, but not on a set schedule, and a proposal is not a promise. Before you buy or sell near one, look at the project's stage and next date here, then at recent sales nearby. I can pull those sales for any address.

Is a rezoning hearing open to the public?

Yes. County and city boards hold public hearings, and anyone can speak or send written comments. The county's own page lists the date and how to sign up.

Can you tell me what is planned near a specific house?

Yes. Send me the address and I will check the county's land use cases, road projects and recent sales around it.

Your next step

Buying or selling near something that’s changing?

Send me the address. I’ll check the county’s cases and road projects around it and pull the recent sales nearby, so you know what is really planned and what homes there sell for. In English or Arabic.

اقرأ هذه الصفحة كاملة بالعربية ←

وكيلك العقاري الموثوق في شمال فرجينيا.

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