Showing all 14 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.
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)
Tap a pin or a name. Filter by where and by stage under the map.
October 2026 edition, checked October 27, 202614 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.
14changes 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.
At a glance
Where they stand, and when they land.
Tap any number: the map opens right under it, no scrolling.
Where they stand
Proposed
3
Approved
4
Building
4
Opening soon
3
Open
0
Can still changeLocked in
Why the stage matters more than the headline. 11 of these 14 are already approved, being built or about to open, so they are close to certain. The 3 proposals can still change shape, shrink or stop before the final vote or signature. A “coming soon” headline about a proposal is a question, not an answer.
When they land
Today202720282029
Route 29 Centreville
This fall
This fall
Lake Fairfax homes
Tue, Nov 17, 2026
Tue, Nov 17, 2026, in about 3 weeks
Fairfax in-law suites
Tue, Nov 17, 2026
Tue, Nov 17, 2026, in about 3 weeks
Alexandria gas blower ban
Tue, Nov 17, 2026
Tue, Nov 17, 2026, in about 3 weeks
Faith in Housing law
Thu, Jan 1, 2027
Thu, Jan 1, 2027, in about 2 months
The Heritage, Old Town
2027
2027
Manassas airline flights
By end of 2027
By end of 2027, in about 14 months
Parkway at Minnieville
Spring 2028
Spring 2028, in about 17 months
Inova at Landmark
2028
2028
Arlington gas blower ban
Mon, Jan 1, 2029
Mon, Jan 1, 2029, in about 26 months
No date announced yet
Dulles Concourse EToys R Us, Fair OaksRivana at Innovation StationGWU Ashburn campus
Read it like a pipeline, not a calendar. Most of what you can count on lands in 2027 and 2028. The ones with no date are often the biggest: a builder or an agency names a date only when it is sure. The Faith in Housing law runs from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2031, so church and nonprofit land can use it for four years.
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
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
The campus land in Ashburn, from the air. A concept image.
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.
By the Innovation Center Metro station, Loudoun County
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
The Innovation Center station. Rivana is being built on the land beside it. A concept image.
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.
Dulles: a new 14-gate concourse, and a VIP terminal picked
Dulles International Airport
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
Inside the new concourse as it is finished. A concept image.
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.
Reston office park to homes: the Board votes November 17
Eastern Reston, north of Sunset Hills Road
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
The office park entrance in eastern Reston. A concept image.
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.
Route 29 in Centreville: the third lanes open soon
Centreville, Union Mill Road to Buckleys Gate Drive
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
The new path beside the widened road. A concept image.
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
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
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.
Prince William Parkway at Minnieville Road: an interchange is going in
Prince William Parkway at Minnieville Road, Woodbridge area
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
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.
Airline flights from Manassas: the FAA certificate is in
Washington Manassas Airport, City of Manassas
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
The terminal at Washington Manassas Airport. A concept image.
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.
Old Town: 598 new apartments at The Heritage, in two buildings
South Alfred Street, Old Town Alexandria
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
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
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
The new hospital going up at the former Landmark Mall. A concept image.
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)
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
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.
In-law suites: Fairfax votes November 17 on bigger, easier ones
Fairfax County (applies countywide)
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
Fairfax County wants to change its rules for accessory living units, the in-law suite or basement apartment inside a single-family house. Staff’s proposal drops the rule that the owner must live there, raises the size cap from 800 to 1,200 square feet (or 40% of the house, whichever is less), and allows a detached backyard cottage by right on lots of 36,000 square feet or more. The Planning Commission held its hearing on October 29, 2026.
1,200 sq ftsize cap proposed (800 today)
36,000 sq ftlot size for a backyard cottage by right
3people allowed in the unit (2 today)
Nov 17Board of Supervisors public hearing
Next dateTuesday, November 17, 2026, 4:30 PM: Board of Supervisors hearing
What it means If it passes, more houses could add a rentable suite or cottage, and an owner could move out and keep it. Townhouses only if the Board picks that option, by special permit. The Board can still change the numbers. Check what your lot allows.
Alexandria: gas leaf blowers banned from November 17
City of Alexandria (applies citywide)
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
Alexandria changed its noise code to ban leaf blowers and leaf vacuums that run on gas or any other fuel: handheld, backpack and walk-behind. It covers residents, HOAs and civic associations, property managers and landscape companies. City crews switched on May 17, 2026. Electric blowers are still allowed, during noise code hours.
Nov 17, 2026the ban starts for everyone
$100 to $500civil penalty if a warning is ignored
7 AM to 9 PMelectric blowers, Monday to Friday
9 AM to 9 PMelectric blowers, weekends and holidays
Next dateTuesday, November 17, 2026: the ban starts
What it means Own or manage a home in Alexandria? Ask your lawn crew or HOA if they have switched to electric. The city can fine the owner or manager as well as the company. An old gas blower goes to the city’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility, drained of gas and oil first.
Arlington: gas leaf blowers banned from January 1, 2029
Arlington County (applies countywide)
Proposed
Approved
Building
Opening soon
Open
On July 18, 2026, the Arlington County Board voted 5 to 0 to change the county noise code so gas leaf blowers and leaf vacuums can’t be used at any time, after a phase-out. Local news reports the ban starts January 1, 2029. The county’s own page hasn’t posted the final ordinance yet.
Jan 1, 2029the ban starts (as reported)
5 to 0County Board vote, July 18, 2026
3more fall leaf seasons with gas allowed
Next dateMonday, January 1, 2029: the ban starts (as reported)
What it means Nothing changes for this fall’s leaves. Buying yard tools or signing a multi-year lawn contract in Arlington? Plan on electric.
Source:Arlington County: gas leaf blower page (read November 3, 2026). Checked November 3, 2026. Local news tip: The July 18 vote and the January 1, 2029 start: ARLnow (July 2026) and Virginia Mercury (August 24, 2026).
Size and money
How big is big?
The big numbers, made visible: floor space against the Pentagon, new homes as houses, and what the roads cost.
Floor space, to scaleEach shape’s area matches its square feet.
Rivana offices, planned3,500,000 sq ft54% of the Pentagon
New homes on this month’s listOne house = 100 homes. 3,298 in all.
Rivana, planned: 2,700 homes
The Heritage, being built: 598 homes
Lake Fairfax and GWU Ashburn will add more, but neither has a home count yet, so they are not drawn.
What the roads cost
Route 29 widening, Centreville1.5 miles, 4 to 6 lanes
$94.4 million
Parkway at Minnieville interchangeone crossing, two levels
$81.0 million
$63 millionper mile of Route 29 (one-time)
$3,300per vehicle that uses it on a typical day (one-time)
What the math says. $94.4 million over 1.5 miles is about $63 million a mile. Spread over the 29,000 vehicles that use the road each day, it is about $3,300 per daily driver, paid once, to cut the wait at the Stringfellow and Clifton Road light. Both projects are paid with public money (one-time costs, not a yearly bill). Our math, from VDOT’s and the county’s own numbers.
What moved
What moved in October.
Each month, this lists the items whose stage changed, with the day it happened.
Planning Commission held its hearing on the in-law suite rules. The Board votes November 17.
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 are the agency’s or builder’s own, in Eastern time. Targets can slip; we recheck each one every month.
How a project moves
From an idea to an open door.
Seven steps for a building project in a Virginia county or city, with this month’s projects placed where they are.
1
Someone appliesA builder or owner files a rezoning or a plan with the county or city.
2
Staff reviewCounty planners study it and write a staff report, usually weeks or months.
3
Planning CommissionA public hearing. It recommends yes or no; it does not decide.You can speak here
4
Board or CouncilA second public hearing. The elected Board or Council decides.You can speak here
Lake Fairfax homes Planning Commission said yes Oct 14; Board hearing Nov 17
5
Site plan and permitsEngineering drawings, then building permits. Mostly out of public view.
6
BuildingCrews on site. Dates start to mean something.
Rivana at Innovation Station broke ground April 20
The Heritage, Old Town Block 1 started in October
Inova at Landmark opens 2028
7
OpenOccupancy permits; people move in, stores open.
The two hearings are the only steps where the public has a say, and the Board or Council is the one that counts. After that vote, most of the change is decided; what is left is when. Roads and airports follow a different path: a plan, the money, the design, then building. A new state law, like Faith in Housing, skips the rezoning step for the land it covers.
Where the vote happens: a public hearing before the county board. A concept image.
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, and the county’s Development Tracker map
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.
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.
Is Virginia banning gas leaf blowers?
Not statewide. The City of Alexandria bans gas leaf blowers from Tuesday, November 17, 2026, and Arlington County from January 1, 2029 (as reported). Fairfax County and Loudoun County have no ban; their noise rules stop lawn equipment from 9 PM to 7 AM. A 2026 bill to let more localities ban them (HB 881) was held over to the 2027 session.
How do I see what is being built near a Fairfax County address?
Use the county's Development Tracker map, launched September 15, 2026. Search an address to see active construction, recent building permits, zoning applications, plan amendments and certificates of occupancy 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.
Thinking of selling, buying, or just curious what your home would sell for? Pick a time and I'll call you myself with a straight answer from the sales I check by hand. You decide what happens next.
