7901 Westpark Drive in Tysons, formerly the home of the Association for Manufacturing Technology, is planned to someday be developed with a new, glass-clad, 10-story office building named “City View Tysons.” Currently though, the site sits empty following the excavation for the building foundation. The owner made the decision to market the property after a previous deal to develop the building fell through. Fairfax County approved the final development plan for the building back in 2012 as one of the first buildings of the Arbor Row mixed-use center, but since then, approval and subsequent progress has been seen on other buildings in the neighborhood, while City View has languished.
The condition of the current office market notwithstanding, the site is still ready to begin vertical construction at any time. However, Foulger-Pratt’s nearby Tysons Central project is already under construction and, with nearly twice the office space, is also competing for tenants. Due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, the office vacancy rate in Tysons has increased throughout the year, despite the decommission of at least one office building to be replaced by residential construction.
The property is positioned ideally, with a direct front to both the beltway and Route 123. Two Metro station are within a mile, both Tysons malls are within half a mile, and the neighboring properties are steadily being developed with attractive mixed-use buildings. There are a lot of things going for it, but it may not amount to much if the market does not recover.
It remains to be seen how the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines will affect things in the upcoming year, and if the return of office workers will again spur interest in new trophy-class construction. While residential construction in Tysons commences at a record pace, the outstanding office vacancy rate continues to give developers pause when considering new towers. Perhaps if Tysons Central is a success, others may be emboldened to develop their office projects speculatively. But it is more likely that City View will not be built until a new owner and anchor tenant is found. Until then, it joins the nearby Monarch site as yet another Tysons hole in the ground.