The biggest guessing game going on in the local retail scene is what is going to happen to the Dulles Town Center shopping mall and surrounding property. Now we have an idea and it may impact the longtime Chuck E. Cheese restaurant.
Regular readers of The Burn know there have been lots of proposals and rumors, but little solid action in recent years.
Now, we have a first glimpse at one of the long-anticipated possibilities — the addition of housing to the mall’s property.
In paperwork filed with the county, a developer wants to take a parcel of land along Atlantic Boulevard and build 76 residential units. These are described as “single-family attached and multi-family stacked units.”
The parcel of land is where the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant sits currently plus the long-vacant building that used to house Mimi’s Cafe.
There is no word what this would mean for Chuck E. Cheese. Would it move to a new location elsewhere on the property or in the area? Or would it close permanently? Time will tell.
The image used in the filing also shows what appears to be park-like green spaces added to several spots around the mall. This is another possibility that has been discussed by potential developers.
The overarching idea is to have a core retail center with stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, and green spaces coupled with the development of residential units around the retail center and possibly office space or a hotel as well.
The idea is often called “work, live, play” — meaning the center would have places where people could do just that – go to work, have their home, and recreate. Other examples in the area include the Village at Leesburg, One Loudoun, and Ashburn Station.
This filing — which is in the very earliest discussion stages with county officials — could be the first concrete step towards the redevelopment of the mall property that has long been discussed.
(Image at top: Virginia Investment Properties LLC)