The Mosaic District is an approximately 31-acre mixed-use development consisting of retail, residential, hotel and office along with two urban parks and pedestrian-friendly streets. Completed in 2018, the development realized a significant portion of the Merrifield Suburban Center Comprehensive Plan to transform a former industrial area near the interchange of I-495 and I-66, as well as nearby Routes 29 and 50. Finally, an innovative “last mile” solution for improved mobility was launched in 2020, with an autonomous circulator system to transport transit riders between the Dunn-Loring Metrorail Station and the Mosaic District.
As the “town center” for the Merrifield community, the Mosaic District provides over 500,000 square feet of ground floor retail space, including a 110,000 square foot Target store, surrounding a 2-acre public “green” and an eight-screen cinema. The development also includes 1004 multifamily rental units, 112 townhomes, a 148 room hotel and 72,750 square feet of Class-A office space. The project attained a LEED-ND rating by the United State Green Building Council and provides innovative stormwater management infrastructure to ensure that it is environmentally sustainable. The sub-market’s demographics continue to indicate strong support for the development’s on-going success with approximately 138,000 people residing within a three-mile radius of the site, and average household income exceeding $162,000.
In order to achieve the goals for revitalization outlined in the Comprehensive Plan, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established its first Community Development Authority (CDA) with Tax Increment Financing for the Mosaic District in 2009. The facilities financed by the CDA included public roads, parks, parking and other infrastructure improvements, which were financed through the issuance of bond funds, with debt service that is paid through incremental real estate tax revenues.