Parc Reston Owners Have Yet Another Plan for Tower Construction

Representatives of the owners of Parc Reston showed a new design plan to Reston Association's Design Review Board (DRB) on Monday, at least the third concept that has been proposed for that spot since 2005.

Athena Renaissance Reston, which owns Parc Reston, a garden complex that was converted primarily to condos in the early 2000s, wants to build two, 14-story residential towers on the part of property that is still rental units owned by Athena. 

The 360-unit buildings would replace three existing buildings (82 units) at Reston Parkway and Temporary Road, said Mark Looney, attorney at Reston law firm Cooley LLP, the firm representing Athena.

The DRB and Fairfax County have approved the general footprint of the buildings, but changes in the housing market have resulted in changes to the plans for the new property, said Looney.

What was originally two condo towers with underground parking in 2005 became in 2010 two smaller-scale buildings with a 72-foot-high glass elevator atrium connecting them. The current plan calls for two separate towers (no glass atrium) of what likely will be rental units built on top of three levels of parking garage.

The DRB expressed concern about how to make the garages look less garage-like.  Some suggestions: public art and creative lighting design.

"With parking at the base, it can become this mass of buildings marching along Reston Parkway," said DRB member Neal Roseberry. "This is a primo site across from Town Center, so we've got to get it right."