With the downturn in the office market, developers are looking at vacant parcels of land in the Westfields area of Chantilly as a place for residential and other uses, instead. Below are two of the proposals, plus plans for a memory-care facility off of Route 50 west.

Preserve at Westfields

There’s a plan to transform 50 acres of vacant land along Route 28 and Stonecroft and Westfields boulevards in Chantilly. Being proposed for what would be called The Preserve at Westfields are 155 townhouses, 650 apartments, plus retail and other amenities.

But first, Fairfax County would have to amend its Comprehensive Plan for that area. Since the plan currently recommends office, hotel and industrial uses there, high-density residential uses would have to be added on paper before any homes could actually be built. The county Board of Supervisors will hold a June 2 public hearing on the matter.

Akridge owns the land and would build the apartment and retail components; Elm Street Development would construct the townhouses. Included would be an amenity area with walking paths, a pavilion/performing and gathering area, plus a lake that’s currently not accessible.

Wegmans

The Commonwealth Centre is along Westfields Boulevard, across Route 28 and just northeast of the Akridge site. Regency Centers has a contract to purchase 21 acres inside the Newbrook Drive loop road. There it hopes to construct a mixed-use development, instead of some 1.2 million square feet of offices that could be built there now.

Proposed as the centerpiece is a 140,000-square-foot Wegmans grocery store, similar to the one in Fair Oaks and containing the same amenities. Also planned are 32,500 square feet of retail shops, plus a 10,500-square-foot sit-down, full-service restaurant.

Altogether, the development would be 183,000 square feet. It also would come with walking trails, an exercise park near the Flatlick stream valley, outdoor seating outside the Wegmans café and a number of proffered pedestrian and road improvements for safety plus better traffic flow.

Arbors of Chantilly

As the number of senior citizens in Fairfax County continues to rise, so does the need for assisted-living facilities — and especially those focusing on people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Enter Artisan Land Group LLC.

It’s already received Fairfax County’s approval to build The Arbors of Chantilly at 13622 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, off Downs Drive. The six-and-one-half-acre site, zoned residential, is currently a vacant lot. Planned is a one-story, 37,000-square-foot, 48-unit, residential-looking building facing Route 50.

Considered a “memory-care home,” the 35,000-square-foot facility will be architecturally compatible with the surrounding land uses, plus the abutting residential area. It’ll also have a rain garden and fencing all around the property. Groundbreaking is anticipated by this fall, with construction expected to take about 10 months.