If you’ve driven Sunrise Valley Drive lately, you’ve probably noticed how much change is packed into a small stretch of road. Between the Silver Line, new apartments, and ongoing road projects, the area around the Herndon Metro station has become one of the most active corners of the Reston and Herndon corridor.
Now there’s a major new chapter on the table: the redevelopment of the former T-Mobile office campus, previously tied to Sprint and, before that, Nextel. A Reston-headquartered builder, Stanley Martin Homes, has submitted a proposal called East Link that would replace the aging office park with a transit-oriented neighborhood featuring new housing, parks, and a repurposed building turned into a community center.
This post is a comprehensive walk-through of what’s in the proposal, how the site is laid out, what amenities are being shown in the concept plans, and how the Fairfax County review process typically works so you can follow along.
East Link redevelopment at a glance near Herndon Metro and Sunrise Valley Drive
Here are the headline items being discussed in the proposal and supporting materials. As always with rezonings, details can evolve during review.
Location: Sunrise Valley Drive near the Herndon Metro station and Fairfax County Parkway
Site size: Approximately 36 acres
What exists today: Three 1980s-era office buildings with large surface parking areas
What’s proposed: More than 1,000 residences, including income-restricted units
Housing types: A mix of multifamily buildings and single-family attached homes (townhomes, including stacked townhomes)
Community feature: A one-story brick building shown as a community center near the Metro garage
Open space: Multiple parks and gathering areas, including concepts for a pickleball court, playground space, lawns, and a pavilion or amphitheater-style area
Biking and walking: A cycle track concept along Sunrise Valley Drive paired with improved pedestrian space
Current status: Submitted for rezoning review and not yet finalized or approved
Where is the former T-Mobile campus in Reston, VA?
The site sits in the northwest quadrant of Sunrise Valley Drive and Fairfax County Parkway, immediately adjacent to the Herndon Metro station area. If you use the station for commuting, you know the spot. It’s right by the garage and the Silver Line corridor.
If you want the official station details, including entrances, parking, elevators, and service alerts, WMATA keeps the station page current here: Herndon Station (WMATA).
Why this kind of redevelopment is showing up in Northern Virginia right now
Across Northern Virginia, older suburban office campuses have been under pressure for years. Some of that is about competition with newer buildings. Some of it is about shifting work patterns. And some of it is simply that huge surface parking lots right next to high-capacity transit are a mismatch with how the region is trying to grow.
This particular campus is surrounded by transportation infrastructure that makes it an obvious candidate for a new approach: Metro, the Dulles Toll Road corridor, Fairfax County Parkway, and a growing network of nearby housing.
Fairfax County’s planning framework also points development toward transit station areas. If you’re curious about the county’s urban design approach for Reston station areas, it’s worth skimming Guidelines for Development in Reston Transit Station Areas. You do not need to be a planner to get the big picture, and it helps explain why proposals like East Link emphasize walkability, public space, and mixed housing types.
The East Link plan in plain language: how the neighborhood is laid out
At a high level, East Link is presented as a neighborhood with a mix of building types and several activity nodes rather than one giant central park. The concept plans show multiple blocks, internal streets, and a combination of:
Larger multifamily buildings closer to the Metro side
Rows of townhomes and stacked townhomes in the interior blocks
A repurposed building near the station area designed as a community hub
Several park and plaza areas distributed throughout the site
One thing I appreciate in concepts like this is when open space is spread out. It can reduce the “all the fun is in one corner” effect, and it makes it more likely that different parts of the neighborhood feel active.
Multifamily near Herndon Metro: what’s shown and what to watch
The proposal includes multiple multifamily buildings. The unit counts and building details can shift as the rezoning process moves forward, but the overall theme is clear: higher density near Metro with structured parking and internal streets.
One key detail that isn’t always settled early is whether these units will be rentals, condos, or a blend. That often becomes clearer later as financing, phasing, and market timing come into focus.
From a neighborhood perspective, the most practical questions tend to be:
Where are the main building entrances and drop-off areas?
How is parking handled, including garage access points, visitor spaces, and loading zones?
How will residents walk to Metro safely, comfortably, and year-round?
What happens at peak commuter hours when traffic patterns are at their messiest?
Those are the kinds of design details that typically get sharpened during review.
Townhomes and stacked townhomes in Reston: what that actually means
The plan also includes a meaningful number of single-family attached homes. In the materials and summaries that have been shared publicly, townhomes are a major part of the housing mix, including “stacked” townhomes.
If the phrase “stacked townhomes” sounds confusing, here’s the simple version: two separate homes can be built one above the other, each with its own entrance. From the street, it can still read like a townhome block, but the living spaces are layered vertically.
In a transit-oriented area, stacked townhomes are often used to add ownership-style options without jumping straight to a high-rise condo building. They can also create a middle ground for buyers who want something more home-like than an apartment, but who do not need a large yard.
For people watching Reston real estate and Herndon real estate, the attached-home piece is often what sparks the most conversation because it brings family-sized options closer to Metro than you typically see.
The community center concept near Herndon Metro: a potential neighborhood anchor
One of the more interesting features is the idea of repurposing an existing one-story brick building into a community center near the Metro garage. The concept is that it becomes a focal point for gathering, recreation, and daily life.
A real community facility can be a big deal in a higher-density area. When it’s designed well and programmed thoughtfully, it helps the neighborhood feel like a place where people spend time, not just a collection of buildings next to a station.
A few practical items to watch as the plan evolves:
Public access versus resident-only access
Hours and programming, like youth programs, fitness classes, or meeting rooms
How parking is handled during events
Lighting and noise management if outdoor features are nearby
Connections to sidewalks and trails so it feels easy to reach without driving
Parks and public space in the East Link redevelopment: what the amenity boards are showing
This is where the concept imagery helps you picture daily life. Across the amenity boards, you see ideas like:
Play lawns and casual green space
Seating nooks and conversation areas
Fitness stations and balance-focused equipment
Playground areas for younger kids
Lawn games like bocce
Ping pong and chess tables
Pergolas with seating and string lighting
Amphitheater-style seating and a pavilion area
Plaza paving and event-ready spaces
A special-events style plaza concept and public art elements
Amenities like these matter because they shape how a development interacts with its neighbors. A community center paired with plaza space and outdoor seating can create a real gathering spot. On the other hand, it can also raise questions about event traffic, evening activity, and noise.
The best outcomes usually come from two things: strong design details and clear operating rules. If a plaza is intended for community use, it needs a plan for how it’s managed so it feels welcoming without becoming a headache for nearby residents.
Walking and biking improvements along Sunrise Valley Drive: why locals should care
The East Link materials describe improvements along Sunrise Valley Drive, including a cycle track concept paired with better pedestrian space. If you live in Reston or commute through this corridor, you already know Sunrise Valley can feel like a road you move through quickly, not a place you want to walk.
Meaningful bike and pedestrian upgrades can have ripple effects:
Better last-mile access to Metro
Safer crossings and fewer conflict points
More day-to-day walking for errands and recreation
Stronger connectivity to adjacent neighborhoods
This is also where county review gets very detailed. Fairfax County transportation reviewers typically focus on circulation, crosswalks, driveway spacing, turning movements, and whether the internal street network handles peak times without bottlenecks.
If you want to track what the county expects during review, start with the broader county planning resources at Fairfax County Planning and Development.
The alternative concept with office space: why it matters
Although the main direction reads heavily residential, there’s also an alternative scenario that adds office space back into the mix. That kind of option sometimes appears to keep flexibility, especially if county feedback pushes for a jobs component or if market conditions shift.
In the long run, a blend of uses can support restaurants, services, and daytime activity. At the same time, new office space comes with its own traffic patterns and parking demands. If you live nearby, this is a worthwhile question to follow during public meetings: does the county encourage a mixed-use approach here, or is the priority clearly on adding more housing near Metro?
How the Fairfax County rezoning process works, and how you can track East Link updates
If you’ve never followed a rezoning before, it can feel like it’s happening behind a curtain. In reality, Fairfax County is fairly structured about it, and there are clear milestones.
A typical rezoning path looks like this:
Application submission (concept plan materials, studies, and narratives)
County acceptance of the application for review
Staff review cycles and revisions
Community meetings and public engagement
Planning Commission hearing
Board of Supervisors hearing and final decision
Final engineering and permitting, which can take significant time even after approval
If you want a plain-English overview straight from the county, this is a useful starting point: Rezoning Process (Fairfax County).
To follow plan records and related documentation over time, these public tools are helpful:
Those pages are valuable even if you are not deep into planning. They give you a way to see what’s been submitted and what’s being reviewed as a project moves forward.
What the East Link proposal could mean for Reston real estate and Herndon real estate
When a large number of homes are proposed near transit, it can influence nearby housing in a few different directions at once.
More housing options close to Metro
For renters, this can mean more choice and, over time, more competition among buildings. For buyers, the townhome and stacked townhome component is the piece that stands out because it adds ownership-style inventory in a location that’s still heavily dominated by apartments.
Amenity-driven demand
Parks, community space, and walkability often become value drivers. People do not just buy a home, they buy the daily routine around it. If East Link delivers on public-facing spaces and safe connections, it can lift interest in nearby neighborhoods too.
Traffic, schools, and day-to-day impact
It’s reasonable for neighbors to ask how this affects traffic on Sunrise Valley Drive and Fairfax County Parkway, and what improvements come along with the project. Those questions are part of responsible growth. During review, you typically see these concerns addressed through transportation studies, proffer discussions, and refinement of access points.
Momentum along the Silver Line corridor
Reston and Herndon have been steadily evolving into a more transit-connected region. Projects like this reinforce that shift, which is why buyers and sellers increasingly ask about station areas, trails, and long-term planning.
If you’re comparing neighborhoods and trying to understand how development might affect pricing, demand, or rental competition, this is exactly the kind of local context that matters.
FAQ: common questions locals ask about the T-Mobile campus redevelopment in Reston, VA
Is East Link approved?
Not yet. It has been submitted for rezoning review, and projects typically go through multiple rounds of revisions, public meetings, and hearings before any final decision.
Will there be retail or restaurants on site?
The current concept direction reads primarily residential with community and park space. Retail is not emphasized in the summary materials. That can change over time, especially if the county encourages more mixed-use elements.
Will the new homes be rentals or for-sale?
Townhomes are typically for-sale. Multifamily buildings could be rentals or condos. That detail is often clarified later as the project advances.
How close is it to Metro?
It’s directly adjacent to the station area. For station details, see Herndon Station (WMATA).
What are the biggest quality-of-life benefits if it’s built as shown?
Potentially: new parks, a community center, more comfortable walking and biking connections, and more housing choices near transit.
What are the biggest unknowns right now?
Timing, final unit mix, whether any office component remains, and the final transportation and access details.
How can I track updates without relying on rumor?
Start with the county’s Rezoning Process page and use LDS Public Records to follow new submissions as they are posted.
A simple way to think about East Link
This proposal is part of a bigger story playing out across Northern Virginia: older office sites near high-capacity transit are being reimagined as neighborhoods. Whether you love that trend or feel cautious about it, it’s worth following because it affects traffic patterns, housing options, and the overall character of the Reston and Herndon corridor.
If you live nearby, I’d keep an eye on three themes as this moves through Fairfax County:
The quality and accessibility of the public spaces
The safety and practicality of the walking and biking connections
The final housing mix and whether it adds real diversity of options
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