Washington Business Journal

October 27, 2006

Loudoun County Approves Toned-Down $1B Center

A sleepy stretch of Route 50 in Loudoun County has been approved for millions of square feet in development, but a signature $1 billion project in the area will be scaled back as a result. At the heart of Route 50's future is Buchanan Partners' Arcola Center, a 390-acre plan that encompasses 2.1 million square feet of office space, 1.1 million square feet of retail, and 1,200 residences. However, the land-use proposal recently approved by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors reduces residential uses on Buchanan's property by one-third and will force some changes, says Russ Gestl, vice president of project development for the Gaithersburg-based company.