In a series of unanimous 7-0 votes Monday night, the Falls Church City Council gave final decisive approvals to special exceptions and the site plan for the biggest project in the City’s history, a 9.75-acre mixed use development at the site of the now-demolished old George Mason High School property.

The project, with an estimated value of $380 million and to yield an estimated $5 million in net annual revenues to the City, now awaits a groundbreaking set for early next year.   

As pointed out by Council member Ross Litkenhous, the project will not only completely pay for the now-completed $122 million next Meridian High School right next to it, but also promises to provide City taxpayers with a hefty reduction in property taxes.   

The project will also be complemented by development of two adjacent sites, one now occupied by Virginia Tech and the other constituted by WMATA’s West Falls Church Metrorail station, which combined with constitute 44 acres of seamless development that will be unified by a boulevard running through its middle from Rt. 7 to the West Falls Church station.

According to a spokesman from the team that is also involved in the WMATA development site, a go-ahead was received for that land Monday, and as a result, all components of the overall plan could come on line roughly simultaneously.