Following the historic 6-1 vote to move forward with the process leading to the construction of new affordable housing on the City of Falls Church’s 4.5 acre Virginia Village parcel in the center of the city, the City officially issued a request for proposals (RFP) to potential developers this week, ahead of schedule.
The process is driven by the need for the City to commence with development of a plan by early 2027 when the deadline arrives to apply for state low income tax credits.
The RFP’s purpose is to solicit a future owner/ groundlessee/ developer for the nine of 20 total fourplex Virginia Village properties, originally constructed in 1941, currently owned by the City’s Economic Development Authority. The goal is to preserve and expand access to affordable housing in alignment with the vision for this neighborhood set forth in the Comprehensive Plan.
The City has said it expects a broad spectrum of firms to respond to the RFP by offering creative solutions to help achieve the City’s affordable housing objectives.
Firms interested in learning more and submitting a response to the RFP are invited to participate in the following: Deadline for Questions: Monday, July 13, 2026, Virtual Pre-Proposal Conference: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Guided Site Tour (weather dependent): Wednesday, July 22, 2026, RFP Proposals Due: Thursday, August 6, 2026, Evaluation of Proposals: August / September 2026, and Selection of the top ranked Firm: Fall 2026
The bid process, PDF submissions, and all communications or inquiries must be emailed to Purchasing@fallschurchva.gov. Prospective bidders are invited to view the full Request for Proposal at: fallschurchva.gov/Bids
An Evaluation Committee, supported by the City’s real estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle, will make its recommendations to the City Council in early this September. It’s anticipated that the Council will make a final decision on the preferred team in the fall.
The City Council voted to authorize the issuance of the RFP at its marathon Monday, June 22, meeting by a 6-1 vote. The RFP process follows months of public input and consideration on the desired future of the Virginia Village neighborhood and how best to preserve and potentially expand access for affordable housing on the City Economic Development Authority (EDA) owned properties, according to a City statement.
The content of all RFP submissions will remain private pending the selection of a final winner, though submitters are invited to provide a general executive summary of their plans that will be made public as they are received. .
At the June 22 meeting the Council voted to limit the height of the buildings to six stories. But the first reading of the RFP ordinance it OK’d could still be amended by its final adoption this fall.