In 1935, students carried their books, pencils and bags into the
new Fairfax High School on Lee Highway, the part of the road now known as
Fairfax Boulevard. Decades later, George Mason University transformed the brick
building into its North Campus. In 1983, it became Paul VI Catholic High
School.
When the now-St. Paul VI Catholic High School moves to a 68-acre
campus in Loudoun County in fall 2020, the historic part of the building will
find yet another use, as the centerpiece of a new mixed-use development.
“We understand the significance this land has long had for the
community, and we know we’re privileged to be the ones to bring out its next
iteration of vibrance and importance,” said Enrico Cecchi, managing director of
The IDI Group Companies, which is redeveloping the property.
The Fairfax City Council approved the developer’s request for a
zoning map amendment by a 3-2 vote in September, completing a three-year
process and allowing the project to move forward. The still-unnamed project
will include seven single-family homes, 115 townhomes, 144 condos and 44,000
square feet of commercial and community space.
Residential offerings will vary in size. Four condo buildings
ranging in size from one to three bedrooms will be built. The townhomes will be
between three and four stories high.
IDI said that two 10,000 square foot retail buildings will be
built perpendicular to the former school space, creating a horseshoe-like
formation around green space. The new use will preserve the façade of the
historic school building.