On July 26 members of the Region Forward Coalition met in the Mosaic District where they discussed—and witnessed firsthand— the transformation of Merrifield-Dunn Loring into a vibrant Activity Center. Chairman of the Fairfax County Board Sharon Bulova told the Coalition “In Fairfax County our future is in redevelopment. As we grow we look for opportunities to build mixed-use walkable transit-oriented development to give people options other than driving alone in their cars to get places.”

A panel of developers recalled the area as an industrial site with few residents but one that was filled with potential thanks to a nearby Metrorail stop and numerous connections to key roadways like I-66 and the Beltway. Bulova described how local governments and business groups worked closely together on the project crediting U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly’s leadership during his time on the County Board of Supervisors. She stressed the importance of active engagement by public officials in the development process. This she said will ensure that a project meets a community’s specific needs.

Walking Tour of Mosaic District – Merrifield VA

Sharon Bulova (Fairfax County) RF Coalition Chair Mary Hynes (Arlington County) and RF Coalition Vice Chair Emmett Jordan (City of Greenbelt)

The Mosaic District’s developers said they were very selective about retail and housing decisions as well as the layout of streets and sidewalks. During a walking tour representatives of Edens Mosaic’s master developer pointed out features that encourage people to gather in public spaces like weekly outdoor yoga classes a splash fountain for kids and the $1 million screen outside of the Angelika Film Center.

Activity Centers and TPB Priorities Plan Updates

At the beginning of the meeting Coalition Chair Mary Hynes of Arlington County and Council of Governments’ staff members gave a progress report on the Activity Centers Strategic Development Plan and asked members for their input. Staff will be incorporating recent feedback from this meeting the COG Planning Directors meeting and the COG Board of Directors into the report in the coming weeks.

Hynes also noted that the WMATA board had good talk during their 2025 strategic planning group meeting on July 25 about how Metro can use the Strategic Development Plan and Transportation Planning Board’s Regional Transportation Priorities Plans. She also urged Coalition members to review the draft Priorities Plan which was released last week for public comment.

To view documents from the July 26 Coalition meeting including the Strategic Development Plan and Mosaic District presentations click here.