It has rarely been said in the DC Metro region, but a 300 foot tall skyscraper in Tysons is still getting taller. At 29-stories, the Capital One headquarters building at their Route 123 campus is already one of the top 10 tallest buildings in Northern Virginia, and will soon enter rare air when it climbs beyond the 400 foot mark. The final tower will measure 470 feet in height, making it the tallest occupied building in the region.
The curved glass panels have been going up for several months now, chasing the tower skyward. The lower levels which include the garage and conference / lobby spaces is also now glazed. The height of the tower, something that was the topic of many debates through its approval process, is really not a problem at all. Concerns with shadow levels were reduced through massing the tallest portion of the tower closer to adjacent 495, rather than by the existing Gates of McLean condos.
Breaking the 400 foot mark is a big deal, proving that the arbitrary height is nothing more than a number. The sales price for the most recent real estate deal in Tysons, Meridian’s acquisition of Tysons Metro Center, was $227 million for 10 acres of developed office space. Although the property is nearly fully leased, the purchase likely includes the potential for future redevelopment of the property to higher densities. Those built in land costs, combined with nearly direct access to metro, may provide encouragement for 500 to 600 foot high rises in the not too distance future. Until then, Capital One will remain the tallest — dare I say — skyscraper in our region.
