MITRE Building 4 isn’t the most ambitious new project in Tysons, lacking some of the mixed use and high density qualities that other new buildings have been incorporating into their designs. Compared to its prior generation neighbors at the MITRE campus however, the new MITRE Building 4 is a indication of the power of TOD (Transit Oriented Design) in marketability and the value of higher density in quality multi-modal transportation zones.
The construction of Building 4 will allow MITRE to consolidate several of its current offices spread around the region into a single high density and metro accessible 14-story tower. Nearby sprawling mid-rise buildings are equivalent to this single tower in floor area, approximately 340,000 sf when complete, but take up several times more land area in order to house the same space.
The consolidation of the office use by MITRE to this building has also offered their former office land owner the opportunity to rezone and redevelop an aging office stock located in North Tysons for new office and much needed residential uses. MITRE 4 is also just one part of the much larger Cityline rezoning dubbed Scotts Run South which includes hundreds of thousands of square feet of new retail, thousands of new apartment units, and new GSA applicable office spaces.
The completion of the overall project includes stream valley restoration for nearby Scotts Run, new bike and pedestrian trails, and plazas connecting residents and employees to metro.
The steel frame of MITRE 4 has reached seven floors, so approximately half of its ultimate height. The massing, block size, and transit adjacent location give a good indication of what kinds of projects will take over for the office sprawl of the past. We’ll continue to watch it rise vertically from the perfect perch located at McLean Silverline Station.