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By Al Donley · Published · Updated
Mosaic District in Northern Virginia was designed to do something unusual: turn a car-oriented commercial area into a walkable town center.
Before Mosaic, this site had a very different identity. In 1954, the Lee Highway Drive-In opened here. It was eventually replaced by an indoor multiplex surrounded by vast parking lots.[1], [4], [6], [11]
But Fairfax County had a bigger vision for Merrifield. Beginning in the 1990s, planners pushed to create a more connected community around the Dunn Loring Metro station, with shops, restaurants, housing, and public spaces all within walking distance.
Making that happen required public investment. In 2009, the county created its first Community Development Authority, issuing nearly $66 million in bonds to help fund infrastructure. The debt would be repaid primarily through additional property tax revenue generated by the development.[2], [8], [9], [3]
Developer EDENS broke ground in 2010, turning that vision into Mosaic District.
Even though Mosaic feels like a public downtown, its streets are privately managed. EDENS coordinates the district's overall experience, including events like the farmers market, while individual buildings can have different owners. That private management gives the district flexibility, but also means it isn't quite like an ordinary public town center.[5], [10]
Today, Strawberry Park, named after the Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever," serves as a gathering place. And the Angelika Film Center, which opened in 2012, carries on the site's moviegoing tradition.
Photo sources: Northern Virginia Magazine — neighborhood profile (hero photo) | Northern Virginia Magazine — Best of NoVA 2018 (Angelika photo)[7], [10]
