Supervisors approve Inova expansion on Gallows Road

Future development proposed for the Inova Center for Personal Health.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 24 approved a huge expansion of the Inova Center for Personalized Health (ICPH) on a117-acre property between Gallows Road and the beltway.

The ICPH, including the Schar Cancer Center and a conference center, are already occupying some space in the five buildings that had been the ExxonMobil headquarters.

The board’s approval of a comprehensive plan amendment for the site, as part of the Merrifield Suburban Center Study, will allow Inova to add more academic and research facilities on the ICPH campus, as well as add housing, retail, and a hotel, for a total of 3.8 million square feet of new development.

The new development will be concentrated on the western side of the property. The eastern side will include 55 square feet of parkland.

Inova plans to reserve about half of the future development for its academic partners, led by the University of Virginia. Inova already has entered into a comprehensive research and medical educational partnership with UVA and George Mason University.

An illustration of the planned Inova expansion.

The partnership will bring together clinicians who will work side by side with researchers from state universities and biomedical technology startups.

One component of this partnership is the Global Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Institute, which will focus on translating research and technology breakthroughs into clinical care to address patient needs.

In the first phase of its expansion, Inova plans to build new academic and research spaces and up to 705 housing units that could be used for assisted living, student housing and workforce housing.

The future development will include up to 120,000 square feet for a short-term stay hotel that could be used by families of cancer patients and researchers.

By 2035, Inova estimates that activity on and related to the campus will generate $1.18 billion in economic impact, including $68 million in local and state tax revenue.

The campus will also house a startup accelerator and investment fund to help biotech companies expand by providing education, capital and access to Inova’s resources. Inova also invests directly in companies and in health and technology venture funds.

The plan amendment approved by the Board of Supervisors also facilities higher-density, mixed-use development at Fairview Park, including a maximum of 840 new housing units.

The board approved follow-on motions recommended by the Planning Commission last week – calling for transportation studies among other things – along with a request to allocate $700,000 to fund them.