PR Homes Associates LLC, an affiliate of EYA, LLC (EYA), announces it has closed on the purchase of 3500 Pickett Road, the Metro Church site owned by Celebration Church. This transaction represents EYA’s fourth large-scale transaction with a religious institution and is a continuation of EYA’s practice of collaborating with churches, schools, and institutions to monetize their land value.
EYA worked with the local community and the City of Fairfax to amend the Comprehensive Plan to change the use of this site from institutional to moderate density residential. This 3.7-acre site in the City of Fairfax will feature 50 new townhomes, including the introduction of five attainably priced homes that represent the City of Fairfax’s first Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU’s). EYA worked collaboratively with the City of Fairfax to launch this inaugural program available to City-qualified families earning no more than 70 percent of the area median income.
“We’re proud to partner with Metro Church and the City of Fairfax to offer this unique opportunity for new home ownership in highly sought-after Fairfax, VA,” said Aakash Thakkar, Executive Vice President, EYA. “This project embodies two of EYA’s greatest strengths – working with religious institutions to help them monetize their surplus land and creatively working through a complex entitlement and change in land use to deliver a well-planned, high-quality community.”
Metro Church had hosted one of its congregations in a 17,000-square-foot single story building on the Pickett Road property since 2012. In 2019, the church decided to sell the Pickett Road property to fund its broader mission and better serve its congregants. The church wanted to sell to a developer that embraced the values of community building.
“Even during the pandemic, EYA was a trusted partner. We have weathered the pandemic and chosen to concentrate on a more flexible means of worship. EYA was able to help us capitalize on the value of the Metro Church site and the sale of our land will support our greater congregation while positively impacting lives in the City of Fairfax,” said Wayland Wiseman, Executive Pastor, Celebration Church. “EYA was true to its word throughout the process and has a deep understanding of the values and goals of Metro Church and our congregation. We are delighted that this land will become home to a community designed to foster friendly relationships.”
EYA is known for building new homes that celebrate the best of modern design and urban lifestyles. The new community named, The Townhomes at Sutton Heights, is bordered by a 100‐foot‐wide City property to the south, the Army Navy Country Club to the west, a residential development known as Barristers Keepe to the north, and Pickett Road to the east. EYA’s new townhomes will include sophisticated lofts with rooftop terraces, optional private backyards, landscaped walkways and open park space. Home sales are planned to begin this fall 2021.
“Religious institutions play critical roles in the local, national and international communities they serve,” added Thakkar. “During COVID, many have gone virtual or realized they don’t need as much physical space, yet they still have financial needs. We’ve partnered with many religious institutions across the region to help them leverage their real estate assets to enable them to continue their missions.”
Recently, EYA purchased a portion of land from the Josephite’s Seminary in Michigan Park in Washington, DC, where it is building a neighborhood-focused project that will offer landscaped park spaces, community playground and modern townhomes designed to reflect the architectural style and details of surrounding established homes. At another site in Washington, DC, EYA partnered with the Paulists to purchase a portion of the 20-acre campus of Saint Paul’s College. For the Paulists, selling a portion of their land was a means to support the broader order and its ministry needs. Currently, EYA is working with the Academy of the Holy Cross and the Sisters of the Holy Cross to redevelop a portion of their land in Bethesda, MD.
About EYA, LLC
For almost 30 years, EYA has been a market leader in the development of large-scale, urban infill residential projects. With expertise in the entitlement, development, and construction of for-sale, multi-family and mixed-income housing, EYA has created over 40 exceptional neighborhoods that are home to more than 10,000 residents across Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. EYA is a privately held company that has completed over $2 billion of projects that deliver “life within walking distance” throughout the DC region. For additional information about EYA, visit www.eya.com/development.
