Crews Make Quick Work Preparing RTC Lot for Construction

It was just a week ago that the 200-plus space surface parking lot at New Dominion and Fountain Drive was fenced off for construction on what will be known as Signature Site, a mostly residential Boston Properties project.

In a matter of days, crews have jackhammered the concrete, moved dirt, pulled up trees and are doing all the things necessary for construction prep.

In case you missed it, here is what is coming to the site, the last undeveloped parcel at Reston Town Center.

The Signature Site, formerly called Block 4, is Boston Properties’ project that will turn the parking lot — also formerly home to rides at Taste of Reston and the Athletes’ Village at last summer’s World Police and Fire Games — into two high-rise residential buildings with up to 549 units and nine levels of underground parking for residents.

The project will have about 1.85 acres (40 percent) of open space, its own pool and vegetated roof.

Boston Properties purchased the space in 2013 for a reported $27 million. At that time, the lot was zoned for offices. Boston Properties got a zoning change for residential development, though, and will move the office zoning to Block 5, where the current FedEx/Kinkos and Ann Taylor are now located.

Plans call for turning that three-story retail/office building into a 17-story building with 276,788 square feet of office space and 7,800 square feet of ground-floor retail. The building would also have four levels of underground parking.