Dirt has begun turning for construction of Excelsior residential project in Reston.

To review, this is a plan for two buildings with a combined total of 457 residential units on five acres of the 22-acre Oracle campus at Sunset Hills Road and Old Reston Avenue.

The project was first proposed by Reston Excelsior LLC (a division of Lerner Enterprises) in 2oo6 and was sent back from the county several times for changes that were finally approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2010.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission had recommended denial of the plan for two 15-story towers because they seemed out of scale with Plaza America, Reston Parkway and surrounding areas.

However, a lot has happened since 2010. The Reston skyline has come to include The Harrison, Midtown, BLVD and plans for a 23-story office tower, among other buildings. So 15 stories seems rather modest.

Excelsior was back before the supervisors in July, where it got a requested parking reduction of 16.4 percent. The buildings had originally been approved for 820 underground parking spaces. The buildings — located in between the Wiehle-Reston East Metro and the future Reston Town Center Metro — will now have 612 spaces, including 58 designated for guests.

The Excelsior is planned to have 212 studio/one-bedroom units;  202 two-bedroom unites; and 33 three-bedroom units. The development will include 1 acre of open space.

Renderings courtesy Lerner Enterprises 

Nearly six years after being approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors — and then virtually halting plans to move forward — there is some action on Lerner Enterprises’ Excelsior Parc project.

The Excelsior Parc will include 457 residential units in two buildings on Reston’s Oracle campus near the intersection of Sunset Hills and Reston Parkway.

The project was first proposed in 2oo6 and was sent back from the county several times for changes that were finally approved by the supervisors in 2010. The Fairfax County Planning Commission had recommended denial of the plan for two 15-story towers because they seemed out of scale with Plaza America, Reston Parkway and surrounding areas.

However, a lot has happened since 2010. The Reston skyline has come to include The Harrison, Midtown, BLVD and plans for a 23-story office tower, among other buildings. So 15 stories seems rather modest.

But that is not why the developers are back before the supervisors. The buildings had originally been approved for 820 underground parking spaces. The developers are seeking a reduction in parking of 16.4 percent, which must be approved by board.

The County Executive recommends the supervisors approve the reduction based on an analysis of the parking requirements. He has recommended 612 spaces, including 58 designated for guests.

Part of the reason for the change is the Metro. The property is about a half-mile from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station and about the same distance from the future Reston Town Center Station, which is scheduled to open in 2020.

The Excelsior is planned to have 212 studio/one-bedroom units;  202 two-bedroom unites; and 33 three-bedroom units.

The Board of Supervisors will discuss and vote on this on Tuesday.

No word on when the construction will begin.