Landowners in Tysons Corner, Virginia are drooling over the development opportunities which an extension of the Metro might bring to their area.

The federal government approved earlier this summer $59 million to conduct the engineering to plan an 11-mile Metrorail extension, which would run from Falls Church through Tysons Corner and then along the Dulles Toll Road to Wiehle Avenue. The extension, which could open as soon as 2009, would be the first part of a proposed link to Dulles Airport.

In response to the four planned stations in the Tysons corner area (click on graphic to enlarge), a group of landowners are asking local planning authorities to change the zoning on their properties to allow for denser development:

” … Property owners are seeking changes to the county’s development guidelines that would allow hotels, offices and condominium towers — some up to 25 stories tall — on about 790 of the 1,700 acres in Tysons. Buildings would front on streets rather than parking lots and include shops and restaurants on the ground floor — much of it within walking distance of four planned Metro stations. …

In evaluating the applications for more density in Tysons, the county will focus on land within a quarter-mile to a half-mile of stations, development that would be close enough for an easy walk. The county’s land-use plan, in place for a decade, already allows builders to put up bigger buildings around rail stations, with more density encouraged the closer to the station. Proximity to rail allows building heights to increase by 30 percent. … “

What might the intrepid DCist find near these Metro stations? Although it’s a bit out of date (2002), this Washingtonian “best of” listing might give you some ideas.