A 1971 engineering study suggested an underground station, with the top of the rail 28 feet (8.5 m) below a parking lot.

[10] However, on July 20, 2011, the MWAA board reversed its previous vote and approved an above-ground station due to pressure from state and local officials to reduce overall project costs.

Plans for an above-ground facility drew concerns from the Virginia Historic Preservation Office regarding the visual impact on the Eero Saarinen-designed terminal.

[15] In April 2015, project officials pushed back the opening date for the station to late 2019, stating that stricter requirements for stormwater management caused much of the delay.

Per officials, the line also had to incorporate improvements to the system's automated train controls that were a late addition to the project's first phase.

[16] In August 2019, project officials reported that they expected construction on the second phase of the Silver Line to be completed by mid-2020.