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Tree-lined sidewalks and a sleek glass walkway are planned.
The revitalized Aquia Towne Center will have a mix of retail, office and residential development.
Buildings will be of stone, brick and glass. |
BY KAFIA HOSH
A Stafford strip mall could soon transform into a bustling shopping center with tree-lined sidewalks and brick buildings connected by a sleek glass walkway.
North Stafford residents and businesses received a glimpse into the mixed-use development planned for Aquia Towne Center.
Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust, a Farmington Hills, Mich.-based developer, owns and manages the strip mall on U.S. 1.
The company unveiled its $100 million revitalization effort during a public forum at the Stafford Administration Center on Thursday.
While most of the Aquia residents seemed excited about the prospect of a renovated mall, the center's existing businesses expressed concerns about parking and rent increases.
Ramco-Gershenson plans to change the center to include an assortment of retail, office and residential space. The company brought in Brown Craig Turner, a Baltimore-based architectural firm, to redesign Aquia Towne Center. Its architects are responsible for successful mixed-use developments such as Fairfax Corner and Downtown Silver Spring in Maryland.
The new Aquia Towne Center would be designed around two main streets surrounded by buildings created from stone, brick and glass. And its dense layout would serve as a gathering place filled with sidewalks, benches and a grassy common area.
"It's very much a pedestrian-oriented development," said Brown Craig Turner president Bryce Turner.
It's more than a shopping center, it's "a place to create memories," he said.
Each building would house retail outlets on the first floor and office space on the second floor. An apartment complex would breathe life into the center after hours.
"What you're trying to create is a sense of activity," said Edward Wizner, a redevelopment vice president for Ramco-Gershenson.
An unobtrusive parking garage would be near retail and office space, Turner added .
"The architecture should feel very comfortable," he said.
Ramco-Gershenson hopes to attract a signature restaurant and a deluxe cinema chain to anchor the center.
But Aquia Harbour residents griped about not having a nearby grocery store. Shoppers Food Warehouse moved from the center to Stafford Marketplace several years ago.
"I don't like to cross [State Route] 610 on a Friday afternoon," complained one resident.
Wizner explained that most grocery chains were not interested in coming to Aquia Towne Center, but that speciality grocers such as Trader Joe's could be a possibility.
"With this type of project, maybe they'll come here," he said.
The developer hopes to attract several apparel outlets, cafes and restaurants to the shopping mall.
But existing, independent businesses were concerned about their future in the center.
"You're really ignoring a lot of the mom-and-pops," said Greg Lantier, who owns a barber shop with his wife.
But Thomas Litzler, a Ramco-Gershenson vice president for development, said the center would strive to include national, regional and local stores. "We want to have a mix of businesses in this project," he said.
With such a high-end development planned for the center, other businesses expressed concern about possible rent increases.
"I really think Stafford is going to grow out of this," said Laurie Wideman, owner of Cardinal Travel. "Just don't price yourself out of our range."
Wizner said the rent for leased space in the center would be higher because "we're creating, quite frankly, a very ambitious project for this area."
However, he said the company would attempt to charge an appropriate rent that stays within the market price range.
"We know this transition is going to be painful for some of our tenants," Wizner said.
Other businesses feared their customers would not have adequate parking. But Turner said the mixed-use complex would ensure "people go there at different times of the day."
Businesses also criticized Ramco-Gershenson for not keeping them abreast about planned changes.
Some tenants were given notice to vacate their leased space to make room for the first mixed-use office and retail building.
"You need to keep us better informed as tenants," Lantier said. "It doesn't seem like you're being fair."
The developer also came under fire for its poor maintenance of the shopping center which has seen overgrown bushes and trash piling up.
"We have suffered as a company, you have suffered as a community," said Michael Sullivan, senior vice president for Ramco-Gershenson asset management. "We do apologize. We've done less than a stellar job."
"We're going to be managing this like an existing shopping center, not a construction site," Litzler added.
Sullivan said while most town centers are built from the ground up, Aquia Towne Center is a challenge because its infrastructure will be phased in.
Still, he said the company views the center as a solid investment.
"We know in our hearts that this thing is going ton fly."
Built in the early 1990s, Aquia Towne Center was the premier shopping destination in North Stafford.
"It obviously has seen better days," said Tim Baroody, Stafford County's economic development director.
But with construction of other strip malls, several businesses moved out of the center.
The result was "a virtual ghost town with pieces falling off the roof," said Aquia District Supervisor Paul Milde.
The first office building at the former Shopper's could be up by the end of the year. The entire project is scheduled for completion by early 2009.
Kafia Hosh: 540/735-1977
