Development at the Fredericksburg Hardware building in downtown Fredericksburg has been postponed. REZA MARVASHTI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR View More Images from this story View and ORDER more photos.

Plans for Fredericksburg Hardware property on hold

BY BILL FREEHLING and EMILY BATTLE

Date published: 9/23/2007

BY BILL FREEHLING and EMILY BATTLE

The Silver Cos. has delayed plans for a townhome development on the Fredericksburg Hardware property while they consider other ideas and wait for the housing market to pick back up.

Silver got city approval last year to put 17 townhomes and a retail building on the property, which stretches from William to Amelia along Winchester Street.

Jud Honaker, Silver's president of commercial development, said any new plan would probably still be mixed-use, but might be a different configuration of residential and retail.

He said the developer might take six to 12 months to decide how to proceed. Any new plan would need a new round of city approvals.

A crew from Dovetail Cultural Resource Group studied the history of the site earlier this year. The group found that there was a building on the lot as early as 1796. The oldest part of the building that still stands is a brick wall dating back to 1849, when a warehouse was built. The Silver Cos. planned to incorporate the wall into their new development.

Different parts of the property have been home to a pickle factory, a wagon yard, a stable, a store, a lodging house and a number of other businesses. The Hilldrup moving and storage company, which got its start moving luggage in 1903, built a livery there in the early 1900s.

It wasn't until 1955 that Fredericksburg Hardware bought the property. The business moved into the location in 1963, knocking down buildings and laying an asphalt parking lot that Dovetail dug through. Fredericksburg Hardware closed in 2004, in part due to competition from Lowe's and Home Depot.

Down William Street from Fredericksburg Hardware, Paymon Fine Rug Imports is undergoing a major renovation project. The renovation work will increase square footage at the store from about 6,000 to 9,000, said owner Paymon Matini. The project is expected to be done by Oct. 10.

Date published: 9/23/2007