Wal-Mart has finally begun construction of its long-awaited store on U.S. 17 near Geico and Stafford Lakes Village.
When completed next fall, it will be the area's fifth Wal-Mart. A sixth store proposed for Orange County is under fire from several groups because the proposed site is on part of Wilderness battlefield.
The Stafford Supercenter will have 176,000 square feet of space instead of the 232,000 square feet originally proposed two years ago.
Even more shopping is likely to come just down U.S. 17 at Celebrate Virginia North. The Silver Cos. is seeking to have about 25 acres rezoned commercial from agricultural between U.S. 17 and the Lowe's in the Cherry Grove section of the Banks Ford Center
The developer is in talks with several fast-food chains, a coffee shop and a bank interested in locating there. Work on the buildings could start between the fall of next year and spring of 2010, pending zoning approval, said Jon Riley, project manager.
Beer lovers may have to wait a few weeks longer to belly up to the bar at The Pub Fredericksburg, the first business to open in The Village at Towne Centre. The original date of early December has been pushed back to mid-December because the health department made the pub redesign the wall and doorway leading onto the patio, said
The restaurant, part of a chain modeled after the classic corner pubs of London, has begun hiring in the back of the mall's food court.
Preparations for the opening of the Village, the mall's 295,000-square-foot outdoor addition, include a new customer service desk in the hallway leading to Macy's. It will expand
"With the changes in the mall and the addition of the Village at Towne Centre, we're trying to add more services, we're trying to bring some of the things you find in Northern Virginia down here," Mark Gentry, mall manager, said.
Cathy Jett: 540/374-5407
Email: cjett@freelancestar.com