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The Twi-Lite Motel, a fixture beside U.S. 1 in Fredericksburg, has been sold and closed. MIKE MORONES/THE FREE LANCE-STAR View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

UMW turns lights out at city's Twi-Lite Motel STORIES FROM THE TWI-LITE ZONE

UMW purchases Twi-Lite Motel in Fredericksburg as part of its expansion project

BY JEFF BRANSCOME

Date published: 2/14/2009

BY JEFF BRANSCOME

The University of Mary Washington yesterday announced its purchase of the 52-year-old Twi-Lite Motel, which it will demolish to create more space for the Eagle Village development.

The motel property is assessed at $692,000. Jeff Rountree, CEO of UMW's private foundation, wouldn't say how much it paid for the 20,000-square-foot building on 1209 Snowden Street off U.S. 1.

"We feel we got a good value," he said.

The purchase, Rountree said, will help UMW revitalize the U.S. 1 corridor across from the Fredericksburg campus.

"It's a real win for us because we've captured more frontage on Route 1 and therefore control to a greater extent as to how we develop the property," Rountree said.

In December 2007, UMW's foundation bought the adjacent 21-acre Park & Shop shopping center--now known as Eagle Village--for $18.75 million. The school plans to demolish the Roses store by the end of the month to make room for student apartments, a parking garage and retail and office space.

The estimated price for phase one of the mixed-use development is $115 million, and it's expected to wrap up in the summer of 2010.

Carol Kramer, first vice president of the College Heights Civic Association, said UMW's latest acquisition is a good one.

"I don't think you're going to find too many people objecting to that," she said.

The Twi-Lite Motel has been the site of numerous crimes, including the first murder of 2004.

UMW doesn't know when it will demolish the motel, but has no intention of using it in the meantime.

"Its rather colorful past does not fit into our plans or the image we have of Eagle Village," Rountree said.

He said four people were living at the now-vacant motel. One moved, and UMW found housing for the others last week.

"It will remain mothballed for some time until we get ready to go," Rountree said. He stressed that UMW does not intend to go into the motel business.

UMW's foundation does not own several buildings near the Twi-Lite, including the Country Cookin' restaurant, the Clean Machine car wash and a small island of stores next to the motel. Rountree has called them "properties of interest."

"We have not finalized our plans in that section of the center yet," Rountree said.

Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com

The Twi-Lite Motel has been mentioned in The Free Lance-Star repeatedly over the years. Here's some of the motel's history: In 1965, a Chinese couple were married in the motel's office. The couple had first married in Canton, China, but wanted to have a record of their marriage in the United States. In 1969, two Fort Belvoir soldiers and two city residents were charged with statutory burglary and grand larceny after police said the four stole a television and table lamp from the motel. Ten years later, police said a man stole a 16-inch TV, two bedsheets, a pillow, two pillow cases, two towels and all of the bathroom supplies from a room at the Twi-Lite. In 1971, a Spotsylvania County man was charged with felonious assault in the shooting of a motel employee. In 1972, Universal Land & Development Corp. purchased the Twi-Lite for $185,000. A Maryland couple bought the motel for $212,500 in 1979. In August 1989, a badly decomposed body was found inside a car parked behind the motel. In September 1989, a woman gave birth to a 4-pound, 14-ounce girl there. In 1991, a maid discovered the body of a Richmond woman in the motel. In 1996, a man blew up a quarter stick of dynamite at the motel and chased passers-by with a machete. In 2004, a man's body was found in a trash bin at the motel.

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Date published: 2/14/2009

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