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Vision for Spotsylvania Courthouse moving closer to reality
Courthouse Village will get boost of traffic soon by partnering with Spotsylvania County to build a new government center
Date published: 8/17/2009
By DAN TELVOCK W.J. Vakos Cos.' vision of a bustling town at Spotsylvania Courthouse is taking shape. By the middle of next year, about 150 county employees will move to a new three-story, 55,000-square-foot building behind Robert E. Lee Elementary School on Brock Road inside Courthouse Village. The county will then end a five-year lease at the Capital One building near Massaponax. That building is about eight miles away from the county's Holbert Building government center on Courthouse Road. Bill Vakos III, the company's president, said construction of the office building will begin today, with completion expected the first week of May. He said the immediate benefit for his development will be the constant traffic from county employees and residents who come to the building for services. For local residents, businesses, contractors and developers, it means they can pay their taxes, speak with county staff and get permits pretty much in one spot. "All of that combined will add the foot traffic not only for our village, but the other businesses in the courthouse [area]. I think it is a tremendous boost," Vakos said. The Code Compliance, Economic Development and Planning departments will occupy the third floor rent-free for one year--a savings of about $200,000. The Department of Social Services will pay full rent--$15 per square foot--for the second floor. Altogether, the county will lease about 36,000 square feet. The first floor will have commercial and office space for lease to private businesses. If the county buys the building, any lease of 10 years or less with businesses on the first floor must be honored. Vakos also agreed to pay up to $334,500 for furniture, fixtures and installation of data cables. At Capital One, the county pays to use Verizon's data cables, which costs about $40,000 a year. "It is not something we typically do for every tenant," Vakos said. Given the economy, he said, the county government "didn't need to have any new expenses over what their existing budgets were." Once the government building is finished, Vakos said, he will begin construction of eight live-and-work units across the street. There, people can live atop their businesses. The final building in the first phase will be 50,000 square feet of retail and office space. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night unanimously approved the public-private partnership. Vakos said the red-brick building will resemble the Princess Anne Hotel in Fredericksburg. W.J. Vakos Cos. restored that historic building in 1977. Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
Read more stories about Spotsylvania Date published: 8/17/2009
2 budget hawks?????
(posted by
wiseman
, Aug. 17, 2009 1:15 pm)
Larry G, Please name these two "Budget Hawks".
7-0 on the connector
(posted by
larryg
, Aug. 17, 2009 12:04 pm)
they did and again - you have seven people with very
different perspectives - who AGREED on a path for the
county.
There was NO 'minority report' saying what should have
been done instead....
no 7-0 votes are not the be all to end all - but they do
indicate some level of collective due diligence - and an
awareness on their part that 7-0 is way better than 4-3 on
tough decisions.
would a different 7 vote differently? Sure. And that's why
we have elections.
Just for comparison...
(posted by
HarryParatestes
, Aug. 17, 2009 10:18 am)
..the BOS also voted 7-0 to table the Harrison Road Connector "indefinitely..."
complain, complain, complain jeeze
(posted by
larryg
, Aug. 17, 2009 7:26 am)
Please remember - the BOS, which includes at least two
budget hawks voted 7-0 to do this. Seven very different
people AGREED that this is a good deal for the county.
They are trying to not only consolidate their operations but
they are trying to provide even a better sense of place for
citizens.
Could other choices been made? Of course - but when 7
folks all vote the same way - this was a good choice also.
because they can't
(posted by
thankyouvets
, Aug. 17, 2009 6:45 am)
Vakos is performing a public service by rescuing a county that couldn't otherwise afford to move. We aa a county are ultimately saving money from what is currently being spent, with a "rent to own" public benefit.
As a result of our inflated spending by a liberal board, we couldn't afford to build it on our own.
Vakos is not only providing "short term" benefits to our county, he is creating a long over due economic engine for Spotsylvania County.
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