Fairfax County, Va. –– The future of south Fairfax may lay in the success of its destinations, like Woodlawn Plantation, Gunston Hall and Mt. Vernon.
These keystone locations are what have attracted new hotels like Hampton Inn and Spring Hill Suites to U.S. 1 corridor, planners say.
And with their proximity to Washington these destinations may entice military members and their families to relocate to south Fairfax as part of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC.
“We’ve seen places like the Lorton Arts Center continues to develop and be a cultural center to our area. And they still have plenty of room and plans to expand there,” said Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation spokesman Tony Fontana.
Next month, SFDC will hold their first Retail Trends and Opportunities seminar focusing business in the Richmond Highway corridor.
The panelists for the event include a representative from the company that owns the 4-million square foot retail shopping mall, Beacon Center, on U.S. 1 – Senior Vice president of Retail Development for Saul Centers John Collich. It will also include the Principal of the Potomac Development Group Tom Maskey, and SFDC Board of Directors member Bruce Leonard.
The gathering aims to show the shift in marketing from the “baby boom” generation to the “X and Y” generation, said Fontana.
Redevelopment on the Richmond Highway will be centered around walk able town centers, differing from the old strip mall approach –– a form of construction in which many retailers say they have over marketed themselves in, said Fontana.
“We always encourage new development in the area, much like what Woodbridge has done with the Wegmans and the town center there. But some retailers feel they have over-retailed themselves and may not want to build additional locations,” said Fontana.
As part of BRAC, Ft. Belvoir stands to gain an additional 20,000 new federal employees and military members, as well as their families.
The seminar will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. April 13, at 5821 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, and advance registration is required.
