[bigsmooth]

more retail coming by september 07:

Wards Crossing West: New plans submitted

Sarah Watson
swatson@newsadvance.com
December 14, 2006

Fresh from the recent opening of Wards Crossing West, developers have now submitted plans for the project’s second phase that call for expanding the retail complex by more than 70 percent.

The plans, which have yet to go through a full technical review by Campbell County zoning officials, include a cluster of three attached retail spaces totaling about 42,000 square feet and a single, detached big box space of about 57,000 square feet.

By comparison, the footprint for the building cluster housing Kohl’s, Old Navy and the future Ross Dress for Less is about 137,000 square feet with Kohls taking up almost 89,000 square feet. The land for both phases, including parking spaces and access roads, spans about 31 acres.

The plans filed last week are in line with what Compson Development Inc., the shopping center’s developer, has filed throughout the process, said Paul Harvey, Campbell County’s community development director. “Boundaries have always been the same,” he said. “It’s just a question of how many square feet” the buildings would cover.

While the plans are subject to review by county zoning staff, they don’t need additional approval from the county because the property was rezoned in 2005 and the special use permits already exist, said Holley Yates, Campbell’s zoning administrator.

Tom Comparato, a developer with Compson, said he expects all plans for Phase 2 to be complete by the end of the year and anticipates construction starting in mid-January. He said he hopes stores will open in September 2007.

Though Comparato declined to reveal Phase 2 tenants, he did say they would be “along the same line” as the stores in Phase 1. “More than likely, we will be bringing in an accessory store, (such as) shoes, jewelry and handbags,” he said.

Wards Crossing West developers have agreed to extend the access road through the shopping center to Leesville Road, about a quarter-mile north of Airport Road, Comparato said. The entire road will span more than one mile between Wards Ferry Road, where the current shopping center entrances are, to Leesville Road, but future developers will be responsible for additional extensions to Airport Road and beyond, Harvey said.

Comparato said the road plans are complete and he anticipates construction to begin by Jan. 15. “We’re receiving bids as we speak,” he said.

According to plans filed with Campbell County, there won’t be shopping center access from the residential neighborhoods along the county line, and developers will extend a wall along the property boundary intended to block the sight of the buildings.

Rock Castle Creek, which flows through the property and was diverted through a pipe under Phase 1, will be left open with a 50-foot buffer zone in Phase 2, according to the filed plans.

The shopping center and road plans are all part of the Airport Development Area, a cooperative agreement with Campbell County and Lynchburg that regulates commercial development in the area sandwiched between Wards Ferry Road, U.S. 460 and Airport Road.

The Campbell County Board of Supervisors voted Dec. 4 to amend the county’s comprehensive plan to reinforce the commercial zoning that already exists. The timeline presented to the board anticipated the property in the area would be fully developed within the next decade.

Clear-cutting

• Those driving along U.S. 460 and Leesville Road may have noticed clear-cutting on land in the Airport Development area. That clear cut is associated with the Wards Crossing West access road and future retail development by English Construction Co. Inc.

• Ray Booth, a project coordinator with English Construction, said the company was starting the process of finding tenants for retail development on the land. ‘Since we had to clear the right-of-way for the road, we just decided to go ahead and do the rest of it,’ he said.

• Paul Harvey, Community Development Director for Campbell County, said English Construction was already showing prospective tenants the land. ‘You have to be able to see it before you can market it.’

[thepostman]

shouldn't they fill the other places before building more?? just a thought

[bigsmooth]

the last open space in wards west is a ross dress for less. they will move in early next year.

[Sly Fox]

Do you love it? I love it. I got it at Ross ....

I hate those commercials almost as much as my wife loves trolling that place.

[nickrichard]

I just like that Paul Harvey is the Community Director. So, now we all will know "The rest of the story!"

[LUconn]

I've never heard of it. But I would like to mention:

Paul Harvey, Community Development Director for Campbell County

Good day!

[thepostman]

the last open space in wards west is a ross dress for less. they will move in early next year.

but what about that other building they have almost completed that is right off of Wards Road? is this what is being called phase 2??

[SuperJon]

How did anyone let Smoothie change the title from Croosing to Crossing without giving him a GMTM award for bad spelling?

[bigsmooth]

because im the moderator that building is an outparcel building which i have heard is leased.

[El Scorcho]

All of the Wards Crossing spaces have been leased, yes. Although they had some problems with leasing after the new mall was announced. Some retailers are choosing to wait it out. And I'm referring to the new mall next to LU, not the strip mall off of 501.

[Sly Fox]

A show of hands for those of us who used to coach soccer teams where Wards Crossing is now.

[bigsmooth]

i used to play on the field where wal-mart is.

[mrmacphisto]

I used to live where Kohl's is. Actually more where Ross will be, but yeah. Right there.

[thepostman]

there is this old picture of Wards Road in the hallway going to the bathrooms in the marriott that just make me shake my head....its amazing how different Wards Road use to be. Liberty really has changed so much around that area, its crazy

[thesportscritic]

because im the moderator that building is an outparcel building which i have heard is leased.

don't let it go to your head

[A.G.]

i used to play on the field where wal-mart is.

Hey Smoothie--I like your new signature! Makes the point. But not over the top.

[bigsmooth]

i try A.G. , I really try!!

[mrmacphisto]

I'm excited to try the new pizza place when it opens up, and it will be cool to have a new, convenient (for me) La Caretta with (hopefully) less scary bathrooms. Not that Lynchburg needs another La Caretta, but at least it will give their workers an excuse to get out of the house.