A long-anticipated redevelopment in the heart of the Fairfax City is under way, expected to breath new life into the small city’s downtown area.
“For many years, the various mayors and city councils have struggled with how to create a revitalized downtown, recognizing that it was chiefly known for parking lots and speeding one-way traffic,” said City Manager Bob Sisson.
About 150,000 square feet of retail and office space will sprout around the intersection of University Drive and North Street, at a former post office site.
Contractors, led by Dallas-based developer Trammell Crow, have begun site work in anticipation of a June 2007 opening, said Trammell Crow Managing Director Stephen Shelesky.
Tax revenue generated from the Old Town Village redevelopment is expected to pay for all the debt the city incurred preparing for the project, which included street construction and installing underground utilities, Sisson said.
The construction of a new library, scheduled about three weeks from now, will accompany the commercial and retail. The 44,000-square-foot facility will sit at the corner of Old Lee Highway and North Street. That project, Sisson said, will cost the city between $20 million and $22 million.
Shelesky said retail tenants could be announced within the next 60 days.
“We have significant interest from a lot of restaurants, small shops,” he said.
