|
|
||
Retail gains and losses in 2009 Date published: 12/31/2009
BY CATHY JETT The Fredericksburg area began to show signs that it was shrugging off the recession in 2009. Wegmans opened with one of the Rochester, N.Y.-based chain's largest first-day crowds ever. Several long-awaited restaurants and retailers finally opened in The Village at Towne Centre. And areas as dissimilar as downtown Fredericksburg and rural Caroline County got a boost, respectively, with the coming of the Courtyard by Marriott and the State Fair of Virginia. That's not to say there weren't some sad farewells. Circuit City, which had outgrown one space in Central Park and moved into a larger one, finally shut its doors after the Richmond-based company folded. So did two of the big-box center's other anchors, Tweeter and Linens-N-Things, and two of its restaurants, Texas Steakhouse & Saloon and Red, Hot & Blue. Hhgregg, an appliance and electronics firm, recently announced that it will open in the old Circuit City storefront, and Texas Steakhouse now has a sign saying it will become a Hibachi Buffet. Fredericksburg Ice Park, a favorite with hockey players and figure skaters, also closed in Central Park and was replaced by American Indoor Karting. which offers NASCAR-style kart racing at speeds up to 40 mph. And Ukrop's, another longtime business, recently announced that its Spotsylvania store was one of two not included in the sale of the Richmond-based chain to Giant-Carlisle. No date has been set yet for the store's closing, but it will likely impact other businesses in that shopping center. Despite that, the Fredericksburg area--and many businesses here--have been more insulated from the economic downturn than many other places around the country. That's largely due to its proximity to Washington, with its plethora of government jobs, and several military bases. The area also is starting to get more well-paying jobs closer to home, with the opening this year Stafford Hospital Center on U.S. 1 near the county courthouse and the MediPlex at Lee's Hill, which includes a 24-hour emergency department. Job openings in the medical field will expand even further next year when HCA opens Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center in Massaponax.
Oh stop teasing us... We have been promised the moon, only to get a piece of moon dust. The developer has lied, and should be held accountable. We want a Wegmans... and local businesses back in place, not promises you can't keep.
|
|
||||||||||||
