Local entrepreneur Ryan Bullock will open a downtown Fredericksburg establishment that will feature sushi and an upscale nightclub with dancing.

Bullock plans to start construction in the next few days at 318 William St., a 3,000-square-foot space he has leased next to Castiglia's. He hopes to have the business, which he will call The Orion, open by July 1.

The Orion will open every day at 11 a.m. It will stay open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday; on the other days of the week Bullock plans to close about 11 p.m. or midnight.

The menu will feature sushi, which Bullock chose because no other downtown restaurant offers it and the equipment needed is affordable. There will also be sliders, salads and other bar food. He won't serve burgers or Italian food in deference to his immediate neighbors--Castiglia's and Blake and Aby Bethem's Vivify Burger Lounge, which is expected to open in early October and will include a rooftop deck.

As customers enter The Orion from William Street, they will see a 30-seat bar on the right side, dining tables in the middle and clusters of leather couches and chairs on the left. In the back will be the kitchen as well as a VIP and dancing area featuring a DJ playing top-40 music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, when Bullock will roll out the red carpet in front of the business.

Bullock said the decor will be modern and upscale; female servers will wear cocktail dresses, while male staffers and security don white shirts and ties. There will be outdoor seating along William and TVs throughout the building.

Much of the decor, furniture and equipment will come from the Tree House Lounge, a teen-oriented club that Bullock opened last year in front of the Spotsylvania Towne Centre. That business is now closed.

Bullock said the Tree House was doing OK, but he thinks he will better enjoy running an adult-oriented nightclub, which he believes will be more profitable. He thought about converting the Tree House to The Orion, but said his lease didn't permit it. His lease at the Tree House doesn't end for another year and a half, so he may end up using the building for events until then.

Bullock graduated from Massaponax High School in 2007. His father, Daryl, owns the D.R. Bullock Construction Co., which will do the buildout at The Orion. Washington attorney James E. Showen, a longtime friend, backs Bullock financially.

Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com