Newsletter articles
UNANIMOUS APPROVAL AND GREEN LIGHT!
The 62 acre, mixed-use, transportation oriented development Crossroads Station was unanimously approved by the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors earlier this month, August 13, 2013. This now gives the Crossroads Station development team the green light to begin turning our exciting vision into reality.
As articulated by Crossroads Station partners George Lester and Fitz Johnson in our YouTube video, the county's new Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station will bring new jobs and economic development to Spotsylvania County. The Crossroads Station team now has the approval necessary to bring these jobs and this economic opportunity to the county.
CONSTRUCTION
With the county's approval secured, the short-term and most immediate economic impact is now pending. The construction spending to complete Crossroads Station is estimated to create over 2,000 new jobs, with related personal earnings of over $94 million! Construction will include residential, commercial and office development as it comes to completion over the next several years.
GOALS NOW BEING PURSUED
The Crossroads Station team is now pursuing new companies to make their home in Spotsylvania. The targeted businesses include those that can help establish a research park home to high tech defense- and intelligence-related professional communities. Lester Corporation and Johnson Realty Advisors have begun work to establish the residential component that will allow those working in Crossroads Station to live in Crossroads Station, thus fulfilling a long-term goal of the county to create communities within the county where residents can live, work and play. "Residential options combined with the VRE transportation component will serve to attract these businesses we are pursuing and open up opportunities for retail development," said Crossroads Station partner Fitz Johnson, "we believe the unique zoning afforded to us by county leaders will help make all this possible."
OPPORTUNITY HAPPENING NOW
Offices and homes provide the necessary base for commercial development, which will include retail space, restaurants and a hotel. Together, this will position Spotsylvania County and Crossroads Station as the natural location for a new Amtrak station between Washington, DC and Richmond, VA. Crossroads Station partner George Lester regards the Amtrak opportunity as one that will eventually include high-speed rail, adding additional importance to Spotsylvania as a Virginia hub community. "High speed rail is the future, and now Spotsylvania will be a leading part of this future," said Lester.
The Crossroads Station team put forth an ambitious vision, worked to help establish the mixed-use zoning category in Spotsylvania and followed through with county and community leaders to make this vision a reality. All the necessary approvals are now in place to make Crossroads Station the catalyst to achieving the economic development goals and potential of Spotsylvania County.
June 3, 2013 newsletter
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Crossroads Station Public Hearing is June 5. Read New Information! |
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May 8, 2013 newsletter
Good news! The mixed-use Crossroads Station development is now scheduled for a public hearing before the Spotsylvania County Planning Commission on May 15th, 2013. Mark your calendars!
The VRE station at Crossroads Station has advanced from preliminary design and is out for bid, with a current scheduled completion in eight months. Read more on the VRE page here and here; and in the Free Lance-Star March 15, 2013 article, "Railway station in Spotsy closer" here. The VRE Operations Board hopes construction will start next month (June, 2013).
GIVING THE COUNTY VALUABLE OPTIONS
Crossroads Station is pleased to provide Spotsylvania County with an attractive parking choice to give county officials options in satisfying the commuter parking needs that will be associated with the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station due to open at Crossroads Station. While the county holds an inherent right to purchase the land needed for commuter parking at fair market value, the Crossroads Station development team is providing county officials with a lease option that will require less upfront investment by the county and provide for greater project design options as the mix of uses come alive, such as future structured parking to make room for additional office and commercial development.
CROSSROADS STATION = ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Dean Bellas, president of Alexandria-based Urban Analytics, one of Virginia's premier economic modeling and analysis firms, determined Crossroads Station is projected to enhance the Spotsylvania economy by approximately $385 million over the next 16 years in construction spending outlays alone - and contribute a net fiscal impact of over $3 million annually thereafter. Crossroads Station will create 2,194 jobs through the development period and will eventually provide 2,911 jobs in Spotsylvania and become home to defense- and intelligence-related professional communities as well as other high tech organizations and businesses. The Urban Analytics report summary will be appearing on our Economic Impact page on our website.
WATCH OUR VIDEO
If you haven't seen our Crossroads Station YouTube video yet, check it out! The minute and a half video can also be seen on our homepage.
Check out our "project" and "concept" links at csvre.com to read and learn more about the mixed-use zoning decision before the planning commission and board of supervisors. With your support, the Crossroads Business Park will soon become the mixed-use Crossroads Station!
November 5, 2012 Mixed Use Zoning Offers Developmental Flexibility
Mixed Use Zoning is now a reality in Spotsylvania County! The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors overwhelming approved and passed the new Mixed Use (MU) District zoning designation on Sept. 25, by a vote of six to one. As drafted by county officials, the purpose of the MU District "is to create a flexible approach to development, to include infill and redevelopment, by allowing a variety of interrelated and compatible commercial, office, residential, civic, recreational and entertainment uses in a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood setting."
This innovative Mixed Use zoning designation will allow the Crossroads Station VRE development, as well as other mixed use development projects, the flexibility to offer a variety of residential options and to attract more commercial and professional interests to the county. This is precisely the kind of mixed uses the Crossroads Station development team envisions to surround the county's new VRE station: multi-family housing options mixed in and around offices above retail space — and all within walking distance of the train station. One potential vision for how this could be built out is included here.
The Crossroads development team envisions this area being developed over time. When the VRE train station opens next year, commuters will park on surface lots; as the development grows, it is envisioned these lots will be replaced with parking decks so as to accommodate more office, residential and commercial space. The Crossroads team has been working closely with county officials to ensure the requested 1500 parking spaces will be available when the new VRE station begins loading passengers.
"It was important for us to work cooperatively with the county to ensure this development has the support of the community," said George Lester, head of the Crossroad Station development team, "we thought the Mixed Use District zoning designation was best for both the county and for our team, and that is why we waited to submit our rezoning application until this new zoning designation was approved." The Crossroads Station rezoning application is the first Mixed Use District application to be considered by Spotsylvania County. "We extend our sincere thanks to Supervisor Skinner and the rest of his board colleagues as well as to County Administrator Barnes and all his dedicated staff for working with us to help make this project the best it can possibly be," said Lester, "we're working to make the Spotsylvania VRE station the best one of them all."
Links:
Free Lance-Star News
Spotsy supervisors approve mixed-use zoning category
Additional Attachment:
PDF of Planning Department's Sept. 25 Powerpoint Presentation to BOS
August 21, 2012 Crossroads Station to the Rescue
Crossroads Station to the rescue! With another record breaking year of VRE commuter trips, the Crossroads station in Spotsylvania will benefit the entire region. Those making trips each morning from Spotsylvania to Fredericksburg will be able to board the VRE closer to home and reduce both their travel time as well as area traffic during weekday mornings.
The mixed-use development around the county's new VRE station is also proceeding with the county's pending adoption of a new "Mixed Use" zoning ordinance which will make it easier for the development team partnering with the county to bring the kind of uses citizens and community planners envision. This kind of development ordinance will help make Crossroads Station more attractive and make it easier to provide amenities residents want to see closer to home. The Crossroads Station team continues to strongly support the Spotsylvania County government in this effort and encourages all county residents to do the same. More information about the new Mixed Use zoning ordinance can be found on the county's website.
As reported in Patch Fredericksburg last month (July 20, 2012), VRE's Fredericksburg line is now twenty years old. This means commuter trains have been leaving Spotsylvania, where the Fredericksburg Line trains are stored, every work day during the week for twenty years, since July 1992! With Crossroads Station and the new VRE stop opening next year, this is all about to change. The new VRE station in Spotsylvania could not come at a better time. According the Patch article and VRE anniversary press release, the total VRE daily ridership back in July of 1992 was 3,000 people (with fewer stations). Today, VRE ridership averages 20,000 trips per day, and many Fredericksburg passengers reside in Spotsylvania.
VRE RIDERSHIP KEEPS GROWING
According to a July 26, 2012 article published in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, VRE interim chief Richard Dalton reported that VRE set another ridership record in fiscal year 2012, with a total of 4.772 million rider trips, up from 4.512 million rider trips the year before, in fiscal year 2011. Read the news report here.
TRAIN TALK
Sign up today on the VRE website for Train Talk alerts. VRE will now send commuters and interested parties VRE news and alerts by either email or text message.
July 17, 2012 Mixed Use Ordinance Will Benefit Crossroads Station
The Crossroads Station development team working to bring Spotsylvania its first VRE station is proud to support Spotsylvania County’s new Mixed Use development ordinance initiative now underway.
This new Mixed Use ordinance will enable developers to include a greater and better variety of uses within any given development. Instead of housing only developments or commercial only developments, the mixed-use concept allows these kinds of developments to be combined, which helps control sprawl and benefits all of us who live in the community.
A housing only development makes it necessary to drive to a convenience store, dry cleaners or coffee shop, whereas a mixed-use development is patterned more after a traditional downtown where someone can walk from their home, townhome, condo or apartment to these kinds of commercial businesses.
The Urban Land Institute and organizations like Planetizen have promoted the mixed-use approach to development for years, and the websites of both offer extensive information about how this kind of development is better for our communities.
The Crossroads Station development team is planning this kind of community around Spotsylvania’s very first VRE station. We plan to include a variety of housing options, commercial amenities and office space. Crossroads Station will be the one-stop place where a commuter can take care of errands before leaving the parking lot and the place where a resident can leave their residence and walk to the train station, or to pick up their dry cleaning or to a nearby office job.
Crossroads Station will also serve as an economic development hub for Spotsylvania, because the office space that will arrive will give VRE another reason and justification to run both ways as well as position Spotsylvania to be the ideal high-speed rail stop between Richmond and Washington, DC in the future.
Crossroads Station urges Spotsylvania residents to join us in support of the county’s new Mixed Use ordinance and to contact your Board of Supervisors members and let them know this is how we can put Crossroads Station on the path to becoming the best and premier VRE station after it opens in 2013.
Visit csvre.com to read and learn more!
The estimated economic of Crossroads Station to Spotsylvania County is $491.3 million. It is anticipated to create 2,870 new job which should add $119.9 million in related personal earnings.
June 1, 2012 Library Partnership
With eight branches in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Westmoreland, the award-winning Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL) offers books, DVDs, CDs. audiobooks, and magazines, as well as e-books and downloadable audiobooks, to almost 300,000 people in the region. The library is looking forward to expanding services in Spotsylvania County, home of the Snow and Salem Church branch libraries, by reaching out to the thousands of commuters, office workers, and residents of the Crossroads Station development.
Working with Spotsylvania County and the Crossroads Station developers, the CRRL plans to install a 24-Hour Library at the new VRE station. Similar to a Redbox but with more features, the 24-Hour Library is a kiosk available 24/7 that provides up to 800 books for immediate checkout, plus allows users to place holds on library materials and have them delivered to the kiosk for pickup. A touch-screen catalog allows users to browse for books, DVDs and more, and to place holds.
Users of the 24-Hour Library will be able to
- get a library card
- check out and return books, movies, audiobooks and music
- search the library’s catalog and place holds
- pick up holds
- view information on library programs and resources
The Library will also provide links to the CRRL’s popular mobile app, which allows users of smartphones to search the catalog and place holds, download ebooks and e-audiobooks, and even check out items.
The 24-Hour Library, manufactured by EnvisionWare, will be located on the station platform for easy access by commuters and other users. CRRL staff will provide daily delivery and pickup of materials.
“We are thrilled to provide this new service to the residents of Spotsylvania County and the surrounding area,” said Library Director Donna Cote. “The CRRL has always valued convenience and excellent customer service, and this new outlet will allow us to expand into new territory. We also appreciate the public-private partnership that is making this new service possible.”
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