Biz Beat Roundup: Jay’s Downtown Sports Lounge closes after losing ABC license

• The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) has revoked Jay’s Downtown Sports Lounge’s license to sell wine, beer and mixed beverages. Jay’s, which is located at 409 William St. in downtown Fredericksburg, has not officially announced whether it will close, but it hasn’t been open since the decision came down last week. The revocation came following repeated violations, complaints and disturbances including a homicide near the business in December 2024, according to the ABC case against Jay’s. ABC made its ruling in April, but the decision was on appeal until last week.
  

  The Publisher Hotel recently received a prestigious “Four Diamond” rating from AAA.

• The Publisher Hotel in Downtown Fredericksburg has received the AAA Four Diamond designation. Other Virginia hotels with the AAA Four Diamond designation include the Boar’s Head Resort, The Omni Homestead Resort, The Jefferson Hotel and The Cavalier Hotel. The hotel recently opened a glass atrium called “The Editor’s Terrace” for dining and events. It’s outside the Five Chophouse and adjacent to the Lance paperboy statue that recently returned to the site.
• The University of Mary Washington (UMW) and Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) plan to partner on a new medical school in Fredericksburg to address significant physician shortages in the region. “We are in preliminary conversations and the early phases of proposal development, with many details still to be determined and approved,” UMW Executive Director of University Communications Amy Jessee said in an email. “Through this partnership, we are focused on community needs, our responsibilities to the region, and the strengths of each anchor institution — the nonprofit Mary Washington Healthcare system and the public liberal arts University of Mary Washington. This is a significant opportunity and could be transformative for our students, our region, and the Commonwealth.” Virginia Business last week reported on the possibility (The Free Press reported on this initiative in April). The MWHC and UMW boards both still need to approve the plan, as does the State Council of Higher Education and the Virginia General Assembly.
• The Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) recently purchased the 79,420-square-foot building at 4701 Market St. in Spotsylvania, which was previously owned by Rappahannock Goodwill Industries (RGI), for $7.85 million. RACSB plans to spend about $6.5 million renovating the building into “a 24-hour crisis center that will provide a safe, calming space for individuals experiencing psychiatric emergencies for assessment and stabilization,” according to an RACSB news release. The building is near the newly opened Veterans Affairs outpatient center, a stand-alone emergency department operated by Mary Washington Healthcare, and two major hospitals. RACSB intends to open the center in Spring 2027. RACSB received a $12 million grant for the project through Virginia’s Right Help, Right Now initiative, which distributed money throughout the state to expand emergency services for behavioral health.
• RGI President and CEO Steve Cox said in an email that RGI plans to “relocate to a larger facility that will better meet the needs of our growing operations now and in the future.” He said RGI has been working with several firms and potential partners in recent months toward this goal. RGI plans to keep its warehouse, e-commerce and outlet wholesale operations at the 4701 Market St. property into the early spring of 2026.
  

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• Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg has been redesignated as a Level II Trauma Center. Other Level II Trauma Centers in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Health, are: Centra Lynchburg General Hospital, HCA Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, HCA Reston Hospital Center, LewisGale Medical Center, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Riverside Regional Medical Center, Valley Health Winchester Medical Center and Virginia Hospital Center.
• There were 93 homes sold in the past week in the Fredericksburg area, according to the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors, including one for more than $3 million in Fawn Lake. Check back weekly for the new list.
• The Tales & Tails bookstore cafe in Downtown Fredericksburg is the focus of this week’s Biz Beat Clips video.
• Longtime community and Mary Washington Healthcare leader Xavier Richardson is the guest on this week’s edition of the Biz Beat Banter podcast.
• Evan Sullivan and Eugeniy Mikityuk recently joined the board of the Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority. Meredith Schatz is now chair.
• The 6,008-square-foot office building and adjacent 0.98-acre parcel at 214-216 Industrial Court in the Spotsylvania Industrial Park recently sold for $1.45 million, according to Coldwell Banker Commercial Elite. The office building is leased to Rappahannock Electric Cooperative and was purchased as an investment property. The previous owner was Jason Cohen.
• Flykup, which will sell Scottish-made gifts, plans to open next month at 810 Caroline St. in downtown Fredericksburg.
• Longtime local banker Dermaine Lewis has been named Fredericksburg market president for Atlantic Union Bank.
• The Woodcrafters Furniture store at 944 Bragg Road in Spotsylvania will close following a going-out-of-business sale.
• The Crunch Fitness location inside the 31,000-square-foot space at 3101 Plank Road in Fredericksburg will open Wednesday (Aug. 27). East Coast Appliance closed its location there at the end of 2024 (the previous tenant was Toys “R” Us).
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  Medical Arts building in Fredericksburg

  A proposal to convert the three-story Medical Arts Building at 2301 Fall Hill Ave. in Fredericksburg into a 30-unit apartment building will be in front of the City’s Planning Commission on Wednesday (Aug. 27). The City staff report for the Planning Commission recommends the project, calling it “a key component of the broader revitalization efforts envisioned for this corridor, complementing the proposed adaptive reuse of the former Mary Washington Hospital campus at 2300 Fall Hill Avenue, across the street, and townhomes being built along Elm and Germania, known as Mary’s Landing.”

• Sprelly owner Adrian Silversmith recently won an invitation to appear on Season 14 of the television show Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch. Silversmith expects to make his 60-second pitch to a panel of investors in about a year. If he wins an investment, Silversmith said he would use the funds toward his goal of expanding Sprelly nationally. Silversmith recently appeared on our Biz Beat Banter podcast to discuss Fredericksburg-based Sprelly’s origins and progress.
• The restaurant formerly known as Casey’s at 622 Kenmore Ave. in Fredericksburg is now called Cheeky’s (which used to be the name just of the bar next to the restaurant). Owner Alex Casey said the menu features Asian-influenced small-plate dishes.
• Dubai Shawarma & Cafe has opened at 2010 Princess Anne St. in Fredericksburg.
• A Callahan Learning Center location is coming to 628 Cambridge St. in Stafford. The business also operates child-care centers in Spotsylvania and Locust Grove.
• King George County’s Board of Supervisors recently approved a 485-acre data center campus on the north side of U.S. 301 in the Dahlgren area.

Biz Beat Roundup runs every Wednesday morning and includes a roundup of business news from around the Fredericksburg region. Send submissions to: [email protected]