- Preliminary work is under way on CleanArc’s 605-acre VA-1 data center campus at and adjacent to the former Virginia Bazaar site just east of Interstate 95 in Ladysmith. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was on hand last week for a groundbreaking ceremony at the $3 billion project. Taft Coghill reported in September that the tax revenue from the project is expected to approximate 17 percent of Caroline County’s general fund budget.
- Yummy Bowl Mongolian Stir-Fry & Sushi will open a restaurant at the former Cowboy Jack’s location at 2312 Plank Road in Fredericksburg. The restaurant, which has locations throughout the eastern half of the U.S., features Mongolian stir-fry, Korean fried chicken, Japanese ramen and sushi.
- There were 97 homes sold this past week in the Fredericksburg area, including a $2.4 million estate in Caroline, according to the weekly sales list from the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors (FAAR). Check back weekly for the new list.
- People can now park on the streets of downtown Fredericksburg for four hours in spaces that are typically limited to two hours. The promotion runs through Jan. 11 and is intended to give visitors longer to shop, dine and enjoy downtown during the holiday season.
- The new Cosmic Clawcade at the Spotsylvania Towne Centre is the subject of this week’s Biz Beat Clips video.
- The guest on this week’s edition of the Biz Beat Banter podcast is Cedric Rucker, longtime dean at the University of Mary Washington (UMW).
- UMW has partnered with The Good Steward Farm to enlist a herd of about a dozen goats to clear overgrown areas in the woods along the Sunken Road boundary of the Fredericksburg campus. The goats recently wrapped up similar work at Old Mill Park in Fredericksburg.
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Brian Walker
Brian Walker has been named Fredericksburg Country Club’s general manager. Walker has been the club’s director of golf the past five years, and interim general manager the past couple of months. Walker will also continue to lead the club’s golf operations and tournament programs.
- UMW President Troy Paino was recently featured in Virginia Business magazine.
- Paul’s Bakery and Hyperion Espresso have partnered on a Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake Coffee Donut made with Hyperion’s Mrs. Heatley’s Favorite blend.
- Stafford County announced last week that two credit-rating agencies, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service, have recently reaffirmed its AAA bond rating.
- The Oberle Academy in Fredericksburg announced last week that it has been selected as one of Virginia Living’s “Top Schools & Universities” for 2026.
- Fredericksburg-area commuters will have to endure three years of construction on the Falmouth Bridge once $160 million worth of repair work starts in 2030. But their patience will be rewarded with a wider, sounder structure that includes a shared-use path.
- Fredericksburg’s Planning Commission on Dec. 10 will hold public hearings on two proposed development projects in the City:
- A rezoning and special-use permit to allow a data center project on the 84-acre Hylton tract on the east side of Interstate 95 between Plank Road and Cowan Boulevard. The project could include four data center buildings totaling 2.1 million square feet, along with an electrical substation.
- A special-exception and special-use permit for a 1.9-acre, mixed-use development at 2015 and 2105 Princess Anne St. that could include 21 townhouses and a renovation of the existing commercial building on site. The project would also include a pedestrian connection to the Caroline Street river trail.
- Discussion of Dominion Energy’s plan to build a 70-mile, 500-kilovolt power line is just getting started in the Fredericksburg area, but residents already have a lot to say. The transmission line, called the Kraken Loop, would go through Louisa, Spotsylvania, Caroline, Stafford and Fauquier counties.
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Fredericksburg Main Street and Mary Washington Healthcare officials pose with the plush otters.
A partnership between Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) and Fredericksburg Main Street will lead to 150 plush otter stuffed animals arriving at MWHC facilities to bring comfort to pediatric patients. Main Street sold the otters as part of Fredericksburg’s annual Holiday Open House weekend this month, and for every one purchased one was donated to MWHC.
- Burke & Herbert Bank this week officially announced plans for a two-story location at 520 William St. in downtown Fredericksburg. Commercial lenders led by Market President Jeff Rouse have already moved to the second floor of the space, and a retail branch is set to open in early 2026. A thorough renovation of the building is currently under way. Burke & Herbert also has a branch at 2521 Cowan Blvd. in Fredericksburg.
- Tricord Inc. is requesting a special-use permit for a mixed-use development called Village at Crossroads Station on 49 acres between Thornton Rolling Road and Crossroads Parkway in Spotsylvania with 198 multi-family condominiums in nine buildings and three 10,000-square-foot self-storage facilities. The proposed project is just south of U.S. 17.
- A rezoning is requested in Spotsylvania for a project called Regency Commons on 12.4 acres just north of Plank Road between Five Mile Road and Five Mile Road Extended. Plans call for 45 townhouses, an 8,000-square-foot medical-office building and a convenience store with 16 fueling stations.
- The City of Fredericksburg has released its third-quarter economic statistical report, which features data on restaurant and retail sales, vacancy rates, new-business activity and more.
- Rappahannock Goodwill Industries (RGI) has selected a location for a temporary headquarters while it works on a longer-term home. RGI sold its current headquarters building (79,240 square feet) at 4701 Market St. in Spotsylvania earlier this year to Rappahannock Area Community Services Board for $7.85 million. RGI President and CEO Steve Cox said the organization will lease a temporary warehouse space (46,430 square feet) at 8520 Jamison Lane off Massaponax Church Road in Spotsylvania as its headquarters as well as its warehouse and e-commerce space and outlet wholesale store. RGI intends to move there in March and remain about two years (RGI will be at 4701 Market St. until March). He said he is working on a lease agreement for a built-to-suit warehouse facility in the region that will serve as RGI’s eventual headquarters. He expects to have more details to share on that in early 2026.
- P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to all, and thank you for reading. -BF
Biz Beat Roundup runs every Wednesday and includes a roundup of business news from around the Fredericksburg region. Send submissions to: bill.freehling@fredericksburgfreepress.com
