BUSINESS ACTIVITY
Rappahannock Goodwill Industries plans to open its retail store and donation center in Fredericksburg’s Eagle Village shopping center in late summer. Goodwill will go into the space where The Salvation Army thrift store is currently (that store will close March 30).- The City of Fredericksburg has published its informative statistical report for the fourth quarter of 2025. It shows business-tax revenues, commercial sales and vacancy rates, new-business activity, employment data and more.
- New York Fried Chicken and Subs has opened at the former Burger King location at 3052 Plank Road in Fredericksburg.
- All Virginia food establishments are required to stop using Styrofoam containers by July 1 under legislation enacted in 2021 by the General Assembly. Food establishments with 20 or more locations were required to stop using foam containers by July 1, 2025. Violators could receive civil penalties of up to $50 for each day. Businesses must ensure compliance with the regulations. Complaints and exemptions for the City of Fredericksburg and Stafford County will be managed locally by the Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board (R-Board), which has more information and resources about the legislation on its website.
- Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) is seeking to create a 60-acre corporate campus at the former operations office of Atlantic Union Bank at U.S. 1 and Rogers Clark Boulevard in the Carmel Church area of Caroline County. REC is looking to close its Bowling Green office after the move, but its Spotsylvania office will remain open.
- Northwestern Mutual has opened a new office at 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 201, in Stafford.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
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Michelle Arcari Rose
Fredericksburg-based Washington Heritage Museums (WHM) has selected its next leader. Current Executive Director Anne Darron will retire in May of 2026 after 12 years at the helm of the organization, and Michelle Arcari Rose has been chosen as the next executive director. The organization’s board “unanimously chose Michelle for this important position because of her love of the 18th century, her extensive experience in historic preservation, and her deep ties to the Fredericksburg community,” according to an announcement. Rose was previously associate general counsel for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and she also serves as an adjunct professor for the Department of Historic Preservation at the University of Mary Washington. Rose will officially join the WHM staff in late March, allowing her to work with Darron for a couple of months. Rose will attend WHM’s April 2 speaker series event to introduce herself and address members.
- Julia Payne, a local woman (and sister of attorney Charlie Payne) whose public relations career has included stints with former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, is the subject of this week’s edition of the Biz Beat Banter podcast.
- Kilwins, a new ice cream and candy shop in downtown Fredericksburg, is the subject of this week’s Biz Beat Clips video.
- The University of Mary Washington will host a farmers market and craft fair on campus April 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s open to the public and is free for both vendors and attendees.
- Fredericksburg Academy recently completed a building project that added a second gym, administrative offices, classrooms and storage space to the Spotsylvania campus.
- Healthy Generations Area Agency on Aging has received a $35,000 grant from the Stafford Hospital Community Benefit Fund and a $4,000 Community Benefit Fund Mini Grant from the Stafford Hospital Foundation. The awards will support the agency’s Mobility Options program, which provides transportation services for older adults and individuals with disabilities in the Fredericksburg region.
- Mary Washington Hospital’s Nuclear Medicine department has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in nuclear medicine as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology.
- University of Mary Washington (UMW) Alumnus Lou Marmo will be the University’s Commencement speaker May 9. Marmo is a 1994 UMW graduate who has been in executive roles for numerous companies.
REAL ESTATE REVIEW
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This 397-acre farm and home in Caroline sold last week for $1.875 million, topping the list of sales for the week. See the link in the first bullet point for other sales from the week.
There were 89 homes sold in the past two weeks in the Fredericksburg area, including three for more than $1 million, according to the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors’ (FAAR) weekly sales list. Check back weekly for the new list.
- A public hearing is scheduled at 6 p.m. tonight (March 25) in front of the Stafford Planning Commission regarding the proposed Buc-ee’s project near the intersection of Interstate 95 and Courthouse Road. Buc-ee’s travel centers are larger than most other convenience stores, and the Stafford proposal calls for a 74,000-square-foot building with 120 gas pumps and 833 parking spaces (including 24 Tesla charging stations) on more than 36 acres.
- Preliminary work has started on the conversion of the Medical Arts Building at 2301 Fall Hill Ave. in Fredericksburg from an office into a 30-unit apartment building. It’s adjacent to the 63-unit Mary’s Landing townhouse development. Interior demolition is currently under way to prepare for the future re-development.
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
