Biz Beat Roundup: New ownership for local golf course

BUSINESS ACTIVITY

• Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center last week announced a more than $37 million investment in emergency services for the Fredericksburg region. The funds will be used for:
  • A new $21 million, 11,000-square-foot free-standing emergency room along the south side of U.S. 17 in Stafford County near Banks Ford Parkway and McWhirt Loop in Celebrate Virginia North. Construction is expected to kick off early next year, and the project is expected to be completed by 2028. The facility will include 11 emergency bays, advanced diagnostic imaging, an on-site lab and a covered ambulance entrance.
  • A $16.2 million expansion and renovation of the hospital’s primary emergency room (ER) at 4600 Spotsylvania Parkway. The project will add about 5,400 square feet of new space at the hospital, including adding 10 ER exam rooms.
• “We are incredibly excited to be able to make this investment in emergency care to meet the needs of our growing community and bring the exceptional care that we offer closer to home for many patients,” said Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center CEO Ryan DeWeese. “These projects will improve the patient experience through more convenient access and shorter wait times allowing us to focus on the most complex, high-acuity needs.”
• The owners of Smuggler’s Cafe at 604 Caroline St. in downtown Fredericksburg are planning a second business at nearby 610 Caroline St. called Smuggler’s Cauldron. According to the business owners, it will be a beverage-oriented business featuring an “immersive space” that’s “an expansion of our universe but a different theme.” A summer opening is planned. Smuggler’s Cafe was recently featured on Biz Beat Clips.
• Dominion Energy is upgrading power lines and transmission towers near Fall Hill Avenue and Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, a job that has required the installation of a temporary bridge and gravel roads. The work is part of an overall upgrade of the transmission lines and is not tied to any single current or future project. The growth of the area’s population and data center industry, coupled with the aging lines and towers, has necessitated the work. Additional work is planned along the transmission line in Stafford and Prince William counties.
• Comcast announced this week that it will expand its service area to more than 1,800 additional homes and businesses in Bowling Green and Ladysmith.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

• 

  New Gauntlet Golf Club owner Mike Stonehill with his grandchildren at the course.

  The Gauntlet Golf Club in Stafford has a new owner, and significant upgrades are planned. Michael J. (Mike) Stonehill Sr., a longtime area home builder who owns Hour Homes and Brookstone Homes, recently purchased the public course off Hartwood Road. Stonehill wants to make the course one of the best in the state while keeping rates reasonable. Upgrades are planned over the next few years to the clubhouse, patio, dining areas, food and beverage offerings, golf carts, and the golf course and golf range itself. Look for a Biz Beat Clips video on plans for the course soon.

• Former Rappahannock Area YMCA CEO Barney Reiley is the guest on this week’s edition of the Biz Beat Banter podcast.
• Little Fish Swimming and its new location in the New Post area of Spotsylvania is the subject of this week’s Biz Beat Clips video.
• Newsweek has included local employers such as Atlantic Union Bank, Dominion Energy, Five Guys, Navy Federal Credit Union, CarMax and Mary Washington Healthcare on a list recognizing top workplaces for employees beginning their careers. The “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Entry Level” awards evaluate employers on metrics including work‑life balance, training and career progression, culture and belonging, working environment, compensation and benefits, mental well‑being, job security and stability, and company image.
• The 2026 Spring Fever 5K Run/Walk and Kids ½‑Mile Fun Run on April 11 at Stafford Hospital attracted 457 registered participants and raised more than $24,000 for the hospital.

• Tian Construction, a Fredericksburg-based woman- and minority-owned architecture and construction firm run by Ruby Tian, on Wednesday received a 2026 SWaMmy Honor from the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity.

• The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce honored the following business/individuals at its annual gala last week:
  • Community Impact Award: Chancellor Village
  • Entrepreneur of the Year: Margaret “Maggie” McIntyre of Rejuvalase Medspa
  • Large Business of the Year: Shore United Bank
  • Small Business of the Year: Fredericksburg Technology
  • Prince B. Woodard Leadership Award: Dr. Troy Paino

REAL ESTATE REVIEW

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  This Lake of the Woods house sold last week for $1.44 million, topping the list of weekly home sales in the Fredericksburg area.

  There were 89 home sales in the Fredericksburg region last week, including three for more than $1 million, according to this week’s report from the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors. Check back weekly for the past-week data.

• A tire-collection and tire-baling facility is proposed on 1.48 acres at 3501 Shannon Park Drive near the Fredericksburg Field House in Spotsylvania. A special-use permit is required from the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors. According to the application: “The operation will consist of receiving waste tires from commercial routes and processing them through a baling system for transport to downstream recycling facilities. No shredding or grinding operations are proposed. All activities are limited to tire staging, sorting, baling, and loading for transport.” Hours of operation would be weekdays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Spotsylvania’s consent agenda from Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting lists a $5 million real estate purchase agreement with New Post Sports Complex LLC for three parcels, consisting of 118.9 acres, 86.2 acres, and 29.1 acres. The county is seeking to buy the sports complex and place it under its parks and recreation department. The complex includes seven soccer fields, irrigation infrastructure and a restroom/concessions building.
• Two flex-office buildings totaling 36,080 square feet are proposed on a 3.4-acre site in the Fredericksburg Battlefield Industrial Park. The site is south of Blue & Gray Parkway and east of Summit Street at the secondary entrance into the industrial park. A site plan was recently submitted to the City of Fredericksburg for review. One of the buildings is proposed to be 30,040 square feet, and the other is 6,040 square feet. The developer and land owner is WEK LLC.

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