BUSINESS ACTIVITY
- The 30,000-square-foot Office Depot store at 1591 Carl D. Silver Parkway in Fredericksburg’s Central Park will close by January 7. It will be replaced by a Bob’s Discount Furniture store, said leasing agent Susan Bourgeois of Rappaport, which owns the building and is the largest property owner in Central Park. Bob’s has numerous locations in the Washington area, and one in Newport News, but nothing in between up until now. The store is expected to open this coming summer.
- Bubblebee, which used to be in Downtown Fredericksburg, plans to open a new location at 1865 Carl D. Silver Parkway in Central Park, according to the City of Fredericksburg’s Economic Development and Tourism office. It will be at the former OBO Pizza location next to Lucky Road.
- The I Luv Teriyaki location in Stafford County’s Quantico Corporate Center development has closed. The restaurant’s location at 370 Garrisonville Road remains open.
- KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot at 1791 Carl D. Silver Parkway in Central Park opened Monday.
- An infrastructure plan showing the extension of Gordon W. Shelton Boulevard from Fall Hill Avenue to Cowan Boulevard in Fredericksburg was recently submitted to the City for review. The application is part of Greystar’s process to develop the 34-acre “Ulmanor Farm” at 3430 Fall Hill Avenue, which is one of the largest remaining undeveloped sites in Fredericksburg. Plans for the development include 240 townhouses, 365 apartments and 50,000 square feet of commercial space. Included within the proposed commercial space shown on the project’s Generalized Development Plan (GDP) is a grocery store along Fall Hill Avenue that would be about 14,000 square feet. There has been speculation that the planned grocer could be Trader Joe’s, but that has not been confirmed.
- CoLab FXBG, which provides a production space and equipment for content creators, recently opened at 5124 Southpoint Parkway in Spotsylvania County. The business had previously been downtown.
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Dan Craddock, Barking Barley owner
The Barking Barley, a new “dog park bar” in Fredericksburg, is the subject of this week’s Biz Beat Clips video.
- Graze Craze Fredericksburg, which offers handcrafted charcuterie-style boards, is hiring for its new location at 1507 Central Park Blvd. in Fredericksburg.
- A health-food store called Eden’s Market is planned at 311 Frederick St. in Fredericksburg. The business is expected to open sometime around February in a space currently occupied by a Christian bookstore called Rex Rappahannock, said building owner Garrett Green. Rex Rappahannock is moving into a larger space currently occupied by local land surveyor Hamilton Palmer, who is moving out of the building at the end of the year but will continue doing work for existing clients. The other businesses in that building are Green Fitness & Wellness and FXBG Chiro.
- A “wellness boutique” offering self-care items including handmade, all-natural candles, soap, body butter, herbal fusions and more is planned at 612 Caroline St. in downtown Fredericksburg. The business is called The Graceful Garden Collection and is owned by Cherry Riley.
- Element Contrast Studio, which offers saunas and cold-plunge pools, is opening this week at 1000 Prince Edward St. in Downtown Fredericksburg, with limited hours to start. Pricing is now live on the business’ website. Look for a Biz Beat Clips video about this business Jan. 5.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
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A rendering of Kalahari’s proposed decorative art at the Thornburg roundabout
Kalahari Resorts is seeking to erect decorative art in the center of the new Mudd Tavern Road roundabout in Thornburg — near Kalahari’s planned new hotel, convention center and water park. The proposed decorative art would feature four adult African elephants with supporting African-themed landscaping. Spotsylvania has approved the request, and the state is now reviewing it. If approved, construction of the decorative art is expected to start this coming Spring and take up to six months to complete. Kalahari would pay for the project.
- Jarrell Properties Inc. will purchase the 7,500-square-foot building at 407-409 William St. in downtown Fredericksburg from the Mitchell family in mid-January for $2.4 million, said James Jarrell IV, the company’s director of land acquisition and sales. A new restaurant and bar called Stockyards that will be owned by Darell Hertenstein is planned in the space. An interior renovation is under way, and Stockyards is targeting a February opening. The business will feature a bar and restaurant, a mechanical bull, dancing and live music. The William Street space was formerly home to Jay’s Downtown Sports Lounge, which closed this year after losing its license to sell alcohol. Jarrell owns numerous additional downtown commercial properties.
- The guest on this week’s edition of the Biz Beat Banter podcast is Keith Lebor, owner of the Olde Towne Butcher shop in downtown Fredericksburg.
- A futsal tournament is coming to the Fredericksburg Convention Center this weekend. Futsal is a five-on-five variation of soccer played indoors.
REAL ESTATE REVIEW
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This Ferry Farm home in Stafford sold last week for $465,000, equal to the median housing sales price for the region in November.
Housing sales dipped in November in the Fredericksburg region, according to the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors (FAAR). The number of homes sold locally in November dropped to 393, down 13 percent from November 2024. Median sales prices stayed steady at $465,000. Days on market, the time it takes from when a listing enters the market until it receives a ratified contract, increased 19 percent. Stafford’s median sales price topped the market at $529,950, followed by Fredericksburg ($520,000) and King George County ($511,000).
- FAAR Board of Director Member Denise Smith commented: “November started off strong for buyers, with sellers gradually adjusting to the shifting market — namely, buyers requesting concessions such as closing costs, repairs and more. Sellers are beginning to recognize that buyers are now in the driver’s seat, something we haven’t seen in several years. In our area, the market is still active, especially for homes that are updated and show-ready.”
- Here are November housing data from each area locality:
- There were 104 homes sold this past week in the Fredericksburg area, including two for more than $1 million, according to FAAR’s weekly sales list. Check back weekly for the new list.
- Although the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors voted last week to implement design standards for data centers, some members aren’t backing down from their belief that a special use permit is the most effective way to handle the massive projects.
- The Fredericksburg Planning Commission voted unanimously last week to recommend disapproval of a data-center project proposed for the 84-acre “Hylton property,” which is on the east side of Interstate 95 between Cowan Boulevard and State Route 3.
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
