By the end of 2015, much of the heart of Lightfoot will look far different, with new and remodeled buildings replacing decades-old fixtures.
The one-block stretch from Richmond Road’s intersection with Centerville Road to the intersection with Lightfoot Road, where James City and York counties meet, features several new and existing businesses that are set to either occupy new buildings or remodel existing ones.
“[That area] has always been an attraction point for James City County,” said Russell Seymour, the county’s director of economic development, noting the ease of access to Route 199 and Interstate 64 as key drivers to Lightfoot’s visibility. “[The latest round of construction] provides a good opportunity for us to take a good look at that area again.”
Beyond Lightfoot’s nucleus, where much of the new construction is or will soon be underway, work continues on established developments like Colonial Heritage and Liberty Crossing.
Officials from James City and York counties are also in talks with the owner of the Williamsburg Pottery about how to develop hundreds of acres of Pottery-owned land located between the existing Pottery buildings and I-64. The Pottery’s owner envisions a high-tech history museum that could also feature lodging, dining and retail options.
When the latest round of work finishes, both sides of Richmond Road in Lightfoot will look far different than they do now: A new shopping center featuring a Harris Teeter will be in place along with a freshly renovated Priority Nissan and a McDonald’s restaurant with a new design.
McDonald’s the Latest Business to Explore A New Look
A proposal is before James City County to tear down the existing 30-year-old McDonald’s building, located in the former Williamsburg Outlet Mall parking area, that features the classic ridged mansard roof used on the six other standalone restaurants in the Historic Triangle.
It would be replaced with a new structure described in a community impact statement outlining the proposed alterations as urban and neutral, mixing brick and stone with more contemporary design features like a corrugated metal parapet.
“We really see this as a win-win not only for the site but for the surrounding area,” said William Sleeth — an attorney representing the owners of the Lightfoot McDonald’s — during an Oct. 1 James City County Planning Commission meeting when the project was being considered.
He said now is the “perfect time” for the project to rebuild the McDonald’s given the other improvements going on in the area.
The planners, who unanimously recommended the Board of Supervisors OK the new building, focused their discussion on the proposed structure’s aesthetics to ensure it matches with the character of Lightfoot Marketplace and the broader Lightfoot corridor.
“This is a one in a 25- or 30-year shot we have to improve this intersection,” said Commissioner Tim O’Connor (At-large). “For those of you who don’t get out to Lightfoot often, it’s amazing to see the difference right now when you pull up to the stoplights in that area. You can see through to the Thomas Nelson building and the new police station. … We have an opportunity to create a big impact right here.”
For O’Connor and a few other commissioners who spoke during the Oct. 1 meeting, taking advantage of the opportunity to recraft the corridor means ensuring the McDonald’s looks as good as it possibly can. They suggested altering the drive-thru lane, which currently faces out toward the rest of where Lightfoot Marketplace will eventually be built. They also encouraged the developer to use the same style of bricks as will be deployed in the new shopping center.
Work Continues at Lightfoot Marketplace Site
At the heart of the redevelopment of Lightfoot is a new shopping center that will eventually feature a Harris Teeter and a Walgreen’s among its approximately 136,500 square feet of retail space.
The shopping center is to be built at the site of the former Williamsburg Outlet Mall, which crews began tearing down in July. The single 1980s-era building that comprised the mall will be replaced by six standalone brick buildings that will be used for retail.
The outlet mall, which closed at the end of 2013, was acquired by Vistacor LLC and Armada Hoffler Properties in April with the goal of completing the shopping center by fall 2015.
So far, the project is closing in on the final administrative approval it needs from the James City County Planning Division, though the developers have not yet filed an application for a building permit from the county’s Building Safety and Permits division.
A timetable has not been established for the project to finish the regulatory process necessary for construction to begin.
Priority Nissan Seeks to Rebuild Former Casey Toyota Building
Across the street from the Lightfoot Marketplace, Priority Nissan is settling into the space formerly occupied by Casey Toyota prior to the latter’s move to a new spot near Great Wolf Lodge on Rochambeau Drive.
The building currently in place at the lot was built in 1971 and for years served Casey Toyota prior to its move. Now that Priority has acquired the building for its first venture into the Historic Triangle, the company plans to do a complete rebuild, according to Dennis Ellmer, the dealer principal for the new Priority Nissan.
“It’s tough to do anything in Williamsburg because of the restrictions, but we got lucky finding a building we could make work,” he said. “The location is one of the best in Williamsburg.”
The old building will be replaced by the glass and silver metal look of contemporary Nissan dealerships, like the Priority Nissan on Jefferson Avenue in Newport News. Ellmer said he expects work to conclude by early Summer 2015.
Related Coverage:
- Williamsburg Pottery Wants to Build ‘Family-Focused Entertainment Complex
- Lightfoot Marketplace Development Plan Moving Toward Approval
- Williamsburg Outlet Mall Demolition Underway; Building to be Razed by Fall
- Two Hampton Roads Businesses Purchase Closed Outlet Mall to Develop Lightfoot Marketplace
- Lightfoot Marketplace Will Replace Closed Williamsburg Outlet Mall
- Lightfoot Marketplace Up for Review at Tuesday’s JCC Supervisors Meeting
- Lightfoot Marketplace Gets JCC Planning Commission Support
- Public Hearing Scheduled Today for Lightfoot Marketplace Proposal
- Lightfoot Marketplace Plans Add Sixth Building, Park (w/ Photo Gallery)
- Stores in Closing Outlet Mall Plan to Relocate Within Area
- Lightfoot Marketplace in Early Stages to Replace Williamsburg Outlet Mall
- Williamsburg Outlet Mall to Close its Doors this Year
