A public forum on the redevelopment of the southwest portion of Route 17 in Stafford, dubbed the “Southern Gateway,” will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 25, at the Riverside Dinner Theater, 95 Riverside Parkway in Stafford. All interested individuals are invited to attend.

The Southern Gateway area is located on US-17 between its interchange with I-95 and Berea Road. It is filled with commercial and industrial developments largely accessed through driveways and side roads. The road is also used by travelers from the Northern and Midwestern states, and Canada, to the Southeastern states. In addition, it is a preferred alternative route for vehicles seeking to avoid the Washington D.C. Capital Beltway.  As traffic on US-17 has continued to grow, so has private investment.  Two major initiatives are now underway.  Celebrate Virginia - Corporate Campus, a 2,400-acre mixed use development and Carter's Crossing, a 35-acre retail center, among others.

The goal of the redevelopment is to create an alternative development pattern which focuses on compact, mixed-use properties with access to new civic and cultural uses, shopping, work and public green spaces.  A grid-based local street system is proposed to serve the area, allowing the properties to focus away from US-17. It is envisioned that, over time, access to US-17 would be redesigned to take advantage of the benefits of the local grid network.   

“I am happy to champion this effort because the Southern Gateway is an area of great potential,” said George Schwartz, Chairman of the Stafford Board of Supervisors. “Redevelopment will allow us to offer more business, shopping, restaurant and entertainment opportunities to our residents, while also improving traffic flow through the area. It will complement the work that we are doing with the redevelopment of Falmouth and help improve the quality of life for our citizens and our business partners along this major highway corridor.”

The meeting will be hosted by Mr. Schwartz, as well as Hartwood District Supervisor and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Joe Brito, and Stafford Redevelopment Administrator Brad Johnson. In addition, staff from the Economic Development, Planning and Zoning, Transportation, Fire and Rescue, Utilities and Public Services departments will attend. Topics to be discussed include improvements to US-17, Rocky Pen Reservoir and a new library.

All interested individuals, including property and business owners, are invited to attend the public forum and offer ideas for the redevelopment of the area. For more information, please call the Department of Economic Development at (540) 658-8681. Information is also posted on Economic Development’s Web site at
www.gostaffordva.com/Southern-Gateway.cfm.

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