Fairfax Candidate Survey: Old Town

Part 2 in our series of City Council and Mayoral candidate responses to the Smart Growth survey addresses Old Town. Candidates were given the following statement and question:

Old Town Fairfax has improved significantly, with the addition of a first-class library and new retail businesses thanks to the Old Town redevelopment projects. However, many new ventures in Old Town have closed and the area is still not a significant destination for residents in or around the City. 

How would you work to make Old Town a more attractive destination during the next two years?

Here are their responses...

Daniel Drummond

Our Old Town is the heart of our City. It’s what makes it distinctive from other jurisdictions in Northern Virginia and provides unique opportunities for shopping and dining. However, it is still a work in progress and more can and should be done to support our existing businesses and attract new ones. While the downtown area is 85 percent filled, there are certain amenities such as a movie theater for example, that residents have been clamoring for. To that end I propose that we work with the property owner of the Courthouse Plaza shopping center to create a new mixed use project that will include a movie theater, new grocery store and other amenities. While not in our downtown directly it could be part of our Old Town transition district given its proximity to the library and other shops. We should also look to holding more downtown events to attract people, participate in the regional bike share program and support a new marketing campaign that will promote the City to the region and around the Commonwealth.

Jeffrey Greenfield

The City should take aggressive action to develop vacant land with new retail and parking.  Adding residential on the old Shell site and redevelopment of Courthouse Shopping Center, creating additional entertainment and retail uses will extend the downtown one block north.  Finally, extending the downtown one block south by developing existing parking lots to a combination of parking garages and retail will create additional opportunities for visitors. 

David Meyer

In the next term, the Council should do some short-term actions and longer-term initiatives to strengthen our downtown.  In the short-term, the Council should work with the business community to improve and expand parking on the north side of Sager Avenue, offer interim parking on the former Amoco lot, improve signage for existing businesses centers and parking, and sponsor more downtown events.  Longer term, the City should begin in this term to plan a total redevelopment of the Courthouse Plaza center, with a new high-quality grocery store, greater density with shops and major restaurants, interior multi-level parking, and a multi-screen theater.  This can create a critical mass of retail and commercial space, when leveraged with the current re-developed commercial space and new residential units, can sustain a robust retail activity in our downtown.

Catherine Read

More community spaces.  More things for people to do, to attend and to participate in. The expansion of Kitty Poser Garden offers an opportunity limited only by imagination for what can take place in that space all year around in full view of people driving through the city.  We also need to have more unqiue small businesses that make people want to walk down from the Farmer’s Market on a Sunday to explore the rest of the city.  Or to walk out the front of the library to take advantage of what they can see elsewhere in the city.  We should also work on creating an identity for the city that will capture people’s imagination for what we have to offer here.  We have made a good start and we have a good core of businesses.  We need to build around that.

Ellie Schmidt

The redevelopment projects in Old Town Fairfax have been challenged by economic conditions.  Now that we are experiencing an improving economy, we need to keep a focus on downtown – both Main Street and North Street.  In addition to the restaurants, we need to retain and attract interesting retail that appeals to a broad range including families, seniors and the university community.  This can be assisted by increased focus by our economic development office.  We need to make the current parking opportunities more visible and attractive. Citizens, business owners and City officials should work as partners.  Together we can promote cultural events/festival markets and integrate the history and historic buildings into the fabric of downtown. 

Steven Stombres

We should redevelop Courthouse Plaza so that an “anchor” can be established adjacent to the historic district to attract more foot traffic downtown.  We can also encourage new investment and protect current businesses by reducing the extra taxes they pay, replacing lost parking downtown, improving signage, and supporting hometown businesses with our patronage. 

In addition, the City Council recently voted to expand Kitty Pozer garden in George Mason Square.  I believe this will be an attractive addition to our historic district and will provide a central location for special events, an ideal setting for farmer’s markets, and a usable community gathering place.

The combination of a new anchor, thriving businesses, the new library, and an expanded Kitty Pozer garden will create a great location for visitors to come to the City of Fairfax to eat, shop, and be entertained.

Michael DeMarco

I think we can be a community and a destination. However, we need multiple draws to the city whether they are retail, entertainment, cultural and/or historical. We have made a great start with Old Town Village, the Library and new homes on the old library site. However, we still need:

• A well-funded and serious Marketing plan to publicize all the city has to offer. Not just our own facilities and events but the retail and restaurants that are located in the city.
• A comprehensive program to recruit additional retail downtown to increase foot traffic.
• To actively look for that destination(s), recruit and support creation of same.
• An active merchant association that promotes a shopper friendly mind-set, starting with downtown and supported by the city with multiple marketing activities that could include:
• Designated shopping day(s), where retail stays open to 9pm. Show a receipt and get 10% off at a restaurant that night.
• Coordinated downtown incentive program(s) such as Groupon, SaveLocal or Shopkick Local.
• Restaurant “passport” book, complete it and get 10% off your next retail purchase.
• To work more closely with GMU to attract students and faculty downtown.
• An active partnership between the community, businesses and government.

Scott Silverthorne

Historic Old Town Fairfax remains an important part of the City’s economic vitality.    The downtown is now over 85% occupied, a big improvement from just last fall.   This continues to be a work in progress and critical to the downtown’s success will be the replacement of lost parking and additional tenants that attract customers to the center City.    A larger, anchor tenant, must also be considered and Courthouse Plaza may provide us with that opportunity should the center be renovated – a priority of mine should I be elected mayor.   Another priority is more residential in and around downtown, which will greatly enhance foot traffic – something that the council must continue to focus on over the coming years.  

to see what candidates had to say about Fairfax Boulevard and the Master Plan.

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