LEESBURG, Va. — Virginia Village has been in the heart of Leesburg for decades, but big changes could be coming to that part of Loudoun County.
The town council is considering the redevelopment of Virginia Village and changing its current layout of small businesses to more townhomes, apartments, and restaurants.
“I remember back in the day my dad said I wouldn’t know this place in the 2000s and I went away in the military and came back and was lost,” Joe Lincoln said.
Lincoln has mixed emotions about the proposed changes to turn Virginia Village into a mixed-use site with new apartments, townhomes and retail businesses. His biggest concern is the environment it could create for the elderly people who live nearby.
“They come through here, and a lot of them ride their scooters, and like I said, they have a pathway that cuts through here versus having to go all the way down King Street,” he said.
Keane Enterprises owns the shopping center. If approved by the town council, this area would transform into nearly 650 new homes and 165,000 square feet of commercial spaces.
Councilman Ara Bagdasarian said the proposed plan is in line with his vision for the town.
“The developer is building this in phases; and what’s most important to me, and I know with the council is, ‘How does this align with our town plan?’ Because if this was just a completely left-field project, it would probably have a difficult time getting even to this level, but it does align with our town plan," Bagdasarian said.
The councilman said there are still issues that need to be addressed in the work session, like traffic, parking, and school populations with the potential for more families in the area.
“This is really about creating a vibrant community that doesn’t rely on automobile traffic, that allows for more foot traffic, that allows for small businesses to succeed,” he added.
Another one of Lincoln's concerns is those who may be unable to get around town without a car.
“Transportation around this area is kind of tricky and they need to be able to get around like they need to,” Lincoln said.
Last Tuesday, the council voted to move the discussion to a work session, now on Dec. 13, to determine if they will bring the proposal to a full vote in the coming weeks or months.