A public forum has been scheduled for Thursday, September 25^th at 7pm at the Riverside Dinner Theater on Riverside Parkway in Stafford to discuss the Southern Gateway projects.  The Southern Gateway is located on US-17 between its interchange with I-95 and Berea Rd.  For those of you familiar with the 17 corridor in Stafford County, traffic and congestion are words commonly used to described it.

The roadway is used by travelers going from Midwestern and Northern states as well as Canada to the Southern states.  It is also a bypass for those wishing to avoid Washington DC metropolitan traffic.  Currently, the area is filled with industrial buildings and is serviced by small roads and driveways for access.  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 spaces."

Private investment is already underway in the form of several smaller projects as well as two large scale proposals.  "Celebrate Virginia - Corporate Campus" is a 2,400 acre mixed-use development and "Carter's Crossing" is a 35 acre retail complex.

The Southern Gateway work is being most strongly supported by Stafford Board of Supervisors Chairman George Schwartz.  "I am happy to champion this effort" said Schwartz, "because the Southern Gateway is an area of great potential.  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 complete 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."

For more information you can contact the Department of Economic Development at 540-658-8681 or on the web at www.gostaffordva.com/Southern-Gateway.cfm.

Irene Morales Ward, Northern Virginia Real Estate