Wal-Mart to anchor Exit 47 development

By DAN KEGLEY/Staff

While officials remain mum on exact plans for a new $40 million commercial development on the south side of Interstate 81 at Exit 47, a Web site promoting permanent lease agreements gave a name for the development and identified one of the anchor stores as Wal-Mart, which had long been mentioned in the local rumor mill.
George D. Zamias Developers said on its Web site that “Marion Centre is a planned 398,881 [square foot] power center located in Marion, Virginia. The development will be anchored by a 184,435 square foot Wal Mart and a 109,846 square foot home improvement store. Small Shop space totals 68,600 [square feet], and there are over 9 acres of available outparcels.”
The Web site further said, “Given its location and eventual access directly from both the Exit 47 ramp and Johnston Road, the 81 acre site will enjoy excellent visibility and accessibility from the heavily traveled Interstate 81 (31,000 average daily traffic in that area).”
Perry Russ, executive vice president of Zamias Services Inc., said Monday the developers are not ready to identify other anchor and “small shop” retailers that might be coming to the site, nor discuss a construction timetable.
On Tuesday, Smyth County Administrator Ed Whitmore or Economic Development Planner Sally Morgan said they did not know what businesses might be planning to locate in the development.
“They are likely negotiating with prospective tenants and cannot reveal that information until commitments are made,” Morgan said.
Citizens can have comment, though, about the proposed, privately funded upgrade to the Exit 47 interchange resulting from the coming development. The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a location and design public hearing next week regarding the $2.1 million project.
In the event of inclement weather, the public hearing will be rescheduled for March 3 at the same place and time.
A VDOT release said George D. Zamias Developers and Apollo Realty Partners LLC have proposed to fund the design and construction of the interchange modifications.  Transportation Resource Group (TRC), York, Pa., will design the proposed project. 
No state funds have been used for the design, nor would state dollars be used for construction of the modifications, VDOT said. 
Regardless of the design and money sources, the design plans have undergone required review by both VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.
The purpose of next Wednesday’s hearing meeting is to give citizens an opportunity to review and discuss plans that include realigning Rifton Road (Frontage Road 010) which runs underneath I-81, and extending the limited access right-of-way approximately 600 feet; widening Rifton Road to four lanes within the existing right of way; widening and installing traffic signals at the I81 northbound off ramp and the US Route 11/Rifton Road intersection; widening the I-81 Exit 47 southbound on ramp where it connects to Rifton Road; and installing traffic signals at the I-81 Exit 47 southbound off-ramp at Lee Highway.
VDOT said no formal presentations will be made and citizens will be able to review maps, drawings and other materials explaining the proposed project and discuss the plans with VDOT representatives.
Citizens will have an opportunity to record verbal comments for the official record during the meeting. Written comments will be accepted during the meeting or may be submitted to VDOT within 10 days following the meeting. 
VDOT said the public hearing “is not a forum to discuss land development or any proposed commercial development issues, as those are local government issues.”
Government issues were handled starting almost a year ago when, in April 2007, the Smyth County Board of Supervisors rezoned the property from agricultural/residential to commercial.
At the time, John Politis, a realtor with Apollo Realty Partners LLC of Raleigh, N.C., said the national restaurants would be from among the prominent group of franchises that includes Red Lobster, Outback and Chili’s, among others, that are not present in the county.
Fast food restaurants will be in the mix as well, catering to shoppers and the adjacent interstate highway travelers, Politis said.
Politis said his partners are “excited to come to Smyth County” with a project that would “generate millions in sales taxes.”