With Wegmans, Woodbridge Gets Its Taste Of Upscale

For years, the residents of Prince William County and the politicians who represented them hoped for a classy revitalization of the county's Route 1 corridor.

White-tablecloth restaurants, department stores and upscale grocery stores would offer an alternative to the run-down strip malls and fast food joints that line the stretch of highway to the east.

Few plans elicited as much passion from residents as the one to bring a Wegmans grocery store to Woodbridge. Dozens of county residents showed up to the February 2006 Board of Supervisors' vote on the project wearing large red "Wegmans Now" buttons pinned to their shirts as they spoke in favor of the development.

"It was very popular," said Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large). "I remember it was the first time activists came to our meeting to actually support a development, and they did so in large numbers."

Then the mortgage meltdown hit, with foreclosures affecting whole neighborhoods throughout the county. Credit markets seized up, making loans for commercial construction difficult. Developer Kettler suspended its mega-project Harbor Station farther south along Route 1.

But tomorrow morning, the 140,000-square-foot Wegmans plans to open. It will employ more than 600 workers, with 40 percent of them holding full-time jobs, according to the company. The store's opening is a key reason that District-based Roadside Development has been able to secure funding for further construction, despite turmoil in the credit markets. The money will be used to start the second phase of Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, a $500 million-plus plan that calls for apartment towers, office buildings and retail.

In an interview last week, Richard Lake, a partner with Roadside, said he plans to begin construction in July on some 65,000 square feet of retail, directly across the Wegmans.

"It's tough," Lake said. "It is a challenge, it is not easy. The climate is not the way it used to be."

Frank Lasch, 64, and his wife Lorraine, 61, of Manassas, were original supporters of the Wegmans and attended the county vote in 2006. Lasch still has the red button he wore to show his support.

The couple plans to attend the store's opening at 7 a.m. tomorrow, attending church Saturday night to clear their Sunday morning schedule.

"I think that anytime you can bring a good organization or company to your area it is a positive," Frank Lasch said. "It helps the community to grow and certainly in the right direction."

The Woodbridge Wegmans, located off Dale Boulevard near Interstate 95, is the third and largest store to open in Northern Virginia. Beginning last week, hundreds of Wegmans staff began descending on the store. Some will stay for days and some for weeks, overseeing training and final touches for the opening.