Breaking ground on University Mall renovations

Plans for University Mall renovations include expansions, new buildings, and parking garages (photo courtesy of Geo. H. Rucker Realty Corporation).

After a year and a half since the project’s approval, renovations on the University Mall located across from George Mason University’s Fairfax campus will begin this November.

The application was approved by the Fairfax County Planning Commission in April of 2011.

Kiel Stone, the Chief of Staff to Braddock District Supervisor John Cook, said that the “community is anxious for redevelopment to start happening.”

According to the website of Geo. H. Rucker Realty Corporation, the company in charge of the center’s upgrade, the expansion will reach 200,000 square feet from the center’s original 125,000 square feet.

The site plan indicates that there will be two building expansions, two new buildings and two parking garages.

Richard Wolff, President of Geo. H. Rucker Realty Corporation, acknowledged that the whole process of going through the county for approval is a long one.  Regulations have to be met and paperwork, including building permits and a safe plan approval, must go through the system.

According to Wolff, the most recent issue concerning the construction regarded storm water management.

There was “some disagreement between county and applicant, Rucker Realty, about how much storm water detained on site,” Stone said.

Wolff estimated that the assignment has been ongoing for the last six or seven years.

One major improvement will be to the Giant in the shopping center.

“Giant will be closing their store down in April or May of next year so they can gut the store and then they are blowing out the Ox Road side of store and expanding the building by 14,000 feet” Wolff said.

The store is currently one of the smallest Giant food stores in the area, but will be the biggest after the renovations. The grocery store should reopen by Thanksgiving 2013.

Although Giant has not completely disclosed the details of the layout, Wolff believes that the Giant will be taking advantage of their college student market. For example, they are looking to do more in the prepared foods section.

Wolff hopes that the renovations will be done by the first quarter of 2014.

 “[The] community is in 100% behind this. The county is 100% behind this” Wolff said.