Augusta Development Plans

Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro are all working on plans for major new commercial developments but with all three projects less than 12 miles apart, could all of them survive? Augusta Marketplace would be the county's biggest commercial project ever, with close a million square feet of stores and restaurants.

[John]

Growth is a wonderful thing when it is done properly. Everything I have read in this artivle shows places for a few retail employees to become employed at. However, other than the construction jobs to build these new places, there are no manufacturing or industrial jobs mentioned. Where are the people who live here supposed to go to earn the money they could potentially spend at these wonderful new retail stores? This is just more of the same old plans without true prosperity and growth. How can retailers squeeze more money out of the same people that are already stressed out over having too many things to buy and not enough money to buy it with. Before more retail comes in city planners and developers need to address the lack of gainful employment. And please, don't blame Wal-Mart for the lack of local jobs.

[Valeria Reynolds]

I absolutely support the Staunton Development and so do many,many of our friends.It would be the best place for this as Waynesboro just cannot support this as they have many more low income people who just cannot support the Wayne Theater and the other places that they want to add. Staunton is the place for sure and I know many Waynesboro people who feel this way also.Waynesboro come to Staunton and join us in the arts.

[Tracy]

I'm sure everyone wants what sounds like prosperous development for their own area, but "John" is right--this is the same old developer dance. Not only can Augusta County not economically support all of these retail complexes, but neither does it have the experience with developers to understand that more can be required from them. What retailers do these developers have contracts with (not just supposition)? Are they the same retailers that exist in the area now, and so they'll just leave the stores they're in for new ones? Or are they bringing different and new shopping opportunities to the Valley? Will any of these plans spur any economic growth in the Valley, or will it just provide more minimum wage/no insurance jobs, while cannibalizing current retail jobs? Are there plans for redevelopment of these new complexes when their big box anchors move on, as they inevitably do at some point? Have they considered requiring permeable paving, and other environmentally responsible issues, to prevent creating flooding from the grading of the land, and from acres of parking and loading areas that will be created? Will these complexes generate enough sales tax to pay for the city and county services they will use?
Developers must keep developing to maintain their income flow--that doesn't necessarily mean they have anyone's interest in mind but their own. Overdevelopment of retail creates retail ghost towns--often where re-development of older areas would have been a much better choice for the community. Growth and progress can be important, but is this actual growth, or just repositioning of what we've already got, leaving other stores nearby empty? Wal-Mart may be a staple of shopping in the Valley, but they have a nasty habit of leaving their big boxes empty, and moving to new retail complexes--and, they have clauses in their leases that say no one can rent their old building to sell anything that competes with them (kind of a broad clause, wouldn't you say?).
Cities and counties often jump at development, thinking that growth at any cost is good. If it doesn't economically benefit the community, it's worse than a moratorium on development. There doesn't seem to be a good basis for bringing any of these complexes in--no studies are being done to show we can support this new retail in addition to that which we have, and neither does it appear that it will actually create job growth. We can't even guarantee that local workers will be used for the construction of these complexes.

[Bob]

"Valeria", I'm glad "many, many" of your friends agree with you--I suppose that gives you some feeling of assurance, but it doesn't make your opinion the only one, or the correct one. If there's the economic ability around Augusta County to support any of these complexes, there are many more factors to consider besides what you think the statistics on low-income areas may be. Being a cheerleader is fine, and supporting the arts is wonderful, but what's going to spur economic growth in the Valley so that the arts can be sustained?

[cavs24]

If Staunton wants the growth, give it to them. Tear down old town and build it there.