Mobile Website | Login | Register

Staff Directory | Advertise | Subscribe | About Us Advanced Search

S E A R CH

News

Opinions

Sports

Entertainment/Life

Blogs

Video

Classifieds

Advertise

Real Estate

Loudoun Business

New Purcellville shopping center breaks ground for facelift

Friday, Sep. 9 by Laura Peters | 26 comments | Email this story

5
From left to right: Purcellville Town Council Member Joan Lehr, Purcellville Mayor Bob Lazaro, White Star Investments Principal Rueben Bajaj and Walgreens Washington, D.C. District Manager Rick Connor break ground on Aug. 31 at the old Loudoun Valley Shopping Center now to become The Shoppes at Main & Maple. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/ Laura Peters

Loudoun Valley Shopping Center was once among the only shopping centers in western Loudoun before the 1980s, according to Mike Holden, whose father owned the shopping center from 1966, when it was built, until 2000. Now owned by White Star Investments Principal Rueben Bajaj, the shopping center is to be renamed The Shoppes at Main & Maple and will be receiving a facelift along with the addition of a Walgreens at the former location of Als Pizza. The entire center is going to be touched in some sort of way, Bajaj said. We are renovating the existing center, giving it a new facade, making it look newer and having architectural wrapping around the columns, taking down the center piece where the sign band is basically were going to make it look pretty. According to Holden, whose father Charles Holden Jr. was one of the four people in the partnership that owned the shopping center, started out with a Safeway and a Drug Fair. Over the years, many tenants left. And once the Blue Ridge Shopping Center, where Food Lion, now Bloom was constructed, many stores moved to the newer site. When Holden purchased the shopping center from his father in 1992, 70 percent of the storefronts were vacant. But by the end of 1992, the stores were again occupied. Its been 10 years of push and pull from town residents and tenants since Bajajs mother bought the shopping center in 2000. Theres been issues, a lot of friction between my company and the town, Bajaj said. Those frictions eased over time and I think we all wanted the same thing. At the end of the day we came to an agreement of to what was acceptable to the town and what we could deliver. According to Bajaj, the main reason for the renovation of the shops is that he thinks most of the town is tired of looking at an ugly center. I think weve all stared at it and said thats a 1964 shopping center something needs to be done with it. I just think the prettier the town is when you come into it, the more at home you feel, Bajaj said. Were going to make this place look like it should be and make it look like it belongs in Purcellville. The plan is to start with a pad site for Walgreens to move in and then the next step is to expand the BB&T building adding additional office space.

Most Popular in News

Friday, Sep. 23 | 6570 views

False hazardous materials alarm creates gridlock in Leesburg

Thursday, Sep. 29 | 6036 views

Update: Fellow coaches say man charged with assault was not at fault
Thursday, Sep. 22 | 5460 views

Loudoun County Sheriff: Three vie for position of countys top cop
Thursday, Sep. 22 | 3653 views

UPDATE: Police locate missing Ashburn teen

Monday, Sep. 26 | 3456 views

Fire destroys house near Purcellville

Stay Connected

Follow Us on Twitter News | Sports

the BB&T building adding additional office space. Its very exciting, Channing Jones, an employee of BB&T said. Its been a long time in the making. On Aug. 31 Bajaj, Purcellville Mayor Bob Lazaro and council member Joan Lehr, along with Walgreens Washington, D.C. District Manager Rick Connor put their shovels to work on breaking ground on the new center. Its good for the tax pace, its good for jobs and its all the things that folks are asking for, Lazaro said. Existing stores like the shoe repair shop, Eden Cleaners, the Purcellville Marketplace, BB&T, Mickeys Barbershop and Vocelli will remain tenants in the new shopping center. During the construction process, each tenant will temporarily vacate so workers can remove asbestos and rebuild. People are delighted. Even before I was elected people would say, What are they going to do with that shopping center, its so sixties. So no doubt about it people are happy, Lazaro said. These people are making a great investment too, architecture is very nice, new jobs for the community, and Purcellville has a thriving tax base.
Subscribe via RSS News | Sports Like Us on Facebook News & Sports

Join Our Email List Sign up for weekly updates

5
Sears Department Stores
www.Sears.com

Shop Sears for Great Selection and Value for Your Home and Family.

Comments
Tue, Sep 13 at 10:44 AM by ty | Report this comment

The Loudoun Times-Mirror

Thank you Steve for addressing it, the real readers appreciate your efforts.
Tue, Sep 13 at 09:45 AM by Steve Wheat | Report this comment

is an interactive, digital replica of the printed newspaper. Open the e-edition now.

Note from the LTM staff - Weve seen an enormous influx of comment spam recently, originating from China and Russia, mostly. It seems the word facelift in this entrys title is a magnet for spam. We will continue to battle spammers despite their relentless sneaky attempts to junk up our site. The only permanent fix may be to ban entire countries, the ones that harbor spammers, but we hope it doesnt come to that. Thanks for your legitimate contributions and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Mon, Sep 12 at 09:19 AM by Why Is There So Much Spam on this forum ? | Report this comment

View our other print publications available online.

Weekly Homes Guide

2011 Guide to Loudoun

Taste of Loudoun

Its over for Purcellville. Youve just Leesburged yourself. Tearing down Als Pizza was a HUGE mistake ! Oh well, enjoy your cookie cutter suburban town, because Im through with it.
Sun, Sep 11 at 09:19 PM by Lee Sburg | Report this comment

Health and Beauty

Bridal Guide

Historic Frederick Maryland

purcellville wishes it could be leesburg. but it never will be.

Sat, Sep 10 at 03:50 PM by Bobby Priscilla | Report this comment Summer Camps Home and Garden Historic Downtown Leesburg

Any of you companiess want to locate in Purcellville? Well gladly condemn farmland, knock down historic buildings, and cut down ancient oak trees for you.
Sat, Sep 10 at 12:43 PM by Bobby Priscilla | Report this comment

Health Resolutions

Future Leaders

Coming Soon

Hey, I got a great idea, if any of these news stories get lots of comments critical of us, lets just steer some comment spam that way to dilute the critics! Louboutin, Tiffany, North Face, come and get it!
Fri, Sep 09 at 10:22 PM by rightwingnut | Report this comment

Hey..whats with all the Patrick Henry bashing? I guarantee you this side of

Hey..whats with all the Patrick Henry bashing? I guarantee you this side of Pakistan, there arent all that many towns the size of Purcellville that have their very own Madrassa. That Mike Farris is a real visionary and the fact that every couple of weeks I get Ben Webers whack Gazette rag..well, cmon P-ville, were in a very special place. Enjoy it.
Fri, Sep 09 at 10:19 PM by byebye | Report this comment

I love it when I read someones comments and realize they totally get it. Heres my favorite from this stream: Purcellville has been afflicted by the same illness that Leesburg caught years agoit thought that getting chain stores and restaurants made them specialso they booted out the old places that made it special, and welcomed the ugly outlets, and every chain known to man, and gave up what made it special. I would have thought Pville would have learned a lesson, but it seems the citizens there think a Dunkin Donuts gives it credibility, in reality, it just makes Pville look like every other small town in Americaboring and similarbut it keeps the newbies happyglad I leftit is sad to see it being duplicated again.
Fri, Sep 09 at 07:01 PM by Richard Townshend | Report this comment

Purcellville has been afflicted by the same illness that Leesburg caught years agoit thought that getting chain stores and restaurants made them special so they booted out the old places that made it special, and welcomed the ugly outlets, and every chain known to man, and gave up what made it special. I would have thought Pville would have learned a lessong, but it seems the citizens there think a Dunkin Donuts gives it credibility, in reality, it just makes Pville look like every other small town in Americaboring and similarbut it keeps the newbies happyglad I leftit is sad to see it being duplicated again.
Fri, Sep 09 at 06:45 PM by LCRez | Report this comment

Would be nice to see a Starbucks or a Dunkin Donuts there. Heard there was a DD there before, so I wonder what happened?
Fri, Sep 09 at 05:09 PM by Sad Purcellville | Report this comment

The town doesnt need Bob Lazaro either but there are enough people voting him back in so we are stuck with this mess. Time to move. We may as well just call it Patrickhenryville and let Mike Farris run the town.
Fri, Sep 09 at 03:46 PM by Audra | Report this comment

why does Purcellville need a walgreens next to a rite aid and 3 grocery stores (Bloom, Harris Teeter, and Giant) all within 1/2 mile of each other. That is ridiculous.
Fri, Sep 09 at 01:53 PM by grossedout | Report this comment

Purcellville is turning into Assburn and Sterling and Leesburg, GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Fri, Sep 09 at 01:29 PM by Alby | Report this comment

New Center = Higher Rents = More Expensive Haircuts @ Mickeys Barbershop to pay the Rent Welcome to the New Purcellville.
Fri, Sep 09 at 12:58 PM by Michele | Report this comment

Missing Als Pizza

Fri, Sep 09 at 11:44 AM by Mike Holden | Report this comment

In 1992, I became the manager; not the owner. The Bajaj family were always great to work with, I wish them well with this

The Bajaj family were always great to work with, I wish them well with this endevor.Hope Purcellville enjoys Walgreens. Just what the town needs.
Fri, Sep 09 at 11:25 AM by Pville78 | Report this comment

I miss Als. It was the only pizza in P-ville I would eat. And do we really need a Walgreens right next to a Rite-Aid and across the street from Giant?
Fri, Sep 09 at 11:12 AM by Eric the 1/2 troll | Report this comment

BTW, I dont hate anybody - for the record.

Fri, Sep 09 at 11:01 AM by Eric the 1/2 troll | Report this comment

...ignores the fact that Ms. Clarke wasnt on the Council when this was approved for rehabilitation Go back and read, I was not commenting on this developement but ion teh first commentsee below. ...run down shopping center is what a community desires. Yes, because the community hated Als Pizza and the Restore - you are so right! BTW, say Hi! to Bob Lazaro, PR.
Fri, Sep 09 at 10:58 AM by Eric the 1/2 troll | Report this comment

And Phil Tran (Clarkes unpaid PR consultant and third largest in-kind contributor) - huh??
Fri, Sep 09 at 10:50 AM by Sick of the people | Report this comment

Maybe INOVA and Purcellville Copy can open up satellite offices there!
Fri, Sep 09 at 10:32 AM by Crickets Chirping | Report this comment

Strange how no one mentions the barn that was destroyed on the Cole farm.
Fri, Sep 09 at 09:55 AM by Purcellville Resident | Report this comment

Too bad Eric Deaver thinks that a run down shopping center is what a community desires. Perhaps he wants some burnt out buildings too! And, in his blind hate of Janet Clarke he ignores the fact that Ms. Clarke wasnt on the Council when this was approved for rehabilitation.
Fri, Sep 09 at 09:38 AM by the noid | Report this comment

Will Als resurface in this new center?? So we lost an independent pizza joint? And were left with dominos which you can see inthe background of the photo great.
Fri, Sep 09 at 09:27 AM by Eric the 1/2 troll | Report this comment

The new Purcellvillebrought to you by Janet Clarke - Candidate for BOS.

Fri, Sep 09 at 09:20 AM by Back Roads | Report this comment

Purcellville was a beautiful town. Was.

Comments express only the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this website or any associated person or entity. Any user who believes a message is objectionable can contact us at moderator@timespapers.com.

Post a comment
Commenting is not available in this section entry.

By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Service. News | Opinions | Sports | Entertainment | Blogs | Video | Classifieds | Contact Us | Work for Us | Virginia Newspapers | Copyright 2010 Loudoun Times-Mirror, a Times Community News newspaper.