The giant parking lot that sits at the intersection of Franklin and Peppers Ferry, in Christiansburg VA, might not be a giant parking lot for too terribly much longer. You know the one – the one with the Applebees. Wait, that’s gone. Well, it had Beamer’s restaurant, surely you remember that. Wait, that’s gone, too. Pet store? Gone. And just about everything else in there, as well. Best tailor in the area, Rose’s Tailor, is still hanging by a thread (sorry, had to). But thankfully that’s all changing, according to this article – the deal finally closed in November.
I’ve got to think that this has positive affects for Christiansburg in particular, for Montgomery County in general, and the New River Valley as a whole. I’ve lived here 18 years, and the entire time I’ve been here it seems like that space has been full of one vacancy or another. I talked with a commercial developer friend the other day, someone who’s familiar with the property, and who knows the developer who purchased it. As she said, “if anyone can make that space work, Walt can.” As a Disney fan, I like to think Mr. Rector has some of that Walt Disney magic.
Here’s to hoping. What would you like to see in there?