Barnes & Noble proposal on track

By Rachana Dixit

Published: November 12, 2008

Even on weekday afternoons, crowds manage to form in the Barnes & Noble at Charlottesville’s Barracks Road Shopping Center.

As customers weave between the store’s tight book displays, lines swing behind the cash registers, and coffee-making equipment almost constantly clangs from the bookseller’s resident cafe. It’s for reasons like these that Gina Habermeyer thinks expanding the store would do some good.

“Two floors would be great,” said Habermeyer, an Albemarle County resident.

City plans show that the popular bookseller is seeking to do just that by constructing a new building at a different location in the shopping center — where Goody’s Family Clothing previously resided — therefore allowing it to expand its retail space from one story to two. The city’s Planning Commission reviewed plans for the new edifice Tuesday because of the store’s location on Emmet Street, one of Charlottes-ville’s entrance corridors, and unanimously approved a new two-story brick building.

“This was our first hurdle,” said Emily Groome of the Maryland-based Federal Realty Investment Trust, which owns Barracks Road.

In order to double Barnes & Noble’s space, the building that formerly housed Goody’s will be torn down and a new building with two floors will be constructed. City Planning Manager Missy Creasy said the current structure is not equipped to handle a second story.

Barnes & Noble spokeswoman Lenore Feder said the company does not disclose potential store locations. But, she said, “Charlottesville continues to grow and we are constantly reviewing this market and evaluating additional development opportunities.”

Federal Realty shopping center site plans show that the current store’s one-floor space is 20,433 square feet, whereas the Goody’s space measures 30,563 feet. The clothing and housewares chain was located next to Bed, Bath & Beyond for 15 years before closing its doors Jan. 31. Furniture Promotions occupied the space from late March through August, and a Halloween store set up shop there most recently.

With no requirement for special-use permits, Creasy said construction of the new building could begin as soon as the site plans are OK’d. Staff approval is still pending, but Creasy said that Federal Realty is “very close” to being able to start construction.

Commissioners on Tuesday had only minor issues with the building proposal, including some of the glass used, tree planting and pedestrian concerns. David Neuman, architect for the University of Virginia and a non-voting member of the commission, said the intersection at the current Goody’s building and the adjacent Post Office is particularly dangerous for pedestrians because of its crosswalk location. Currently, the crosswalk is noticeably behind the edge of the two buildings, making it difficult for turning cars to notice pedestrians crossing the road.

“It is very difficult and is in unsafe condition right now,” Neuman said. Groome agreed, saying the building and crosswalk configurations were “not ideal” and could be reworked before final site plan approval.

Groome said the current Barnes & Noble will remain open during the new building’s construction, though a timeline for construction has not yet been finalized. It is also not yet known who will occupy the old bookstore’s space once the new store opens.