Zion Crossroads outlet mall put on ‘indefinite hold’

By Stephanie Kassab | 978-7274
Published: July 22, 2008

By Stephanie Kassab

| 978-7274

Coach will not be displaying its new collection of handbags this fall in Louisa County as plans for an outlet mall in the Zion Crossroads area have come to a halt.

Retail developer Land Capital Group has put the project on “indefinite hold,” Scott Davison, the developer’s president, said, putting about 170 acres of land back on the market.

The outlet mall had already been named Merchant’s Walk and plans included retail stores such as Ann Taylor, Coach and Nike. The mall would have generated millions of dollars in yearly tax revenues, according to Bob Gibson, Louisa’s director of economic development.

Gibson cited the weakening economy as the sole reason for the project’s cancellation.

“Nationwide…retail is closing stores, not opening stores,” Gibson said.

Davison added that retailers had expressed only a moderate interest in the outlet mall from the beginning.

“At this point in time … retailers felt it wasn’t worth the risk,” Davison said.

Willie Harper, chairman of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors, also noted that there was doubt about whether people were willing to travel to Louisa to shop.

“This was going to be an outlet mall which requires traveling to get to,” Harper said. “There’s uncertainty about how much people are going to travel.”

With the rising prices of gasoline, residents had looked forward to having shops nearby.

“It would be easier for people that live in this community. … We wouldn’t have to go out of town,” said Chellz Alexander, a Louisa resident who travels to Charlottesville and Richmond to shop.

There were also hopes that the outlet mall would have attracted more business and residents from neighboring areas.

“It sort of is just a passing-through place,” said Tina Wilkerson, a Fluvanna resident who works in Louisa.

Although Louisa is historically a rural area, efforts have increased in recent years to attract more investment and business.

“We’ve made substantial investment in the Zion Crossroad area,” Harper said. “[It has] been identified for many years as being a hot spot for commercial growth — retail and industrial.”

Gibson remains optimistic that business will make its way to Louisa, noting that the county is adjacent to three large metropolitan areas in the state: Richmond, Charlottesville and Northern Virginia.

“We’re having growth in all three directions,” Gibson said. “Zion Crossroads is going to be a regional commercial destination. … Other merchants and developers will see this. ”