Dulles District Supervisor Matt Letourneau held a town hall Feb. 26 with representatives from Rappaport and Beatty Management Company to discuss retail developments in the area.
Susan Bourgeois, the executive director of leasing and brokerage at Rappaport, also emphasized how population can make a difference in the strength of a retail center.
“Loudoun County has been slow in accepting the big (box stores) as far as how sales compare to the other markets in the D.C. metropolitan area,” Bourgeois said. Sales volumes are not as strong compared to Prince William County, for instance, “and that’s primarily because they have more people,” she said.
Bourgeois gave an overview of the recently approved Cedar Terrace at South Riding development, which will effectively extend the existing South Riding Market Square with 222,200 more square feet of commercial space and bring housing to the area. One of the key aspects of the application was getting turn-ins from Route 50 and Loudoun County Parkway, she said. “To make Cedar Terrace work from a retail perspective, we need access.”