Mr Williamsburg Real Estate Update New Town. Say it's not so .Wal Mart Coming to New Town Williamsburg VA ?

Daily Press 3/6/2008

JAMES CITY County/ Williamsburg Virginia - Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, is coming to James City's growing New Town development, according to plans filed with county planning staff. The store of about 40,000square feet, while only about a fifth of the size of the other Wal-Mart in the area, still dominates plans for the Settler's Market section of New Town and sits at the junction of Route 199 and Monticello Avenue along with a planned Circuit City. Designs for both businesses have been carefully reviewed to make sure they keep to a countrified flavor, with brick facades and arched windows. Circuit City's 20,706 square foot store includes a cupola atop the building.

The Wal-Mart proposal is only a few administrative OKs away from final approval, including one pending from the James City Service Authority. But the approaching finish line comes after more than a year of work by county planners, with six to eight months spent on building elevations, said planner Matt Smolnik."This will not be your typical Wal-Mart," Smolnik said. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman declined to comment because the plans are not yet finalized.Settler's Market will also include dozens of other smaller businesses, but most of those tenants have yet to be publicly named. Trader Joe's grocery chain has been confirmed, however, and will be placed down Monticello Road. The upscale California-based grocery will take up roughly 12,000 square feet, or about the same area as the Trader Joe's that opened in Newport News in December 2005.All told, Settler's Market is expected to include 2,167 parking spaces and more than 200 homes. Construction is expected to be completed later this year.Though there is already a Wal-Mart in the Williamsburg area — the store farther north in York County's Lightfoot area ( near the Lowes, Home Depot, Ukrops and across from the new Hospital) is roughly 205,000 square feet — the retailer's arrival in New Town is expected to make the combined development of retail and homes even more of a popular destination.

New Town is currently home to local eateries such as Green Leafe Gourmet, Center Street Griil, Opus 9, and major chains including Panera Bread, Bonefish Grill, and Barnes and Noble Booksellers. When Circuit City sets up shop here, it will create a Williamsburg-area version of the national clash between the Richmond-based consumer electronics retailer and Best Buy, which is slated for The Marquis development in upper York County.( near Water Country) Best Buy is the country's top consumer electronics retailer; Circuit City is No. 2.Settler's Market, developed by Birmingham, Ala.-based AIG Baker Development, will ultimately include 350,000 square feet of retail and office combined with 210 residential flats and townhouses.

Mr Williamsburg Real Estate Update Subsidy for James City County Employees Home Purchase

JAMES CITY - “It’s going to be pretty tight the first couple of months,” said Chris Clauser, 23, a county firefighter. He closed on his first home this week, a new $207,000 three-bedroom townhouse in Pocahontas Square. To Clauser, the workforce housing crunch is much more than a few lines in reports, surveys and news articles. As it is for so many people, his quest has been relentless. He was finally able to find and afford his new home thanks to a little-publicized subsidy offered to county employees. The county matches $3,000 of his money to help with closing costs.

The program has been in place for several years and it’s gaining entries every year. Over the past several years, 50 employees have signed up and 34 have purchased homes. The contribution can be used toward either down payments or closing costs. “It’s been a very useful program,” said Rick Hanson, director of Housing & Community Development. “It gives incentive for people who work in the county to purchase here in the county or City of Williamsburg in recognition that it may be somewhat more expensive to live here than in surrounding jurisdictions.” A certain amount is set aside in the county budget to match employee contributions. Employees either match $3,000 in a lump sum, as Clauser did, or can slowly contribute to a layaway plan. “It has grown,” Hanson said.

“Last year we had the largest number of participants, and this year seems to be on track to be around the same. Demand for this program seems to have grown.” Expansion may be next. Today the subsidy extends to county, James City Service Authority and library employees. Hanson said it may someday reach to school employees and serve as a model for private employers. The $3,000 can also be combined with other assistance programs, including a similar program for first-time home buyers. Clauser used his $3,000 toward his closing costs and took advantage of an offer from the builder to pay the remaining $7,000 to close. It leaves the firefighter looking ahead to monthly payments with a little bit of cushion. Until recently, Clauser had been renting with roommates in Hampton.

The combination of programs helped him return to James City, he said. “I don’t really want to move back in with my parents,” he said, laughing. “I don’t want to be that guy.” He found navigating the paperwork relatively easy. He furnished the county with a copy of his bank statement, credit report and pay stubs, information he had to furnish to finance the home anyway. “It was all very quick,” he said. “I was very impressed with the time, the turn-around.” Still, it’s not something for nothing. Clauser, who has been with the fire department four years, committed to remaining with the county at least 50 more months. He cannot sell the home for three years, either.

The county benefits twice by having a long-term employee and residential taxpayer. “We’ll see what my life has developed into [then],” he said. “For now, I’m 23, single. This is perfect.”