Eagle Village Progresses

BY BECKY LITTLE

Roses will be torn down at the end of February in order to make room for Eagle Village, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2010.

“Construction starts as soon as Roses comes down,” Jeff Rountree, vice president for university advancement and CEO of UMW foundations, said.  “Einstein’s Bagel will close later on in the production.”

Although the project is on schedule, it could be delayed by a vote on Fredericksburg’s zoning laws.

“The city of Fredericksburg is currently processing a vote on the project, because it does not meet any zoning codes,” Rountree said.

The new codes that will be voted on this month will regulate mixed-use building projects like Eagle Village, which combine residential, recreational, and other types of building space.

“Pending the city’s passage of it, we are ready to build,” Rountree said.

According to the UMW Foundation’s website, Eagle Village will consist of student apartments, a transportation center, a pedestrian bridge, shops, and restaurants.

“Eagle Village will be a pedestrian-friendly residential and retail mixed-use village for townspeople, students and faculty to shop, live, work and enjoy entertaining facilities, all within a sustainable ‘green’ urban setting,” says the web site.

Each five-story building will contain 156 apartments.  Each apartment will have two bedrooms holding two students each, two baths, a living room, and a kitchen.

According to the web site, the student residence buildings will include a concierge desk for 24-hour security, laundry rooms on every floor, a meeting room, and a two-story entry rotunda.

The student apartments will be reserved for upper-class students, but may also be used for summer conference groups.