Forest retail center planned for U.S. 221 complex

FOREST --

One of Bedford Countys most popular residential neighborhoods plans to add a retail shopping center fronting U.S. 221 in Forest.

Maddox & Son Construction Inc. seeks to rezone two parcels to allow for a shopping center in front of the Gables of Jefferson Commons, a nine-building apartment complex with 216 units that have mostly filled since construction began a few years ago.

Andy Maddox, the companys president, wants to change the zoning from C-1, office district, to a C-2 general commercial district so two-story buildings could be built facing U.S. 221 on opposite sides of the entrance to the complex. The buildings would have retail space on the first floor and apartments on the second and would be the first housing in Forest to locate atop retail commercial space.

The countys department of community development on Wednesday hosted a neighborhood information meeting on the rezoning at the Forest Public Library. Besides Maddox and the project engineer, only one adjacent property owner and Forest District planning commission member Fred Fralick attended.

Maddox, whose company also constructed similar Gables projects in Wyndhurst and Cornerstone in Lynchburg, said a couple of restaurants are interested in locating to the proposed shopping center. He said he has sent information to other chains but no announcements are ready at this time. He added he wants to attract anchors to the area.

He envisions 20 units of loft style apartments between the two buildings that would be mostly single-bedroom. The residential portion of the project would allow for more patience with the commercial aspect.

Our intentions are not to compromise our property behind, he said, referring to the Gables complex. We want to be selective.

The exact square-footage of the buildings was not stated Wednesday, but Maddox said the land allows for about 25,000-square-feet of space combined.

Maddox said he hears from businesses that they want to locate to Forest but do not want to go as far as Perrowville Road. Current zoning of the parcels is very limited to office uses, county planner Brad Robinson said.

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Forest retail center planned for U.S. 221 complex