Restaurant planned for abandoned power plant site

City of Fredericksburg:

“A local businessman plans to transform an abandoned hydroelectric power plant on the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg into a restaurant and build adjacent residential condominiums. Ed Whelan and his family last week bought a riverfront property near the intersection of Caroline and Ford streets where the Virginia Electric and Power Company used to run a hydroelectric plant. Whelan’s family, through a limited liability company called Dreamland, bought the 3.93-acre property from an LLC headed by Hugh Cosner, a former Spotsylvania County supervisor who has owned the property at least in part since 1979 and who had also long envisioned a restaurant in the plant known as the former Embrey Power Station.

Whelan, who owns The Inn at the Olde Silk Mill across Caroline Street from the property, said he started talking to Cosner about buying the property last year. The sales price was $1 million. Whelan plans to turn the long-abandoned, graffiti-covered plant into a multilevel restaurant, perhaps with a rooftop bar and other outdoor seating overlooking the river.”

~ Writes Bill Freehing of the Free Lance–Star

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Riverfront Park Project

City Fredericksburg:

“The City of Fredericksburg has initiated efforts to design and construct the new Riverfront Park, which will be a significant new public space in downtown Fredericksburg. In 2011, the City of Fredericksburg acquired the former Masonic Lodge riverfront property at 609 Sophia Street. This acquisition increased the amount of contiguous City-owned land along the riverfront and creates new opportunities for a beautiful outdoor amenity and attraction along the banks of the Rappahannock River. The City has established a Riverfront Task Force to guide the design process from an initial park vision to preliminary design options to final concept design…

The public is invited to attend two public open houses in March 2014 and late April/early May 2014 to learn about the status of the design process, brainstorm ideas for the park, and provide input on initial Riverfront Park design concepts. It is anticipated that a Final Concept Design will be completed by August 2014.”

~City of Fredericksburg

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Enjoy the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail

City of Fredericksburg

“The 1.6-mile asphalt stretch connects the two parts of the Rappahannock Canal Path, making a 3.1-mile loop. It’s mostly flat, but there are a few small, moderate inclines. Walk with your family or bring your bike if you’d like.

You can park at Old Mill Park (another great free option for Fredericksburg families!) or any other number of spots downtown or along the river – and there’s certainly no requirement that you travel the entire trail.”

~Writes Fredericksburg.com

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