The Warren Sentinel

Article date: November 03, 2005

Regional developer targeted for Royal Phoenix

By: Roger Bianchini

The largest privately held real estate developer in the Washington , D.C. metropolitan area has been selected as first choice to develop the 160-acre Royal Phoenix Business Park at the Avtex Superfund site.

The decision to move toward an agreement with Lerner Enterprises LLC was made by a unanimous roll call vote of the board of directors of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority following a brief closed session on Oct. 27, which followed four closed sessions held the previous week with representatives of the final two candidates vying to take over the business park project.

EDA Board Chairman John LaBarca called the vote “a significant milestone” in the decade plus effort to redevelop what was once the largest federal environmental disaster cleanup project in the nation.

“This site is unique in that it is a Superfund site and not only local government, but the federal government, the state government all have a lot of interest in seeing this site succeed,” LaBarca said.

“Another uniqueness of this site is its rebound from the closing of such an important industry.  Many communities die when a industry that is so pivotal to the local economy collapses.  This community didn’t,   it rolled up its sleeves and went to work on cleanup and redevelopment,” EDA Executive Director Paul Carroll added.  Both LaBarca and Carroll said last week’s vote brings reestablishment of the site as a crucial tax and job-generating commercial entity one step closer to realization.

Due in part to ongoing cleanup efforts on the 467-acre Superfund site LaBarca and Carroll estimated a 5- to 10-year phased -in time frame for redevelopment of the Royal Phoenix Business Park.  The business park will abut a conservancy park being developed on 240-acres of site property fronting the South Fork of the Shenandoah River.  A combination of factors, including the physical beauty of the surrounding location in the Shenandoah Valley and its proximity to both Dulles International Airport and Washington D.C., within 70 miles to the east, have been cited by EDA officials during development of a conceptual plan for the site.

That conceptual plan includes potential low impact commercial uses such as a hotel/conference center, culinary institute, Virginia wines and crafts center and international business development center.  The feasibility of that plan, which LaBarca said the board remains committed to, will be among the issues discussed over the next 90 to 120 days as EDA officials work toward a sales agreement with Lerner Enterprises.

LaBarca and Carroll said three factors not up for discussion are that good-paying jobs, commercial tax revenue and little environmental impact are generated at the site.  Lerner Vice President of Development Arthur Ficcillo said his company’s policy is not to discuss specific development options “until such times as we are certain of the direction they will take.”

Among “high-profile” Lerner projects listed on the company’s web site are Tysons Corner Center, Tysons II and the Dulles Town Center.  According to its wet site – – the scope of Lerner’s land development projects range from office and business parks, regional malls and shopping centers, hotels, and mixed-use facilities to residential development.

Established in 1952 the company continues as a family-owned and operated business under the direction of its founder Theodore N. Lerner.  An affiliate of Lerner Corporation, Lerner Enterprises states assets under management valued at over $1 billion, including more than 20 million square feet of commercial and retail property.  

“We were excited by the opportunity to participate in a large parcel redevelopment in Front Royal.  Nevertheless, it was the enthusiasm and foresight of the EDA, its Board, the Town of Front Royal and Warren County that cemented our interest,” Lerner Enterprises Feasability Manager Will Clark said after being informed his company was the EDA’s first choice as a redevelopment partner.