September 24, 1998

Avtex’s proposed makeover into hotel and offices, industry, a residential neighborhood and recreation, was approved by te Front royal-Warren County economic Development Authority Friday.

The EDA, in its resolution adopting the general concept of the plan presented by an independent consultant, agreed to ask warren County and Front Royal governments to endorse it.

EDA Executive Director Stephen Heavener said all the buildings left at Avtex must be razed.

"We’re trying to create a new entity and a new concept," he said. "Every single thing on that site needs to come down and wee need to start fresh."

The consultant, North American Realty Services of New York city, also made the recommendation, he said.

FMC Corp., a former operator of the site which is helping to fund cleanup costs under the federal Superfund program, is working on a "stakeholders"program to help get the site redeveloped, officials said.

The Avtex re-use plan now on the table calls for 43 acres of waterfront residential housing across from Avtex, on the west bank of the south fork of the Shenandoah River. Another 29 acres would be for open row housing on the west bank.

On the east bank of the river on the main Avtex site, 26 acres would be used for Hotel conference center, and 94 acres for an industrial park, and 38.5 acres for offices.

About 230 acres would be reserved for public recreation and conservation use, and 6 acres for park use.

About 34.5 acres would be used for miscellaneous purposes.

In other action, the EDA heard that The Virginia Department of Transportation will expand Fairground Road to three travel lanes to Bering Drive to accommodate truck traffic serving new industry.

After meeting with officials of the Warren County Fairground, Heavener said the plan was subsequently revised to have curb and gutter along the fairgrounds at an additional $25,000 to $30,000.

More land would have been taken under the former proposal, he said.