Coming Soon: Liberty Market

July 28, 2017

Our recent Liberty Community Day was the first opportunity for the community to see what living at Liberty will look like.

Liberty Crest apartment tours and representatives from the single family and townhouse builders delivered a full picture of what the transformed reformatory site would become. Renderings of the Phase II retail captured everyone’s interest, and the community was passionate about expressing what shops they wanted and didn’t want to come to the Liberty retail space.

In total, we received 988 pieces of feedback from the event. We listened, and here’s what you told us:

Restaurants – the most popular category received 267 votes

  • Most people want a “non-chain,” casual dining, sit-down restaurant.
  • The second most-requested food location was a coffee shop. About 50% of the people do not want a chain, about 50% of the people said they want Starbucks or another national chain.

Grocery stores – the second most popular category received 179 votes.

The top requests were:

  • Trader Joe’s (71)
  • Whole Foods (40)
  • Wegmans (34)
  • Harris Teeter (15)
  • Mom’s Organic Market (11)

A drinking establishment – the third most popular category:

  • Over 50% suggested a brewery.
  • An Irish pub was the second most suggested.
  • A wine bar, distillery, or bar tied for last.

Entertainment retail and Dry Goods retail were tied as the fourth most requested category.

So what’s the next step for Liberty Market? The retail brokers have been working with us to attract retailers to Liberty Market. It is their job to reach out to various retailers, such as grocery stores and restaurants, to bring together the right mix for this unique, historic space.

The process to bring the right places to Liberty Market, negotiate a contract, work through the permit process, and complete a build-out could take anywhere from 18-36 months.

For more information on living at Liberty check out Liberty Crest Apartments. Never miss an update from The Liberty Life by following us on Twitter @LibertyLorton. For more photos of the construction project, life in Lorton, and our community events, find us on Facebook at Liberty Lorton and on Instagram @LibertyLorton.