Chick-fil-A coming to Staunton; Wharf lot repairs — The buzz

STAUNTON – Chick-fil-A is laying its foundation in Staunton and there are some repairs going on in the Wharf parking lot — here’s the buzz.

Chicken

You’ll be able to eat more chicken this summer thanks to a new Chick-fil-A set to open in Staunton’s Frontier Center.

Four out of five out parcels of the first phase of construction are committed to a retailer and three restaurants. Of those three restaurants, Bojangles’ has confirmed its presence at Staunton Frontier. Chick-fil-A will be in one of the parcels and a McDonald’s will take another. Aldi will fill the fourth parcel, and the store is expected to open in the first half of 2018. Bojangles’ is set to open this spring.

The new Chick-fil-A will be next to Bojangles’.

According to a spokesperson with Chick-fil-A, the restaurant is set to open in late June or early July. The chicken spot is looking to hire 100 employees.

“We are always evaluating potential new locations in the hopes of serving existing and new customers great food with remarkable service. It has been a longtime goal of ours to serve communities in the Staunton area, and we can at this time confirm our first location will open at 101 George Cochran Parkway,” said Brenda Morrow of external communications for Chick-fil-A. “We look forward to joining the Staunton community and serving all of our customers delicious food in an environment of genuine hospitality.”

Staunton Frontier Center is across from Staunton Crossing and in front of the Frontier Culture Museum. The development plans to bring retail, restaurants and lodging to a 42-acre area adjacent to Sheetz. The original master plan was presented to city council in 2010 and, in 2014, plans began to move forward. Work began on the first phase of the complex in 2016.

Parking

Work has begun on the Wharf parking lot that will help reduce stormwater runoff.

The project, which is grant funded, will help reduce stormwater runoff by installing permeable pavers. The project will also help promote a cleaner Chesapeake Bay.

The majority of the Wharf lot parking spaces facing Byers Street will be inaccessible for approximately one month while the project is underway through late April, a release said. This project is not expected to overlap with the Johnson Street Parking Garage renovations.

Permeable pavers are a system of interlocking layers of pavement used in areas that are prone to flooding or have inadequate drainage, a release said. The system contains joints surrounded by a mixture of rock, gravel and lots of open space and an underground web of small stones varying in size. Those stones catch and filter some pollutants out of the water, enhance rainwater drainage and clear areas that often flood, the release said.

The project is funded by a $75,000 Chesapeake Bay Trust Grant, which will pay for the installation of about 4,000 square feet of pavers.

“The pavers are designed to store runoff, reducing the volume of runoff from the parking area and the negative impact of runoff on our streams, lakes and the Chesapeake Bay,” city engineer Nickie Mills said in a release. “They will also provide an aesthetic benefit as they will extend the traditional brick paver look into the parking area of the Wharf lot.”

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The buzz is a short recap of area business trends. Send ideas to reporter Laura Peters at lpeters@newsleader.com or follow her @peterslaura and @peterpants.

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