You’ve got to start somewhere, and for Virginia Tech University’s new innovation campus in Alexandria, that somewhere is the former Dressbarn and current Rack Room Shoes storefronts.
Virginia Tech is seeking a special permit to open the initial portion of its $1 billion Potomac Yard campus inside those two spaces, which total just shy of 17,500 square feet, but the school said it could ultimately occupy up to 30,000 square feet, or 5% of the Lionstone Investments-owned big-box center. Best Buy is the next store over, though there are other vacant spaces at Potomac Yard Center if the university wants to expand its presence while its new buildings are under construction.
The university wants convert the two retail bays into a marketing center and potential classroom space, according to the application filed last month by land use and zoning attorney Cathy Puskar. The Dressbarn is closed but Rack Room is still open.
“The Applicants want to establish a presence on the site by hosting academic…
Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
