Front Royal welcomes downtown redevelopment cooperation

Following an enthusiastic reception of a right-of-way encroachment request at a June 5 work session, the Front Royal Town Council approved that encroachment for commercial properties at 120-124 East Main Street, along with two others, as part of its Monday-night (June 12) Consent Agenda.  All three of the approved encroachments are extensions of existing encroachment waivers given by the town.  All three are reviewed for extension at five-year intervals.

The focus of the previous week’s work session was the strip of commercial frontages on East Main Street now belonging to Vibe Properties.  The owners, who recently purchased the property, plan to sublet the parcel for development of a brew pub/restaurant at the site.  The encroachment involves the rear of the property which abuts the Town’s Peyton Street Parking Lot.

The owners propose a loading dock, with steps and a roof, to service the needs of the pub-restaurant.  Town staff noted in the work session agenda packet that according to plans presented the loading dock would encroach only about a foot-and-a-half onto Town property.

Mirroring council’s enthusiasm, Mayor Hollis Tharpe commented during the work session discussion, “This points out that people are putting a vast amount of money into our downtown.”

Vibe Properties is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Tim Barnhart – not to be confused with Mr. and Mrs. David Barnhart, owners of the long-established Main Street Mill further down East Main Street.  Asked about their timeline for re-development on June 5, the Barnharts indicated they needed to begin renovations soon.  A week later their encroachment request was approved for a five-year period, the Town’s traditional timeframe for authorizing such encroachments.  Once approved, review and extension at five-year intervals is generally a matter of course … generally.

Mrs. Tim Barnhart, partner with her husband in Vibe Properties, explains redevelopment plans for commercial property in heart of historic downtown Front Royal. Photo/Roger Bianchini

Work session discussion indicated that the Barnharts had also purchased the Weaver Building across the street, where the late and lamented local restaurant and live music venue The Lucky Star Lounge was located.

While it was not discussed on June 5 or June 12, in-depth investigative work by Royal Examiner staff indicates plans to develop a Thai restaurant with the owners of a Winchester-based Thai establishment in that Weaver Building space – maybe a mix of live Thai music on one side of the street and American on the other, could help resurrect Front Royal’s once vibrant live music scene!