Woodlawn Shopping Center getting a facelift

Construction is seen last month at the Woodlawn Shopping Center. Little Caesars will soon be leaving the shopping center.

The Woodlawn Shopping Center on Route 1 is undergoing a series of improvements to its appearance, including a new facade and roof. 

Work on the plaza, located in the 8700 block of Richmond Highway, is expected to be completed before the end of the fall, said Lee Engle of Streetsense, the company that handles retail leases for the center. Stores at the plaza will remain open while the work is in progress.

Artist images of upgraded shopping center (Click to enlarge)

Although Little Caesars will soon be moving out of the center, the shopping center has a low vacancy rate, Engle said. Improvements to its appearance, combined with the growth at nearby Fort Belvoir and the high volume of traffic that flows by the plaza each day, should make it a more attractive option for retailers, Engle said. 

“If we can reach for better or more unique offerings, that’s what we’d like to do,” Engle said.

The shopping center is also under new ownership, having been sold for $13.8 million in July 2016, according to Fairfax County property records. The buyer was an LLC called Forest Glen Joint Venture.