Retail

Changes likely coming to Cascades Marketplace in Sterling

Changes could be headed to the long-struggling Cascades Marketplace shopping center now that new management has taken over the property. This could include changes to retail tenants and additional residential housing.

The Burn learned last week that Willard Retail has taken over management of the property from EDENS, both large commercial real estate firms active in the DC market. This comes after years of watching retailers and restaurants depart the 400,000+ s.f. center at the intersection of Cascade Parkway and Palisade Parkway in Sterling.

Pier One, Staples, Banner’s Hallmark Shop, Corner Bakery Cafe, Señor Tequilas, Boston Market, Noodles & Company and Baja Fresh are just some of the businesses that have closed at the center dating back years. Current major businesses still in the center include a Giant grocery store, a Gold’s Gym, a Marshall’s, a McDonalds and a Starbucks.

The Washington Business Journal is reporting that Willard is looking to “reposition” the shopping center. This could include reorganizing the retail store layout, upgrading storefronts and — possibly — the addition of residential housing.

There was little doubt that change of one kind or another was going to eventually come to the nearly 30-year old property. Having roughly a third of its retail spaces vacant wasn’t sustainable. Local residents have long wondered if the entire shopping center wouldn’t eventually be razed to make way for new housing or some other development. It sounds like Willard may be charting a path somewhere in the middle.

19 Comments
  1. Hannah 2 years ago

    Ugh, more expensive housing? Just make the dang shops smaller, please. Invite more local businesses in and keep the rent reasonable. We don’t need more sub-par chains. Look at all the the new retail space where Newks used to be. Most of it is empty!

  2. Paul Pisarek 2 years ago

    More of the development BS. I don’t mind that they want to refresh everything. It needs it. But every area that gets redone nowadays seems only an excuse to slap a couple hundred apartments in every strip mall and retail plaza in the county. Regal Plaza anyone?

  3. Tiffany 2 years ago

    Thr constant construction everywhere is getting exhausting. More homes that no one can afford. More retail that no one is all that interested in because everything is oversaturated, it seems. I live nearby but the only reason I ever go in this area is just for Starbucks because the closer Starbucks that has a drive thru is such a pain to get in and out of. Not saying I have other ideas, but it’s just more of the same for a higher cost.

    • David Montgomery 2 years ago

      People are complaining about the possibility of more housing, while simultaneously bitching about the cost of real estate. What do you think will happen if they keep new construction to zero?

  4. Cammy 2 years ago

    Lets just build new restaurants. We don’t need any more over-expensive housing we’re getting more of that where regal used to be. Bring in local businesses not chains.

    • Chris 2 years ago

      would it be clocktower starucks by any chance? Because I’ve waited an hour in that line just to get the wrong drink

  5. Sharon Shue 2 years ago

    Some of the businesses that left had no choice after leases were either not renewed or rents were raised so high that it made staying impossible.

  6. Sheryl Von sydow 2 years ago

    I am very tired of seeing housing put up on every square foot of the County.

    • Loudoun OG 2 years ago

      Agree…

      Welcome to Fairfax 2.0… like we [natives of Loudoun] used to say.. “Don’t Fairfax Loudoun”… BOS and [new] residents have no idea about that and love all this development.

  7. Reed 2 years ago

    You can’t tell me this wasn’t the plan all along. Make it look depressed as if they can’t rent out store fronts so they can rezone for residential. I mean look at Shoppes at Potomac center. It’s a horrible plaza so it’s casscades overlook. Yet they have no issue renting out space. A great plaza like cascades which is surrounded by residential properties giving them almost guaranteed customers is having trouble renting space? gtfooh.

  8. rt123 2 years ago

    My recommendation – look no further than One Loudoun as a template for success, although this would on a smaller scale.

  9. Charles Frantz 2 years ago

    The article did not mention most of the restaurants that have left including Logan’s Roadhouse, famous Dave’s, Ruby Tuesday and the hamburger place in the Marshalls parking lot. I think the restaurant shake out that has happened in Sterling deserves its own story.

  10. fjc33 2 years ago

    I lived in Cascades from 1992 until just a few months ago, and except for the Giant, McDonalds, and Starbucks, the turnover in stores has been unbelievably rapid. It just doesn’t seem viable as a commercial space.

  11. James Neutron 2 years ago

    Make the place a little safer by removing the less desirables. That whole area including the mall has a lot of gang (including ms13) activity making it somewhere most in the area don’t want to go to.

  12. Anon 2 years ago

    Called this over a year ago.. said this shopping center would end up repurposed with more housing. No surprised.. it’s happening all over NoVa.

    https://www.theburn.com/2020/06/10/noodles-company-closes-in-cascades-marketplace/

  13. Siva Rama 2 years ago

    Loudoun county means more housing or even more data centers that create no jobs..

    • Mark 2 years ago

      Sure, but some of much would much rather have a data center that still generate taxes instead of 800 Townhomes and condos that add 1600 cars every day to our already crowed roads and increase the need for more schools, utilities, public services, etc.

  14. Rick 2 years ago

    Some of the stores that failed were “corporate” failures – Pier One, Staples, Sports Authority.

    Some of the restaurants failed because they simply weren’t very good, or very inconsistent (for ex, I stopped going to the burger place mentioned when as often as not, the buns were stale and/or the burgers over-cooked – bad help has sunk more restaurants around here than I can count.)

    It’s definitely fading – there’s no nightlife, entertainment options, and little in the way of food now. Nothing to attract cross-over business.

    But I think there’s something else, too – perhaps the rents are too high? Parking too dear? I dunno.

    But I guarantee you, whatever reason there is for the failures, there will soon be residential development there, with “Affordable Housing” set-asides to keep the local Supervisor happy (Inadequate parking? Full schools? No problem!!)

    That or another datacenter.

    (the “Don’t Fairfax Loudoun” slogan is an old, sad joke now.)

    James – just *where* do you think these gang members are lurking? I’m there pretty frequently, and there’s rarely anyone “undesirable” – and those that are are usually entitled and self-absorbed people driving 6-figure SUV’s 🙂

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