NEWS: Colonial Williamsburg Submits Plans for Visitor Arrival Center
Williamsburg Architectural Review Board will provide conceptual review next week
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation submitted preliminary plans for what it describes as the Lafayette Arrival Area and Plaza, a project which it hopes will create a more welcoming and historically resonant entrance to Colonial Williamsburg for visitors. The Williamsburg Architectural Review Board (ARB) will conduct a conceptual review at their meeting on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Stryker Center at 412 North Boundary Street.
The preliminary concepts that will be reviewed by the ARB show that the project features elements like a new arrival building, a central promenade and pedestrian plaza, a heritage timeline as well as shaded seating areas and even pergola swings. Other functional design elements are meant to emphasize pedestrian safety and make navigating the area easier for visitors. For example the site plan includes bus and vehicular drop-off zones and a connecting walkway to Colonial Williamsburg’s broader campus.
The City’s summary of the project states that the Foundation aims to complete the new arrival center, the main parking lot, and the bus loop by June 1, 2026. Overall, the plan calls for 442 total parking spaces once completed.
The new development will occupy the block currently housing the Foundation’s administrative offices on Franklin Street, which would be demolished along with several other existing structures. Since the site falls within the AP-1 design review district, both demolition of existing buildings and new construction is subject to the city’s approval, according to the planning department’s review.
The City’s planners indicate that several buildings in the area are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, located at 401 Franklin Street, which is not included in the scope of work. Another structure on the Register is the “Franklin Street Kitchen” located at 315 Franklin Street. The structure sits in the middle of parking lots that the Foundation intends to upgrade in a later phase of the project. The preliminary plan submitted by the Foundation does not include the structure in the design. It’s unclear what the plans are for the historic structure, based on the documents submitted to the ARB.
An existing City-owned pump house is also expected to remain in place, which the conceptual plan shows will be surrounded by a new park. The landscaping throughout the design also includes several types of native plantings and the retention of many existing trees, as well as the nearby meadow.
According to the preliminary proposal, historically inspired materials were chosen to strengthen the site’s period context. For example, the new arrival center incorporates similar furnishings and landscaping cues from other attractions around Colonial Williamsburg, including Duke of Gloucester Street, the Williamsburg Lodge and the Art Museums campus.
Earlier this year, the Williamsburg City Council approved a $500,000 grant to help pay for the new arrival center complex. The planning staff’s comments regarding the project states that the City has been working with the Foundation to ensure a smooth site plan review process.”
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