Just steps across High Street from Longwood’s historic campus, the steady thrum of construction marks the latest sign of Farmville’s momentum as a destination college town: the new upscale boutique Hotel Weyanoke, set to welcome visitors starting early next year.
The iconic building will be downtown Farmville’s first high-end hotel and will feature three new restaurants plus a rooftop retreat offing drinks and food service to complement the stunning views of campus and downtown.
Beautiful day up on what will be the rooftop bar!
Posted by The Weyanoke on Thursday, April 20, 2017
It’s just the part of a spate of development that is attracting a noticeably increasing number of visitors to Farmville.
It’s a place on the move, and Farmville is really establishing itself as a town with lots of attractions not only for the thousands of students who live here, but for residents and weekend visitors alike.
Ross Fickenscher, co-owner of the Weyanoke building
Two other new hotels are also under construction nearby, plus multiple projects in the increasingly vibrant downtown area next to campus – among them a brewery, loft apartments, a new site for the Longwood bookstore and a planned ballpark near the Appomattox River.
“It’s exciting to be a part of the momentum in downtown Farmville,” said Ross Fickenscher, co-owner of the building. “There are so many projects going on—from the new brewery and other downtown restaurants to several hotel projects—that will really spur additional growth in Farmville. It’s a place on the move, and Farmville is really establishing itself as a town with lots of attractions not only for the thousands of students who live here, but for residents and weekend visitors alike.”
Fickenscher said he expects the Weyanoke to be a popular hotel for visiting Longwood parents. Just steps away from campus, it’s uniquely situated for walkable access to the energy of campus but also the best of downtown Farmville shopping, arts and entertainment.
On the Weyanoke’s lower level, which has long been a local watering hole and popular hangout for students, an upscale Italian restaurant will open. On the first floor, an artisan coal-fired pizzeria will open as will a new coffee and sandwich shop on the other side of the lobby. And, in what will inevitably become one of the most sought-after summer venues in Farmville, the Weyanoke will offer rooftop refreshments and dining, served by the three new restaurants.
There is a palpable sense of forward momentum in Farmville. In recent years we have taken tremendous strides forward and are now watching many more exciting projects take shape. This town is humming and offers something for everyone—students, residents and visitors.
Mayor David Whitus ’83
The hotel’s 70 rooms will be split between the historic, nearly century-old main building and an addition currently under construction on the back of the building.
“One of the goals we had when planning this project was to not only serve people who are coming to Farmville to shop, ride the High Bridge Trail, or visit one of our great restaurants, but to be one of those must-see attractions,” said Fickenscher. “The Weyanoke will really become a destination hotel with great food on site and easy access to the increasingly vibrant downtown—and being a neighbor to Longwood and the energy of campus will be a real draw for Farmville visitors.”
Fickenscher said the hotel’s ownership group saw a model for success in the nearby Craddock-Terry hotel in Lynchburg, an upscale downtown hotel-and-restaurant that was built in a former shoe manufacturing plant and has helped revitalize that city’s downtown area.
“There is a track record for projects like these to have a real impact on both the economy and future development of a downtown,” he said. “The Weyanoke certainly won’t be the last development project in Farmville.”
The town is abuzz with a variety of projects that are bringing added energy to historic downtown. Third Street Brewery, Farmville’s first professional operation, will open soon on the ground floor of new loft apartments on West Third Street, in a historic building that most recently was home to Southern States. Those apartments sit next to the future home of a ballpark planned by Longwood to be home to the university baseball team and potentially a minor league team.
Two other hotel projects are nearing completion: a Hilton Tru on Main Street and a Holiday Inn Express near the Sunchase apartment complex.
“There is a palpable sense of forward momentum in Farmville,” said Mayor David Whitus ’83. “In recent years we have taken tremendous strides forward and are now watching many more exciting projects take shape. This town is humming and offers something for everyone—students, residents and visitors.”
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