A retailer is finally moving into the former Hobby Works in Fairfax City, but the shopping center is staying tight-lipped for now about who the newcomer will be.
Work has begun on a buildout of the 2,450-square-foot space at Fair City Mall (9650 Main Street). The sidewalk and drive aisle in front of the storefront have been blocked off by a fence around the construction area.
Signs posted along the fence emphasizes that nearby businesses, including Cinema Arts Theatre, Five Below and the eateries Yama Chen’s Sushi House, Mamma Lucia and 54 Restaurant and Bar, are still open during construction.
“We’re very excited that a lease has been signed and the work has been started on the former Hobby Works space at Fair City Mall,” Jake Levin, a principal for the mall’s retail broker KLNB, told FFXnow by email. “However, we are not able to disclose the Tenant at this time.”
The space has been vacant since the January 2018 closure of Hobby Works, a regional chain that sells train sets, games and other niche hobby products. The company, which still has two locations in Maryland, had been operating at Fair City Mall for 16 years, according to its closing announcement.
Hobby Works was one of several major, longstanding tenants to leave the shopping center around that time, following in the footsteps of Best Buy and Old Country Buffet. In 2021, Bed Bath and Beyond and Shoppers also shuttered, though Safeway quickly took over as the property’s anchor grocery store.
Though details about the Hobby Works replacement are scant, permits issued by Fairfax City suggest a substantial overhaul is in progress, including a demolition of the storefront. The new facade will be moved farther up to align with its neighbors.
“Currently, the existing storefront is recessed 6 feet from the adjacent tenants,” a description of one permit says. “The applicant proposes to bump out this wall and align it to be flush with the adjacent … spaces. As a result, this improvement will enclose a small additional interior area within the new tenant space.”
Confirmed incoming tenants at Fair City Mall include South Block, Chase Bank and Dave’s Hot Chicken, which will occupy a renovated row where Bed Bath and Beyond was once located. While Dave’s Hot Chicken haven’t provided an opening date yet, per Levin, South Block owner Amir Mostafavi says he still expects to open in early 2025, as previously projected.
The juice shop is also working on locations at Old Keene Mill Shopping Center in West Springfield and at Dulles International Airport. The West Springfield site is on a similar timeline as the Fairfax City location, but South Block could open in the airport late this year.
“Unfortunately I don’t have exact dates yet,” Mostafavi said. “But that’s a pretty good guess on timing.”
Also at Fair City Mall, a “coming soon” banner for Honeygrow now hangs above a vacant space at 9600 Main Street. After opening a location in Fair Lakes in August, the fast-casual stir-fry chain announced that it has signed leases for spots in Fair City Mall and on Old Keene Mill Road in Springfield, Patch reported.
The Fair City Mall restaurant is expected to open in spring 2025, according to Patch.
