After three years of planning, Del Ray Glass has begun the physical process of moving its headquarters' operation from Alexandria to Richmond Highway in Mount Vernon District.
Tuesday morning, Jan. 19, backhoes moved onto the property at 6601 Richmond Highway, with the assistance of Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerald Hyland, to begin the demolition of an existing vacant building. That site will now become home to the 28,000-square-foot headquarters of Del Ray Glass.
"After 53 years of doing business in Alexandria, this move has been in planning for the past three years," said Keith Papanicolas, vice president, Del Ray Glass. The company is presently located at 3000 Jefferson Davis Highway.
"Our goal is to emphasize our design center to display our featured items," Papanicolas said. Del Ray Glass specializes in commercial glazing, residential specialty glass, glass replacement and service work for both commercial and residential properties, according to Papanicolas. Its 46 employees do no auto glass work.
The new $5.7 million headquarters location will contain a three-level structure, with the lower level devoted to parking. The upper two levels will be showroom and office areas with a small office area to be rented to a tenant, according to Papanicolas.
It will also contain a 16,000-square-foot fabrication shop with a 22-foot ceiling for glass cutting. "The showroom will face Richmond highway and be all glass," Papanicolas said.
Targeted opening date is this fall. "We will be closing all our operations in Alexandria following that opening. Everything will be consolidated in the new headquarters" he said.
The adjoining property to the north presently contains the now vacant Value Inns of America. It is scheduled for demolition in 2006. That site will become the new home of a Chili's Restaurant and a Commerce Bank branch.