Crocktown

HARRISONBURG - Olive Garden announced today that the restaurant will soon be opening at One Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg. The purchase ends a four-year losing streak for the city, which bought the property for $1 million in 2004, but never found a tenant or buyer.

"This is really a win-win for everyone," said city spokesperson Ray Morris. "Residents have been wanting an Olive Garden for at least a decade, and the city has been trying to find a buyer for One Court Square for almost half a decade. Now we'll all be able to enjoy the exact same Italian-style food that the rest of the country has been eating for years."

Last month, negotiations were stalled over the issue of parking for the restaurant, but Olive Garden and the city were able to come to an agreement. Along with One Court Square, the restaurant has also purchased the courthouse.

The courthouse will have to be dismantled and relocated to accommodate parking for the Mediterranean-themed chain restaurant, Rex Allen, a spokesperson for Olive Garden said. "Our restaurants require lots of parking, and there just isn't enough of it downtown."

But not all residents are happy to hear the good news. Sarah Whitlock, a spokesperson for Save the Courthouse, a fringe conservation activist group, says there's no need to demolish the courthouse. "There are parking lots and decks all over downtown. There's no need for another one."

Allen disagrees. "When you want to eat, you don't want to walk two or three blocks to get there. Some of those parking spaces are several blocks away," Allen said. "Besides, we don't have to demolish the courthouse. We can relocate it to Liberty Park."

Allen expects the restaurant to be open for business by mid-October.