Numerous shopping centers have sprout­ed up in the Purcellville area over the past few years. What was once a remote town is quickly becoming a popular hangout.

This fall, Purcellville is opening Catoctin Corner, a six-acre site with 40,000 square feet of retail space. Across the street in the Harris Teeter shopping center, there is a new addition of a SunTrust Bank being built.

Catoctin Corner will be bringing local res­idents more chain dining options such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Chipotle. It will also have a Shell gas station, Manhattan Pizza, Supercuts, Wink! Vision, Heartland Dental, and some emp­ty leasing spaces that are still up for negotiation.

Sophomore Dylann Ammann said, “Once I get my license it will be nice to have options so close and not have to go all the way to Leesburg to get Chipotle.”

Other students are not so excited about the impact the construction has caused on the environment. What was once a tree-filled area, is now bare, so that construction ve­hicles can maneuver throughout the site.

Senior and Green Team member Col­in Cernetich said, “They took down a lot of trees to put up restaurants that we already have not too far away, and now many ani­mals are left without their previous homes.”

Others are not as clear-cut on how they feel.

“It will be nice to have good options in such proximity to my house, but I feel like it’s go­ing to make traffic worse and coming home will become a problem,” says Senior Sarah Nasser.