Politics & Government

Bullock Third to Throw Hat in For Mayor

Young entrepreneur to focus Fredericksburg mayoral campaign on public safety, economic development, and youth outreach.

Young entrepreneur Ryan Bullock has become the third candidate to announce a campaign for Fredericksburg's mayoral office in the upcoming May municipal elections. Bullock joins Vice Mayor and Ward 3 Councilor in the race for Fredericksburg's top spot.

Bullock outlined a campaign which he said would focus on public safety, economic development and involving the city's young residents in civic life. A big part of that last platform involves using social media and other digital technologies to better communicate with city residents.

"We can build a better future," said Bullock. "I am ready, willing and eager to help lead that fight."

Bullock, born in June 1988, all of 23-years-old, is so far the youngest mayoral candidate to declare their political intentions.

"I've always had an interest and a passion for local city politics," said Bullock. "I am constantly on the city website reading all of the minutes to all of the meetings."

Bullock said he decided to run after realizing last year that there was no age restriction preventing him from running for mayor.

He says he wants his campaign to inspire younger people to become involved in civic life.

Bullock acknowledges that his age is one of the biggest factors working against him in the upcoming election.

"I am constantly having to show that I am, how would I word this, show or prove that I'm capable," said Bullock. "At this point, though, why not? I'm confident in the abilities of getting the job done and I see no reason why not to."

Bullock, for the moment, does not live in the city of Fredericksburg. He currently lives with his parents off of Lafayette Street in Spotsylvania County. He says he is waiting to move into an apartment in Cobblestone Square within the city, but his move has been delayed so far.

Bullock grew up in the Fredericksburg area, graduating from Massaponax High School in 2007.

Before he left for college, he made a name for himself for his meteoric rise through the ranks at a local Giant. In two years he went from an entry level employee to assistant manager by age 17. He was eventually profiled by Chelyean Davis in a 2007 article in the Free Lance-Star. The article hangs in an elegant frame in his bright neon green and purple trimmed office.

"A lot of people in Fredericksburg knew me as the boy who works at Giant," said Bullock. "I could have continued to stay with them, it just wasn't my passion, it wasn't what I wanted to do."

Soon after he was profiled, Bullock went to Full Sail University in Orlando where he received a bachelors of science in entertainment business and production design in 2009.

When he returned, Bullock landed a job as the movie operations manager at the Muvico Village 12 multiplex behind the Spotsylvania Town Center. He worked there for a year before he he began to focus on a his new thematic design company, Dream Elements Productions. Their first big production was a Halloween haunted house at the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fairgrounds in 2010. Bullock says that despite the "huge success" of the haunted house, it did not return in 2011 because he was dissatisfied with the location.

"I want something scarier," said Bullock. "It's all about the environment that you're placed in."

The haunted house was just a prelude for his most expensive investment to date. In late September 2011, Bullock opened the Tree House Lounge, a teen oriented restaurant located in Fredericksburg near the Plank Road, I-95 interchange. Bullock says he spent about $200,000 to launch the lounge.

"More than I wanted to," said Bullock.

The lounge is open only one day a week on Saturday evenings for teens. The rest of the week is open for all ages private events. It is a swanky place, for sure. If it served alcohol, it would be one of the nicer bars in Fredericksburg. Ipads function as point of sale computers, a massive flat screen TV dominates the entry way and the space is crammed with plush booths wired with internet-connected flatscreen computers for customers.

But on Dec. 12, 2011, less than 90 days after opening, Bullock posted an ad on Craigslist seeking to sell the Treehouse Lounge. At $180,000, the list price is far below what Bullock says he invested in the business.

When asked in an interview on Wednesday if he was trying to sell the business, Bullock said he was not. When asked about the Craigslist ad, Bullock said he had removed it from the website after Free Lance-Star Business Reporter Bill Freehling asked him about the ad earlier this week. The ad was still accessible on the site as of early Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011.

"There's a dire need for a safe place for teens to go and hang out," said Bullock in an interview. "The success of the Treehouse Lounge is overwhelming. I'm completely booked up at this point. It's going great actually."

Still, bullock told Patch that he changed his mind about selling the lounge after a successful New Year's Eve bash at the lounge.

"I just put it out there to get an idea if anyone was interested," said Bullock. "Since then I've changed my mind…I did have a few interested buyers, but I feel that if I keep it I can grow it into something better than it already is."


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