Here's a query for #rva insiders...north of broad street near @WillowLawn there's this huge field... a razed neighborhood? - @RVAFuture
Yep, we're taking WRW question off Twitter too. This is a great question, and a conversation I've had several times as we have waited to track the progress of this $434 million project, termed the largest revitalization proposal in Henrico County history.
That area is the proposed Staples Mill Centre, which would include more than 2,000 apartments, condominiums, townhouses and homes between Staples Mill Road and Libbie Avenue on the outskirts of Richmond. The developer wants to rezone the 80-acre property for urban mixed use, including shops and offices that would be blended into the community.
"Bottom line with Staples Mill Centre, we continue to be committed to the project," said Edward R. Crews, communications director for Gumenick Properties. "We're not going to begin something until we begin to see a turn in the economy."
He said it is a very large project and could take 10 years to complete once this next phase begins.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported in 2006 that the demolition in preparation for the Staples Mill Centre development was completed that year. But the mixed-use project was put on hold until the economy improves.
"We are committed, it's something the area wants and its a great location with a tremendous amount of development in the area," he said, talking about the nearby Anthem corporate headquarters and and the The Shops at Willow Lawn renovations.
Here is more information from that 2006 article and from a document provided by Gumenick Properties:
"A new town at Midtown"
Gumenick Properties is proposing what the company calls the largest revitalization project in Henrico County history.
What: Staples Mill Centre, proposed to include 1,096 apartments, 571 condominiums, 391 townhouses, 32 single-family homes, 60,000 square feet of offices, and 100,000 square feet of stores.
Where: About 80 acres between Staples Mill Road, Libbie Avenue and Bethlehem Road, near Interstate 64.
Who: Gumenick Properties, a 60-year-old Richmond company that plans to move its corporate offices to the new development.
How: Gumenick plans to invest about $434 million to develop the project over 10 years. It has asked Henrico County to rezone the land for urban mixed-use development.
Why: The project aims to revitalize the former site of the Suburban Apartments in a location midway between downtown Richmond and Short Pump.
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