Project Snapshot: New homes, hotels rising at Virginia Center Commons site

An aerial view shows the Virginia Center Commons site beside Interstate 95, with redevelopment underway within the old mall’s loop road. A separate apartment building project from Bristol Development Group is visible at lower right. (Skyshots Photography)

More buildings are going vertical and land is being cleared in and around the site of the former Virginia Center Commons mall, where development activity is beginning to spill over beyond the old shopping hub’s loop road.

Three-story townhomes and two-over-two condos are popping up within the former mall site, adding to an initial round of apartments and more under construction beside the now-2-year-old Henrico Sports & Events Center.

Beyond that, two hotels from Shamin Hotels, which is steering the redevelopment along with Rebkee Co., are rising on the side closest to Interstate 95, with deals inked for two restaurants from Chris Tsui’s EAT Restaurant Partners, including a new Lucky AF location.

Construction on the two Shamin hotels, as they appeared in June. (Jonathan Spiers photos)

Farther south, on the other side of Telegraph Road, a 273-unit apartment building from Bristol Development Group also is taking shape. And around the corner along J.E.B. Stuart Parkway, Sauer Properties has started initial site work for what’s planned to be a mix across 93 acres of industrial, office and retail development, along with 780 residential units.

The flurry of activity marks the start of the Sauer project and a midway point for the developable parts of the VCC site, where demolition of the former mall buildings – minus the separately owned American Family Fitness building that’s still standing and operational – kicked off the redevelopment in 2021.

The VCC project so far does not include the 11-acre American Family Fitness property, nor about 6 acres of parking that Henrico owns in the site’s southeast corner. Those properties are earmarked for future phases that would bring the overall development to 500 apartments, 325 two-over-two condos, income-based housing options and retail space.

An eastward view of the VCC site shows the American Family Fitness building in the foreground; the apartments and initial townhomes and condos behind it; and the events center and hotels at the top. (Skyshots Photography)

Rebkee principal Rob Hargett said what remains for VCC – as far as the apartments and the hotels that Rebkee and Shamin are developing, respectively – is on track to come online next year, while the townhomes and condos from Stanley Martin Homes that will fill out the rest of the central part of the site are expected to be built out in a few years.

Noting several of the for-sale homes have already been sold, Hargett said, “They’re moving pretty quick, so I feel good about that. I just want it to be done so the neighborhood’s a neighborhood.”

Stanley Martin Homes is building the three-story townhomes and two-over-two condos.

Stanley Martin in 2023 purchased about 15 acres in the center of the site for the townhomes and condos, paying Rebkee and Shamin over $12.7 million, property records show. That followed a $2.3 million deal in 2021 for a 5-acre site closer to Brook Road, where the Reston-based builder has finished its Village at Virginia Center townhomes, with prices starting above $409,000. The 75 homes there are all sold.

Stanley Martin plans to build 361 homes on the former mall site, consisting of 212 condos and 149 townhomes. Division President Charlie Jones said the company has sold 31 of those homes so far and is targeting full build-out in 2028.

Along the northern side of the VCC site, Rebkee has finished the first phase of The Walker Virginia Center apartments, with two buildings housing 275 units, about half of which have been rented so far. Rents at the Drucker + Falk-managed apartments range from $1,500 a month for a 650-square-foot one-bedroom unit, to $2,700 for a 1,400-square-foot three-bedroom.

A third apartment building with an additional 116 units will finish out The Walker and is under construction next door, between the existing buildings and the Henrico events center. Purcell Construction Corp. is the contractor for that building.

“The first phase is leasing great, right on schedule,” Hargett said of the apartments. “We’re above 50%-leased already. It’s been well-received.”

The two hotels as viewed from the events center in June.

The two Shamin hotels – a Hilton-branded Home2 Suites and Marriott-branded Residence Inn – are taking shape and set to come online next year, said Amin, the CEO. Tennessee-based Thomas Builders is the general contractor for the hotels, which are designed by Henrico firm NBJ Architecture.

“They’re both coming out really well,” Amin said. “The Residence Inn may open early next year, and the Home2 Suites afterwards.”

Chris Tsui confirmed that EAT Restaurant Partners has signed on for the two restaurants planned with the hotels. One will be a Lucky AF location, adding to the original in Scott’s Addition and another planned at a new mixed-use building in Forest Hill. He said the other restaurant’s concept is to be determined.

The Bristol Development apartments along Telegraph Road.

Up the street from the hotels, Tennessee-based Bristol Development is continuing with the five-story apartment building at 10551 Telegraph Road, a 3.3-acre parcel beside the Citizens Bank Office Park next to the interstate. Bristol is developing that project with property owners Mohawk Investment Partners I LLC and National Financial Realty-Richmond LLC.

A site plan for the HHHunt townhomes. (Image courtesy HHHunt)

Along J.E.B. Stuart Parkway, a 22-acre site just east of Telegraph Road was recently cleared and graded for Sauer’s initial industrial and retail development site, where the developer is working with the Henrico Economic Development Authority to recruit research-and-development or “similar low-impact” users. The EDA will now market the site, specific users for which have yet to be lined up.

Farther south along J.E.B. Stuart, HHHunt Homes is preparing to start site work for its Edgebrook townhomes, an initial phase of which is approved for 112 homes. HHHunt, which is building Sauer’s for-sale homes, purchased its 45-acre lot at J.E.B. Stuart and Virginia Center Parkway from Sauer last fall for $3.2 million.

Jonathan Ridout, general manager and vice president of real estate development for HHHunt Communities, said the company is wrapping up work to relocate a major fiber line and expects to continue site work for the townhomes. He said the first lots are targeted for completion next summer with vertical construction to follow.

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