More commercial development heads to Chesterfield County
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Page Dowdy/Chesterfield Observer Construction crews are preparing a site along Hull Street Road across from Woodlake for Hancock Village, a 534,000-square-foot shopping center that will include Wal-Mart and JCPenney.

Site plan reviews for commercial development in the county are coming in at a near record-setting pace.

"We're extremely busy now, and it will be a very busy year," said Planning Administrator Greg Allen.

Increasing the amount of office, warehouse, industrial and retail space in the county is not only important for creating jobs, it also helps reduce the property tax rate. By law, the property tax rate for commercial and residential must be the same even though it costs much more to provide services for residential. That's easy to calculate because slightly more than half of county spending goes to Chesterfield schools. The property tax rate in Henrico County is about 10 cents less per $100 in assessed value because a much larger portion of Henrico's tax base is comprised of commercial development compared to Chesterfield.

Much of the heightened activity is a review of four projects in the Watkins Centre in the quadrants west of Route 288 at Midlothian Turnpike. The large Westchester Commons shopping center has Virginia Department of Transportation approval and is awaiting a green light from federal and state agencies for environmental permits.

On the fast track is a request by Village Bank for its new headquarters of 80,000 square feet at 201 Watkins Centre Parkway. The four-story building will also have a drive-thru bank. The Rebkee Company will build a four-story office/retail building and four single-story retail buildings totaling 90,000 square feet facing Midlothian Turnpike in the northwest quadrant of Midlothian Turnpike and Route 288 next to Westchester Commons.

Hancock Village on Hull Street Road across from Woodlake has spurred activity with a 534,000-square-foot shopping center that will include an upscale Wal-Mart and a free-standing JCPenney as anchor stores.

More projects

The James Doran Company is moving ahead with a new site plan for retail, office and multifamily at Winterfield Road and Midlothian Turnpike. The eastern phase has more townhouses and less retail with residential above first floor office and retail space. The change in concept came about because of competition for retail at the Watkins Centre.

Stonehenge Village is seeking administrative approval of a site plan for a 160,000-square -foot shopping center with 1,800 feet fronting on the south side of Midlothian Turnpike near Farnham Drive.

Harvest Development wants to build an approximately 38,000-square-foot, three-story group care facility located in the southeast quadrant of Charter Colony Parkway and Manders Drive. Planners are referring to the project as the Charter Colony Retirement Residence.

County planners are pleased to see renewed interest in Rockwood Commons, an existing shopping center in the southeast quadrant of Courthouse Road and Route 360. "We love to see reinvestment," observed Allen. New architecture and new tenants are on the way along with a repaving of the parking lot and different landscaping. Jord Construction wants phase two of the center to include three additional buildings totaling approximately 25,500 square feet.

Two new hotels are being planned in eastern Chesterfield off I-95. Value Place Hotel wants administrative approval for a four-story, 40,500-square-foot hotel at 2302 Willis Rd. Further south, a site plan has been submitted for a 43,000-square-foot, three-story hotel at 15820 Woods Edge Rd.

American Child Care Properties will build a 14,000-square-foot childcare facility at 7001 Woodlake Commons while Kids 'R' Kids adds a 15,000-square-foot daycare facility at 6800 Temie Lee Pkwy.

The Chesterfield Airport plans on renovating a runway and constructing a taxiway and blast pads. Courthouse 3 is requesting administrative approval of a 19,500-squarefoot office/warehouse at 8100 Whitepine Rd.

A new addition to the Napa Distribution Center at 800 Southlake Blvd. will add 25,000 square feet. Clover Hill Mid-Atlantic Steel requests administrative approval of a site plan for a 5,100-square-foot office/warehouse at 3500 Deerleaf Way.

W.S. Carnes has submitted a site plan for 12 apartments totaling 18,500 square feet in the northeast quadrant of Route 10 and Lakemere Drive. A 5,000-square-foot restaurant along the north line of E. Hundred Road west of Rivers Bend Boulevard will be called Caesar's Ristorante & Pizza. See Yuan Chan wants to build a 6,000-square-foot retail building at 9128 Jefferson Davis Hwy.

Long & Foster Realtors is expanding with an 18,000-square-foot, two-story office addition at 6600 Court Yard Rd.

Metal Building Components LP is relocating to an approximately 103,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and office at 1703 Ruffin Mill Rd.

Athletic facilities

The county will build a new parking lot and improve the existing track and ball field at Midlothian Middle School at 13501 Midlothian Tnpk. while tennis courts and parking are being added for Midlothian High School at 401 Charter Colony Dr. The county is also adding another athletic field at L. C. Bird High School at 10301 Courthouse Rd.

The Midlothian Youth Soccer League is requesting three more soccer fields at 13711 and 13851 W. Hensley Rd.

Two planned communities have submitted plans for recreational facilities. FoxCreek is planning a 7,400-square-foot recreation center in the southwest quadrant of Woolridge Road and Foxcreek Crossing. Meadowville Landing has submitted plans for a two-story clubhouse, a pool house and a gatehouse on N. Enon Church Road, south of the James River.