Crosland to reduce residential at Cloverleaf
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

County officials and Crosland VP James Downs met last Friday to discuss a revised proposal for the redevelopment of Cloverleaf Mall that might move the delayed project toward county board approval. Sources close to the project agreed to provide the Chesterfield Observer with some details as long as the sources remained anonymous.

The major change was a reduction in the maximum number of residential units from 750 to 540 on the 83-acre parcel at the intersection of Midlothian Turnpike and Chippenham Parkway. Sources say residential would be replaced by office space.

Crosland also agrees to reduce the payback of less than $20 million in Community Development Authority (CDA) funding from the county to an estimated 12-18 years. If Crosland purchases the entire 83 acres, the developer would levy a special assessment on property owners to repay the CDA, ensuring the quicker payback.

CDA funding is normally used for commercial development projects only, and some county leaders have questioned whether CDA funding on Cloverleaf Mall should be used when other projects - like access to I-295 for the Meadowville Technology Park in eastern Chesterfield - also need road money.

The redevelopment of Cloverleaf Mall has been delayed since Dan Gecker, formerly the chairman of the planning commission and now Midlothian supervisor, insisted on more defined commitments from Crosland. As of Friday, the changes had not yet been submitted in a written form.

Members of the 2007 board didn't like the previous proposal, saying there was too much residential development. Last November, former Bermuda Supervisor Dickie King objected bitterly to the agreement, saying it had too much residential "for a gateway to the county."

A Dec. 18 letter from Downs to County Administrator Jay Stegmaier offered "to reduce the residential component of the project by 30 percent." Timing was considered "critical" with Downs writing that "we look forward to advancing our recent discussions to an acceptable framework within the next 45 days." The case is scheduled to be reviewed again by the planning commission on Jan. 15.

Stegmaier also received a Dec. 18 letter from Fenton Childers, real estate manager for Kroger, confirming its commitment to the Crosland development. "The Cloverleaf Mall site is the only location within eastern Midlothian that is under consideration by Kroger," he wrote. The Chesterfield Observer reported in its Dec. 12 issue that two other shopping centers in the eastern Midlothian corridor want a grocery store anchor, and Beaufont Center specifically listed Kroger as a targeted possibility.

Before the modification, Crosland's proposal called for 200,000 square feet of retail and office with 115,000 square feet reserved for Kroger. Chesterfield has a lease for the next 60 years on 43 acres of the mall site and could develop retail and office there without purchasing the land. In November, the board deferred discussion of the $7.25 million purchase from Millmar, leaving the decision for the 2008 board with four new members. In 2004, Chesterfield paid $9.2 million for the first portion of the site.

Crosland, a Charlotte, N.C. developer with extensive experience in redeveloping urban projects, is expected to reimburse the county's investment of almost $16.5 million when it buys the property after the rezoning case is finally approved.