The sun sets on Cloverleaf
Redevelopment plan for mall goes to commission followed by board next month
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

The 12 remaining tenants in Cloverleaf Mall were notified earlier this month that the mall will close on Feb. 29.

The Chesterfield Planning Commission will take up the controversial Cloverleaf Mall redevelopment plan on Feb. 19. The plan could then go to the county board of supervisors for final approval a week later. Director of Revitalization Tom Jacobson told the Economic Development Authority (EDA) last week the schedule to get the plan ready for commission review is "aggressive," especially since North Carolina redeveloper Crosland hasn't signed off on the county's proposal yet.

Crosland could approve, modify or walk away from the project, known as Chippenham Place, which calls for tearing down the mall later this year to build 540 residential units and at least 200,000 square feet of retail anchored by a new Kroger on the 83-acre site. The latest county revision calls for office/retail development on 14 acres where the mall's theatres used to be. Residential units could occupy space above that first floor of commercial space.

Asked if Crosland could propose excluding that 14-acre site from its commitment, Jacobson said, "Yes…there is a significant vacancy rate in the area," which makes leasing office space more difficult. A new internal road would have to be built to reach that complex.

Another remaining obstacle is the lawsuit filed by Millmar against the EDA, which currently owns the mall. The county is attempting to purchase the 43 acres under the mall that's owned by Millmar, but the company is disputing the formula used to determine the value of the land. The EDA went into a 15-minute executive session to discuss the pending lawsuit with its attorneys.

Late last year, the parties reached an agreement for the sale of the land, which would have halted the lawsuit, but the 2007 board of supervisors left the decision for the new board. That sales agreement has since expired.

Some previous board members objected to the amount of residential development included in the Crosland agreement. Crosland has since reduced the number of residential units from 750 to 540.

Earlier this month, the EDA advised the remaining 12 tenants that the mall will close on Feb. 29. The management fee should significantly decline after the closure since the primary need will then be mostly for security.

Supervisors Dan Gecker and Dorothy Jaeckle have expressed reservations about the agreement with Crosland. Despite its investment in time and money, some county officials are concerned Crosland might walk away from the deal. Crosland is the third company the county has tried to partner with since buying the mall for $9.2 million in 2004. Chesterfield said then it bought the mall to protect "one of the gateways to the county" and make it profitable again. The county outbid a Richmond church, whose use would have eliminated any property tax income.

Crosland, which has extensive experience in redeveloping urban projects, is expected to reimburse the county's investment of almost $16.5 million if it buys the entire property after the rezoning case is finally approved.

A look back

Cloverleaf Mall made history when it opened in the early 1970s, becoming the first large-scale indoor mall in metro Richmond. In its heyday, it was more than just somewhere to shop. It was a place for friends to meet for lunch and a hangout for teens to be seen. We'd like to hear your favorite memories of Cloverleaf Mall. E-mail us at news@chesterfieldobserver.com.