Gecker signals Cloverleaf Mall rezoning is ready
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Gecker

For months, Midlothian Supervisor Dan Gecker has pushed for the county to get a better deal in the redevelopment of Cloverleaf Mall. Now, he's signaled that he's ready to sign off on the deal at the board of supervisors' Apr. 23 meeting after the planning commission reviews the proposal later this month.

"I think we're ready to roll," Gecker told Director of Revitalization Tom Jacobson at a board meeting last week. Jacobson has been the county's point man for the project, which is a joint effort between Chesterfield and North Carolina redevelopment firm Crosland.

Gecker, both as chairman of the planning commission last year and supervisor since January, believed the project included too much residential development and wanted a better financing arrangement. In a letter late last year, James Downs, Crosland's vice president, agreed to reduce the maximum number of homes - most of which are multifamily - from 750 to 540. The terms of the Community Development Authority funding for the internal road system are still in negotiation, said County Administrator Jay Stegmaier.

Crosland is expected to reimburse the $16.5 million the county spent to purchase the entire Cloverleaf Mall tract.

The mall will be torn down and replaced by Chippenham Place, an 83-acre mixed-use project with at least 200,000 square feet of retail anchored by a new, large Kroger. The mall's few remaining tenants moved out late last month (see story on front page).

In other rezoning actions:

The board voted 4-0 to approve a residential rezoning for 16 single-family homes on 7.3 acres on Old Buckingham Road between the Olde Coach Village and Old Buckingham Forest neighborhoods. The planning commission and staff recommended approval.

The board deferred to Apr. 23 a rezoning request for 15 home sites on 12 acres in the southwest quadrant of the intersection of Robious and Corner Rock roads. "We anticipate a few changes in the case," said Andy Scherzer, who represents Lucas Properties, LLC.