“In many American cities, the shopping mall has replaced the town square as the focal point,” Talking Heads frontman David Byrne said in the 1986 film True Stories. “Shopping has become a unifying activity in itself.”
Fast forward 2020 Presentations on Virginia Center Commons The ad from Henrico County officials features a word cloud about the once-proud indoor mall, with highlighted words including “ghost town,” “concrete ruins,” “decline” and “death.”
The last VCC store closed for good on Halloween 2022. But Henrico County is breathing new life into the site by converting it into an indoor sports and events facility, just one of the ways the Richmond area’s traditional shopping mall will survive into 2023 in some form.
Short Pump Town Center
The open-air mall opened in 2003. Short Pump Town Center GRTC Transit continues to play a key role in the transformation of the western edge of Henrico County and the edge of Goochland County. The mall is home to 122 retailers, including Apple, Crate & Barrel and Warby Parker, but the former Nordstrom space has remained vacant since 2020. In December, GRTC Transit conducted a study on extending its Pulse bus rapid transit service on West Broad Street beyond Willow Lawn to Short Pump. Co-owner Brookfield Properties hopes to receive permission from the state by spring 2023 to allow shoppers to drink alcohol outside of restaurants. The mall would be the first in the region to allow open containers under a commercial lifestyle center license that has been granted primarily in Northern Virginia since 2020.
regent
It opened in 1975 as a traditional indoor mall. regent Now a mixed-use development, it is redefining the concept of a shopping mall after being acquired by Thalhimer Realty Partners Inc. and Rebkee Co. in 2015. Dramatic changes inside and outside West End Mall include the closing of its last legacy anchor store, JCPenney, in 2020 and the opening of NOVA of Virginia Aquatics Center in 2021, along with Surge Adventure Park, Riddle Me This Escape Room and the Rise at Regency Apartments. In September 2022, students from the Henrico Adult Education Center began work on renovating portions of the mall to create dozens of classrooms.
Stony Point Fashion Park
It is positioned as an upscale competitor to Short Pump Town Center, which opened in 2003. Stony Point Fashion Park Stony Point Fashion Park is in a dog- and family-friendly environment with Saks Fifth Avenue, Cine Bistro, and Restoration Hardware. However, several storefronts have become vacant and retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods have left. After purchasing the property in 2014, owner Starwood Retail Partners planned a $50 million redevelopment but faced financial issues in 2020. The property was sold to Second Horizon Capital in April 2022. “In 2023, our team looks forward to continued efforts to revitalize Stony Point Fashion Park with new programs, experiential activities, and events, and to supporting a wide range of existing and new tenants, including local entrepreneurs and small businesses. We remain committed to achieving our long-term vision for this asset and the community,” said Camilo Varela, co-founder and managing partner of Second Horizon Capital. One example of those activities is the recent “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: An Exhibition.”
Chesterfield Town Center
The largest indoor shopping center in the Richmond area. Chesterfield Town Center It has weathered the economic downturn, online shopping and numerous competitors. After being renovated in 2008, it was sold to Rouse Properties and subsequently acquired by Brookfield Properties. Major retailers include Barnes & Noble, H&M, At Home and Macy’s, while dining options include Carabba’s Italian Grill, Island Shrimp Co. and The Twisted Crab. Nearby restaurants include: Plans underway By mid-2024, Spring Rock Green Shopping Centre (the former site of Beaufont Mall) will be revived as a community centre with 300 housing units, 27,000 square feet of office and retail space, public facilities, a hotel, parking and a sports and entertainment complex with two ice rinks.
Virginia Center Commons
Virginia Center Commons Henrico Sports & Events Center The redevelopment plan, which began in 2020, kept the last remaining retail and other spaces open until October 2022. These will also be demolished to make way for two hotel projects and 75 townhouses. The sports center, scheduled for completion in September 2023, will have more than 115,000 square feet of event space and seating for 4,500 spectators for sports, graduations and other events. It is expected to attract people and new businesses to the north Richmond neighborhood. There are also plans to build a multi-use trail and park and reimagine the food court as an outdoor marketplace.
Willow Lawn
Willow Lawn Richmond’s first shopping center opened in 1956. Its 2012 transformation into a “vibrant open-air lifestyle center” was a milestone in the continuing revitalization of Broad Street, according to owner Federal Realty Investment Trust. In 2018, construction of the 7.6-mile Pulse bus line, which now terminates at Willow Lawn, drew further attention to the area. Additional apartment construction is also planned for the area. Major tenants include Kroger, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Old Navy. Across the street, a former bank space is being cleared for the Faison Center’s Pioneer Hall, which will house programs for people diagnosed with autism and is scheduled to open in late spring or early summer 2023.
South Park Mall
Serving the Tri-Cities area since 1989 South Park Mall SouthPark is home to a Macy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and a Regal Cinema. Owner CBL Properties filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and completed a $54.4 million loan modification in October 2022 that extended through June 2026. Like many other malls, SouthPark was hit when Sears closed its stores nationwide in 2018, but in January 2022, it received approval from Colonial Heights for plans to redevelop the site into apartment complexes.
Source: Shopping & Style – richmondmagazine.com
