Retail in Richmond

[burt]

Pity they couldn't have selected a downtown location.

Since apparently nothing is happening at ROTJ's Power Plant with it's football field size and high ceilings, Bass Pro Shop would seem a natural fit. However, I guess access, parking and lack of other exciting retail were determining factors in the Hanover County decision.

Has anybody heard about Alcoa's plans? Are they really going to close the canal-front facility?

And what about Toad's Place. Has a restaurant operator committed to the space?

[wrldcoupe4]

The powerplant is not large enough to accomodate a Bass Pro Shop.

Haven't seen a restaurant, but on Friday Toad's did have an outdoor bar on the canal walk, serving up drinks. Had tables of food as well and music.

[burt]

The powerplant is not large enough to accomodate a Bass Pro Shop.

Haven't seen a restaurant, but on Friday Toad's did have an outdoor bar on the canal walk, serving up drinks. Had tables of food as well and music.

Coupe, have you ever been inside the power plant? It's GIGANTIC, and with plenty of height for a climbing wall.

At least, according to your report, Toad's has a liquor license. I always worry when datelines slip by.

[TBurban]

Pity they couldn't have selected a downtown location.

Since apparently nothing is happening at ROTJ's Power Plant with it's football field size and high ceilings, Bass Pro Shop would seem a natural fit. However, I guess access, parking and lack of other exciting retail were determining factors in the Hanover County decision.

How about the Power Plant in Tobacco Row?

[burt]

How about the Power Plant in Tobacco Row?

I don't think it has as large an open unobstructed space as the Power Plant at ROTJ. Don't know for sure, but that's my guess.

By the way, is work going on there at Lucky Strike?

[wrldcoupe4]

Thought Stephen and others may find this interesting

GVA Advantis Q1 2006 Richmond Retail Report

[StevenRocks]

Lots of good info in the report, though the sheer amount of retail space opening in the market is a little troubling.

[burt]

Very interesting and upbeat.

I'll bet Stony Point FASHION PARK is not happy with its designation on the Advantis map. Stony Point MALL does not sound very toney!

SPFP does not get a helluva lot of publicity these days. Is it flourishing, surviving, struggling? What is its status?

Edited June 14, 2006 by burt

[Shakman]

Very interesting and upbeat.

I'll bet Stony Point FASHION PARK is not happy with its designation on the Advantis map. Stony Point MALL does not sound very toney!

SPFP does not get a helluva lot of publicity these days. Is it flourishing, surviving, struggling? What is its status?

SPFP is doing well. There is a large residential development going up right next to the center.

[Cadeho]

Proof retail can bring residential too... why the heck aren't they making a plan to do that in the Bottom and along Broad and Grace?

[wrldcoupe4]

I highly doubt those apartments were in response to Stony Point, rather they were planned as part of the overall development.

[Shakman]

I highly doubt those apartments were in response to Stony Point, rather they were planned as part of the overall development.

There were part of the planned development. Watkins Centre is also another development with planned retail and residential. Residential development attracts retail; not the other way around.

[wrldcoupe4]

I'd concur, there was already substantial residential development with disposable income near the Stony Point site years before it was built.

[Cadeho]

Who says it can't work the other way around? Try something new, think something new.

[wrldcoupe4]

Oh it could, but it won't. There's a certain way that the retail industry works... good luck trying to change it. I don't lose sleep over it because I know that it will come...just not quite yet.

[mallguy]

I'm visiting Richmond next weekend and have only a little time to do the mall scene. I assume Short Pump is the best, given that West Elm, etc. have recently located there, while the Stony Point mallmanac shows only a cell phone store and a dog bakery as new stores (thus Stony Point must not be doing as well)? Is Regency Square worth a visit, in that if I don't get to see it now, it'll be a deadmalls.com feature and gone before my next chance to visit, probably in a few years? Or is it just becoming a mid-market mall that will be around for a long time to come?

Thanks.

[eandslee]

I'm visiting Richmond next weekend and have only a little time to do the mall scene. I assume Short Pump is the best, given that West Elm, etc. have recently located there, while the Stony Point mallmanac shows only a cell phone store and a dog bakery as new stores (thus Stony Point must not be doing as well)? Is Regency Square worth a visit, in that if I don't get to see it now, it'll be a deadmalls.com feature and gone before my next chance to visit, probably in a few years? Or is it just becoming a mid-market mall that will be around for a long time to come?

Thanks.

Regency should be around for a while since they just underwent a renovation fairly recently. I don't think that Stony Point is doing as well as SP, but is still holding its own from what I've heard. Chesterfield Town Center is still a good one from my perspective and, I don't know why, but I've always liked Virginia Center Commons. Good Luck! Where do you live, BTW?

Edited July 1, 2006 by eandslee

[burt]

Don't miss Carytown, mallguy.

Stony Point Fashion Park is easier to negotiate since it's about a third smaller than Short Pump Town Center. It has a Saks Fifth Avenue, Brooks Brothers and many other upscale retailers. Also, some major restaurants, such as P. F. Changs, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, Champps, Brio Tuscan Gril and Rio Grande attract hundreds of diners.

Short Pump Town Center is anchored by Nordstrom's, Dillard's and Macy's plus many stores such as Crate and Barrel and a long list of shoppers' delights. Many restaurants feed the throngs, mainly Cheesecake Factory, Tara Thai, Copper Grill Lobster and Steak House, Firebird's Rocky Mountain Grill and Maggiano's Little Italy

Regency Square, as pointed out, has recently undergone major rehaul. It, too, has Macy's.

But, if you have not been there, Carytown offers Mom and Pop upscale diversity, great restaurants (try Can Can, the popular new Brasserie) and one of the few remaining single screen movie palaces in America - The Byrd Theatre - replete with an excellent organist on a Wurlitzer (saturday evenings only) rising out of the pit to accompany sing-alongs prior to the main feature.

Welcome to Richmond.

Edited July 1, 2006 by burt

[mallguy]

Thanks for the tips! I'll be coming up from North Carolina.

[mallguy]

Thanks for the tips! I'll be coming up from North Carolina.

I was in Richmond about 5 years ago and drove by a newish-looking mall with a Dillard's, near a Target and a free-standing Chick-fil-A, and I think in northern Richmond. Is that Virginia Center Commons? Seemed like a nice suburban mall from the outside but is it struggling? Having 2 Dillard's indicates that an anchor has departed, and some of the men's clothing stores shown online on the directory seem to belong in an urban or class-B mall; what's this mall's story?

Men's & Women's Fashions

Aeropostale

American Eagle Outfitters

DTLR--?!

Gap

Hot Topic

Lids

Log In--?!

Old Navy

Special T's--?!

Up Against the Wall--?!

Wilsons Leather

Edited July 3, 2006 by mallguy

[burt]

I can't answer that one, mallguy, since I am an expatriot living in New York City. But I love my home town very much and keep up with happenings there as best I can.

Seems to me Chesterfield Town Center on Midlothian Turnpike (US 60) at Huguenot Road (Va. Rt. 147) had two Dillards and closed one of them. That's in the northwest quardrant of Chesterfield County.

I may be wrong, but Virginia Center Commons, on US 1 just north of the City near I-295, may be the mall to which you refer. It has a 20-screen Regency multiplex in a separate building, and possibly two Dillards. And it just may cater to a more urban clientele than some of the other enclosed malls.

Another million+ s/f Lifestye Center will break ground very soon on Laburnum Avenue near US 60 in the area's retail-deprived Eastern sector. It is to be called White Oak Village and will not try to attract upscale clients. Forest City, which co-developed Short Pump Town Center, will be on board.

Cloverleaf Mall at US 60 (Midlothian Tpk) and Va. Rt. 150 (Chippenham Pkwy), one of the area's first major shopping centers, became so urban that it shot itself in the foot. At the beginning it had about 100 stores and a multi-plex; the cinemas closed and about 20 shops remain. Chesterfield County is not having great success trying to turn the property around.

I hope you enjoy your mall-hopping jaunt to Richmond - and don"t forget Carytown! It is West Cary Street from the 2800 block (at The Boulevard) to about the 3500 block (at rte. 195).

Facts as compiled by Brian Gless, a retail specialist at a leading Real Estste firm: There is a total of 68.5 million square feet of retail space in the Richmond market. That is approximately 50 s/f for every person or twice the National average of approximately 23 s/f. And there's only a 5% overall vacancy rate. Four million s/f of new retail space is expected to come on line locally in this decade.

Edited July 3, 2006 by burt

[eandslee]

Thanks for the tips! I'll be coming up from North Carolina.

I was in Richmond about 5 years ago and drove by a newish-looking mall with a Dillard's, near a Target and a free-standing Chick-fil-A, and I think in northern Richmond. Is that Virginia Center Commons? Seemed like a nice suburban mall from the outside but is it struggling? Having 2 Dillard's indicates that an anchor has departed, and some of the men's clothing stores shown online on the directory seem to belong in an urban or class-B mall; what's this mall's story?

Men's & Women's Fashions

Aeropostale

American Eagle Outfitters

DTLR--?!

Gap

Hot Topic

Lids

Log In--?!

Old Navy

Special T's--?!

Up Against the Wall--?!

Wilsons Leather

I think the mall you are referring to is Virginia Center Commons...at least it sounds like it. Below is a link to a map that will show you were VCC is located.

Map to Virginia Center Commons

In addition, here is a link to the mall's web site:

Virginia Center Commons Web Site

Surely you will like Short Pump Town Center, Stony Point, and Cary Town the best, but for your traditional indoor mall there's Chesterfield Town Center, Virginia Center Commons, Regency, SouthPark (in Colonial Heights - not the best mall), and Cloverleaf (Don't go there - it's crap)...Oh, and then there's the one off of Broad Streat in the City limits called Willow Lawn (that one was also undergoing a make over, but not sure how it looks now). Anyway, there's lots of shopping to do in Richmond that's for sure. Let us know what you think of the malls we have (which were the best, worst, etc.). I'd like to hear another's opinion.

[Cadeho]

VCC is very much a suburban mall. It stole Sears from Fairfield Commons and it shot the final fatal bullet at Azalea Mall. It has two Dillards because one of the department stores either merged or went out of business... which one it was I forget... Leggett or Belk... or one in the same? I forget, there was one store that was changing its name every week it seems. It doesn't mean it's struggling. It is still a popular mall. Now you want to see struggling... try Fairfield Commons... THE finest of all ghetto malls. And Henrico is turning the old Sears building into mini storage. Oh yeah, that helps it. I say tear the mall down and build a Wal-Mart.

[StevenRocks]

At VCC, Hess's sold out to Proffitt's, which then sold to Dillard's. Leggett became Belk (same company, pretty much) which then sold out to create the second Dillard's.

[Cadeho]

THANKS! Now I remember!