Retail in Richmond

[burt]

I sometimes get confused about two specific corners in Carytown because they sorta look alike. One of them is at Shepherd Street and the other is at Belmont.

The Shepherd corner is being converted to restaurant space and the Belmont corner (3030 West Cary) has for years been the home of The Compleat Gourmet.

Henceforth (or very soon in the future) it will house a lingerie store for ladies of....shall we say...ample size. It will be called FIAMOUR.

From today's Richmond biz sense:

http://www.richmondb...owns-sexy-side/

[TBurban]

Henceforth (or very soon in the future) it will house a lingerie store for ladies of....shall we say...ample size. It will be called FIAMOUR.

Haha, I love how you put that! Awesome!

[TBurban]

This could be HUGE news! What a great potential location. Now if we could get a Target in that old Sears building on Broad...

Whole Foods considers second local location

An upscale grocery chain with one store in the region has toured a property on Broad Street for a possible second Richmond location.

Shane Parr of Sauer Properties — a real estate development firm associated with the spice company C.F. Sauer — confirmed that Whole Foods is looking at retail space, including at the former Virginia Department of Taxation building, which Sauer Properties bought this year.

“We’re in the very early stages with the Department of Taxation building,” Parr said. “But we’re marketing it to a number of big retailers, and Whole Foods is one of them.”

While my budget doesn't allow for me to do all of my grocery shopping at Whole Foods, it is great for the occasional splurge.

Edited August 22, 2012 by TBurban

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

WOW, I did NOT see that coming! And right there in the middle of the city, too! Looks like our dreams of landing one in the Fan are becoming a reality (even if it is still on Broad) This property along with the Interbake factory, as mentioned in the article, could be a major component in the uprising of that area on Broad. And if Whole Foods confirms that it is indeed coming to the city, I'll sell my house and immediately move to the city!

Meanwhile, on the comments section, chesterfield residents have an outburst over why their county wasn't supposedly chosen To be honest before I read the actual article when I read the title, I thought is was indeed, talking about a location in chesterfield. I've never been so happy to be wrong

[jbjust]

Think of the convenience for Whole Foods shoppers being right next to Lee's Famous Chicken.

[burt]

If the old DMV building (shown in the Richmond Biz Sense story) is as large as it was when built (see photo bwlow) World Foods would have enough space to make it not only a market but a distribution point for the entire East Coast.

The InterBake property off The Boulevard and Broad is large, too.

I believe Sauer's uses the old Sears store on Broad between Allen Avenue and Meadow Street as a distribution facility.

http://fanofthefan.c...ey-shoe-co..jpg

[KingDog]

For fans of inexpensive Chinese-made tools, Harbor Freight has a coming soon banner up on the old Books a Million store on West Broad in the Westland Shopping Center.

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

Yapple Yogurt opens second location, this time in Willow Lawn. And yet another fro yo franchise enters the market. MENCHIE'S FROZEN YOGURT is opening a location in Short Pump, as well as Mechanicsville. They are both coming soon.

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2012/08/27/a-second-helping-of-yapple/

http://www.menchies.com/?utm_expid=26449294-0

[burt]

The southeast corner of 10th and Main Streets will have a 24-hour 7-ELEVEN by mid or late October.

It will be on the ground level of The American Heritage building which has 50+ apartments on its upper floors.

Soon, about 170 apartments will be ready for occupancy a block away in the First & Merchants 18-story tower adding residential density (and potential customers) in the Financial District.

From the current Style Weekly:

http://www.styleweek...ent?oid=1753067

[burt]

Richmond's third FRESH MARKET will open with fanfare on Wednesday, September 19th in the transformed C&P Telephone building on Nansemond Street between Elwood and Floyd Avenues near Carytown.

Other stores in the shopping center will be Panera and Petco.

There are also FRESH MARKETS on Parham Road near Three Chopt and across from Chesterfield Town Center on Huguenot Road.

From West of the Boulevard blog in today's RVANews:

http://wotbn.net/fre...n-september-19/

[burt]

Jason Lefton, a laser artists, has moved his operation from North Boulevard to Jackson Ward.

Lefton and his associates etch all types of items -- from plaques to chocolate -- with laser beams. He has a huge 1,000 lb laser on order from Austria which, because of its size, has to be shipped by sea.

The retail studio called BIG SECRET is located in the quaint triangle at 308 North Adams Street.

(You may recall that the flat-iron shaped Emrick Flats that splits Adams Street and Brook Road in this triangle was the scene of a fire about a week ago. But the laser shop was not damaged.)

From today's Richmond Biz Sense:

http://www.richmondb...-spidey-secret/

Edited September 10, 2012 by burt

[burt]

Carytown Place on Nansemond Street between Elwood and Floyd Avenues in the upper Museum District is bustin' out.

Panera Bread is already open, as well as Petco.

The anticipated tenant, FARM FRESH MARKET, opens next week.

Mello Mushroom won't be ready 'til spring of next year.

From today's Richmond dot com:

http://www2.richmond...tes-ar-2200193/

[burt]

There are 8 Fresh Markets in all of Virginia, and as of today, Metro Richmond has three of them.

From Phil Riggan in today's Richmond dot com:

http://www2.richmond...own-ar-2215111/

PS: There's a story in the current Style Weekly revealing that Fresh Market stores do not accept food stamps.

[burt]

Here are some photos of Fresh Markets interior.

From today's West of the Boulevard News:

http://wotbn.net/inside-fresh-market/

[burt]

Anthony Lupesco had hoped for an August opening of his Shockoe Denim showroom but ran into unexpected delays.

He now has a tie-in with the fashion design department at VCU and the business will open tomorrow at 13A South 15th Street. His 3,000+ s/f building in Shockoe Bottom is across the street from a Ladies & Gentlemen's club of some repute, and a block from the upscale Ledbury Shirt store on 14th Street.

From today's Richmond Biz Sense:

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2012/10/10/entrepreneur-finds-a-good-fit-with-vcu/

[jbjust]

We've got to get rid of that strip club, honestly.

[burt]

An Arizona firm (not Georgia) purchased a huge hunk of the White Oak Life Style Center in eastern Henrico on Laburnum Road. The entire shopping center covers more than 900,000 square feet, but some of the big box stores own their operations.

From today's Richmond Biz Sense:

http://www.richmondb...ing-in-henrico/

[burt]

The largest Kroger on the east coast will open in Metro Richmond Wednesday, December 5th.

The giant supermarket, while focusing on groceries, will sell a variety of things such as furniture, Starbuck's coffee, gasoline, and will have a department devoted to baby needs.

It is in a develpment called Stonebridge at the Midlothian Turnpike/Chippenham Parkway interchange just across the Richmond/Chesterfield border. The property was once known as Cloverleaf Mall.

From a recent Richmond dot com:

http://www2.richmond...sfmsg_-7890{sodEmoji.|}0{sodEmoji.|}0

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

It's open.

 

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2012/12/05/kroger-unveils-big-store-and-big-plans/

 

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/chesterfield/kroger-to-build-a-second-area-marketplace-store/article_69df421e-8c41-5590-91a1-8fcbe94526a3.html

 

The former site of the Cloverleaf Mall is now home to the STONEBRIDGE development, and it includes the 123,000 sq. ft. Kroger "Marketplace", a concept the grocery chain unveiled a couple of years ago that includes more than JUST groceries, to compete with superstores like Walmart and Target. It is the largest store in the Mid-Atlantic, and includes the largest fuel station as well, with 9 pumps, as well as a furniture and appliances section, a deli, pharmacy, sushi bar, and ice cream/gelato (FRESH!) section, AND..... a baby section

 

But the even BETTER news with this opening on Midlothian is the news the company told as well: They plan on opening this concept at the corner of Staples Mill/Hungary Springs, near that Target/Food Lion, EXTREMELY close to where my family and I live! Construction is part of a "Staples Mill Marketplace" shopping center, and includes a same size Kroger (123K) Marketplace store. Construction is expected to begin by next summer, and will open in 2014. REALLY excited about THAT

[burt]

It's Christmas shopping time and Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond has a number of upscale shops, restaurants and even a super chic cinema.

 

It's one of the few shopping centers that allows leashed dogs.

 

Click on photos of stores to enlarge. 

 

http://www.shopstonypoint.com/shopping

[burt]

Ledbury, the neat shirt shop in Shockoe Slip, got some great exposure this morning on MSNBC's 'The Joe Show.'

 

Sales have grown by 200% since opening and about 35,000 shirts were sold last year at an average price of $125.

 

From RVANews via Shockoe News:

 

http://shockoenews.com/2013/01/08/ledbury-on-msnbcs-morning-joe/#comments

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

Ledbury, the neat shirt shop in Shockoe Slip, got some great exposure this morning on MSNBC's 'The Joe Show.'

 

Sales have grown by 200% since opening and about 35,000 shirts were sold last year at an average price of $125.

 

From RVANews via Shockoe News:

 

http://shockoenews.com/2013/01/08/ledbury-on-msnbcs-morning-joe/#comments

 

A real uber Richmonder would probably buy a nice Ledbury shirt paired up with some Shockoe Denim ;)

 

But I don't think I have the money for such lovely threads

[burt]

Since neighboring Ledbury got such extravagant national exposure (see postings immediately above) Richmond's other Saville Row-style apparel shop deserves another mention, IMO.

 

This is by Ted Elmore in an October piece in RVANews about Shockoe Denim:  

 

http://rvanews.com/news/handcrafted-denim-shop-opens-in-shockoe/70181

 

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

Nothing too exciting, but still, a neat article from BizSense about ground level retail space in downtown, and how some have been renovated, and sit there, waiting for a tenant, or a lease is in progress, or someone is there now. That is the case with Grace Street, which about two or three years ago, had empty storefronts galore. But since then, 3 main restaurants that are getting landlords excited about the market have come in: 525, Pasture, and Rappahannock, which are bringing in many different types of people: empty nesters from the suburbs, commuters, office workers for lunch, and even VCU students.

 

The space in the Miller and Rhoads building after 3 years has found a tenant: Liberty Mutual. Also Shockoe Valley Heights has scored leases for a salon and a market. Downtown is in need of a grocery store, which could bring endless oppurtunities.

 

From today's BizSense:

 

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2013/01/17/first-floor-retail-spaces-get-off-the-ground/

[burt]

Nothing too exciting, but still, a neat article from BizSense about ground level retail space in downtown, and how some have been renovated, and sit there, waiting for a tenant, or a lease is in progress, or someone is there now. That is the case with Grace Street, which about two or three years ago, had empty storefronts galore. But since then, 3 main restaurants that are getting landlords excited about the market have come in: 525, Pasture, and Rappahannock, which are bringing in many different types of people: empty nesters from the suburbs, commuters, office workers for lunch, and even VCU students.

 

The space in the Miller and Rhoads building after 3 years has found a tenant: Liberty Mutual. Also Shockoe Valley Heights has scored leases for a salon and a market. Downtown is in need of a grocery store, which could bring endless oppurtunities.

 

From today's BizSense:

 

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2013/01/17/first-floor-retail-spaces-get-off-the-ground/

While the Hilton Garden Inn is doing well and all 133 apartments are leased, I'm really excited that the Miller & Rhoads building is finally getting a commercial tenant.  Liberty Mutual, I'm guessing, will go into the ground floor corner space at 6th and Broad.  And negotiations are on-going for an additional 8,500 s/f of commercial space in the building (I have heard that Peter Chang Cafe seriously considered the large vacant corner of 5th and Grace, but sources say he walked away from signing.)

 

I think Urban Outfitters would be a great tenant for M&R, but they probably have a clause in their Short Pump Town Center lease prohibiting it.

 

Also, it's predicted in the story that downtown's population will reach 12,500 by next year.

 

The National Theatre and Richmond CenterStage are not mentioned in the story, but both started bringing hordes of people downtown before the restaurants opened.  

Edited January 17, 2013 by burt