A construction firm is filling the remaining space in an old fire station in Shockoe Bottom.Photo by Katie Demeria.
A Shenandoah Valley construction company is digging into Shockoe Bottom.
Winchester-based Howard Shockey & Sons Inc. has opened its first Richmond office in the old firehouse at 1805 E. Grace St.
President Jeff Boehm said the 119-year-old firm has been working in the Richmond area for about six years.
“We thought it would be best to be part of the business of Richmond rather than being a Shenandoah Valley presence that was occasionally making a foray into Richmond,” Boehm said. “We wanted to show our commitment to the area.”
Shockey has done about eight projects in the Richmond are, Boehm said, including the Riverside Regional Jail expansion in Hopewell and the Greater Richmond Transportation Center’s new bus operations facility downtown.
It has also teamed up with Facility Support Inc. to renovate VCU’s downtown data center.
Jeff Boehm
The company signed a year-long lease for its new 1,540-square-foot office in the Bottom in the late fall. Boehm did not share how much it cost the company to open its new office.
The office currently has four employees, but Boehm said he hopes to add more as the business continues to grow.
The fourth-generation company liked the East Grace Street building because of its historical significance, Boehm said.
“The building has historic character, and we do a lot of work with historic structures and historic tax credit work,” he said. “The neighborhood has a vibrancy that we liked, and equally importantly, many architecture and design firms are located in that area.”
Alfred Shilling, a retired local lawyer, has owned the property for about 25 years. It is now fully leased, with Shockey taking over the second floor and River City Segs in the first floor.
The 4,000-square-foot building was built in the late 1800s. It was one of the first fire stations constructed in Shockoe Bottom and served Church Hill, Shilling said.
“The fire trucks used to be horse-drawn, and they would always slide down the hill in winter, so they put one at the bottom of the hill, in the valley,” Shilling said. “It’s a beautiful piece of property.”
Shockey’s move into Richmond may be followed with expansion into other parts of the state, Boehm said.
“We absolutely plan to grow in terms of volume and profitability,” he said. “We believe that will lead to additional office space and additional locations, but we’re not ready to say where yet.”
The company has a third office in Roanoke that opened more than a decade ago. It does work in almost every area of Virginia, as well as out-of-state. Boehm said about 80 percent of the company’s work is in Virginia, with the rest split between Maryland and West Virginia.
Shockoe Bottom has attracted more than just construction companies over the last year. Restauranteurs have seen the appeal of the neighborhood, as have brewers and healthcare providers.
A construction firm is filling the remaining space in an old fire station in Shockoe Bottom.Photo by Katie Demeria.
A Shenandoah Valley construction company is digging into Shockoe Bottom.
Winchester-based Howard Shockey & Sons Inc. has opened its first Richmond office in the old firehouse at 1805 E. Grace St.
President Jeff Boehm said the 119-year-old firm has been working in the Richmond area for about six years.
“We thought it would be best to be part of the business of Richmond rather than being a Shenandoah Valley presence that was occasionally making a foray into Richmond,” Boehm said. “We wanted to show our commitment to the area.”
Shockey has done about eight projects in the Richmond are, Boehm said, including the Riverside Regional Jail expansion in Hopewell and the Greater Richmond Transportation Center’s new bus operations facility downtown.
It has also teamed up with Facility Support Inc. to renovate VCU’s downtown data center.
Jeff Boehm
The company signed a year-long lease for its new 1,540-square-foot office in the Bottom in the late fall. Boehm did not share how much it cost the company to open its new office.
The office currently has four employees, but Boehm said he hopes to add more as the business continues to grow.
The fourth-generation company liked the East Grace Street building because of its historical significance, Boehm said.
“The building has historic character, and we do a lot of work with historic structures and historic tax credit work,” he said. “The neighborhood has a vibrancy that we liked, and equally importantly, many architecture and design firms are located in that area.”
Alfred Shilling, a retired local lawyer, has owned the property for about 25 years. It is now fully leased, with Shockey taking over the second floor and River City Segs in the first floor.
The 4,000-square-foot building was built in the late 1800s. It was one of the first fire stations constructed in Shockoe Bottom and served Church Hill, Shilling said.
“The fire trucks used to be horse-drawn, and they would always slide down the hill in winter, so they put one at the bottom of the hill, in the valley,” Shilling said. “It’s a beautiful piece of property.”
Shockey’s move into Richmond may be followed with expansion into other parts of the state, Boehm said.
“We absolutely plan to grow in terms of volume and profitability,” he said. “We believe that will lead to additional office space and additional locations, but we’re not ready to say where yet.”
The company has a third office in Roanoke that opened more than a decade ago. It does work in almost every area of Virginia, as well as out-of-state. Boehm said about 80 percent of the company’s work is in Virginia, with the rest split between Maryland and West Virginia.
Shockoe Bottom has attracted more than just construction companies over the last year. Restauranteurs have seen the appeal of the neighborhood, as have brewers and healthcare providers.