A developer has pulled its pitch for townhomes at Short Pump. Renderings courtesy of Andy Condlin.
A recent increase in interest from commercial developers has prompted the withdrawal of a proposal for townhomes in the heart of Short Pump’s shopping district.
GAW LLC, which had sought to develop 48 townhomes on a 4-acre tract along Tom Leonard Drive, withdrew its proposal just before it was to go before the Henrico County Planning Commission late last week.
County planning staff had recommended the request be denied, which Andy Condlin, an attorney representing the developer, said factored into the decision to withdraw. He said increased attention from commercial developers following an article in Richmond BizSense also played a part.
“Given the county’s position on this property, as well as, to be honest, your article, triggered a lot of interest from folks wanting to look at it from a commercial point of view,” Condlin said. “Based on all that, they decided to step back and let the market play out a little bit.”
GAW, which owns the land, had proposed rezoning the property after years on the market without a commercial buyer. The property is zoned for commercial use, which the county’s comprehensive land use plan recommends.
Condlin said that no deal has been struck from any of the recent interest and said he did not know when a new proposal might be submitted to the county.
Plans called for about 50 three-bedroom town houses starting at about $200,000.
“We got a half-dozen calls from people saying, ‘I’ve got something for that site that may be perfect. Let’s talk,’” Condlin said.
Condlin said those proposed uses include retail, restaurant, daycare, office and storage, but he said such uses have been pitched for the site before. He has previously said the site has seen little interest since it was rezoned for commercial in 2003, despite being marketed through various commercial brokerages.
The property is located at 4110 Springfield Church Lane, at the northern end of Tom Leonard Drive between the Kohl’s and Best Buy and Interstate 64. It is one of the last remaining parcels yet to be developed in the heart of Short Pump and was previously the site of the since-demolished Springfield Baptist Church. Tom Leonard’s Farmers Market and a Goodwill retail location are nearby.
Condlin has said the site’s location, as well as its shape and size, has made it a challenge for attracting commercial uses. He said the same factors make it attractive for residential – a use not found in the immediate area, other than apartments in the nearby West Broad Village.
Meanwhile, another residential project received the Henrico planning commission’s endorsement last week: a 240-home development proposed for 83 acres near the Springfield Road Landfill.
HHHunt is requesting a rezoning from agricultural to residential use to allow 130 single-family detached homes and 110 townhomes – reduced from the 130 townhomes originally pitched this spring.
The project, an extension of Holloway at Wyndham Forest, was also modified to increase the square-footage and lot widths of all units. Single-family lots will be a minimum of 55 feet wide, with 25 percent of those at least 60 feet wide. Houses will be a minimum of 2,000 square feet, and townhouses will be a minimum of 1,800 square feet with a minimum lot width of 24 feet.
The proposal goes before county supervisors for final approval next month.
A developer has pulled its pitch for townhomes at Short Pump. Renderings courtesy of Andy Condlin.
A recent increase in interest from commercial developers has prompted the withdrawal of a proposal for townhomes in the heart of Short Pump’s shopping district.
GAW LLC, which had sought to develop 48 townhomes on a 4-acre tract along Tom Leonard Drive, withdrew its proposal just before it was to go before the Henrico County Planning Commission late last week.
County planning staff had recommended the request be denied, which Andy Condlin, an attorney representing the developer, said factored into the decision to withdraw. He said increased attention from commercial developers following an article in Richmond BizSense also played a part.
“Given the county’s position on this property, as well as, to be honest, your article, triggered a lot of interest from folks wanting to look at it from a commercial point of view,” Condlin said. “Based on all that, they decided to step back and let the market play out a little bit.”
GAW, which owns the land, had proposed rezoning the property after years on the market without a commercial buyer. The property is zoned for commercial use, which the county’s comprehensive land use plan recommends.
Condlin said that no deal has been struck from any of the recent interest and said he did not know when a new proposal might be submitted to the county.
Plans called for about 50 three-bedroom town houses starting at about $200,000.
“We got a half-dozen calls from people saying, ‘I’ve got something for that site that may be perfect. Let’s talk,’” Condlin said.
Condlin said those proposed uses include retail, restaurant, daycare, office and storage, but he said such uses have been pitched for the site before. He has previously said the site has seen little interest since it was rezoned for commercial in 2003, despite being marketed through various commercial brokerages.
The property is located at 4110 Springfield Church Lane, at the northern end of Tom Leonard Drive between the Kohl’s and Best Buy and Interstate 64. It is one of the last remaining parcels yet to be developed in the heart of Short Pump and was previously the site of the since-demolished Springfield Baptist Church. Tom Leonard’s Farmers Market and a Goodwill retail location are nearby.
Condlin has said the site’s location, as well as its shape and size, has made it a challenge for attracting commercial uses. He said the same factors make it attractive for residential – a use not found in the immediate area, other than apartments in the nearby West Broad Village.
Meanwhile, another residential project received the Henrico planning commission’s endorsement last week: a 240-home development proposed for 83 acres near the Springfield Road Landfill.
HHHunt is requesting a rezoning from agricultural to residential use to allow 130 single-family detached homes and 110 townhomes – reduced from the 130 townhomes originally pitched this spring.
The project, an extension of Holloway at Wyndham Forest, was also modified to increase the square-footage and lot widths of all units. Single-family lots will be a minimum of 55 feet wide, with 25 percent of those at least 60 feet wide. Houses will be a minimum of 2,000 square feet, and townhouses will be a minimum of 1,800 square feet with a minimum lot width of 24 feet.
The proposal goes before county supervisors for final approval next month.