A rendering of the new distillery planned for the old Watson Hardware building. (Courtesy of 510 Architects)
A local developer is further expanding his footprint in Cape Charles, Virginia, the latest in a line of Richmond business people dipping their toes into the town on the Chesapeake Bay.
Danny Meyer, owner and president of Dallan Construction, recently purchased the building at 225 Mason Ave., the site of the historic Watson’s Hardware store, which was in business for more than 50 years and closed a couple years ago. The building’s stood dormant ever since.
Meyer paid $600,000 for the property, the entirety of which he’s leasing to Cape Charles Distillery, which currently occupies a space across the street.
It’s the third property Meyer has purchased for redevelopment in the 3.6-square-mile Eastern Shore town, which sits on the shore’s western edge facing Yorktown.
“Cape Charles, it’s just a hidden gem,” Meyer said.
Danny Meyer
His first project there was in 2018, when he bought the Parsons building at 209 Mason Ave., where he put in and sold eight condos on top of first-floor retail space that he owns and rents out. The following year, he bought the Harvey building at 1011 Bayshore Road, occupied by the Hook @ Harvey restaurant on the first floor and an upstairs condo he rents out via Vrbo.
Dallan handled construction on Meyer’s first two projects in town and will do the same on the distillery deal.
That project involves preserving the building’s historic architecture and cleaning out and renovating the space for the distillery, including a rooftop deck on top of the two-story building. The first floor will house a bar and seating area, and a tasting room and catering area will occupy the second floor.
Dallan first started planning the project with Cape Charles Distillery last fall. He closed on the building about three weeks ago, and the distillery has a 10-year lease on the space with renewable options.
Two other Richmond firms are involved with the project as well. 510 Architects is designing the space, and Blue Nest Structural is doing the structural engineering.
Meyer said he first found Cape Charles when he was invited to a wedding there years ago and ended up going back again and again. He eventually sold his vacation house in Virginia Beach and bought a new one in Cape Charles, then decided to look for deals there. The projects are a departure from Dallan’s bread and butter of construction office, medical and industrial buildings.
The Watson building as it looks prior to redevelopment. (Courtesy Danny Meyer)
Meyer and Dallan are hardly the first from Richmond to branch out to Cape Charles. Hotel Cape Charles, just two doors down from the incoming distillery, is owned by Richmond developer David Gammino. Scott’s Addition-based Buskey Cider opened a satellite taproom in Cape Charles in 2018. And, an old school in town was also converted to an apartment complex by developers Edwin Gaskin, a former deputy director of economic development for the City of Richmond, and Dave McCormack, owner of Trapezium Brewing Co. in Petersburg.
With increased interest in the town, which Meyer said has restored many of its older homes and structures, property prices have shot up. They’ve doubled, and in some cases tripled, in the last couple of years since he began building there, he said.
“It’s nuts, really difficult to buy anything in town that’s reasonably priced,” he said.
The area just south of town, Bay Creek, has several residential neighborhoods and is a little more affordable than the main hub. Construction also has been booming there lately, Meyer said, so much so that there’s a two-year waiting list to start building there.
The town has just under 1,200 permanent residents, according to 2021 U.S. Census data. Meyer attributes the town’s growth as a vacation spot in recent years to the restoration of old homes, local attractions and calm beaches.
The small downtown has breweries and distilleries, boating, a harbor and locally owned shops, and is traversable by golf cart. Plus, there are no big-name chain hotels or restaurants.
“Cape Charles is becoming a very desirable destination to come to,” Meyer said. “It’s very relaxing … Cape Charles is just a lot calmer and a lot more peaceful [than nearby Virginia Beach]. Families are starting to enjoy the peace and get out there in Cape Charles.”
A rendering of the new distillery planned for the old Watson Hardware building. (Courtesy of 510 Architects)
A local developer is further expanding his footprint in Cape Charles, Virginia, the latest in a line of Richmond business people dipping their toes into the town on the Chesapeake Bay.
Danny Meyer, owner and president of Dallan Construction, recently purchased the building at 225 Mason Ave., the site of the historic Watson’s Hardware store, which was in business for more than 50 years and closed a couple years ago. The building’s stood dormant ever since.
Meyer paid $600,000 for the property, the entirety of which he’s leasing to Cape Charles Distillery, which currently occupies a space across the street.
It’s the third property Meyer has purchased for redevelopment in the 3.6-square-mile Eastern Shore town, which sits on the shore’s western edge facing Yorktown.
“Cape Charles, it’s just a hidden gem,” Meyer said.
Danny Meyer
His first project there was in 2018, when he bought the Parsons building at 209 Mason Ave., where he put in and sold eight condos on top of first-floor retail space that he owns and rents out. The following year, he bought the Harvey building at 1011 Bayshore Road, occupied by the Hook @ Harvey restaurant on the first floor and an upstairs condo he rents out via Vrbo.
Dallan handled construction on Meyer’s first two projects in town and will do the same on the distillery deal.
That project involves preserving the building’s historic architecture and cleaning out and renovating the space for the distillery, including a rooftop deck on top of the two-story building. The first floor will house a bar and seating area, and a tasting room and catering area will occupy the second floor.
Dallan first started planning the project with Cape Charles Distillery last fall. He closed on the building about three weeks ago, and the distillery has a 10-year lease on the space with renewable options.
Two other Richmond firms are involved with the project as well. 510 Architects is designing the space, and Blue Nest Structural is doing the structural engineering.
Meyer said he first found Cape Charles when he was invited to a wedding there years ago and ended up going back again and again. He eventually sold his vacation house in Virginia Beach and bought a new one in Cape Charles, then decided to look for deals there. The projects are a departure from Dallan’s bread and butter of construction office, medical and industrial buildings.
The Watson building as it looks prior to redevelopment. (Courtesy Danny Meyer)
Meyer and Dallan are hardly the first from Richmond to branch out to Cape Charles. Hotel Cape Charles, just two doors down from the incoming distillery, is owned by Richmond developer David Gammino. Scott’s Addition-based Buskey Cider opened a satellite taproom in Cape Charles in 2018. And, an old school in town was also converted to an apartment complex by developers Edwin Gaskin, a former deputy director of economic development for the City of Richmond, and Dave McCormack, owner of Trapezium Brewing Co. in Petersburg.
With increased interest in the town, which Meyer said has restored many of its older homes and structures, property prices have shot up. They’ve doubled, and in some cases tripled, in the last couple of years since he began building there, he said.
“It’s nuts, really difficult to buy anything in town that’s reasonably priced,” he said.
The area just south of town, Bay Creek, has several residential neighborhoods and is a little more affordable than the main hub. Construction also has been booming there lately, Meyer said, so much so that there’s a two-year waiting list to start building there.
The town has just under 1,200 permanent residents, according to 2021 U.S. Census data. Meyer attributes the town’s growth as a vacation spot in recent years to the restoration of old homes, local attractions and calm beaches.
The small downtown has breweries and distilleries, boating, a harbor and locally owned shops, and is traversable by golf cart. Plus, there are no big-name chain hotels or restaurants.
“Cape Charles is becoming a very desirable destination to come to,” Meyer said. “It’s very relaxing … Cape Charles is just a lot calmer and a lot more peaceful [than nearby Virginia Beach]. Families are starting to enjoy the peace and get out there in Cape Charles.”
Cape Charles has been on my visitation list for a couple of years now. There’s been a buzz about it. You won’t meet any friendlier general contractors than Danny Meyer. He has a striking resemblance to another Richmond developer as well.
Agree on both of those Bruce. Referencing Cape Charles and Danny. I believe the last time I saw Danny was when I ran into while I was visiting Cape Charles. Maybe that’s why he was there…scoping out the place. Lol……
Place also has a very interesting development history Bruce, esp if one is interested in “Speculative Development.” That part of VA was pretty much wholely UNdeveloped after the Civil War, but some enterprising Yankees with too much money decided to platt out a place that I think they called Cape Charles CITY because of the scale of their ambitions, and like many new developments it was to be a place where people would use private rail to get to and bring commerce to — just like Forest Hill and Bryant Park in Richmond or Ferndale Park in Petersburg (Troy, NY… Read more »
Cape Charles was better before you all knew about it! 😀
Interesting assertion. Not sure that is true in MY case, since I have never even been there. Is this the typical “I don’t like people who aren’t from where I am from.” statement, or is this just a factual “the place has gone downhill since date X” and it isn’t anyone else’s fault.” If you mean the latter, I would be surprised, since the place was described to me long ago as moribund and not doing well, but maybe you are just speaking to the preference that many people have for enjoying nature by themselves, alone, or mostly alone. If… Read more »
What is Cape Charles vulnerability to climate change? it would seem to be less vulnerable than the OBX because it’s not on a sand bar, but what is its elevation and is there a plan in place to deal with sea rise?