The proposed rezoning is for the undeveloped lot across Parham Road from Regency. (Jonathan Spiers photo)
The mixed-use redevelopment of Regency mall could spill across the street with an additional project envisioned at the site of what used to be an entrance ramp under Parham Road.
The developers behind the transforming mall have struck a deal with Henrico’s Economic Development Authority to buy the county-owned land at 1401 Eastridge Road, a triangular-shaped lot in the southeast corner of Parham’s intersection with Eastridge and Quioccasin roads, for a mixed-use development that would add to the overall Regency project.
The otherwise undeveloped land totaling just over an acre was previously the site of a vehicular entrance to the mall via a ramp off Eastridge and underpass beneath Parham. The county decommissioned the access road and filled in the tunnel before conveying the property to the EDA in August.
The former ramp road was closed and the underpass filled in earlier this year.
The developers – Rebkee Co. and Thalhimer Realty Partners – are looking to add the site to the larger Regency redevelopment and have it rezoned from conservation use to allow for commercial development under the county’s Urban Mixed-Use Planned Development designation.
While their rezoning application does not present a defined project, the Eastridge development would be restricted to commercial or office uses and would not include residential units, according to proffers included with the request.
Potential uses mentioned in the application include an office building, medical offices or labs, indoor recreational or entertainment facilities, grocery or convenience food stores, retail and restaurants with drive-thru windows, and gas and auto service stations. Buildings would be restricted to 60 feet in height.
A site plan shows the triangular-shaped Eastridge Road parcel in red. (County documents)
Any development would be required to conform to a design pattern book that was approved for Regency in 2019 and amended two years later. The Eastridge site is adjacent to existing commercial uses, including a convenience store, offices and restaurants to the east and a motel property to the north.
Anthony Romanello, the county’s EDA director, said the deal with the developers came about over the course of the mall’s redevelopment and the decommissioning of the ramp and underpass. He said the deal includes a purchase price of $650,000. The property is assessed by the county at $293,600.
Anthony Romanello
“When the county closed the tunnel, there was no public purpose for the land anymore, so they gave it to the EDA and we were charged with getting it back on the tax rolls,” Romanello said. “There were conversations with the Rebkee and Thalhimer guys, and they want to fold it into the overarching Regency development and have a private use on it.”
Calls to principals with Rebkee and Thalhimer Realty Partners were not returned Friday.
A county property record notes a previously approved development plan for the site, which was once envisioned as a location for a 9/11 memorial by the Freedom Flag Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Melito’s restaurant owner Richard Melito, who designed the state-recognized Freedom Flag that’s now Virginia’s official flag of remembrance of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
A monument was planned to be built on the site, but the development plan that was approved in 2010 expired after five years, Romanello said.
A fundraising campaign for the memorial appears to remain active on the nonprofit’s website, which does not specify where the monument would be built. An email sent to the nonprofit Friday afternoon was not returned in time for this story.
A rendering of the Freedom Flag monument once envisioned for the site. (Image courtesy Freedom Flag Foundation)
“Certainly we would be happy, if the fundraising campaign is resumed and something is identified, (to) work with the county and help them to find a location,” Romanello said.
The rezoning request is set to go before the Henrico Planning Commission at its next meeting Dec. 14. A final decision would come from county supervisors at a later meeting.
Hirschler attorney Jeff Geiger is representing the developers in their request, which is supported by county planning staff. Engineering firm Kimley-Horn also involved in the project.
The Eastridge site is shown in a map as “Area 19” of the overall Regency project. The redevelopment does not include the Firestone Complete Auto Care property between the mall building and Eastridge site.
Since buying the mall in 2015, the developers have added to the original project with purchases of the JCPenney store and the former Tire America by Sears site that’s now a Sheetz.
In that time, the decades-old mall has been transformed to include apartments, a swimming facility, additional street-facing and outparcel retail, and a nearly open pickleball facility. A Chase bank branch is slated to return a bank to the property, and the overall development is approved for as many as 1,250 residential units.
Rebkee and the EDA have made a similar deal to the Eastridge site before. Last year, the company agreed to pay $750,000 for a 10-acre site on Staples Mill Road for a Sheetz-anchored development that the Planning Commission recommended for approval last month.
Rebkee also is redeveloping, with Shamin Hotels, the former Virginia Center Commons mall site that includes the new Henrico Sports & Events Center.
The proposed rezoning is for the undeveloped lot across Parham Road from Regency. (Jonathan Spiers photo)
The mixed-use redevelopment of Regency mall could spill across the street with an additional project envisioned at the site of what used to be an entrance ramp under Parham Road.
The developers behind the transforming mall have struck a deal with Henrico’s Economic Development Authority to buy the county-owned land at 1401 Eastridge Road, a triangular-shaped lot in the southeast corner of Parham’s intersection with Eastridge and Quioccasin roads, for a mixed-use development that would add to the overall Regency project.
The otherwise undeveloped land totaling just over an acre was previously the site of a vehicular entrance to the mall via a ramp off Eastridge and underpass beneath Parham. The county decommissioned the access road and filled in the tunnel before conveying the property to the EDA in August.
The former ramp road was closed and the underpass filled in earlier this year.
The developers – Rebkee Co. and Thalhimer Realty Partners – are looking to add the site to the larger Regency redevelopment and have it rezoned from conservation use to allow for commercial development under the county’s Urban Mixed-Use Planned Development designation.
While their rezoning application does not present a defined project, the Eastridge development would be restricted to commercial or office uses and would not include residential units, according to proffers included with the request.
Potential uses mentioned in the application include an office building, medical offices or labs, indoor recreational or entertainment facilities, grocery or convenience food stores, retail and restaurants with drive-thru windows, and gas and auto service stations. Buildings would be restricted to 60 feet in height.
A site plan shows the triangular-shaped Eastridge Road parcel in red. (County documents)
Any development would be required to conform to a design pattern book that was approved for Regency in 2019 and amended two years later. The Eastridge site is adjacent to existing commercial uses, including a convenience store, offices and restaurants to the east and a motel property to the north.
Anthony Romanello, the county’s EDA director, said the deal with the developers came about over the course of the mall’s redevelopment and the decommissioning of the ramp and underpass. He said the deal includes a purchase price of $650,000. The property is assessed by the county at $293,600.
Anthony Romanello
“When the county closed the tunnel, there was no public purpose for the land anymore, so they gave it to the EDA and we were charged with getting it back on the tax rolls,” Romanello said. “There were conversations with the Rebkee and Thalhimer guys, and they want to fold it into the overarching Regency development and have a private use on it.”
Calls to principals with Rebkee and Thalhimer Realty Partners were not returned Friday.
A county property record notes a previously approved development plan for the site, which was once envisioned as a location for a 9/11 memorial by the Freedom Flag Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Melito’s restaurant owner Richard Melito, who designed the state-recognized Freedom Flag that’s now Virginia’s official flag of remembrance of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
A monument was planned to be built on the site, but the development plan that was approved in 2010 expired after five years, Romanello said.
A fundraising campaign for the memorial appears to remain active on the nonprofit’s website, which does not specify where the monument would be built. An email sent to the nonprofit Friday afternoon was not returned in time for this story.
A rendering of the Freedom Flag monument once envisioned for the site. (Image courtesy Freedom Flag Foundation)
“Certainly we would be happy, if the fundraising campaign is resumed and something is identified, (to) work with the county and help them to find a location,” Romanello said.
The rezoning request is set to go before the Henrico Planning Commission at its next meeting Dec. 14. A final decision would come from county supervisors at a later meeting.
Hirschler attorney Jeff Geiger is representing the developers in their request, which is supported by county planning staff. Engineering firm Kimley-Horn also involved in the project.
The Eastridge site is shown in a map as “Area 19” of the overall Regency project. The redevelopment does not include the Firestone Complete Auto Care property between the mall building and Eastridge site.
Since buying the mall in 2015, the developers have added to the original project with purchases of the JCPenney store and the former Tire America by Sears site that’s now a Sheetz.
In that time, the decades-old mall has been transformed to include apartments, a swimming facility, additional street-facing and outparcel retail, and a nearly open pickleball facility. A Chase bank branch is slated to return a bank to the property, and the overall development is approved for as many as 1,250 residential units.
Rebkee and the EDA have made a similar deal to the Eastridge site before. Last year, the company agreed to pay $750,000 for a 10-acre site on Staples Mill Road for a Sheetz-anchored development that the Planning Commission recommended for approval last month.
Rebkee also is redeveloping, with Shamin Hotels, the former Virginia Center Commons mall site that includes the new Henrico Sports & Events Center.
It is interesting to read about this. Literally this weekend we were talking about that underpass and how sorry we were that it was no longer in use. The two underpasses always made the flow into Regency so much less disruptive. That is an interesting piece of land there. I look forward to seeing what comes of it.
1 acre surrounded on two sides by a major roads no one really want to cross to get to Regency proper. So i see a Wawa or Sheetz.
I don’t really see this as part of Regency, especially since the tunnel is filled in. Hope it’s development is something more but I am sure it will be auto centric.
That lot is too small and oddly shaped for a gas convenience store. I don’t see that happening.
I agree with Bruce.
So why would they be going through the process to rezone it and pay $650k if it is too small and oddly shaped? You think a grocery store or indoor sports facility. The uses that fit that lot included in the rezoning are fast food with drive thru or a gas station/service center. It is larger than it looks.
Sheetz is already at Regency (where the Sears Auto place used to be) and there’s a Wawa up the street at Three Chopt/Parham.
There are several gas stations and plenty of existing retail/restaurant space not filled within .5 mile of that area. I feel it would only complicate the traffic through there as well. Do we have to pave every piece of grassy area? I think the monument would be ideal. We need more conservation of natural space – beautify it, don’t pave it and put up another soulless/empty set of buildings.
It would be nice but the developer is not going through a rezoning process to keep it as open space.