A local developer has secured more of the land it needs for a massive project planned in Short Pump.
Markel | Eagle Partners last week acquired the second of six parcels slated for its 1,600-home Avenlea project. An LLC tied to the Henrico-based firm paid $9.1 million for 44 acres at 12700 Bacova Drive in a deal that closed Jan. 30.
The partly wooded property, which includes farmland and a pond, makes up about a quarter of the Avenlea site, which spans more than 180 acres along the north side of Interstate 64 between Gayton Road and the Goochland County line.
The mix of residential neighborhoods with a mixed-use district comparable to Eagle’s nearby GreenGate development will fill about three-fourths of the overall site, which makes up some of the last remaining buildable land left in Short Pump.
Office uses also are planned in the vicinity of the Gayton-I-64 interchange, which is slated for conversion to a diverging diamond design.
Spanning 183 acres, Avenlea will be a mix of residential neighborhoods and a mixed-use and commercial district, along with green space and trails. (BizSense file images)
The seller in the land deal was ME Taylor LLC, which bought the 44-acre parcel in 2019 for $4.5 million from Annabelle Johnson Taylor, Henrico property records show. The county assessed the property this year at just under $6 million.
The property adds to an adjacent 40-acre parcel that Eagle already owned at 12600 Bacova Drive. It purchased that parcel for just over $4 million in 2017 after a previous proposal for over 200 townhomes and 8 acres of office space was withdrawn by Henrico-based Duke Development.
The Avenlea acreage yet to be purchased is in the name of Triple J Farms LLC, which has owned its portion since 2014, when ownership was transferred from the Harry Grandis estate. Eagle has said all of the property owners have been actively involved with the project.
The residential neighborhoods of Avenlea would feature a variety of housing styles and designs.
The land deal is the latest sign of progress for Avenlea since Eagle secured zoning for the project three years ago. A development plan for initial infrastructure and lighting was approved in 2023, and late last year Eagle received county approval for an exception to Chesapeake Bay preservation buffer rules to convert the pond on the property to a stormwater retention facility.
Ricky Core
Principal Ricky Core said the company is aiming to break ground on Avenlea in the next couple months. Once roads and other infrastructure for this initial phase are completed, Core said building lots for the first section of homes could be delivered next year.
“We’re excited to see this project breaking ground after multiple years of planning,” he said.
Core said conversations are underway with potential users for the commercial sections.
“Nothing is fully determined at this point in time. We just continue to explore our options,” he said.
Total build-out for Avenlea is expected to take about 10 years. The residential neighborhoods are to consist of houses, townhomes, condos and apartments. A network of sidewalks and trails would connect the community, which also would have connections with an adjacent county-owned tract that Henrico is planning for a future high school.
Sample elevations of the mixed-use and commercial buildings envisioned for Avenlea.
The commercial district is approved for at least 150,000 square feet of space, and Eagle has committed in proffers to work with the county to provide land for the new interchange, pending state approvals. County officials have said construction on the interchange could start in three to four years if remaining, needed funding falls into place.
Avenlea is one of two sizeable projects that Eagle has in the works in Henrico. It has also signed on to develop the northern half of GreenCity, where homebuilding arm Eagle Construction of VA will build all of the 880 for-sale homes planned. The homes are part of the 200-acre development slated to include a new arena at the former Best Products headquarters site.
Core said the first section of homes for GreenCity is designed and ready to be reviewed for construction plan approval. He said the section would open up as many as 350 home sites, with initial lots to be delivered in 2026.
A local developer has secured more of the land it needs for a massive project planned in Short Pump.
Markel | Eagle Partners last week acquired the second of six parcels slated for its 1,600-home Avenlea project. An LLC tied to the Henrico-based firm paid $9.1 million for 44 acres at 12700 Bacova Drive in a deal that closed Jan. 30.
The partly wooded property, which includes farmland and a pond, makes up about a quarter of the Avenlea site, which spans more than 180 acres along the north side of Interstate 64 between Gayton Road and the Goochland County line.
The mix of residential neighborhoods with a mixed-use district comparable to Eagle’s nearby GreenGate development will fill about three-fourths of the overall site, which makes up some of the last remaining buildable land left in Short Pump.
Office uses also are planned in the vicinity of the Gayton-I-64 interchange, which is slated for conversion to a diverging diamond design.
Spanning 183 acres, Avenlea will be a mix of residential neighborhoods and a mixed-use and commercial district, along with green space and trails. (BizSense file images)
The seller in the land deal was ME Taylor LLC, which bought the 44-acre parcel in 2019 for $4.5 million from Annabelle Johnson Taylor, Henrico property records show. The county assessed the property this year at just under $6 million.
The property adds to an adjacent 40-acre parcel that Eagle already owned at 12600 Bacova Drive. It purchased that parcel for just over $4 million in 2017 after a previous proposal for over 200 townhomes and 8 acres of office space was withdrawn by Henrico-based Duke Development.
The Avenlea acreage yet to be purchased is in the name of Triple J Farms LLC, which has owned its portion since 2014, when ownership was transferred from the Harry Grandis estate. Eagle has said all of the property owners have been actively involved with the project.
The residential neighborhoods of Avenlea would feature a variety of housing styles and designs.
The land deal is the latest sign of progress for Avenlea since Eagle secured zoning for the project three years ago. A development plan for initial infrastructure and lighting was approved in 2023, and late last year Eagle received county approval for an exception to Chesapeake Bay preservation buffer rules to convert the pond on the property to a stormwater retention facility.
Ricky Core
Principal Ricky Core said the company is aiming to break ground on Avenlea in the next couple months. Once roads and other infrastructure for this initial phase are completed, Core said building lots for the first section of homes could be delivered next year.
“We’re excited to see this project breaking ground after multiple years of planning,” he said.
Core said conversations are underway with potential users for the commercial sections.
“Nothing is fully determined at this point in time. We just continue to explore our options,” he said.
Total build-out for Avenlea is expected to take about 10 years. The residential neighborhoods are to consist of houses, townhomes, condos and apartments. A network of sidewalks and trails would connect the community, which also would have connections with an adjacent county-owned tract that Henrico is planning for a future high school.
Sample elevations of the mixed-use and commercial buildings envisioned for Avenlea.
The commercial district is approved for at least 150,000 square feet of space, and Eagle has committed in proffers to work with the county to provide land for the new interchange, pending state approvals. County officials have said construction on the interchange could start in three to four years if remaining, needed funding falls into place.
Avenlea is one of two sizeable projects that Eagle has in the works in Henrico. It has also signed on to develop the northern half of GreenCity, where homebuilding arm Eagle Construction of VA will build all of the 880 for-sale homes planned. The homes are part of the 200-acre development slated to include a new arena at the former Best Products headquarters site.
Core said the first section of homes for GreenCity is designed and ready to be reviewed for construction plan approval. He said the section would open up as many as 350 home sites, with initial lots to be delivered in 2026.
Somebody needs to start building roads in Short Pump with all these fancy subdivisions and warehouses going up .
EV flying machines could be cheaper. Someday?
Jetsons
“Meet George Jetson…” 🎵
Truly don’t understand the down voting here. The “proposed” high school will be at or over capacity on day one. Do better, Henrico.
Please cite your data to support that. Henrico has always done a very good job of building schools to meet demand. There are very few trailers at Henrico schools and those that are there are truly temporary.
Henrico already has an interchange in the works right next to this development. That alone will relieve a tremendous amount of pressure on the road network in the area. Especially Broad between 64 and Pouncey Tract.
What county is that interchange in ?
Seems to me, the new interchange will bring in as much if not more traffic off I-64. North Gayton Rd. near Broad St. will be an area to avoid for thru traffic. All this growth and congestion is what keeps people moving away to plow down more forest land to escape the noise and traffic which brings pollution/trash. Soon Rte.623 will be a congested mess. Not everyone wants growth, density and congestion. However, I see a silver-lining of some slowing down if Trump/Musk are able to shrink the monster known as the D.C. gov’t complex as its impacts are far… Read more »
You’ve got two interchanges right there on I64 in the planning stages.The problem spots going to be the intersection at Hylas,which those two new interchanges at 64 will only dump traffic that way.I don’t think Hylas is in Henrico,Think its in Goochland Co.
You are correct. Hylas is in Goochland. Traffic has been increasing there yearly. I often travel that way and the ride is not as carefree as it used to be. In fact I now use Cawthorne Rd. more often to avoid it.