Third developer in 3 years takes a crack at vacant Broad St. lot on Richmond-Henrico line

middleburg motleys

A rendering of one of the planned apartment buildings. (County documents)

The third time might be the charm for 4400 W. Broad St. to finally be redeveloped.

The 6-acre parking lot, which has been targeted by apartment developers at least twice in recent years, is being eyed for a nearly 300-unit project from Northern Virginia-based Middleburg Communities.

Last month Middleburg submitted plans to Henrico County for a pair of four-story buildings totaling 296 units for the site. The building nearest to Broad Street would house 132 units and include a 9,300-square-foot amenity space. Behind it would be a second building with 164 units. 

Planned amenities include a pool and courtyard, plus 358 surface parking spaces. Poole & Poole Architecture is listed as the project architect and Timmons Group the engineer. 

middleburg motleys siteplan Cropped

A site plan of the development.

Middleburg spokespeople didn’t respond to questions about the planned development. Mark Motley, whose Motleys Asset Disposition Group owns the land, wasn’t available for comment by press time. 

The lot, which straddles the Richmond-Henrico County line, has sat vacant for years. 

In 2022, Arizona-based developer Alliance Residential Co. put it under contract with plans to build 340 apartments, but that project was scrapped after running into issues related to utility access between the two municipalities. 

Next came Florida-based Mill Creek Residential, which put the property under contract and looked to pick up where Alliance left off. But that deal also didn’t reach closing as high interest rates led Mill Creek to punt on it

Now it’s Middleburg’s turn to take a crack at it. The firm entered the local market a few years ago with a trio of projects in the area

It’s unclear whether Middleburg has the Broad Street site under contract. When the property hit the market last year, the asking price was $13 million, and the offering included an approved special-use permit and plans for the development, which Alliance secured in 2022. The city and county most recently assessed the property at a combined $2.7 million. 

Additional apartments are in the works a bit further down West Broad Street. 

The Breakwater Cos. is planning to replace an aging office building at 4605, 4623 and 4625 W. Broad St. with a six-story, 171-unit structure. The Maryland-based developer secured the land it needs for the redevelopment late last year.

middleburg motleys

A rendering of one of the planned apartment buildings. (County documents)

The third time might be the charm for 4400 W. Broad St. to finally be redeveloped.

The 6-acre parking lot, which has been targeted by apartment developers at least twice in recent years, is being eyed for a nearly 300-unit project from Northern Virginia-based Middleburg Communities.

Last month Middleburg submitted plans to Henrico County for a pair of four-story buildings totaling 296 units for the site. The building nearest to Broad Street would house 132 units and include a 9,300-square-foot amenity space. Behind it would be a second building with 164 units. 

Planned amenities include a pool and courtyard, plus 358 surface parking spaces. Poole & Poole Architecture is listed as the project architect and Timmons Group the engineer. 

middleburg motleys siteplan Cropped

A site plan of the development.

Middleburg spokespeople didn’t respond to questions about the planned development. Mark Motley, whose Motleys Asset Disposition Group owns the land, wasn’t available for comment by press time. 

The lot, which straddles the Richmond-Henrico County line, has sat vacant for years. 

In 2022, Arizona-based developer Alliance Residential Co. put it under contract with plans to build 340 apartments, but that project was scrapped after running into issues related to utility access between the two municipalities. 

Next came Florida-based Mill Creek Residential, which put the property under contract and looked to pick up where Alliance left off. But that deal also didn’t reach closing as high interest rates led Mill Creek to punt on it

Now it’s Middleburg’s turn to take a crack at it. The firm entered the local market a few years ago with a trio of projects in the area

It’s unclear whether Middleburg has the Broad Street site under contract. When the property hit the market last year, the asking price was $13 million, and the offering included an approved special-use permit and plans for the development, which Alliance secured in 2022. The city and county most recently assessed the property at a combined $2.7 million. 

Additional apartments are in the works a bit further down West Broad Street. 

The Breakwater Cos. is planning to replace an aging office building at 4605, 4623 and 4625 W. Broad St. with a six-story, 171-unit structure. The Maryland-based developer secured the land it needs for the redevelopment late last year.

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Don O'Keefe
Don O'Keefe
16 days ago

Great to see more housing. But also worth noting that this bizarre and contorted site plan is another piece of evidence that cars are the ultimate enemy of an attractively arranged cityscape.

David Humphrey
David Humphrey
16 days ago
Reply to  Don O'Keefe

Actually in the case of this area it was rail that determined a lot of the lot lines. If it had been cars it would have likely been more gridded to begin with.

Stephen Weisensale
Stephen Weisensale
16 days ago
Reply to  Don O'Keefe

Indeed, it appears to be landscaped completely by asphalt.

Roy Locker
Roy Locker
16 days ago
Reply to  Don O'Keefe

I humbly suggest that the rules (or lack of) from the bureaucracy might rank ahead of cars on the enemy-of-the-cityscape list.

Bruce Milam
Bruce Milam
16 days ago

Middleburg most certainly controls the land with a contract to purchase it. We feel we have found the ultimate purchaser for the land with the help of Range Realty Partners (thank you, Hamilton and David).

Blair Archibald
Blair Archibald
16 days ago

Glad to see plans for a road to be built behind this property in what I assume is an effort to establish a street grid in the Westwood area of Henrico.

It would be great to see Libbie Mill-type development extend east to Acca and south to Broad, anchored by Jordan’s Branch as a green space. And somehow establishing pedestrian and bike access to Bryan Park would be an absolute game changer with some lasting legacy.

Michael Morgan-Dodson
Michael Morgan-Dodson
16 days ago

Interesting “road” as the current utils easement is narrow and that would need a LOT of land to be acquired for a full service road. I wonder if this will be more a 2nd entrance and not a public street?