Local government officials participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hanover section of the Fall Line project. (BizSense file photo)
Groundbreaking ceremony held for the Hanover section of the regional Fall Line Trail
County officials and other local and state representatives gathered last week to commemorate the start of construction on a 7.8-mile portion of the Fall Line Trail that will run through Hanover.
The 43-mile walking and biking trail stretches from Ashland to Petersburg. This section of Hanover is planned as a 10-foot-wide shared-use road running from the Ashland Trolley line to Woodman Road in Henrico County.
Construction was scheduled to begin shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony. A branch of the general contractor and engineering firm Timmons Group won his $11.1 million contract to design and construct the Hanover section.
The Central Virginia Department of Transportation is the primary funder of the entire Fall Line project, currently targeted for completion in 2030 and currently expected to cost more than $400 million. Local nonprofit organization Sports Backers is leading the trail construction project through Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, Ashland, Petersburg, and Colonial Heights.
As of February, Fall Line had a total of $241 million in funding for the project, according to CVTA Executive Director Chet Parsons.
Chippenham and Ironbridge zoning plans progress through county approval process
A proposed 85-lot subdivision near the Chippenham Parkway and Iron Bridge Road interchange in Benton Woods. (Courtesy of Chesterfield)
Don Balzer's Cross Creek Development Company is seeking zoning approval to build an 85-lot subdivision at 4911 Iron Bridge Road, near the Chippenham Parkway and Iron Bridge Road interchange. .
The Chesterfield Planning Commission passed a resolution earlier this month recommending approval of the project. The Supervisory Board will take a final decision on this proposal at a future meeting.
The proposed development, named Benton Woods, would fill a 27-acre site located within the county's Ridgedale Special Focus Area. The land use plan will encourage new commercial, residential and recreational development in a 580-acre area of Chippenham and Ironbridge, just inside Chesterfield near the Richmond city limits.
County Special Focus Area Plans are used to provide guidance on how to address development in specific areas considered ripe for or in the midst of change. Masu. Benton Woods had been working on the Ridgedale plan even before it was adopted in late 2023.
HHHunt was sent to build a house in Benton Woods. Prices for homes currently in the development are expected to be in the low to mid $300,000s, Balzer said.
Richmond hosts National League of Cities 100th Anniversary Roadshow
Richmond commemorated a century of NLC's work to promote and advocate local government as the official destination of the National League of Cities Centennial Roadshow. The roadshow includes visits to 100 cities across the country and aims to spotlight “the diversity, resilience, and transformation of America's communities,” according to the release.
During roadshow stops, City of Richmond officials gave NLC members a tour and explanation of the Shockey project, a driving tour through historic downtown, and a luncheon at Virginia Union University. The roadshow will begin in February in Kansas, where NLC was founded, and end in Tampa, Florida, until November.
City Council approves 15-year lease for DSS office relocation
the Richmond Times-Dispatch building at 300 E. Franklin St.; The city's Social Welfare Department is scheduled to move in. (File image provided by JLL)
At last week's meeting, the Richmond City Council announced a deal between the city and 300 Franklin LLC to purchase 113,000 square feet of office space and 325 units in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Building (300 E. Franklin St.) for the department's relocation. Approved a lease agreement for parking deck space. of social services.
The 15-year lease and two five-year renewal options allow DSS to consolidate offices at 900 E. Marshall St. and 4100 Hull St. in Southside Plaza. Additionally, the Marshall Plaza Building will be freed up for the planned replacement of the John Building. Marshall Court Building.
Annual rental fees will start at approximately $4.3 million and increase gradually over the remainder of the lease term. Reimbursements from the Virginia Department of Human Services will cover nearly 85% of the rent, significantly reducing the city's burden, which will cost the city approximately $687,000 in the first lease year.
An LLC affiliated with Shamin Hotels purchased the 166,000 square foot building in late 2019.
Shamin begins construction on hotel and restaurant next to Henrico Event Center
Officials are shoveling dirt to mark the start of construction on two hotels and two restaurants (seen in the background) being developed by Shamin Hotels next to the Henrico Sports and Event Center. (BizSense file photo)
Henrico held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on the 114-room Home2 Suites and 111-room Residence Inn that Shamin Hotels is developing on the site of the transforming Virginia Center Commons. .
Five- and four-story hotels and a one-story restaurant will be built next to the Henrico Sports & Event Center on the east end of the former shopping mall site. The number of people using the restaurant has not been made public.
Construction is expected to last 18 months. Tennessee-based Thomas Builders was the general contractor, and Henrico firm NBJ Architecture designed the hotel. Koontz Bryant Johnson Williams handled the engineering work.
Henrico breaks ground on $1.5 million Lake Overton project
Overton Lake is located between the Three Fountains North and Overbrook Park subdivisions near Three Lakes Park. (Henrico County Photo)
Henrico County will receive $1.5 million to provide a new earthen dam and other improvements to Overton Lake, a residential lake near Three Lakes Park that was damaged by Hurricane Gaston 20 years ago. construction has begun on the project.
The improvements will address long-standing safety concerns and improve water quality in the lake, which is owned by the Three Fountains North Civic Association. The dam no longer meets state requirements and the lake level was lowered as a safety measure until repairs are completed.
There are about 20 homes near the lake in both the Three Fountains North and Overbrook Park neighborhoods. Without planned improvements, the lake could begin to pose a safety hazard to nearby homes and Three Lakes Park, the county said in a release.
The nine-month project is scheduled to begin in May. The project will also address native vegetation around the lake, erosion control, and the creation of a forebay to manage water flow. The $1.5 million project cost is being partially covered by state grants.
