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Libbie Mill / Westwood


Spider03

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Earlier this week, the roads that lead into what will become Libbie Mill were closed.  Heavy construction machinery are now onsite.  Looks like this development is finally going to break ground!

 

Southern Season and the new Dumbarton Library will anchor this development.  A Wawa is also going in on Staples Mill at the corner of Bethlehem where the old Shell gas station used to be.

 

Here are some links about Libbie Mill:

 

http://www.gumenick.com/newssubprojinfo-smc.html

 

http://www.timesdispatch.com/business/real-estate/article_7d00b1bf-d1ca-53d0-a53b-04b35c2857fa.html

 

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/images/Libbie-Mill-Flyer1.pdf

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  • 4 weeks later...

 

Yep, just one tenant so far and it sounds like this will be a very slow development (10 years before build out).  That, of course, could change if the conditions are right to speed everything up.  One can hope, right?

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  • 3 months later...
  • 8 months later...

Lots of progress since the last post...

 

1) The Southern Season store opened on July 31.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/business/opening-day-for-southern-season/article_65a3bfda-189f-11e4-9b96-0017a43b2370.html

 

2) The two story mixed office and retail building that will be home to Gumenick's new headquarters and Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, will be complete in October.

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2014/07/23/gumenicks-new-project-lands-office-tenant/

 

3) The new Libbile Mill Library will break gound this month and be complete by November 2015.

http://www.henricolibrary.org/libbie-mill

http://bcwh.com/work/libbie-mill-library/

 

4) Henrico County approved the PODs for two new mixed use office and retail buildings and a parking deck in June.

- a two-story mixed use building consisting of approximately 22,511 square-feet of retail and restaurant space, 24,878 square-feet of office space and 137 parking spaces, as well as related site improvements. The 2.37 acre site is located in the future block bounded by Libbie Mill East Boulevard, Roux Street, Bethlehem Road and Staples Mill Road (U.S. Route 33). The site is located along the west side of Staples Mill Road (U.S. Route 33),  approximately 200 feet south of Bethlehem Road, on part of parcel 773-740-5043. The zoning is UMUC, Urban Mixed Use District (Conditional).

 

- a five-story mixed-use building consisting of approximately 37,000 square-feet of retail and restaurant space, 4,455 square-feet of office space, 327 apartments, and a two-level parking garage with 216 parking spaces and a rooftop plaza, as well as related site improvements. The 3.01–acre site is located in the future block bounded by Libbie Mill East Boulevard, Roux Street, Seasons Mill Street and Libbie Lake East Street. The site is located approximately 250 feet west of Staples Mill Road (U.S. Route 33) and approximately 900 feet south of Bethlehem Road, on part of parcels 773-740-5043, 774-739-3999, 774-739-5750, and 773739-8155. The zoning is UMUC, Urban Mixed Use District (Conditional).

 

-http://henrico.us/pdfs/planning/2014/jun14pod.pdf

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  • 1 month later...

I drove past the development a couple of days ago and I have to say this: any reservations I may have had about this project are now gone. The development team knocked this one out of the park! If the rest of the development looks as good as the first few buildings, this will be a grand slam!

 

From what I've seen, this project gets right what so many others in the area get wrong: the materials used, the proportions, the architecture -- it's all there. This creates the historic, town square feel better than West Broad Village, Monument Square and even Rockett's Landing failed to achieve. 

 

The real test will be the for-sale town-homes and condominiums? Will they cheap out for maximum profit or stick to the same quality as the commercial buildings?

 

I only hope the rest of the project is as impressive as what has gone up so far.

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I drove past the development a couple of days ago and I have to say this: any reservations I may have had about this project are now gone. The development team knocked this one out of the park! If the rest of the development looks as good as the first few buildings, this will be a grand slam!

 

From what I've seen, this project gets right what so many others in the area get wrong: the materials used, the proportions, the architecture -- it's all there. This creates the historic, town square feel better than West Broad Village, Monument Square and even Rockett's Landing failed to achieve. 

 

The real test will be the for-sale town-homes and condominiums? Will they cheap out for maximum profit or stick to the same quality as the commercial buildings?

 

I only hope the rest of the project is as impressive as what has gone up so far.

 

West Broad Village is people's (flawed) idea of "New Urbanism". Rockett's Landing had a really grand master vision before the recession, and ever since the bust, the project has slowed to a crawl. I can only hope the market picks up some more steam, so the entire development will slowly piece together. Monument Square isn't even in the same league IMO. The buildings are beautiful, but it isn't truly mixed-use to me.

 

Glad that people are liking Libbie Mill so far though. I think the real jaded jewel centerpiece will be the library on the little lake. Absolutely stunning.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 7 months later...

Some updates:

 

1) Gumenick will start taking orders for single family homes by the end of the year:

http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_4c59c2be-c1ad-544b-a6c7-139152fc6071.html

 

2) Libbie Mill wins Project of the Year:

http://www.virginiabusiness.com/news/article/libbie-mill-wins-for-2015-project-of-the-year-in-richmond

 

3) Creative Design - The invisible parking garage

http://www.baconsrebellion.com/2015/05/the-invisible-parking-garage.html

 

4) Rutherfoord, a Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC company leases space in Libbie Mill

http://www.rutherfoord.com/index.cfm/page/Richmond-Office-Announces-Move-Planned-for-Spring-2016/cdid/11534/pid/10320

 

5) Lastly, according to Henrico County's Online Real Estate database, GGC ASSOCIATES LLC now owns most of the properties bounded by Libbie Ave, Bethlehem Rd, Spencer Rd, and N. Crestwood Ave.  I believe GGC ASSOCIATES LLC is owned by Gumenick.

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  • 1 month later...

More updates:

1) Construction on a 5 story apartment building with over 320 apartments could start by the end of this year.  Ground floor will have space for retail.  http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_9c061d17-3589-5482-a684-a6fb17a216e8.html

2) Henrico County approved re-zoning to allow up to 250 ft tall buildings in Libbie Mill, which would be the county's tallest.  http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_a470da02-e17e-572d-8f95-f23cc1343075.html

3) Spencer Rd has been closed between Indigo Rd and N Crestwood Ave.  Looks like they are improving Crestwood to be a new entrance / road into the development.

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Thanks for the updates Spider03!  I was on the Internet much of the day yesterday looking for even a conceptual rendering of the envisioned 250 foot buildings, but saw nothing.  Surely they at least have a concept drawing out there...right?  I'd like to see this development take off and be fully developed long before the 10 years it is expected to take.

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More updates:

1) Construction on a 5 story apartment building with over 320 apartments could start by the end of this year.  Ground floor will have space for retail.  http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_9c061d17-3589-5482-a684-a6fb17a216e8.html

2) Henrico County approved re-zoning to allow up to 250 ft tall buildings in Libbie Mill, which would be the county's tallest.  http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_a470da02-e17e-572d-8f95-f23cc1343075.html

3) Spencer Rd has been closed between Indigo Rd and N Crestwood Ave.  Looks like they are improving Crestwood to be a new entrance / road into the development.

Also two 150 ft structures previously approved.  I do not recall this project ever including such height and density but I like where it is going.  If towers are going to be built outside of the city limits then I would certainly prefer the Willow Lawn area over any other.

http://richmondbizsense.com/2015/08/18/apartments-250-foot-tower-planned-at-henrico-project/

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In case anybody wants to take a look at the master plan so far for phase 1, it's here on the Libbie Mill website:

http://www.libbiemill.com/community/#UMAP_2015062472306{sodEmoji.|}e%3De5a15a30-a50c-4398-8f70-60a6fb7227f4

There's a rendering for the exterior of the apartment complex (5001 Libbie Mill East Boulevard), and if you click on the courtyard in the middle, you'll see that rendering BizSense and the RTD have been circulating. Still nothing on the tower though.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Libbie Mill Library is finally open.  I went to the grand opening last night and was thoroughly impressed.  The new road from Libbie Avenue to the library is also now open.  The county needs to add sidewalks along Bethlehem Road and Libbie Avenue to connect the surrounding neighborhoods to Libbie Mill.  Here is the article in the Times-Dispatch:  http://www.richmond.com/news/local/henrico/article_c45c2b80-8a1a-5814-84f2-03ccebe7382a.html

Also, signs for "The Neighborhood" are also posted around the development.  Here is an advertisement I got in e-mail about it:

The_Neighborhood.thumb.jpg.d033bf5c44edb

Edited by Spider03
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