1 of 6
Stone Brewing Co. rises in the East End. (Photo by Steve Hedberg)
2 of 6
Virginia Tech's Tony Wolf (center), a viticulturist, checks on an experiment at Upper Shirley. (Photo courtesy Upper Shirley Vineyard)
3 of 6
The Memory Center. (Photo courtesy of The Memory Center)
4 of 6
Courtesy Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Hardywood’s owners, Patrick Murtaugh (left) and Eric McKay (second from right), break ground with Gov. Terry McAuliffe (second from left).
5 of 6
Courtesy Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Rendering of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
6 of 6
Photo by Jay Paul
Stavemill Crossing, an outdoor strip mall across from the new Walmart Super Center on Anderson Highway (U.S. Route 60).
City of Richmond
Project: Stone Brewing Co.
Stone Brewing Co. rises in the East End. (Photo by Steve Hedberg)
Size/Scale: 200,000 Square Feet/More Than 288 Jobs
Type: New Construction
Completion Date: Spring 2016 for Brewery; Restaurant in 2018
Cost: $74 Million
San Diego-based Stone Brewing Co., the 10th largest craft brewer in the United States, is expanding operations eastward, opening a 200,000-square-foot production facility in Richmond’s Greater Fulton community in the East End. The company is investing $74 million to open a production facility, packaging hall, 30,000-square-foot restaurant, retail store and administrative offices. The construction will occur in phases, with the brewery expected to open in spring 2016 and the restaurant, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, one to two years after. “Stone Brewing is a company with a strong culture of sustainability and community engagement. Their passion for their product is contagious,” says Jane Ferrara, chief operating officer of the Richmond Department of Economic and Community Development. “They will be a great addition to Richmond and are already making an impact on the Greater Fulton Community.” Founded in 1996 by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, Stone Brewing has been listed 10 times on the Inc. 5000, a list of the fastest growing privately held companies. It has also twice received the recognition of “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine. Wagner says choosing Richmond out of the hundreds of proposals received was due in part to the vibrant energy and beer culture of the city along with the aesthetics of the project’s location alongside the James River.
Charles City County
Project: Upper Shirley Vineyards
Virginia Tech's Tony Wolf (center), a viticulturist, checks on an experiment at Upper Shirley. (Photo courtesy Upper Shirley Vineyard)
Size/Scale: 21,000 Square Feet
Type: New Construction
Completion Date: Early 2016
Cost: $4.5 to $5 Million
Former Wall Street finance executive Tayloe Dameron broke ground during summer 2014 on Upper Shirley Vineyards, a 21,000-square-foot winery in Charles City County with event space to seat 225 and a tasting room that will seat 60. In 1999, Dameron and his family purchased Upper Shirley, a historic 1860s manor home built with materials salvaged from an 18th-century structure that was torn down at nearby Shirley Plantation. The winery will be separate from the plantation’s private residence, which was built by the estate’s original owner (and War of 1812 veteran), Hill Carter, for his son William Fitzhugh Carter. “We want to be a premium wine producer and boutique winery hosting weddings and corporate events,” Dameron says. He says that the waterfront property overlooking the James River is modeled after successful high-end vineyards in Charlottesville and Northern Virginia. “This will certainly be the first one in Charles City County,” he says, “You’ll be able to have a glass of wine and have lunch and sit out and look over the river. Across the river is Turkey Island, a wildlife preserve — it’s a beautiful view.”
Harsh 2015 weather caused construction delays, and Dameron hopes to be open by February. When the vineyard does open, a selection of French varietal wines will be available including Petit Verdot, Viognier and Merlot, along with a number of red and white blends.
Chesterfield County
Project: Centerpointe
The Memory Center. (Photo courtesy of The Memory Center)
Size/Scale: Current projects total more than 45,000 square feet and 55 acres.
Type: New Construction
Completion Date: Current Projects by the End of 2017; Entire Development Ongoing
Cost: Current projects total more than $85 million.
A 725-acre mixed-use development surrounding Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center is seeing a construction boom. Centerpointe, owned by Richmond-based Riverstone Group, is continually developing, and there are a host of new facilities coming to the area. A $13 million project, The Memory Center, Richmond, held its grand opening in August 2015. The 34,000-square-foot Alzheimer’s care facility, owned by the Virginia Beach-based MemCare company, is projected to create 80 jobs. Norfolk-based Robinson Development Group and Newport News-based real-estate firm Drucker & Falk are developing the Oxygen at Centerpointe. Leasing is underway at its $30 million, 18-acre apartment complex comprising 11 buildings and 255 rental units. The HHHunt-owned Abberly at Centerpointe apartment community with 271 units is estimated to be ready in early to mid-2017. Riverstone itself is developing its own $12 million project, Centerpointe Station, a medical office complex of six 10,000-square-foot buildings on 7.5 acres. Riverstone Group principal Jeff Galanti says the company would like to see the addition of retail and he believes the current site developments, including the extension of Brandermill Parkway, lend themselves to attracting retailers. “We view a grocery store as a logical component and a logical core to a future retail mixed-use community,” he says.
Goochland County
Project: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Courtesy Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Rendering of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Size/Scale: 60,000 Square Feet/56 Jobs
Type: New Construction
Completion Date: Mid-2017 for Phase I
Cost: $28 Million
Since opening in the city in 2011, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery has seen rapid success, distributing throughout Virginia as well as in Washington, D.C., and eastern Pennsylvania. That growth has led to the announcement of a new $28 million brewery complex to expand its operations. Located in Goochland County’s West Creek Business Park, the complex will include a 60,000-square-foot brewery, packaging and distribution hall, taproom, beer garden, amphitheater, food truck plaza, agricultural fields, and equipment that will increase the production capacity of Hardywood’s signature award-winning brews. Hardywood is also a supporter of sustainable manufacturing practices; its Richmond facility sources 100 percent of its power from renewables including solar, biomass and wind, and the company has announced that they will continue those practices with the new facility. “The big thing is this development supports agribusiness, which has been an emphasis of our board of supervisors over the past few years,” says Matthew Ryan, Goochland’s director of economic development. “I see this as a great amenity to bring people to the county and for the people who are already here as well.” Founded by Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh, the brewery will join the booming West Creek area, which is home to developments including the Medarva Medical Center, Wegmans grocery store and Cabela’s outdoor outfitter.
Hanover County
Project: Mavalério facility
Size/Scale: 38,000 Square Feet/55 Jobs
Type: New Construction
Completion Date: October 2015
Cost: $5 Million
On the heels of the $20 million OrthoVirginia orthopedic and sports medicine treatment and rehab facility, which opened in early 2015, Hanover County has welcomed another major economic player. Brazil-based Mavalério opened its first U.S. production operation in October 2015, in Northlake Business Park. A manufacturer of confections for the baking industry, Mavalério moved into a new $5 million production facility and established its U.S. headquarters in Hanover County. “This is by all measures a great company, and their investment here is important not only to the company, but important to Hanover,” says Edwin Gaskin, director of Hanover County Economic Development. “They are family-owned, and I think they like the community feel of Hanover.” Founded in 1969, Mavalério is the largest producer of decorative confectionary in Latin America and is heavily involved in the export market, with a presence in more than 20 countries including the United States, Japan, Korea and Argentina. The director of operations for Mavalério, Fernando Bettin, says the company chose Virginia because they could reach 55 percent of the U.S. population within 750 miles of headquarters. He also notes that the Hanover County location provides ease of access to the interstate, port and airport.
Powhatan
Project: Stavemill Crossing
Photo by Jay Paul
Stavemill Crossing, an outdoor strip mall across from the new Walmart Super Center on Anderson Highway (U.S. Route 60).
Size/Scale: 20 Acres
Type: New Construction
Completion Date: Fall 2015 (Phase I)
Cost: $10 Million for Phase I
During summer 2014, Charleston, South-Carolina-based developer Red Drum Capital began site work on the first phase of Stavemill Crossing, an outdoor strip mall across from the new Walmart Super Center on Anderson Highway (U.S. Route 60). Tenants include Goodwill, AutoZone, Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ’n Biscuits, and Murphy Express, a nationwide gas station and convenience store franchise. “Red Drum Capital’s investment is a reflection of their confidence in the Powhatan market and continues a recent trend of national retailers locating in Powhatan,” says March Altman, Powhatan’s deputy county administrator for community development. Altman says Phase I has been completed and there are five parcels for sale totaling an additional 87 acres. As of press time Altman says, “There has been no discussion of the future use of the property nor any plans submitted.”
Henrico County
Project: San-J International, Inc.
Size/Scale: 63,000 Square Feet/18 Jobs
Type: New Construction/Expansion
Completion Date: Summer 2017
Cost: $38 Million
Japan-based San-J International Inc. has been brewing tamari sauce in the company’s Henrico production facility since 1987. Currently, with the growth of customer demand for its gluten-free products (in 2011 the company eliminated wheat from its tamari sauces and certified them gluten-free), San-J International is expanding its production in the county. The new $38 million facility will create 18 jobs (the existing eastern Henrico County plant employs 55) and utilize state-of-the-art equipment. Oregon was also a contender for the project, and during an October 2014 trip to Tokyo, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe met with San-J officials to help solidify Virginia as the company’s location of choice. The Henrico County Board of Supervisors also approved a 70 percent reduction in the machinery and tools tax rate for the fiscal year 2015-16 budget. According to Gary McLaren, executive director of the Henrico County Economic Development Authority, the reduction allows Henrico to be more competitive in attracting new businesses while fostering the growth of existing manufacturing companies. Masaki Nakagawa, the director of sales, marketing and administration for San-J International, says that the county’s support of the company contributed to the decision to expand in Henrico. “I think the bigger thing is we have an area for extension and then we have Henrico’s support,” says Nakagawa, adding, “The county provided us good incentives, and that’s one of the biggest reasons to expand in Henrico.”
Economic Development Contacts
Charles City County: Matthew Rowe, director of planning. 10900 Courthouse Road, Charles City, 652-4707.
Chesterfield County: Garrett Hart, director of economic development. 9401 Courthouse Road, Suite B, Chesterfield, 318-8550.
City of Richmond: Lee Downey, deputy chief administrative office for planning and economic development. 1500 E. Main St., Suite 400, Richmond, 646-5633.
Goochland County: Matthew Ryan, director of economic development. 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Suite 280, Goochland, 556-5862.
Hanover County: Edwin Gaskin, director of economic development. 8200 Center Path Lane, Suite E, Mechanicsville, 365-6464.
Henrico County: Gary McLaren, executive director, Henrico County Economic Development Authority. 4300 E. Parham Road, Henrico, 501-7654.
New Kent County: Rodney Hathaway, county administrator. 7324 Vineyards Parkway, New Kent, 966-9629.
Powhatan County: March Altman, deputy county administrator for community development. 3834 Old Buckingham Road, Suite A, Powhatan, 598-5605.
Greater Richmond Partnership Inc.: Barry Matherly, president and chief executive officer. 901 E. Byrd St., Suite 801, West Tower, Richmond, 643-3227.
