The Wild West

There’s a second city growing west of Short Pump, as three new projects are developing an area equivalent in size to The Fan

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Christine Hedblom’s family just bought a house in Shire Place, making them the first residents in the 33-home development at the corner of Pump and Church roads in Short Pump, and she couldn’t be happier. “We actually looked at the one we got and put a contract down within a few hours. It was the first and only home we looked at, and we are first-time home buyers,” Hedblom says.

The Hedbloms moved there in March, enticed by the location, just off West Broad Street but “literally close to everything.”

That was also the appeal of the area for Jeanne Nuara, a resident of West Broad Village in Glen Allen, just steps from Whole Foods.

“My work, family and friends are all nearby,” she says. “Grocery stores and restaurants are [within] walking distance, and it’s a safe, social and healthy community. I’ve cut my annual mileage on my car by nearly half, and my home has minimal repairs since the construction is so new. It’s also right off the interstate, so I can get downtown or other areas of RVA pretty easily.”

Nuara and Hedblom are putting roots down in a rapidly changing area. When finished, three new developments west of what is currently considered Short Pump will be its own little city.

“Retailers follow the traffic, making Short Pump one of the most desirable areas in town.” —Ryan Fanelli, Commonwealth Commercial real estate

To put it in perspective by size, Broad Hill Centre, West Broad Marketplace and GreenGate will occupy as much land space as the Fan in central Richmond. Broad Hill Centre will be 70 percent residential, while West Broad Marketplace is all retail. GreenGate is expected to be a mixture of both, with some local dining options. Each project and its developers are touting the benefits that brought Nuara and Hedblom to the area: living close to prime eating and shopping destinations.

“Retailers follow the traffic, making Short Pump one of the most desirable areas in town,” says Ryan Fanelli, a broker with Commonwealth Commercial real estate in Innsbrook. “It makes sense that living here would give you convenient access to some of the best shopping and dining in the region.”

While the retailers benefit, can the residents handle the augmented shopping and dining that will cause more traffic to head west? Each day, 45,000 vehicles travel West Broad Street, according to information from Markel/Eagle, developers of GreenGate.

“It’s congested at certain times, and others, it’s not,” says Steve Yob, director of public works for Henrico County. “It’s not to the point of gridlock.”

Henrico County is in the planning stage of a possible improvement of the intersection of Gayton Road at Interstate 64 by adding a diverging diamond interchange. It’s a type of interchange that streamlines traffic flow and eliminates some left turns in front of other vehicles by routing some drivers for a time onto the opposite side of a road. That makes for a safer, less-congested road.

For Nuara and Hedblom, congestion is part of the lifestyle.

“Traffic is definitely tough during the holidays, but it honestly doesn’t bother me,” Nuara says. “If you are in a hurry to get from Whole Foods to Wegmans, Short Pump may not be for you.”

Hedblom also is undeterred. “So far I’m impressed with the traffic out here,” she says. “It’s honestly not bad, which may be because I’m comparing it to Northern Virginia and downtown Richmond traffic.”

So what’s new and what’s coming? Here’s a sampling of what to expect along West Broad Street.

West Broad Marketplace

Wegmans has had 1 million visitors since it opened in July 2016, according to Jack Waghorn of NV Retail, the firm that developed the property. The 40,000-square-foot development is anchored by Wegmans and a Cabela’s outdoor megastore.

Other tenants include an Essex Bank branch and Escape Nails & Spa, which opened in February. Also, b.good, a fast-food chain that features healthy fare including kale and grain bowls and seasonal fresh vegetables, has signed a lease there.

The development has room to grow, with 14 vacant buildings. Waghorn says he is looking for the right mix of tenants. “A brewery or brewpub would do amazing here,” he says.

GreenGate

Markel/Eagle, the developers of GreenGate, a 70-acre, mixed-use project, seek to provide the benefits of an urban lifestyle in a suburban area that evokes classic Richmond communities.

Dining choices will include the second location of The Daily Kitchen and Bar, and West Coast Provisions, the Short Pump sibling of Carytown’s East Coast Provisions. Both are from Richmond Restaurant Group.

Other unique eateries include Red Salt ChopHouse, a restaurant by the team behind EAT Restaurant Partners. There also will be a Mellow Mushroom and a Starbucks.

GreenGate also has plans for offices and retail space with tenants including Lidl, a German grocer that will serve as an anchor.

There will be 230 townhomes and single-family homes to round out the development, with features such as multiple stories, wraparound porches and micro-parks similar to Richmond’s older neighborhoods.

The homes are a hot commodity: Fifteen sold in the first 30 days, according to Fanelli of Commonwealth Commercial real estate.

The appeal of life in the region, he says, is simple. “You have this income, this location and the schools are good,” he says. “It’s safe, it’s clean and the taxes are low. All of the ingredients are there.”

Broad Hill Centre

This 70-acre parcel at the Goochland County line will be home to a Bon Secours medical facility set to open in spring 2018 that will house a 12-bed, free-standing emergency room, a medical imaging center, a primary care space and a place to check in with a doctor online.

Up front, there’s an Aldi grocery store, which opened in October.

The development also includes the 320-unit Avia Luxury Apartment Homes. Planned residential additions include Saunders Station Townes at Broad Hill Centre, with 78 townhomes with rooftop terraces and amenity access, and Saunders Station at Broad Hill Centre, which will include 166 condominiums with garages and amenity access.

“We have various mixes of [housing] out there,” says Cindy Weinstock of Atack Properties. “The whole walkability aspect of things certainly seems to appeal to a variety of buyers.”

Weinstock says Broad Hill Centre should be developed in two years. She foresees growth continuing out West Broad Street and into Goochland County.

“Things will definitely move in that direction,” she says.