Image courtesy VPM
VPM is moving from Sesame Street to Broad Street.
The public media organization announced in June that it is building a new headquarters at 13-17 E. Broad St. in downtown, which will replace its current home on 23 Sesame St. near Bon Air.
Multiple studios and an event space have been designed by the SMBW architecture firm for a five-story, 53,700-square-foot facility in Monroe Ward. Plans also include a one-story, 1,500-square-foot building on the Grace Street side of the property and a parking structure.
“We envision VPM’s headquarters will be a vibrant hub of community activity, designed to be welcoming and inclusive of all,” Jayme Swain, VPM president and CEO, said in a statement. “This dynamic space will feature a visible newsroom and the innovative technology we need to tell stories of regional importance to audiences across the Commonwealth.”
A press release stated that the Virginia Foundation for Public Media “will provide significant funding toward the project” and that a community fundraising effort is planned. A VPM spokesperson said estimates for the total project cost and foundation contribution were not yet known and that the future of the Chesterfield building was not yet determined, but that VPM is “evaluating a number of options for the site.”
