One of the quirky aspects of the Richmond New Urban Region is how little development has occurred east of the city’s downtown area in contrast to the massive, leapfrogging growth that has radiated in every other direction. The result is striking. If you drive out Route 5, which takes you to the James River plantations, you hit countryside right outside the city limits.
Eastern Henrico offers incredible proximity to downtown Richmond and the regional airport, yet it has remained utterly uninteresting to developers — until the past couple of years. The first major project in this area, Rockett’s Landing, is redeveloping a rusted-out industrial district east of Shockoe Bottom. Rockett’s is planned as a mixed use, pedestrian-friendly, densely developed project along the James River — extending the urban fabric of downtown/Shockoe Bottom into Henrico County.
Now comes the news that developers, backed by former state Sen. Elmon T. Gray, wants to develop the 500-acre Tree Hill Farm off Route 5. I can’t tell from the Richmond Times-Dispatch article if the project would border Rockett’s Landing, but, even if not, it will be very, very close. Tree Hill Farm, which offers a spectacular vista of the city skyline, would represent a near-uninterrupted extension of Richmond’s urban fabric. This is efficient growth.
Even more encouraging is the involvement of Daniel K. Slone, a local McGuire Woods attorney with a national practice in New Urbanism-style development. Dan is a friend of mine, and I know him to be a passionate and articulate advocate of the right kind of development. Meanwhile, the developers are negotiating for the services of the Duany-Plater Zyberk architectural firm, one of the leading practitioners of New Urbanism in the country. It goes without saying that plans call for mixed-use development emphasizing pedestrian-friendly, traditional neighborhood design.
The Tree Hill project shows every sign of being the right kind of development at the right place. I couldn’t be more delighted by this news. It’s this kind of project — mixed use, pedestrian friendly development along the beautiful James River — that will make my home town an exciting, vibrant place to live in the years ahead.
