Henrico to host charrette March 23-26 about future of Brook Road corridor, Best Products Reimagined site
Henrico County residents and other community stakeholders are invited to participate in a four-day planning workshop designed to help shape the future of the former Best Products headquarters site and nearby properties along Brook Road.
The workshop, or “charrette,” will be held March 23-26 at the Parham Road campus of Reynolds Community College, 1651 East Parham Road. The hands-on exercise, hosted by the Henrico Department of Planning with the design firm Able City, will bring together community members, designers and planners to brainstorm and shape ideas for two focus areas along Interstate 95:
• Best Products Reimagined, a 320-acre area that includes the county-owned Best Products headquarters site and that formerly was the planned location of the failed GreenCity development. The Henrico Economic Development Authority and Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority are seeking partners and currently reviewing proposals for a large mixed-use development that would bring hospitality uses and an arena.
• Brook Road corridor, a 275-acre area that includes established businesses along Brook from approximately Magellan Parkway to the north to Hilliard Road to the south. Planners see the potential for revitalization and reinvestment along the corridor. While some areas show signs of disinvestment, land-use patterns suggest opportunities to reimagine the area with new businesses and anchoring uses serving surrounding neighborhoods and the broader community.
The charrette’s kickoff event will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 23 at Massey Library and Technology Building Center for Innovation.
Follow-up studio sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 24-26 in Conference Room 173 at Burnette Hall.
“The four-day design charrette is a wonderful opportunity for residents, property owners and other stakeholders to brainstorm and explore ways to shape the future of their neighborhoods and community,” Henrico Planning Director Joe Emerson said. “It’s an ideal time to go through this immersive exercise for this area of central Henrico, because there’s potential for significant redevelopment and reinvestment in the next few years.”
For details, visit the charrette webpage. In addition to providing comments in-person during the workshop, residents are welcome to submit feedback and ideas at bestproductsandbrookroad@henrico.gov.
