HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico County leaders are moving forward with the demolition of the former Best Products headquarters to make way for a proposed $2 billion arena and mixed-use development.
The 93-acre site along Brook Road near Interstate 95 has sat empty since the late 1990s. Best Products, founded in Richmond in 1957 by Sydney and Frances Lewis, was known for its unique store designs and catalog business before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Jan. 1991 and eventually shutting down in 1997.
On Monday, former employees and their families gathered to tour the building and witness the turning point for the property, which features curved green glass and iconic eagle statues that stood as a symbol of innovation.
"Today, we are celebrating the history of Best Product site and what the industry had done to help make this site such an economic development opportunity, but we're also honoring the future of what this site is going to be," Cari Tretina, executive director of the Henrico Economic Development Authority, said.
Watch: Flying over abandoned Best Products headquarters
County leaders expect demolition to become visible within the next several months.
The goal is to transform the property into a "pad-ready" site for an arena-anchored development that could create thousands of jobs, new housing, and become a hub for business and entertainment.
"This site is uniquely situated to attract touring musical acts, family shows and sporting events," Dennis Bickmeier, executive director of the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority, said.
While officials have not locked in a developer or established a timeline for completion, the county has already invested at least $42 million in the site and over $30 million for road improvements. Additional spending is planned for demolition and site preparation.
Former Best Products employee Steve Dash toured the space filled with decades of memories, recalling everything from office space and softball games to life-changing moments.
"I remember when my first child was born, I was in a meeting over here, and when I got back to the office, I picked up the phone, and it was my wife on the phone saying, I'm at the appointment I'm supposed to go to, but right now we're gonna have the baby," Dash said.
Watch: Best Products sales slump in 1990s
"I would like to see something that has some sort of remembrance of this place," Dash said.
Even as the building comes down, county leaders say the legacy of the site will not be lost as the towering eagle statue stands watch over a new chapter in Henrico.
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