PETERSBURG, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin spent much of Tuesday in Petersburg, where he talked about two major developments that will change the way parts of the city look in the future.
Petersburg has long been considered a food desert. But over 20 acres in the center of town — mostly a large, vacant lot — will be transformed into a $170 million development.
Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham said, “It has just laid vacant ever since the hospital relocated down on Crater Road."
Parham broke down what the development will bring to the landscape: “Put in retail space here along with a grocery store, top notch apartments, senior housing. It’s going to be a total city within a city here, right here on Sycamore Street."
The development will be called "Sycamore Grove," Youngkin said as he announced the project on Tuesday.
An added bonus to the development will be upgrading an historic area of the city's football legacy. “We’re looking at re-doing Cameron Field to dress it up and make it green space," said Parham.
At the same time, city council has purchased two large vacant lots in Old Towne. A new development project will change how it looks to drive into the city when crossing the Martin Luther King Bridge.
For those already in business in Old Towne, new businesses and apartments are welcome.
Charlie Rawlings owns the Dixie Restaurant. He said, “Anything that attracts people is going to definitely help business, I think, I think just a plus for the city, plus for the residents."
Susan Steward, owner of The Apothic Company said, “The more business we have in Old Towne and the more variety of business we have in Old Towne area, the more people that will come and that will benefit everybody."
Along with the new growth in Old Towne comes a much-needed parking garage.
Parham explained, “We’re building a new courts complex downtown Wayne, and we’re going to combine all our courts into one primary court complex and it’s going to have an attached parking deck that’s going to feed the courts, but also provide over 200 spaces for Old Towne."
The two projects will bring much needed business to the city, creating jobs, adding housing and having nearly $300 million in public-private investments.
EAT IT, VIRGINIA restaurant news and interviews
