A mixed-use center and culinary institute are currently under construction at the intersection of Nine Mile Road and 25th Street in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. I met with Project Engineer, Katie Carleton and Assistant Project Manager, Mason Bowman of Hourigan, who graciously gave me a tour of the project’s construction progress. This is an especially exciting time with concrete and steel in place, the buildings are beginning to take shape. When complete, this project is going to transform this part of the East End community by providing new apartments, job opportunities, and most importantly a grocery store, ending the neighborhood’s classification as a food desert.
As I walked with Katie and Mason around a muddy site from heavy rainfall the previous evening, I was very curious and eager to hear more about one of the largest active construction sites in Richmond.
Q: Tell me about the biggest benefit this project will bring to Church Hill neighborhood.
Katie: There are two parts to this project: there is the mixed-use center, and then there is the J. Sargeant Reynolds Culinary Institute building. Both of these projects offer numerous benefits. For example, the Culinary Institute will provide kitchen courses, a greenhouse for lessons on the farm-to-table movement, and a demonstration kitchen. Long term, the building will include a market cafe to give students a real-life experience and offer the community a place for prepared meals. The mixed-use center will be anchored by The Market at 25th Grocery Store, 42 apartments and additional businesses. This will bring a lot of benefit to the neighborhood since this area is considered a food desert.
Q: What is the definition of a food desert? How many miles away is the closest grocery store?
Katie: A food desert is an urban area where there is no access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables because it does not offer grocery stores, or other food providers. The Farm Fresh, who recently announced its new ownership, is a mile away. This can be challenging for the residents who may have health problems or who do not have reliable, convenient transportation.
Mason: There are a few quick mart options nearby, but they are classified more as a convenience store. They do not offer fresh foods, just your typical snack foods and tobacco.
Q: Has the community been involved in the project? If so, how?
Katie: The owners of the project, Steve and Kathie Markel, and grocery store operator, Norm Gold, have put an emphasis on hiring individuals within the community for jobs. For example, this RTD article announced the hiring of the grocery store manager with Church Hill ties. Hourigan has also put an emphasis on this. Hourigan has hosted two job fairs at the Peter Paul Development Center to promote hiring on-site skilled construction workers from within the Church Hill neighborhood.
Q: Name one thing that surprised you on site about this project.
Mason: The community, in a good way. This is a large construction site, but so far the reception we’ve received from the neighborhood has been so positive and pleasant. We are used to feedback about the noise level or how busy it is with trucks and materials moving in and out. That has not been the case here.
Katie: I even had a resident hug me one day when I told her that a grocery store was a part of the mixed-use development. This is when it hit me that we are meeting a crucial community need.
The J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Culinary Arts Building was designed by O’Neill McVoy Architects and Richmond-based, BCWH. The mixed-use center was designed by Freeman Morgan Architects. Timmons Group provided site/civil design, planning/layout, landscape architecture, survey, construction materials testing, environmental, and geotechnical services. The culinary institute also includes space in the 3rd and 4th stories for an additional restaurant and 12 apartments. With food as the common denominator, the Culinary Institute at Reynolds and the East End Grocer at the neighboring mixed-use center will help complement one another.
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