“Infill, redevelopment and reuse” are the mantras in the city of Richmond and even in some suburbs, where new construction continues to follow residential growth in nearly all the surrounding counties, with Chesterfield and Henrico being the most active. The municipalities themselves play key roles as well. Costs for land and construction continue to escalate, so creativity is key no matter what avenue pursued in the retail world. And like most of the United States, Richmond’s developers and property owners are getting creative to keep their centers relevant. Short Pump Town Center, Richmond’s darling mall that is owned by a partnership of Brookfield Properties, QIC and local developer Pruitt Cos., is not immune to closures and felt the pain when Nordstrom announced it was not reopening after shuttering the store during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the strength of the retail market in Short Pump, the mall and the surrounding market continue to perform. The Container Store and an expanded Arhaus backfilled a vacant hhgregg, and the mall has recently announced deals with Fabletics and Warby Parker. ShopCore Properties, which owns West Broad Village anchored by Whole Foods Market, REI and HomeGoods, struggled for years with vacancy …
