Watkins Centre Groundbreaking

The Watkins Centre project held its groundbreaking Friday, June 29, on a portion of the 640-acre site that will soon become a large mixed-use development to include an estimated 1.3 million square feet of retail space and 2.1 million square feet of office space.

A handful of tenants announced plans to take up business in Watkins Centre, including area banks Sun Trust and BB&T, while Village Bank will open an 80,000-square-foot corporate office building at the site.

The projects sits in western Chesterfield County near the Route 288/60 interchange, just east of the Powhatan/Chesterfield line. The property has been in State Sen. John Watkins’ family for over 130 years, and was previously used in the family’s nursery business.

Midlothian District Supervisor Don Sowder said the project has been compared to Innsbrook in Henrico, but Sowder said the Watkins Centre plans to utilize more recent architectural and design techniques, like open green spaces, architectural aesthetics and a “pedestrian-friendly” environment.

Close to 300 people attended the lunchtime groundbreaking ceremony, including state secretary of commerce and trade, Patrick O. Gottschalk. Gottschalk, speaking on behalf of Gov. Timothy Kaine, said the Watkins Centre is “what the governor and I both feel is exactly on target to the growth we’d like to see.”

The Westchester Commons – the retail portion of the Watkins Centre project – is expected to include a “Main Street” with restaurants, a cinema and on-street parking. The Village of Westchester will sit on 280 acres to the northwest of Watkins Centre and will include 1,600 residential dwellings and up to 350,000 square feet of retail, office and civic uses. Development is expected to begin in early 2008.