Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the proposal for a CVS on the corner of W. Main Street and McIntire Road, plans are in the works for a nine-story building on the site currently occupied by RSC Equipment Rental. Richmond developer Bob Englander has brought some preliminary sketches before the city’s Board of Architectural Review (BAR) and is in final talks with site owner Russell Mooney to buy the property and with CVS to anchor the retail.
Englander’s idea for a “statement” building got generally positive feedback from the BAR. “It’s a corner that deserves a building with a commanding presence,” says Englander, noting that the intersection is a gateway to both the Downtown Mall and the University. Englander wants three or four smaller retail stops to flank the CVS. Currently he’s toying with the idea of twin nine-story towers that step back significantly at the third story, a design that would maximize the view for the condo dwellers but that would also be more expensive to build. Structured parking would be underneath.
 The current site of RSC Equipment Rental might one day become a nine-story retail and residential building, though plans are still in early stages |
Watching the 2006 troubles between the BAR and the Rebkee Company, a Richmond-based firm that develops sites for CVS, Englander offered his development services, having experience with mixed-use buildings. The new plan addresses many of the BAR’s issues with the previous CVS design, which had display windows that didn’t invite pedestrians and a faux second story that only mimicked mixed-use.
Assuming the deal goes through, Englander looks to be back to the BAR in a few months. In order to get nine stories, he’ll have to apply for a rezoning. “It’s still very premature,” Englander says.
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