Watkins Centre Re-visited

First and foremost I consider myself to be a pretty open-minded individual, fiscally conservative at heart and also the kind of person thats gonna tell you if I think I (and the collected we) am being sold a bill of goods.

I want to state for the record that I am impressed with the Watkins Centre. The size and the scale of the project I believe are want was envisioned for the area when Route 288 was being funded years ago. I think we have to understand that once RT288 was completed and the bridge from Powhatan into Goochland County was completed that we would be faced with potential projects like these sooner or later. Folks thats really the underlying reason that roadway was built in the first place. I know I will get that it was built to connect Chesterfields population with that of the West End and offering easy access for those that work and or shop across the river. Wait. I think I have heard that before somewhere recently. Could it be Watkins Centre?

The meeting held back on June 4th convinced of one simple truth; we were being sold this project by sales folk. Now I understand that there is some vested interest in the project by parties involved and on thats not at all the issue in my mind. I have supported the proponents of this project, as Sen Watkins and Supervisor Sowder whose district the project will be located so this is simply not some political hack job taken at these individuals but what it seemed and to many I have spoken to since was this thing is all but done. Presence at the very meeting was like you unknowingly party to it all. This was a community meeting but truly for what end. Were we really involved? Is are insight or views part of the debate? Is their really any debate at all? Someone will need to help us defone within our county exactly what me mean when we say "community".

Look, I am not opposed to Watkins Centre, but the process our leadership continues to go through in its considerations for such projects. I recall during the Rt288 debate the powers that be used the rhetoric that the roadway would give us greater access to the other side of the river and now we need Watkins Centre as a means to limit the number of residents having to travel across the river and spend their hard earned money. The goal is to provide a mixed-use for business/office and retail with retail going in first and they want to impress upon us that we should support Chesterfield business and stay home. Okay. That begs the question then why do we have Rt288 in the first place. They want us to shop and in my estimation locate new business along the corridor so we work here as well and not feel compelled to travel across the river anymore.

My only real issue is that it will not matter what so ever if the mix of retail is not just right. If they cannot bring "new", okay thats something that gets thrown around all the time and I do not mean a new Walmart SuperCenter, I mean "new" retailers not operating in Richmond at all that are at the higher end. The beauty of Short Pump has not been its location or relatively easy access by residents, but the mix of small and large format retailers that were not here before, anywhere. Nordstroms, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Cheesecake Factory, were just a few that Richmonders wanted and Short PUmp brought them in and lets not forget about Stony Point.

So what does Watkins Centre plan to offer, really? All I think is that the size and scope of this project should have a site plan with signed leases by anchor tennants and other retail as a requirement BEFORE it goes any further. I am sure that the arguement over feasibility in that will be raised, but if I am not mistaken the developer had something similar to that for Short Pump which was delayed if I recall. Without providing new retail I believe the project will not meet expectation. The site must balance family needs, young urban singles, and seniors (a growing poulation in Chesterfield that is virtually be ignored the last five years) within a complex and to pull that off it must do more than simply state it will be high end mixed use-it must deliver it.

Some discussion of the project included that a grocery store would be one of the anchors. Opinion: if its not Wegmans, Shoppers or Harris Teeter big deal. The leadership is so content on coming from the perspective that "free market" philosophy should dominate the discussion and Chesterfield Towne Center will have to change and adapt to compete if fails to look at itself in the rhelm of how it is in fact impacting that landscape through its commercial growth view. We are allowing shiopping centers to go up a stones throw from one another and continue to build out Rt360 like the Rt60 and West Broad Street of old. Did we not learn our lesson? What do they really expect to be left behind? What will be the real impact on us?

Fact: Today it took me 19 minutes too drive from the RT60/Rt288 interchange down to Courthouse Rd and Chesterfield Towne Center. 19 minutes. These are the little things the powers seem to miss when they tell people about great it will be to have a shopping mall in their backyard and the financial impact on the county will be tremondous--how about this earmark the impact for very defined avenues, ie the increase seen will go to very specific things and mandate it before all of this even happens. I know , now thats just plain silly.