HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Two prominent Henrico developments — both geared towards expanding the community’s regional role in sports and entertainment — hit major milestones this past week.
Crews began rigorous work to install the flooring of Henrico’s Sports and Entertainment Center. Meanwhile, the nearby high-profile GreenCity development — a 110-acre eco-friendly mixed use development with retail, offices, homes and a 17,000-seat arena — passed a significant hurdle.
Henrico County’s Economic Development Authority’s Board voted to approve the purchase of its prospected site near Interstate 95 and Telegraph Road in Henrico.
8News visited the aforementioned “Henrico Sports and Entertainment Center” location and met with Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority’s Dennis Bickmeier. Hammers, nails, and progress filled the work zone.
“[It’s] one of those game changers for our region,” Bickmeier said.
Bickmeier said that the 185,000 square-feet facility is expected to open in the fall. The nearby $2.3 Billion GreenCity development is still on track to break ground in the near future, with an arena that is expected to open around 2026.
“U.S.A Gymnastics or U.S.A. Figure Skating,” Bickmeier exclaimed. “Those [are] types of events that we’ll go out and bid on with the hopes of bringing them here to our community.”
As of August, 42 weekends have already been booked for teams and tournaments to fill the venues walls with music, sound and — of course — sports. It’s almost ‘game time’ as developers and officials gear up to pave the way for, what leaders expect to be, a nationally revered sports scene in Henrico County.
Bichmeier further said, “We’ve created this sports, tourism and entertainment corridor here in this area.”
