Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation

Office-retail plans aired

Dec 5, 2007
By MICKEY POWELL - Bulletin Staff Writer. New commercial development, including an office/retail complex and bank headquarters, is planned along Liberty Street.

The Martinsville Planning Commission on Tuesday set a public hearing for its next meeting at 2 p.m. Dec. 20 on a request by Eden & Associates to rezone 834, 900 and 902 Liberty St. from R-9 Residential to C-3 Commercial.

Clark Eden, president of Eden & Associates, said plans are to build a 12,060-square-foot office/retail complex with entrances on York Street and in front of View Street, as well as a two-story, 10,000-square-foot bank building.

The three lots, which Eden said are to be combined into two, comprise 5.5 acres. They contain a house that will be demolished and a burned-out house that also will be razed.

Eden & Associates is an agent for Oscar A. Stephens and Vista Investment Group LLC. Eden said, however, the property is owned by Stephens and Joey Arrington. Some of the land will be sold to the bank, he said.

Eden declined to identify the bank since it has not yet bought any land. But he said the bank already has branches in the Martinsville area.

“This would be the main city location for the bank,” he said, adding that it “wants to increase its profile in the community through a first-rate facility.”

Bank officials probably will attend the Dec. 20 hearing, at which time the bank’s identity would be disclosed, he said.

The office/retail complex likely will be targeted to professionals such as doctors and accountants as well as small locally based retailers, said Eden, but “I don’t think they (the developers) have anybody lined up yet.”

He said that 214 parking spaces would be developed outside the buildings and the land will undergo “significant grading” since it is hilly.

No cost estimates for the project or building plans were presented at the planning commission meeting.

Planning commission member James Crigger Sr. asked if the project will bring any new jobs to Martinsville. Eden indicated there is a potential for that.

The city and the Virginia Department of Transportation plan to eventually widen the affected stretch of Liberty Street. Eden said the parking spaces’ setbacks will be enough to accommodate the widening.

The lots are next to and across from properties zoned R-9 Residential, yet sites zoned C-3 Commercial are in the neighborhood. Nearby businesses include convenience stores, restaurants and a laundry.

Liberty Street is a heavily-traveled road into Martinsville, and the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan shows the corridor is right for commercial development. Therefore, city planning department staff is recommending approval of the rezoning request.

Although businesses are nearby, the project is large enough that it “will change the character of the neighborhood somewhat,” said Martinsville Community Development Director Wayne Knox.

“I think it will be the beginning of the transformation of this area” of the city, Eden said. The project will be “a wonderful addition to our community. Everything will be done first-class.”

If the rezoning is approved, he said, “there’s a full commitment to this” project from the landowners and the bank.

After the Dec. 20 hearing, the rezoning request will be forwarded to the Martinsville City Council. The council would hold its own public hearing before considering final approval.