A two-building, 15,000-square-foot commercial project is slated to be built at the intersection of Hull Street Road and Hampton Farms Drive. (Courtesy John O’Reilly)
After decades in the residential real estate world, John O’Reilly is donning his retail development cap for the first time.
The local real estate agent and owner of the local Better Homes and Gardens brokerage office is developing a two-building, 15,000-square-foot retail center on a 3-acre site at 8220 Hampton Farms Drive in the Moseley area of Chesterfield.
Reilly, who already owns the project site, said the center is intended to provide a landing zone for new restaurants and medical office users near the Magnolia Green and Harper’s Mill neighborhoods in the growing western area of the county.
“We think it’s great for doctors, or a dentist. A restaurant is really needed in that area,” O’Reilly said. “We’re open to a lot of things, but looking for the right people.”
John O’Reilly
The development, which is called Hampton Farms Neighborhood Center, is expected to cost $5 million and is planned to feature two buildings – one 9,000 square feet and the other 6,000 square feet. O’Reilly said he already has a letter of intent from an undisclosed potential tenant for 3,000 square feet at the center.
O’Reilly acquired the site years ago to build a new Better Homes office, and later decided to include more commercial space for other users. While he has developed medical offices before, the upcoming project is his first time building a retail center. His Better Homes office that operates near Brandermill will be relocated to a 3,000-square-foot space at the new center.
“It kind of morphed into this. If we’re going to do that, we might as well put in some additional space,” he said. “I’ve been in the real estate business for 28 years now, but mostly residential. From a commercial standpoint, I’ve done a few dental projects. … This is a new realm for me.”
North South Construction is the general contractor on the project, which is being financed by New Horizon Bank.
Francis Christman is handling leasing at the center. Christman is a friend of O’Reilly and owned the now-shuttered Egg & I restaurant that had operated near Brandermill.
“We’ve got ample green space. The way the buildings are laid out and positioned is very charming. We’ve got awnings on the front,” Christman said of the center’s design. “We’re developing the space as a cold dark shell, which is going to really allow the tenants to be able to come in and design the space very efficiently and effectively to meet their needs.”
The project site has been cleared and work is getting underway. The center is slated to be completed in December and spaces move-in ready for tenants this spring.
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