Riverdale Plaza is being repositioned and redeveloped to attract new shoppers to Hampton's Mercury Central corridor.

Riverdale Plaza Becomes The Avenues at Riverdale 

HAMPTON, VA:  Those accustomed to shopping at Riverdale Plaza in Hampton, Virginia are in for a nice surprise.  The complex, comprised of 265,000 square feet of retail space, 148,000 square feet of office space and 10 outparcel buildings, is being repositioned and redeveloped to attract new shoppers to the area.  In addition to a new look, the center is also being renamed The Avenues at Riverdale. 

Riverdale Plaza offered its owners the opportunity to reposition the property to take advantage of its crossroads location. Situated on Mercury Boulevard between Coliseum Drive and Cunningham Avenue, it is one of the most well located shopping and office complexes in the lower Virginia Peninsula.  With extensive frontage onto Mercury Boulevard and its easy access to Coliseum Mall, the location couldn’t be more perfect.

Location is just one of several factors that contribute to the great potential for redevelopment.  The Avenues at Riverdale is positioned in the Mercury Central corridor, which is home to some of the areas most dynamic retailers:  Wal-Mart, Target, Barnes & Noble, Hecht’s, Office Depot, Regal Cinemas, Marshall’s, The Sports Authority, Pier One, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Farm Fresh, Pharmor and others.  The mixed-use character of The Avenues allows for extensive parking through cross utilization of office and retail uses.  In addition, the office buildings provide retailers with on-site customers, on a daily basis.

The Avenues at Riverdale is easily accessible via several entrances.  Intervening and interconnecting streets – Mercury Boulevard, Cunningham Avenue, Coliseum Drive and Von Schilling Avenue, allow for easy access in and out of the center.

These factors, together with the opportunity presented by the recent bankruptcy of Ames, has enabled Bob Fiscella, the property owner, to undertake a review of Riverdale Plaza in order to put the redevelopment plans in action. An extension of the street network through the property, improving its connectivity with the adjacent retail properties, provide the potential to make The Avenues at Riverdale the crossroads of this important lower Peninsula commercial hub. 

Architect Mike Ashe, has been hired by Fiscella to make the redevelopment plans come to life.  Several versions of these plans are under review and numerous retailers, not currently in the trade area, have been contacted.  The plans have sparked an enthusiastic response, which substantiates what is already known:  that the location of The Avenues is superb!  The new development plan will complete the process of obtaining the true potential of The Avenues at Riverdale.

Divaris Real Estate’s Tammy Wallman of its Newport News office, and Gerald Divaris of the Virginia Beach office, have been hired by Fiscella to undertake the leasing of The Avenues at Riverdale.  The assignment covers both retail and office space.