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Developer offers more than $7M and relocation funds in Commerce Road pitch; RPS to weigh options
Summary
A developer told the board it could pay the appraised value ("north of $7,000,000") for Commerce Road land and help cover relocation expenses for RPS and RPD if the city proceeds with redevelopment. RPS staff said any swap would need an 'apples-to-apples' replacement lease or a substantial capital solution for transportation and facilities.
Brian Jackson, a partner at Hirschler representing Harper Associates/City Central, presented a late-stage redevelopment idea involving the Commerce Road site currently used by Richmond Public Schools and the Richmond Police Department. Jackson said the developer—ould "pay the appraised value for the property. That's, north of $7,000,000," and was prepared to negotiate relocation costs for both uses.
District response and principles: RPS administration cautioned that the Commerce Road site carries long-term operational value: the property is currently under a perpetual lease arrangement the district received in exchange for prior land transactions. Staff framed a set of conditions the district would require before considering a transfer: an "apples-to-apples" perpetual-lease replacement with no maintenance fee, or, failing that, a comprehensive capital solution that consolidates fragmented transportation and maintenance facilities and addresses maintenance-bay limitations the district now faces.
Questions and next steps: Board members asked for cost estimates, how sale proceeds would be split with RPD (the parcel is in the city's name and used by both agencies), and how any relocation would affect bus storage and maintenance (RPS currently operates across multiple sites, and a leased maintenance bay's owner may sell the site in 2027). The administration said it will gather more analysis and that no board decision is expected tonight; staff will return with cost and timing estimates for board consideration.
