Carver Station
Richmond, VA
In 2018, Dominion Energy decommissioned a 110-year-old electric substation that had been used to support Richmond’s historic electric street car program. Future Cities acquired the substation in July 2021 and is now the process of developing a micro mixed-use project to support the burgeoning Carver community adjacent.
The historic building will be restored and repurposed as a community lounge, bar and restaurant. Prominently featured will be its original ‘fish-belly’ gantry crane used to move and reconfigure electric generators.
The adjacent open yard originally housed transformer racks and will be redeveloped using sixty maritime shipping containers configured into a vibrant mix of office and co-work space, a food hall, and micro-retail and maker spaces.
The shipping container module allows for flexibility in design and use. Tenants will benefit from a shared business infrastructure while establishing their own brand presence.
Food vendors will include those wishing to have a more fixed location in lieu of a food truck, as well as existing restaurateurs who may want to experiment with new concepts. Retail merchants will benefit from a “brick & mortar” presence to market craft and artisan goods without the costly overhead of a traditional storefront.