{"id": "n-52647a0bed", "slug": "richmond-sauer-center", "type": "industrial", "name": "Sauer Center", "aka": [], "city": "Richmond", "county": "Richmond city", "state": "VA", "country": "US", "census_division": 5, "lat": 37.53851, "lon": -77.43428, "geocode_method": "nominatim-city", "address": null, "metro": null, "original_use": "C.F. Sauer spice company headquarters, factory, and distribution facility; Pleasants Hardware Store; historic warehouse facilities", "year_opened": 1911, "year_closed": null, "acres": 37.0, "gla_sqft": null, "stores_peak": null, "levels": null, "original_developer": null, "original_architect": null, "before_notes": "Draft from sauerpropertiesinc.com, model-extracted, unreviewed: The Sauer Center is a multi-phase redevelopment of a predominantly industrial area, including the former C.F. Sauer spice company facilities and Pleasants Hardware Store, into a mixed-use district with retail, office, housing, and hotels in Richmond, VA.", "strategy": ["redevelop", "reinhabit"], "new_use": ["hotel", "housing", "mixed", "office", "retail"], "share_retrofit": null, "status": "partial", "year_retrofit": 2017, "developer": "Sauer Properties", "architect": null, "after_notes": "mixed-use project anchored by Richmond’s second Whole Foods Market, over 300,000 square feet of Class A office space, residential multifamily apartments, offices, hotels, and ground-floor retail", "narrative": null, "narrative_license": null, "narrative_source": null, "zoning_change": null, "public_subsidy": null, "entitlement_year": null, "planning_notes": null, "wikidata_qid": null, "wikipedia": null, "osm_id": null, "verified": "draft", "verified_by": null, "last_verified": null, "last_updated": "2026-10-18", "created": "2026-10-18", "contributor_name": null, "contributor_org": null, "contributor_link": null, "international": 0, "county_fips": "51760", "opp_score": 0.0, "opp_reasons": ["retrofit already built", "37 acres", "housing in the record"], "for_sale": 0, "distressed": 0, "url": "https://retrofitatlas.org/industrial/va/richmond-sauer-center/", "events": [{"year": 1911, "date": null, "kind": "opened", "detail": "Opened", "source_id": null}, {"year": 2017, "date": null, "kind": "note", "detail": "Plans to transform the predominantly industrial area into a new bustling neighborhood broke ground", "source_id": 8601}, {"year": 2017, "date": null, "kind": "retrofit", "detail": "Retrofit: redevelop, reinhabit", "source_id": null}, {"year": 2020, "date": null, "kind": "note", "detail": "The Sauer Center Whole Foods Market opened to the public", "source_id": 8602}], "sources": [{"id": 8600, "site_id": "n-52647a0bed", "url": "https://sauerpropertiesinc.com/development/", "title": "Development - The Sauer Center", "publisher": "sauerpropertiesinc.com", "date": null, "quote": "The Sauer Center", "kind": "news", "license": null, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}, {"id": 8601, "site_id": "n-52647a0bed", "url": "https://sauerpropertiesinc.com/development/", "title": "Timeline", "publisher": null, "date": null, "quote": "Plans to transform the predominantly industrial area into a new bustling neighborhood broke ground in 2017", "kind": "quote", "license": null, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}, {"id": 8602, "site_id": "n-52647a0bed", "url": "https://sauerpropertiesinc.com/development/", "title": "Timeline", "publisher": null, "date": null, "quote": "The Sauer Center Whole Foods Market opened to the public January 30, 2020.", "kind": "quote", "license": null, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}], "deals": [], "parties": [{"name": "Sauer Properties", "kind": "developer", "role": "developer", "year_from": 2017, "year_to": null}], "parcels": [], "context": {"assessment": {"what_happened": "Sauer Center (Richmond, VA) opened in 1911 as a spice company HQ/factory and historic warehouse. Developer Sauer Properties began retrofitting it in 2017 as a partial mixed-use project. The site now includes a Whole Foods Market (opened 2020), Class A office space, residential apartments, hotels, and ground-floor retail. It spans 37 acres.", "why": "The project aligns with the 'redevelop, reinhabit' strategy. Key context: 37 acres (larger than most peers), housing included in new uses, and retrofit already underway (status: partial). Nearby developments include Tobacco Row (built, 1.3km) and Main Street Station mall (status unknown, 0.6km).", "where_it_stands": "Partial completion (no full completion date). Permits show $231M–$312M in construction value (2023–2024). Housing market shows rising ZHVI ($365k) and ZORI ($1,604) in Richmond County. Retail establishments declined county-wide (-4.5% from 2012–2023).", "for_a_planner": ["Traffic: Interstate 95 (6 lanes, 149k ADT) nearby", "37 acres exceeds most peer projects (e.g., Northway Mall: 30 acres)", "Main Street Station mall status unknown within 1km"], "for_a_developer": ["Whole Foods anchor confirmed (2020)", "300k+ sq ft office space delivered", "Housing market growth noted (2026 ZHVI forecast)"], "risks_and_unknowns": ["Partial status: no completion timeline", "Main Street Station mall status unknown", "No current occupancy rates or financials beyond permits", "Retail decline trend not specific to site"], "data_quality": "partial", "one_line": "Partial 37-acre industrial retrofit (2017) with Whole Foods, offices, housing; nearby traffic/retail context; status and completion unknown.", "model": "qwen3-30b-a3b-64k:latest", "machine": "Dell 5820 RTX 3090 (Ollama, qwen3-30b-a3b)", "record_sha1": "9ef3f6b81386"}, "cluster": {"within_10km": [{"id": "m-7eef88af19", "name": "Main Street Station mall", "city": "Richmond", "status": "unknown", "km": 0.6}, {"id": "n-8ab97f39d6", "name": "Tobacco Row", "city": "Richmond", "status": "built", "km": 1.3}, {"id": "m-115a6f4724", "name": "Willow Lawn Shopping Center", "city": null, "status": "operating", "km": 7.3}, {"id": "m-3b6b5f47cc", "name": "Cloverleaf Mall", "city": "Richmond", "status": "built", "km": 9.3}], "count_10km": 4, "count_25km": 9}, "elevation": {"elevation_ft": 146.5, "resolution": 1, "source": "USGS EPQS (3DEP)", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "food_access": {"tract10": "51760030500", "urban": 1, "lila_1_10": 0, "low_access_1mi": 0, "lapop1share": 10.449137545143799, "poverty_rate": 40.1727296519236, "median_family_income": 40208.0, "snap_households": 228.0, "pop2010": 4029.0, "source": "USDA ERS Food Access Research Atlas 2019 (ArcGIS copy)", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "housing_market": {"zhvi": {"latest": 365737, "month": "2026-09", "change_1y": 0.022, "change_5y": 0.241}, "zori": {"latest": 1604, "month": "2026-09", "change_1y": 0.027, "change_5y": 0.274}, "county_fips": "51760", "source": "Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI)"}, "jobs_lodes": {"tract20": "51760030502", "jobs": 32674, "retail_jobs": 110, "food_accommodation_jobs": 1294, "year": 2022, "source": "Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 (all jobs, primary and secondary), blocks summed to the 2020 tract", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "listings": {"zip": "23219", "month": "202609", "median_listing_price": 344975, "median_listing_price_yy": -0.1354, "active_listing_count": 18, "median_days_on_market": 39, "price_reduced_share": 0.0556, "pending_ratio": 0.4, "source": "Realtor.com Research, inventory core metrics by ZIP (ZCTA at the site point)", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "opportunity": {"tract10": "51760030500", "kfr_p25": 0.3619, "jail_p25": 0.0453, "kids_count": 40.0376, "commuting_zone": "Richmond", "vintage": "children born 1978-83, outcomes measured 2014-15", "source": "Opportunity Insights, Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman, Hendren, Jones, Porter 2018)", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "peers": {"peers": [{"id": "m-c2364f77d1", "name": "Northgate Mall", "city": "Seattle", "state": "WA", "score": 7.0, "why": ["similar size (40 acres)", "same strategy: redevelop"]}, {"id": "m-c67e2b6603", "name": "Landmark Mall", "city": "Alexandria", "state": "VA", "score": 6.5, "why": ["similar size (51 acres)", "same strategy: redevelop", "also in VA"]}, {"id": "m-2b3899ff9d", "name": "Crestwood Court", "city": "Crestwood", "state": "MO", "score": 6.5, "why": ["similar size (47 acres)", "same strategy: redevelop"]}, {"id": "m-f9dd391ba3", "name": "Northway Mall", "city": "Anchorage", "state": "AK", "score": 6.5, "why": ["similar size (30 acres)", "same strategy: redevelop"]}, {"id": "m-a4a41b3240", "name": "Seven Corners Shopping Center", "city": "Seven Corners", "state": "VA", "score": 6.5, "why": ["similar size (29 acres)", "same strategy: redevelop", "also in VA"]}, {"id": "n-c518b8db75", "name": "Cambridge Discovery Park", "city": "Cambridge", "state": "MA", "score": 6.5, "why": ["similar size (30 acres)", "same strategy: redevelop"]}], "method": "size, era, strategy, status, type, state, distance"}, "permits": {"county": "Richmond (Independent City)", "2024": {"units_1": 380, "units_2_4": 83, "units_5plus": 2077, "value_total": 312428593}, "2023": {"units_1": 387, "units_2_4": 6, "units_5plus": 1890, "value_total": 231538817}, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}, "qcew_retail": {"county": "51760", "year": 2025, "establishments": 767, "employment": 7608, "avg_annual_pay": 40979, "lq_employment": 0.46, "employment_change_1y": -0.1, "source": "BLS QCEW 2025 annual, county, NAICS 44-45 retail trade, private", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "retail_trend": {"2012": {"estab": 815, "emp": 9059}, "2023": {"estab": 778, "emp": 8329}, "estab_change": -0.045, "emp_change": -0.081, "county_fips": "51760"}, "schools": {"district": "Richmond City Public Schools", "district_geoid": "5103240", "grades": "PK-12", "district_vintage": "SY2024-25", "public_schools_1mi": 9, "schools": ["Richmond Hospital Ep.", "Richmond Juvenile Detention Home", "Virginia Treatment Ctr.", "Yvonne B. Miller High School", "Open High", "Martin Luther King Jr. Middle"], "schools_vintage": "SY2023-24", "source": "NCES EDGE", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "storms": {"county": "51760", "years": "2016-2025", "events": 124, "by_type": {"Flash Flood": 59, "Thunderstorm Wind": 30, "Heavy Rain": 24, "Tornado": 5, "Hail": 3, "Flood": 2, "Lightning": 1}, "property_damage_usd": 142000, "deaths_direct": 0, "injuries_direct": 0, "note": "county-typed events only; events logged to forecast zones (CZ_TYPE Z: most winter, heat, flood and coastal events) are not counted", "source": "NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "traffic": {"max_aadt": 149093, "trucks_aadt": 14946, "road": "95", "class": "Interstate", "lanes": 6, "segments_600m": 24, "year": "2024", "source": "FHWA HPMS", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}}, "elements": [{"slug": "strategy-reinhabit", "name": "Reinhabited", "group_": "strategy", "evidence": "mixed-use project anchored by Richmond’s second Whole Foods Market, over 300,000 square feet of Class A office space, residential multifamily apartments, offices, hotels, and ground-floor retail", "origin": "record"}, {"slug": "use-office", "name": "Office", "group_": "use", "evidence": "ond Whole Foods Market, over 300,000 square feet of Class A office space, residential multifamily apartments, offices, hotels,", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "use-retail", "name": "Retail (continued)", "group_": "use", "evidence": "l multifamily apartments, offices, hotels, and ground-floor retail", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "place-mall-cluster", "name": "3+ other atlas sites within 10 km", "group_": "place", "evidence": "4 within 10 km", "origin": "computed"}, {"slug": "place-apartment-boom-county", "name": "County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a year", "group_": "place", "evidence": "2,077 units, Richmond (Independent City)", "origin": "census-bps"}, {"slug": "era-retrofit-2010s", "name": "Retrofit 2010s", "group_": "era", "evidence": "2017", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "strategy-redevelop", "name": "Redeveloped", "group_": "strategy", "evidence": "mixed-use project anchored by Richmond’s second Whole Foods Market, over 300,000 square feet of Class A office space, residential multifamily apartments, offices, hotels, and ground-floor retail", "origin": "record"}, {"slug": "use-housing", "name": "Housing", "group_": "use", "evidence": "s Market, over 300,000 square feet of Class A office space, residential multifamily apartments, offices, hotels, and ground-floor r", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "use-mixed", "name": "Mixed use", "group_": "use", "evidence": "mixed-use project anchored by Richmond’s second Whole Foods Market, o", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "place-high-traffic", "name": "30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent road", "group_": "place", "evidence": "149,093 on 95", "origin": "fhwa-hpms"}, {"slug": "place-freeway-frontage", "name": "Interstate or freeway within 600 m", "group_": "place", "evidence": "95", "origin": "fhwa-hpms"}, {"slug": "use-hotel", "name": "Hotel", "group_": "use", "evidence": " office space, residential multifamily apartments, offices, hotels, and ground-floor retail", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "use-grocery", "name": "Grocery", "group_": "use", "evidence": "mixed-use project anchored by Richmond’s second Whole Foods Market, over 300,000 square feet of Class A office space, r", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "era-opened-1910s", "name": "Opened 1910s", "group_": "era", "evidence": "1911", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}], "details": {}, "photos": [], "provenance": {"year_opened": "newtypes-extraction", "acres": "newtypes-extraction", "status": "newtypes-extraction", "after_notes": "newtypes-extraction", "year_retrofit": "newtypes-extraction", "developer": "newtypes-extraction"}, "restricted_fields": {"parcels": ["owner_addr", "assessed", "taxable", "tax_amount", "sale_price", "deed_ref"], "deals": ["price", "price_per_acre", "price_per_sqft", "loan_amount", "asking_price"], "how": "free API key: POST /api/v1/keys {\"email\": …}"}}