Virginia Center Commons: A Unique Sports Gamble Pays Off
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location:
Join the Wilder School for our October Lunch and Learn with Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas moderated by Wilder School Associate Professor Lindsey Evans.
Virginia Center Commons: A Unique Sports Gamble Pays Off
Virginia Center Commons was built in 1991 during the boom era of the enclosed retail mall, where most Americans enjoyed not only shopping, but dining and socializing as well. By the mid-2010s, however, our way of spending was through online retailers who could conveniently deliver it all to our doorsteps and Virginia Center Commons, like so many malls around the nation, had become a shell of what it once had been. Seeing the potential for a new, redeveloped residential and retail space for the now-abandoned VCC space, Henrico County officials also envisioned an unprecedented anchor for the 25-acre spot: a 185,000 square foot indoor sports center specifically for sports tourism, both local and national. This County-owned, privately-run undertaking is first of its kind in Central Virginia, and so far, has brought in over $120 million per year since opening in 2023, with no signs of slowing down.