HENRICO, Va. -- The detour around Regency Square Mall is gone, as is the truck-eating overpass from the old days, but plenty of orange cones remain as construction continues.
Quioccasin Road reopened on May 21, and the new road configuration offers more visibility of the mall for the 25,000 cars that pass by daily.
Road improvements related to the project will include turning lanes, new traffic signals, and sidewalks. There were previously no sidewalks, but now the road has been graded and sidewalks added alongside Quioccasin. The next phase of roadwork will focus on Eastridge Road, and the connections of new stoplights on Quioccasin Road.
Several lane closures remain as work continues along Eastridge Road. Eastbound traffic on Quioccasin merges into one lane at Parham. The left turning lane from Parham onto Eastridge also remains closed. A portion of Parham’s right northbound lane in the area is closed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays.
Traffic signal improvements and a new entrance to the mall property from Quioccasin are expected to be functional by the end of June.
The entrance into the mall that leads to McCormack’s Big Whisky Grill has also reopened, something that restaurant owner Mac McCormack said feels great.
"Having the primary entrance to the mall closed created a psychological closure in the mind of the patrons. And the detour created an out of sight out of mind problem," McCormack said. "Restaurants rely on visibility as well as great food."
The old Bank of America branch is being converted into a Starbucks that will open in early August, according to Julie Gordon, marketing director at Regency Square mall. Chipotle and MOD Pizza will open around the end of September.
Last Halloween, crews began tearing down the parking deck that was built in 1975. Soon the section will be filled with over 6,000 square foot of retail space that will house experiential retail and dining.
A movie theater will be built where the Macy’s south building is now.
Gordon said that excess rain caused some short delays but is going well, overall.
"We are very excited to see it all coming together," she said.
Most of the heavy construction of the $30 million renovation project will occur on the Quioccasin side. There will be a slight disruption to the food court entrance when the parking lot is repaved and sidewalks replaced in front of that entrance.
Gordon said the entrance to the food court will be open during all scheduled work.
"It will be great to see some traffic and hopefully new curious faces from the new owners and managements hard work," McCormack said.
The mall is open for Memorial Day, with holiday sales throughout the weekend. Mall hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Memorial Day.
