Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers are out of the NBA playoffs, all-star Ben Wallace can turn his attention to building basketball in the Richmond area.
His latest project is a private gymnasium under construction on the Henrico County side of Westwood Avenue. The property value is listed as $1.17 million on a county building permit issued April 8 to BCW 45TH LLC and Chanda Wallace, Wallace's wife.
Concrete has been poured for an indoor NBA regulation-size basketball court where Interstate 195 skirts CSX's Acca railroad yard. The first building blocks also have started to go up for a reception room and locker area.
The Henrico Planning Commission approved a plan of development for the site in June 2008. Landscape and lighting plans are awaiting approval now that construction is under way. There's no word yet on when the facility will be completed.
Wallace could not be reached for comment.
Representatives said the gym will be a private court for Wallace, a four-time NBA defensive player of the year. He adopted Richmond as his hometown after becoming an All-American basketball player during his two years at Virginia Union University.
Wallace, 35, grew up in rural Alabama and went to a community college in Ohio for his first two years. He's played for Washington, Orlando, Detroit, Chicago and now Cleveland. He lives in Goochland County in the off-season.
In previous summers, Wallace has conducted a free basketball skills camp for young players at the Arthur Ashe Center, which leads to speculation that future camp sessions would be held at his private gym. Henrico planners appeared to be preparing for that possibility when they considered landscape plans for the property at their May meeting.
Lighting was the biggest issue -- how much and where to put it.
Because the property is near the railroad yard and the intersection of Interstates 95 and 64, vagrants have been a problem in the past. Police recorded 294 calls for service in 2008 and 106 calls so far this year, said Kimberly L. Vann, who specializes in crime prevention through environmental design for the Henrico Police Department.
"That is a real concern for police," she said.
Randy Hooker of Engineering Design Associates said the area was cleaned up in February 2008, after Wallace purchased the property. Vagrants who had been living on the property have not returned since then, he said.
As for lighting, spillover light from Westwood Avenue and the interstate illuminates the edges of the property, though it isn't noted on the plan specifying wall-mounted lights, Hooker added. He said the cost of pole-mounted lights is a concern for a project that's already over budget.
To Ernest B. Vanarsdall, Henrico Planning Commission chairman, that wasn't an excuse. "I can't say we allowed 20 people in harm's way because Mr. Wallace didn't want to put the money out for lights," Vanarsdall said.
The commission voted to defer action until June 24 to allow revisions of the lighting and landscaping plan.
Hooker said he's forwarded the information to his client. "We're working with the county trying to come to a happy medium."
Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or kcalos@timesdispatch.com.
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