Virginia's newest liquor store sits in a building with a banner that proclaims: "Inspired Urban Living."
On the same day that Gov. Bob McDonnell vowed again to end the state's liquor monopoly, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control planted itself squarely in the future of Richmond's Shockoe Bottom.
The state's 334th retail liquor store opened Thursday morning in a new apartment building next to a renovated firehouse on East Main Street in the heart of a burgeoning residential district in the Bottom.
"We were convinced that an ABC store is in strong demand for luxury apartments," said Marc Galt, head of Sensei Development, partner in the Shockoe Valley Heights complex that includes the liquor outlet. "I think the store will do fabulously with just the walk-up business of inhabitants."
The store occupies 2,870 square feet on the first floor of 2026 E. Main St., a new building constructed by Sensei and its partner, the Monument Cos., as part of a four-phase project.
The five-story building, with 25 apartments at Main and North 21st streets, is part of the development phase that includes renovation of the historic Engine Co. 2 firehouse, built in 1899.
Three lofts in the upper floors of the firehouse are occupied, while the ground floor is being readied for the opening of Station 2, a restaurant.
The ABC store replaces a store closed early last year in Fulton Hill, which was the nearest liquor outlet in the East End. "There really are no liquor stores in the area," said Randy McElroy, project manager for Monument. "I would anticipate it would be a very busy corner."
The store will carry about 1,000 items - distilled spirits, mixers and Virginia wine.
The first customer, Zakee Hill, dashed into the store in its first half-hour to buy a miniature bottle of Hennessy cognac.
"I've been waiting for it to open up," Hill, a South Side resident, said with a grin.
The store also will serve as a wholesale outlet for restaurants and bars from the Bottom to the Fan District. Under the state's monopoly, licensed retailers get their wholesale supplies from ABC stores; the new store will serve small licensees and act as a backup for others.
"They were very, very excited about the location as it relates to the downtown and the Fan," Galt said of ABC officials.
ABC officials said they had been looking for the right place to open a store in the neighborhood, which is undergoing a renaissance with renovations of historic buildings financed by tax credits.
The location, part of new construction within the Engine Company Lofts complex, offered the advantage of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure access to people with disabilities.
"After several years of searching for a suitable location to serve customers who reside in, work or visit the Shockoe neighborhood, we're pleased to be open for business," said Wilson Jones, assistant director of wholesale/retail operations at ABC.
mmartz@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6964
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