THE TRI-CITIES
Located within an easy drive from Greater Richmond are the Tri-Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg. Immediately after the Civil War, Petersburg was one of the most important population centers in Virginia—second only to Richmond in its political and economic power. As late as the turn of the 20th century, the communities we know today as Colonial Heights and Hopewell were no more than an expanse of scattered homes and rich farmland that punctuated the countryside around Petersburg.
As the decades of the 1900s continued to progress, the agricultural communities of Hopewell and Colonial Heights blossomed into thriving cities. Hopewell was the first to be incorporated as a city in 1916, although its City Point district boasts one of the oldest continually occupied English settlements in America. The town of Colonial Heights was not officially incorporated until 1948. Hampered by land annexation disputes with Prince George County, Petersburg’s position as a leading city within the Commonwealth of Virginia was eclipsed by the phenomenal growth in Hampton Roads cities such as Newport News, Hampton, and Norfolk.
Closely bound by geography and shared resources, the Tri-Cities today are ideally located within the “Golden Crescent” that stretches between Washington, D.C. and Hampton Roads. The growth in this area has been very steady, with many new home communities slated for development, a new “commerce park” in Dinwiddie designed to bring more retail to the area and a new county owned sports complex that will give local residents several new opportunities for recreation and family fun. As an integral part of the vast Richmond-Petersburg metro area, these communities are able to harmonize the advantages of small-town living with access to dynamic employment centers, research hospitals, colleges and universities, and world-class cultural activities.
Services
While the Tri-Cities are never likely to rival Richmond or Henrico County as a magnet for Fortune 500 headquarters or as a center for international operations, they do offer a favorable setting for a growing number of businesses. The majority of employment opportunities in the Tri-Cities region are in the fields of state and federal government, manufacturing, and retail.
Among the government facilities are Central State Hospital, Southside Virginia Training Center, Richard Bland College, and Fort Lee. Fort Lee alone accounts for more than $225 million of military and civilian annual payroll for the Tri-Cities economy through its Troop Agency, Army Logistics Center, and Quartermaster School. The apex of retail activity is Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights, one of Central Virginia’s most inclusive shopping centers. Combining enclosed space with extensive peripheral development, the mall generates nearly $500 million in annual revenue.
Education and healthcare play leading roles in the local economy, with the City of Petersburg serving as the focal point of resources. Petersburg is home to Richard Bland College — a two-year branch of the College of William and Mary. It is also home to Virginia State University, a four-year coeducational public institution that offers undergraduate and master’s degrees as well as technical programs. Distinguished as the largest employer in Petersburg, the state-of-the-art healthcare institution of Southside Regional Medical Center provides nearly 470 beds and welcomes 100,000 patients each year. John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell is a 147-bed facility that offers medical and surgical specialties as well as outpatient services.
An efficient transportation network serves the Tri-Cities area. Interstate 95 provides the major link to Greater Richmond. Petersburg residents also have direct access to Interstate 85, which intersects Interstate 95 within the city. The close proximity of Interstate 295 forms a semi-circle loop around the City of Richmond, leading to the rapidly growing industrial development hot spots within Henrico County. Adding to the choices for efficient transportation are U.S. Route 1-301 and State Route 10. In addition to general aviation facilities at Petersburg Airport, the Tri-Cities are just minutes away from the Chesterfield County Airport and Richmond International Airport in eastern Henrico County. Among the other transportation amenities that encourage economic growth and strength are rail services, numerous trucking companies, the Port of Richmond, and the nearby port complex at Hampton Roads. Those who are interested in regional or national travel will appreciate Amtrak rail service and bus lines.
Lifestyle
Both Petersburg and Colonial Heights are located near the Appomattox River, while Hopewell overlooks the panoramic James and Appomattox Rivers. Considered as a region, the Tri-Cities area is moving toward a total population of 100,000. Nevertheless, the fragmentation of welcoming residential neighborhoods into three distinctive cities creates a rare balance between the charm and friendliness of a smaller town and the development of quality urban amenities.
Steeped in historic significance, the Tri-Cities region offers a fascinating glimpse of yesterday in a wide variety of sites and important monuments. Captain Christopher Newport visited Hopewell’s City Point area in 1607, just a few days after the first settlers arrived in Jamestown. City Point was the tragic scene of an Indian massacre in 1622, Revolutionary War fighting in 1781, and it served as the headquarters for Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. The historic City of Petersburg is a Civil War legend, having endured a ten-month siege when General Ulysses S. Grant surrounded the city with the intention of cutting off supply lines to General Robert E. Lee. In addition to Civil War battlefields, wonderful museums, and grand monuments, the Tri-Cities region is home to magnificent Southern mansions and architecturally significant structures. The Trapezium House, for example, was built entirely without right angles or parallel sides to guard against evil spirits who are known to “live in corners.”
While the world-class cultural attractions of Richmond are easily accessible, the Tri-Cities offer a remarkably wide selection of colorful events and activities. Children’s theater, college groups, community theater, and dinner theater provide residents with a variety of cultural productions. The Richard Bland College Players and the Virginia State University Performers combine the talents of faculty, staff, and students in a season of stage performances. Another local favorite is the Swift Creek Mill Playhouse dinner theater, housed in a restored 17th-century gristmill on U.S. Route 1 at the bank of Swift Creek. Recreational amenities are abundant in the Tri-Cities, from challenging golf courses to hiking and biking trails, racquet clubs, roller skating rinks, exciting game centers, boat launches, and fishing docks. Picnic pavilions, playgrounds, tennis courts, outdoor swimming pools, athletic fields, and basketball courts are all available in local parks. City recreation departments sponsor and organize summer programs, sports leagues, field trips, and classes for all ages.
Regional attractions for Tri-Cities residents are equally diverse. The extensive facilities and vast acreage available at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County are just minutes from home. One of the area’s largest attractions is the Virginia Motorsports Park in neighboring Dinwiddie County, where hundreds of thousands of screaming fans converge each spring to cheer on the high-speed thrills at the Pennzoil Nationals.
Newcomers to the Tri-Cities region will find a pleasing mix of housing options, from country estates set back from quiet roads to long-established neighborhoods graced by the embellishments of period architecture and surrounded by meticulous landscaping. Beautiful older homes in the heart of the city contrast with newer construction in vibrant residential subdivisions for a wide selection of styles and price ranges. Whether your dream is a vintage Colonial or Federal, a sprawling ranch or a modern Cape Cod surrounded by abundant acreage, the Tri-Cities region has the ideal address.
Colonial Heights
City Offices
1507 Boulevard
Colonial Heights 804-520-9265
www.colonial-heights.com
Chamber of Commerce
2316 Boulevard
Colonial Heights 804-526-5872
www.colonialheightschamber.com
Located across the river from Petersburg and just 20 miles south of Richmond is the City of Colonial Heights. Although government operations and manufacturing, trade, and service sectors combine to create a strong economic base, revenue from retail sales is exceptionally strong. The city is home to Southpark Mall, with two million square feet of total retail space. Colonial Heights takes pride in offering a superb quality of life, enhanced by the city’s close proximity to Petersburg, Chesterfield County, Henrico County, and Richmond. An outstanding public school system combines with access to some of Virginia’s finest institutions of higher education, including Richard Bland College and Virginia State University in neighboring Petersburg. Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg provides a medley of medical and surgical specialties, although residents of Colonial Heights can take advantage of the outpatient services offered through the Southside extension facility located in their city.
Recreational amenities available close to home include yacht and swim clubs, sports facilities, a 1,300-seat stadium, athletic fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, boat ramps, acres of lush parkland, and fishing opportunities in area lakes and rivers. Local recreation programs provide opportunities for participation in sports leagues, field trips, and classes for all ages. Miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline and world-famous resorts like Virginia Beach are less than two hours to the east.
Housing options are available in a variety of residential areas, from well-established neighborhoods in the heart of the city to a growing selection of subdivisions that feature newer construction in a variety of architectural styles. With its welcoming atmosphere, recreational opportunities, and accessibility to world-class urban resources, Colonial Heights is maturing as a choice location within Greater Richmond.
Hopewell
City Offices
300 North Main Street
Hopewell 804541-2270
www.hopewellva.gov
Chamber of Commerce
210 North Second Avenue
Hopewell 804-458-5536
www.hpgchamber.org
Distinguished as one of Virginia’s first areas to be inhabited by adventurous settlers of the New World, Hopewell is also one of the state’s youngest municipalities. Although historic City Point weathered conflicts and social evolution that spanned the years prior to Revolutionary times through the days of the Civil War, the community’s population surged in the early 1900s when DuPont established war-related production facilities in the city.
The arrival of DuPont to the small town of Hopewell was just the first step in a pattern of innovation and economic leadership. Today, the Hopewell economy includes a number of international giants. Proud of the many advantages it can provide, Hopewell maintains a progressive and friendly attitude toward economic growth. Situated just 20 miles south of Richmond, the city provides easy access to Interstate 95.
Blending the intimacy of a small town with the well-developed amenities of Petersburg, Hopewell provides an outstanding quality of life. Skilled professionals in dentistry and medicine are anchored by the 150-bed John Randolph Medical Center. Both private and public colleges and universities are located within a 30-mile radius. Included are John Tyler and J. Sargeant Reynolds community colleges, the College of William and Mary and its associated junior institution Richard Bland College, the University of Virginia, and Virginia State University located in the Tri-Cities region. Others close to home are Randolph-Macon College, Virginia Union University, the University of Richmond, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Within the City of Hopewell, newcomers will discover a friendly atmosphere of old-world charm and small-town delights. The city offers a walking tour enhanced by 15 exhibits that create an open-air museum. Also scattered throughout the Hopewell area are beautiful plantations, manor homes, quaint churches, grand historic buildings, specialty boutiques, quiet cafes, inviting restaurants, and popular antique dealers.
Outdoor adventures like fishing, boating, and water sports on the Appomattox and James rivers play an important role in the recreational scene for Hopewell residents. Lush local parks combine with a complete complement of facilities for swimming, racquetball, team sports, tennis, yachting, canoeing, golfing, camping, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. With its strategic location, public and private schools, and fine selection of housing, Hopewell is a vital component of the Tri-Cities region.
City of Petersburg
City Offices
135 N. Union Street
Petersburg 804-733-2301
www.petersburg-va.com
Chamber of Commerce
325 East Washington Street
Petersburg 804-733-8131
www.petersburgvachamber.com
Historic Petersburg remains the undisputed educational, medical, and cultural hub for the Tri-Cities region, boasting 182 miles of roadway and a prime location that includes the intersection of Interstates 95 and 85. Home of Richard Bland College, Virginia State University, and the highly respected Southside Regional Medical Center, the city mingles the rich legacy of yesterday with state-of-the-art healthcare institutions and respected halls of higher learning.
Today, this highly developed and balanced community is still famous for its vital role in the Civil War as a town that endured a ten-month siege by Union troops. This grueling saga included the Battle of the Crater, where Union troops attempted to tunnel beneath the Confederate lines with disastrous results. A recent addition to Virginia’s premier historic attractions is the Pamplin Park Civil War Site just south of Petersburg, marking the location of the 1865 breakdown of previously impenetrable defenses in the Petersburg area that spurred General Robert E. Lee’s evacuation. In addition to Civil War battlefields, museums, monuments, and historic sites, newcomers to the Petersburg community will discover one of the finest collections of antebellum buildings, tobacco warehouses, and early 19th century storefronts in the entire nation. Old Towne is a particularly charming place within Petersburg’s seven historic districts. Ravaged by fire in 1815 and rebuilt in the Federal architectural style, the area offers meticulously restored structures that house antique dealers, fine galleries, museums, boutiques, craft shops, restaurants, and sidewalk cafes. Even the old railroad station is now the site of a colorful and popular weekend flea market.
The presence of Richard Bland College and Virginia State University enriches the cultural community with a full calendar of performances from concert and marching bands, concert choir, brass ensemble, jazz combo, percussion ensemble, saxophone quartet, woodwind choir, and the gospel chorale. Performing at the Petersburg High School auditorium are the talented groups of Southside Virginia Community Concert Association and the Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. Touring groups include the Fort Lee Band and Petersburg Festival Chorus.
The attractive and diverse housing selection ranges from modern construction to older homes in long-established neighborhoods. Nestled along historic High Street is a lovely residential area where sweeping lawns and large shade trees grace unique examples of fine American architecture from the 18th century through the turn of the 20th century. Those who prefer abundant open space and a rural atmosphere may want to explore the home sites available beyond the city limits. Rambling old farm houses, ranches with wrap-around porches, equestrian properties, Cape Cods, and Colonials are just a few of the many choices.
Recreational amenities include a network of lush parks and recreation programs that encourage picnics, swimming, athletics, tennis, and league play in a variety of sports for all age groups. Wilcox Lake is a popular fishing spot. The Appomattox Riverside Park in neighboring Dinwiddie County offers a boat launch and pavilions, while the West End/Farmer Street Park excels in sports facilities and athletic fields. The area’s rolling rivers and sparkling lakes beckon water sports enthusiasts to indulge in everything from canoeing and kayaking to whitewater rafting. Regardless of your age or interests, Petersburg offers a quality attraction just beyond your doorstep.
