County Stuck With Mall It Bought At Cusp of Recession

Chesterfield County, Virginia purchased the ailing Cloverleaf Mall two years ago with the idea of turning it into a mixed-use development. One recession later, the mall still stands and the city is stuck with an "expensive eyesore".

1 minute read

August 26, 2010, 9:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Wesley P. Hester writes that "the mall sits deteriorating, abandoned cars in the parking lot, weeds sprouting from cracked pavement and vandals' spray paint marking the dingy walls. Three sides of the mall are now fenced off because of trash dumping and 13 instances of break-ins and vandalism since the mall was shuttered in 2008.

But things may be changing soon."

Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

: Construction of massive Samsung semiconductor fabrication plant

In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland

Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.

November 3 - Inside Climate News

A construction crew working on SunZia.

How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on

The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.

November 3 - Grist

A rendering of the basketball court, a green court under a blue sky.

MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court

The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.

November 3 - Gothamist