Virginia State to begin construction on $84 million facility

Published December 9, 2013 by Robert Powell, III

Virginia State University plans to  break ground on a $84 million, 165,000-square-foot multipurpose center on Friday.

The facility at Third Avenue and Watson Street in southern Chesterfield County will seat 5,100 people for sporting events and 6,100 for concerts.

It also will include classrooms and labs; a wellness center; practice facilities and locker rooms; and a banquet kitchen that can accommodate events for up to 900 people.

University officials said the center will serve as the anchor for an effort by VSU and Chesterfield to revitalize the village of Ettrick. A mixed-use, residential and commercial corridor along Chesterfield Avenue is planned in the area.

The construction, which will cost $57 million, is expected to take 22 months.