The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer Seeking Proposals for Adaptive Reuse of the Historic Goodwin Building in Williamsburg, Virginia
Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announces the publication of a formal request for proposals for the adaptive reuse of Colonial Williamsburg’s former executive offices in Downtown Williamsburg, Virginia. Developers are invited to submit long-term lease proposals detailing their high quality and unique reuse plans of the historic Goodwin Building located at 134 North Henry Street.
From 1940 through 2018, the building served as the administrative headquarters for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s senior leadership and the repository of the Foundation’s corporate archives. It was also the location from which the architects of the Williamsburg Restoration Movement designed and implemented many of the plans for the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg funded by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. This iconic and ideally positioned building awaits an adaptive reuse that capitalizes upon the advancing downtown vibrancy and high demand for new residential and commercial options in the City’s epicenter. The prominence of the building with its sweeping corner streetscape and high visibility from almost all central downtown blocks, dictates that the reuse of the property, which is now vacant, honor the quality of the finishes that were employed during the Williamsburg Restoration. Developers will be guided by the Architectural Review Board for the City of Williamsburg and encouraged to reference the City of Williamsburg’s recently released Downtown Vibrancy Study. All proposals will be reviewed by Colonial Williamsburg’s Real Estate Department and subject to approval by its senior leadership.
Merchants Square, located in the heart of Williamsburg’s downtown, is flanked by Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and Art Museums and by the campus of the College of William & Mary. Merchants Square is a vibrant, mixed-use commercial district encompassing roughly 10 city blocks and comprised of approximately 225,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, entertainment, residential and specialty space plus over 30,000 square feet of office space. Merchants Square is one of the earliest planned commercial shopping centers in the nation. The district also contains several undeveloped parcels that have tremendous potential for curated future mixed use development. Thalhimer is working hand-in-hand with the Foundation to create a master plan that enhances the economic value of its real estate holdings in support of the Foundation’s core mission.
Jeffrey A. Duncan, Vice President - Real Estate, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation comments, “We are excited to be working with Drew Haynie, Dawn Griggs, and Thalhimer’s talented team of real estate professionals as we assess the future of the Goodwin Building. Its iconic presence in downtown Williamsburg, adjacent to the Historic Area and the College of William & Mary has been on display for more than three-quarters of a century, and we look forward to developing plans for its continued long-term use.”
Dawn F. Griggs, SIOR and Drew Haynie of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer are leading the assignment on behalf of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. A link to the RFP can be found here: https://www.thalhimer.com/
