The vacant headquarters of Best Products – minus its iconic eagle statues – will soon be gone, with the site along Interstate 95 cleared for a planned mixed-use development anchored by an arena.
The Henrico Economic Development Authority’s Board of Directors on Thursday approved a contract with S.B. Cox Inc. “to prepare the site for a smooth and accelerated path to redevelopment,” EDA Managing Director Andrew Larsen said in a statement.
The work at 1400 Best Plaza Drive is expected to occur through much of 2026 and explicitly will exclude the prominent pair of eagle statues, “with the intent that they will be ultimately preserved, either onsite as part of the new development or elsewhere,” Larsen said.
With its curved exterior wall of green glass, the Best Products building has been a landmark off I-95 and East Parham Road for nearly 50 years. After Henrico bought the property in 2011, officials explored various potential uses and renovation scenarios before ultimately concluding redevelopment was the best option.
EDA, along with the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority, is working to identify partners for the effort, which is dubbed Best Products Reimagined.
“Demolition will clear the way for Best Products Reimagined, a project that honors the site’s enterprising legacy by transforming it into a signature destination, brimming with thrilling experiences, connectivity, and premier corporate opportunities for generations to come,” Larsen said.
The contract for demolition comes as construction is underway on an extension of Magellan Parkway. The project will include a bridge over I-95 that will enhance access between the Brook Road corridor west of I-95 and property east of I-95. That land includes the Best Products site as well as the Level Green residential development, which is under construction.
Next week, Henrico’s Department of Planning will host a four-day workshop with the community to shape the future of the former Best Products headquarters site and properties in the Brook corridor.
The workshop, or “charrette,” will be held March 23-26 at the Parham Road campus of Reynolds Community College, 1651 E. Parham Road. The hands-on exercise, hosted with the design firm Able City, will bring together community members, designers and planners to brainstorm and shape ideas for the focus areas.
