The intent of the rehabilitation was to restore Sauer Properties’ Cary Court Park & Shop, which opened in 1938 as first shopping center in Richmond, to its original commercial splendor. Seventeen individual storefronts line the south elevation of the shopping center. The original canopy, hidden under stucco signage panels since 1977, was refurbished to include the canopy’s original pressed tin ceiling and stainless steel fascia. Neon signage was added to give the storefronts maximum visibility from Cary Street. A number of individual tenant interior spaces were also updated in this rehabilitation.
“Too often retail buildings are considered outmoded, uneconomical and unworthy of a second life . . . But Cary Court has received a restrained, but stylish facelift that should serve as a model for how to acknowledge architectural history while making sure the cash registers still continue to ring.” — Edwin Slipek, Jr., Style Weekly
