Former Anthem building on Staples Mill will change from parking and concrete into 'Kinsale Center,' a $500 million mixed-use project

Kinsale Capital Group, a specialty insurer, cut the ribbon on Phase 1 of its Kinsale Center development on Wednesday, a mixed-use development that will ultimately have apartments, office space and a hotel.

The ceremony celebrated the completion of a large-scale renovation of the former Anthem building, which will serve as Kinsale's headquarters. The office building is set to bring in more than 700 employees. The concrete facade of the Anthem building was torn off and replaced with glass.

The full project, which will unfold over several years, will cost $500 million and take place on what used to be 30 acres of mostly open parking.

“Kinsale’s new headquarters signals the beginning of an exciting next chapter for our company,” said Michael P. Kehoe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kinsale. “Beyond serving as our new home, this project will anchor a larger development that brings new hospitality and commercial amenities to the community—enhancing the vitality of the area for years to come.”

Kinsale officials were joined by guest speakers, including Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas, as well as development partners.

“I’ve said many times that the government does not create jobs, businesses do,” Youngkin said. “When we create an environment where businesses can thrive, then job creation takes care of itself.”

Youngkin and other speakers emphasized how public-private partnerships can impact economic growth and innovation.

“What Kinsale and their development partners have accomplished here also mirrors the goals of our Board of Supervisors,” Vithoulkas said. “With the initiative called Henrico Tomorrow, which focuses on elevating Henrico’s office spaces and reimagining how underused or aging properties can serve a new generation of businesses and their employees, Kinsale shows what’s possible when private investment and community priorities move in the same direction.” 

With Phase 1 completed, a foundation has been established for the next phases of the project, which includes adding in a multi-story hotel, new apartments, additional office buildings and a new parking deck.

“I remind everyone that businesses get to choose where to invest, just like people get to choose where to live, and when businesses are making that choice over and over again for the Commonwealth of Virginia and Henrico County. I think it is an affirmation that what we are doing is working,” said Youngkin.

(Kinsale is a donor to The Richmonder, but did not influence or review this story.)