City may not sleep on Richmond Road motel sites anymore
Closed session by Williamsburg council concerns sale of undisclosed city-owned properties on the busy commercial corridor
The Williamsburg City Council met in a closed session on Monday to discuss the potential sale or lease of city-owned real estate along Richmond Road. The move may mean that the city is moving forward on redeveloping at least one of several significant sites along the busy thoroughfare, which have remained in a prolonged cycle of proposed and stalled redevelopment after the city purchased them to spark revitalization.
Among the likely candidates under discussion is 906 Richmond Road, the former site of the Tioga Motel. While The Virginian-Pilot noted the 1938 motor court was one of Virginia’s first motels, the Daily Press reported that its landmark status eventually gave way to a reputation for squalor and illegal drug activity. The property was operated for 16 years by Evelyn Lee, who The Virginian-Pilot reported had a testy relationship with the city and once “protested a city decision by sitting on a chair in a part of Richmond Road that she claimed was hers.” However, following her retirement, the motel became the site is reported to have become the center of illicit drug use and distribution.
City assessment records show the city purchased the 0.69-acre lot in 2007 for $1,082,500, and current GIS records confirm it remains vacant commercial land with a 2026 appraised value of over $1.06 million.
Further down the corridor, the city owns two adjacent parcels at 1223 and 1233 Richmond Road, previously the site of a Super 8 Motel. This property was described by The Virginian-Pilot as a community “eyesore” that had seen its best days before the city acquired it for $2.45 million in 2016. According to the same reporting, the acquisition was viewed as a strategic move because the property anchored a corner of the Arts District across from the Williamsburg Shopping Center. While the paper noted that economic development officials considered the site a possibility for a future gallery or studio space, officials clarified the property was not acquired specifically for that purpose.
Current GIS records show the combined 0.96-acre site remains undeveloped and carries a 2026 appraised value of over $1.17 million.
(Please note that AI tools were used to generate the narration for this video.)
The city-owned vacant lot at 906 Richmond Road, the former site of the Tioga Motel, sits directly next door to 902 Richmond Road, where the William & Mary Real Estate Foundation agreed to purchase a 102-room Days Inn for $3.05 million in August 2016. The university sought to rezone the 1.6-acre hotel property to serve as housing for upperclassmen or graduate students. This acquisition mirrored the university’s earlier expansion strategy in 2013 when it purchased the Williamsburg Hospitality House, another Richmond Road commercial property located just steps from campus. By acquiring the 3.6-acre Hospitality House, William & Mary secured a 308-space parking garage and 318 rooms.
(Please the writer used AI tools and these sources:
City of Williamsburg to buy Super 8 motel for $2.45 million – The Virginian-Pilot
The Demolition and Redevelopment of the Tioga Motel - Daily Press
Evelyn Lee Obituary (2006) - Richmond, VA - Richmond Times-Dispatch
William & Mary agrees to purchase Williamsburg Hospitality House - William and Mary news release
Agenda Packet - Williamsburg City Council Work Session - April 6, 2026
Video - Williamsburg City Council Work Session - April 6, 2026
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Quite a detailed update. Thank you