Yorktown Riverwalk Landing
Yorktown, Virginia
Overview
Riverwalk Landing is a 21,000-plus-square-foot mixed-use waterfront development that serves as the commercial and community centerpiece of Historic Yorktown. Developed as part of York County’s revitalization of the Yorktown waterfront, the project includes nine buildings with retail and restaurant spaces, performance and gathering areas, a parking terrace, and waterfront piers connected by a pedestrian-oriented public realm along the York River. Thompson Consulting Engineers provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design, Construction Administration, and Commissioning services, coordinating building and site infrastructure across multiple occupancies while addressing the durability and operational demands of a coastal environment. Since opening in 2005, Riverwalk Landing has become a year-round destination for dining, shopping, recreation, markets, concerts, community events, and waterfront activity while preserving the historic character that defines Yorktown.
Challenges
- Designed MEP systems for multiple retail, restaurant, and public-use buildings within a coastal waterfront environment exposed to humidity, salt air, and flooding risks.
- Coordinated utilities, lighting, and site infrastructure across buildings, plazas, performance areas, piers, and pedestrian-focused public spaces.
- Integrated modern building systems within a historically sensitive setting while coordinating with broader shoreline protection and flood-resilience improvements.
Goals
- Provided durable, reliable MEP infrastructure capable of supporting diverse retail, restaurant, event, and public-use functions.
- Integrated site-wide electrical, lighting, plumbing, and utility systems to support safety, accessibility, and year-round waterfront activity.
- Supported York County’s vision for a pedestrian-oriented waterfront destination while respecting Historic Yorktown’s architectural character.
Project Team
- Owner: York County
- Architect: Rancorn Wildman Architects and Glave & Holmes (parking structure)
- Contractor: W.M. Jordan
Results
- Helped transform the Yorktown waterfront into a vibrant mixed-use destination that continues to support shopping, dining, recreation, community events, and tourism.
- Delivered coordinated infrastructure serving more than 21,000 square feet of commercial space, public gathering areas, performance spaces, and waterfront facilities.
- Supported a durable waterfront development that has remained an important community and tourism destination for more than 20 years since opening in 2005.
