DATE: Saturday, September 20, 1997          TAG: 9709200285

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MIKE ABRAMS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   46 lines

BOOKSELLER HAS FAITH IN BEACHHEAVEN & EARTH TO BUILD NEW HOME IN OCEANA AS INDUSTRIAL PARKS NEARS CAPACITY

Christian book and gift retailer Heaven & Earth will consolidate its headquarters and distribution warehouse in the city's nearly full Oceana West Industrial Park.

The Beach Development Authority approved architectural plans this week for the company's 26,000-square-foot building, adjacent to New Dominion Pictures.

Construction on the $1 million facility is expected to begin this fall with possible occupancy by spring. A second phase could bring an additional 15,000 square feet to the property within a year.

The building will sit on a 3.5-acre parcel that is one of the last empty lots in the 1,200-acre park, which opened in 1973.

Construction on the park's remaining 180 acres is limited to warehouse industrial. ``There's no more pure office land left,'' said Mark Wawner, project development manager in the city's Economic Development Department.

Initially, 16 people will work at the Heaven & Earth facility. The company has told the city it may eventually hire as many as two dozen additional employees.

Heaven & Earth had its genesis 16 years ago, when one-time lawyer Kevin Adams broke into retailing at the Love Shop in Lynnhaven Mall.

A year later, he bought the store from its owners and changed the name to Heaven & Earth. He now operates 12 stores in Hampton Roads and Richmond. The shops sell books, music, clothes, gifts and church items.

Adams was unavailable for comment this week.

Nancy Haas, the company's operations director, said the current home office on First Colonial Road has been sold. The other property, which is near the planned office, might be leased.

``It feels really good to have the home office and warehouse together,'' Haas said.

C. Oral Lambert Jr., the city's chief of staff, described the development as ``good, substantial growth'' for the Beach.

``This is an excellent project,'' he said. ``It's another million-dollar investment.'' ILLUSTRATION: Drawing

An architectural plan for Heaven & Earth's new facility in Oceana

West Industrial Park.

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