DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors is seeking to acquire Central State Hospital, demolish the larger 374-acre property and rezone it for use by manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies. The Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors has requested to rezone a 374- acre property that includes Central State Hospital, which is a state-owned facility that provides psychiatric care for people in mental health crises and those with criminal histories. The proposed rezoning was first reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The property being eyed for redevelopment does not include the new Central State Hospital facility being constructed nearby by the state, nor the Hiram W. Davis Medical Center medical and long-term care facility, which is also state-maintaned, according to the Board of Supervisors staff report. The proposed property for rezoning does include multiple vacant buildings, according to planning documentation. Supervisors are seeking to rezone, demolish and abate the property, which, according to a memo regarding the rezoning request made to the Dinwiddie County Planning Commission, will then be intended for use by life sciences, biotechnology and manufacturing companies. (Courtesy of the Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors) The rezoning application, which was filed on Sept. 10, says the proposed zoning will "aid in the growth and development of the town center area into an employment area." Dinwiddie County reportedly applied for a Virginia Business Ready Sites Program (VBRSP) grant through Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to support acquisition and site readiness, according to the staff report. The county has reportedly worked with the state for more than a decade to pursue acquisition and redevelopment of the property, has invested more than $150,000 in due diligence, completed two appraisals, received an additional $1.6 million grant related to the site, and has committed over $3 million in county funds toward the overall project, according to planning documents. After hearing the case during a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 14, the Dinwiddie County Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend approval of the rezoning to the Board of Supervisors. The Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors is slated to discuss the proposed rezoning next during a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20. ...read more read less