346 replies to this topic

[wrldcoupe4]

wow you're right... that looks awesome! Thanks.. I toltally missed it!

[burt]

wrldcoupe4, on Oct 26 2005, 03:07 PM, said:

wow you're right... that looks awesome! Thanks.. I toltally missed it!

I wonder if Cadeho would allow you to put it here?

Well, I guess that's not necessary.  We all go to RCW anyway.

Edited by burt, 26 October 2005 - 01:16 PM.

[wrldcoupe4]

he might... I'll ask him... He's in the process of preparing several hundred pictures and posting many of them online.

[Downtowner]

Heres some news about the ballpark.

Shockoe Committee Report Won’t Include Ballpark
November 9, 2005

The mayor’s advisory committee charged with evaluating development proposals for Shockoe Bottom will issue an interim report in the next few weeks. But it won’t include an analysis of the proposed $330 million ballpark. “The committee has not received any further formal information about the proposed facility,” says committee chairman Michael Pratt, an urban studies professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. “We don’t have anything to discuss.”

  
Mayor L. Douglas Wilder established the committee in early June to advise him on plans for the ballpark and any other development proposals that came along. The ballpark developers gave the committee a presentation outlining their intentions June 20.

At that meeting, Global Development Partners and the Richmond Braves said their plans involved the city establishing a special tax district wherein taxes generated within the boundaries of the stadium project — which would include retail shops, restaurants, condos and offices — would be used to pay off $80 million in bonds.

Pratt says the committee can’t evaluate the proposal because it hasn’t received any additional details from the developer or the Braves.

While the group has evaluated some existing proposals for Shockoe Bottom, such as plans for a slave trail and a visitors’ center, it hasn’t received any other major proposals. “There are no larger-scale developments that are coming forward,” Pratt says.

Bill Farrar, the mayor’s press secretary, says the administration has been in talks with the Braves and the developer in recent weeks regarding the future of the baseball team and the ballpark plans. But he says the city hasn’t received any “formal details” concerning the $330 million proposal.

After the June 20 meeting, the mayor said he expected a recommendation from the committee by mid-December. He’ll get one — minus the ballpark.

“We are communicating and having appropriate conversations,” Farrar says of the recent talks between the mayor’s office, Global Development and the Braves. “Everybody has questions.” — Scott Bass

[wrldcoupe4]

I'm not really sure who's at fault here for this stadium not getting any more traction.

[burt]

wrldcoupe4, on Nov 9 2005, 01:21 PM, said:

I'm not really sure who's at fault here for this stadium not getting any more traction.

If you were the developer offering such a deal, would you be inclined to pursue it with any enthusiasm when the Mayor and cohorts put stumbling blocks all along the way?

Henry on RCW hints at another "major" development scheme which lost a potential $350K investor because of Wilder's recalcitrance in consideration of other amenities.

[wrldcoupe4]

Agreed, but...the mayor seemed open to the idea of a downtown stadium. IMO, instead of setting up this committee, they (the city) should have wheeled and dealed directly with the braves and global. However, at the same time, it seems like Global has not given the city any more details than it had almost 6 months ago. The city wants more details from Global, but Global doesn't want to give more details until it has assurances from the city, but the city won't give those assurances until it has more details.. Whew! What came first? the chicken or the egg??

[burt]

It seems to me Global provided revised renderings and designs and explanations at what must have been considerable expense after the first announcements and rendererings.  And what did they get in response?  A slap in the face with the appointment of a non-representative amateur committee to second guess the proposal, and a lot of bad press.

Who knows?  Goodstein and Bow Tie may be in for simmilar treatment.

By the way, coupe, do you have any clue as to the "development" of which Henry speaks?

[wrldcoupe4]

hmmm burt good question...my guess would be the First Freedom Center, which hasn't had the best time fundraising. They are still committed to the center, but had to scale back some of their plans including a monument on the River. Not sure what the revised timetable is...

Here's the response to an email I had sent them.. from early august.....

"Thank you for your email and your interest in the First Freedom Center project.

The mission of the Council for America’s First Freedom states that it is a 501©(3) organization based in Richmond, Virginia which provides educational programs, materials and information about religious freedom as an American historical development, as a contemporary controversy, and as an international human rights issue.

In order to fulfill this mission we are focused on two primary areas; the expansion of our educational programming and the construction of the First Freedom Center. Our plans are progressing and we plan to break ground on the Center in 2007. We expect that it will take about 24 months to complete the project and will open the Center in 2009.

We currently are renovating our properties at 14th and Main Streets which will house interactive exhibits, classroom space and offices on the first floor. There will be 50 residential apartments that occupy the second and third floors. This project will be completed mid-2006.

Regarding the monument, in 2000, the board of trustees decided to concentrate the Council's energies on building the Center for a number of reasons; the Council owns the historic capitol site in Richmond, where religious freedom was first established - a site whose height restrictions would preclude locating a landmark icon there of the kind desired by most supporters, the Council has not yet acquired an appropriate site for the proposed monument, the Council's decision was confirmed early in 2003 during a feasibility study conducted by national fundraising counsel. Interviews revealed overwhelming support for the Center as the first priority. More than three-quarters of the interviewees felt it important to establish something of educational substance first."

other than that, I am unaware of any other large projects that require pledges that are having difficulty raising funds.

[wrldcoupe4]

DowntownDave on rCW reports that a deal has been struck between Global and Wilder about the Shockoe Stadium Proposal! Wilder and the Braves will have an announcement by the end of the year!!!! Looks like we get our new stadium!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also, it seems that Target, Best Buy, and a movie theater etc.. are in negotiations for a 50 acre piece of land that is owned by the city and may include the diamond property!

[Downtowner]

wrldcoupe this is huge for the city but do remember that the stadium has to be approved by the AAA International League.

[wrldcoupe4]

I'm sure it will be.. don't worry about that being a factor joey.

It's a HUGE update!

[urbanvb]

Fantatstic news. Hope it all gets approved.

[ric75]

wrldcoupe4, on Nov 22 2005, 01:27 PM, said:

DowntownDave on rCW reports that a deal has been struck between Global and Wilder about the Shockoe Stadium Proposal! Wilder and the Braves will have an announcement by the end of the year!!!! Looks like we get our new stadium!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also, it seems that Target, Best Buy, and a movie theater etc.. are in negotiations for a 50 acre piece of land that is owned by the city and may include the diamond property!

I've gone back and forth on this issue but I'm all for it now.  Who knows how long it would take to try and bring in other developments of this magnitude?  I wonder if this somehow ties into the post on  RCW about a Target/Best Buy/Theatre project where the Diamond is now?  I'm going to reserve some of my excitement for when this becomes official but it's looking pretty good at the moment.  Couple this with the new plaza under the Spaghetti works, the work on the remaining warehouses on Tobabcco Row and you practically have a fully developed, de-decayed Shockoe Bottom.

[wrldcoupe4]

I haven't ever really been opposed to it, but I've always held this stance. Shockoe Bottom doesn't need the Braves, but the Braves need Shockoe Bottom. Otherwise they'd hit the road. Now that the bottom will get $330+ million of investment from this project ALONE, it's hard to say no.
I don't think the stadium payment plan is as sketchy as many think. Maybe I'm a fool. I think it's way better than the deal that many cities are dealt.

I can't wait!

[ric75]

wrldcoupe4, on Nov 22 2005, 03:59 PM, said:

I haven't ever really been opposed to it, but I've always held this stance. Shockoe Bottom doesn't need the Braves, but the Braves need Shockoe Bottom. Otherwise they'd hit the road. Now that the bottom will get $330+ million of investment from this project ALONE, it's hard to say no.
I don't think the stadium payment plan is as sketchy as many think. Maybe I'm a fool. I think it's way better than the deal that many cities are dealt.

I can't wait!

You're no fool. You keep up with city issues and developments better than 99% of Richmonders I bet.  The last I heard there did seem to be a lot of protections in place for the city so that if for some reason revenue fell short of their expectations, the city wouldn't be footing a huge bill.  The difference between this project and the VPAC is that most of the details on this one have unfolded before the public eye whereas the VPAC all happened behind closed doors and you can see who got the best of that deal.  I have confidence that Wilder is looking out for the best interests of the City.  Though he may be rough and aggressive at times, I think that serves to scare off potential schemerswhile making the serious investors show how everything is going to happen ahead of time. He knows this City and he knows it's troubled past with failures of some of the big "fix all" developments  so I think he approaches potential projects with a wary eye.  It seems to have payed off.

[burt]

As usual, coupe, you are confident and rosy in your hopes, just as the g/f says.  But seems to me you're basing high hopes on a few one line announcements from Downtown Dave.  While his news is always impeccable, what he's reported so far doesn't mean the projects will be as originally projected.  They may be considerably less grandiose than our hopes.

But it's always good to look on the bright side.

[wrldcoupe4]

While Dave's one liners make me confident and hopeful, Style Weekly articles make me feel assured.


After reading the article, here's what I think. The Shockoe Bottom stadium proposal will move forward and become reality. City land around the Diamond will be redeveloped into a retail area, hopefully an urban retail area, though my gut says we'll have to settle for some suburban crap. What I'm not sure of is how they interact. Is the retail hub an expansion of Global's plans? Will selling city land help pay for the new stadium in some way? Lots of questions... guess we'll have to wait for Wilder to make an announcement in the coming weeks.

Quote

Mayor L. Douglas Wilder says he’s been talking with the Richmond Braves and developers of the proposed Shockoe Bottom ballpark and expects to have some news to announce within the next few weeks. If the deal flies to move the Braves, City Councilman William J. Pantele says Richmond could get a much-needed retail development in and around The Diamond on the Boulevard, which, including surrounding city property, encompasses about 50 acres. ................

As for a potential stadium in Shockoe Bottom, Wilder says his office has been in contact with the developers and expects that his advisory committee on the area could be reviewing a ballpark proposal as early as January.

Big Retailers Looking at the Diamond; Movement on the Bottom plan

[wrldcoupe4]

Dead.

http://timesdispatch...d=1128768957953

I was really looking forward to this. Now we'll probably end up losing the braves.

[Downtowner]

You know coupe I was just thinking about this last night. Thinking we were gonna keep the braves but it sure doesn't look like it now. This whole thing is pathetic. We should of started talking to the braves first before talking to developers.