Since I looked all over this site for a Hampton Roads forum and couldn't find one I've decide to start one here. There is a lot of major developments going on in this area and it is really overlooked. Bear with me though, cause it's a lot to post.
This thread is now closed. For a complete and updated listing of Hampton Roads projects please go here--->Hampton Roads Projects Listing]
Hampton Roads
Started by
vdogg
, Dec 08 2004 11:58 AM
144 replies to this topic
#2
vdogg
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Posted 08 December 2004 - 12:04 PM
Process of building towers to begin with city meeting
An architect’s rendering of Granby Towers illustrates the vast $100 million project, which could bring 400 condo units priced between $250,000 and $400,000 to the northern edge of downtown Norfolk. HUMPHREYS AND PARTNERS ARCHITECTS, L.P.
By BATTINTO BATTS, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 3, 2004
NORFOLK — Officials with Marathon Deve lopment Group and the city’s planning department will meet Wednesday to begin the formal process of bringing a twin-tower condominium complex to Granby Street.
Projected water and sewage usage and parking will be among the likely topics of discussion regarding the $100 million project, which could bring 400 condo units priced between $250,000 and $400,000 to the northern perimeter of downtown.
The meeting is the first step toward winning city approval for a project that Buddy Gadams, president of Marathon Development, promises will be first rate.
“We are going to talk about the needs of that area and the development,” Gadams said. “We want to see how to build a development that is good for the city, good for the people who live there and for the developers.”
Gadams said he doesn’t anticipate asking the city to make wholesale accommodations for his development.
“We bought this land and are going into the project without having to ask or demand anything of the city in terms of improvements,” Gadams said. However, Gadams said he would like to see sidewalk and streetscape enhancements in the general area.
It took several months and more than $2 million for Marathon Development to reach this point for the project, designed to meet a growing demand for downtown housing.
The first major step occurred about 18 months ago, when Marathon Development bought the land for the first tower at Granby and York streets. The 34,000-square-foot parcel, which contains a small church and 82 parking spaces, sold for $950,000, Gadams said.
The church, Integrity Heritage Church for All People, has a monthly lease with the developer on its space. The church, which fronts York, will be forced to move to make way for the first condominium tower, which would be 25 stories.
“We hate to displace anybody, but I think when you look at the magnitude of the project, the big picture, everyone one can be a winner,” Gadams said.
Officials with the church could not be reached for comment Monday, but Gadams said his company wants to aid in the move. “We want to help through real estate agents to find another space and possibly provide some financial incentives … in the spirit of being a good neighbor,” he said.
The entire complex, as planned, would stretch on Granby from Bute Street on the south to Brambleton on the north. It would occupy about half of the block bounded by Boush Street on the west.
If the project, now called Granby Towers, is approved by the city, construction on the first tower could begin in late 2005.
Depending on demand – Gadams said he is already getting phone calls from prospective buyers – construction on the second, 15-story tower could be done concurrently.
That tower, at Granby and Brambleton, would force The Vault, an off-site media rotation services company, to move. The business, which stores computer data for companies, is in a former bank building constructed around the late 1940s. Bob Henderson, owner of The Vault and an adjacent parking lot, said he sold the 26,000-square-foot parcel to Marathon Development in May for $1.25 million.
Henderson said he had been in discussions with officials three years ago about selling the property to the federal government for the proposed expansion of the federal courthouse across Granby. An appraisal was done on the property in preparation for a sale, but the talks halted following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, he said.
Henderson of Norfolk, who has a yearly lease with Marathon Development on the property, isn’t sure what he will do when the time comes to move. “I’ve been in business since 1982, so I don’t want to give up,” he said.
Henderson has witnessed a great deal of change since he bought the property in 1989. Years of decline had left the area a mishmash of empty buildings that lacked the cache brought on by recent revitalization several blocks south.
The idea of a condominium development of this magnitude on Granby would have seemed far-fetched back then, Henderson said. “That would have never been anticipated by anyone.”
Reach Battinto Batts at 446-2642 or battinto.batts@pilotonline.com
More Real Estate Articles
• Shifting control of association to owners - Aug. 2
• Two towers planned for Norfolk - Jul. 30
• Theme park proposal gives way to industrial park plan - Jul. 29
An architect’s rendering of Granby Towers illustrates the vast $100 million project, which could bring 400 condo units priced between $250,000 and $400,000 to the northern edge of downtown Norfolk. HUMPHREYS AND PARTNERS ARCHITECTS, L.P.
By BATTINTO BATTS, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 3, 2004
NORFOLK — Officials with Marathon Deve lopment Group and the city’s planning department will meet Wednesday to begin the formal process of bringing a twin-tower condominium complex to Granby Street.
Projected water and sewage usage and parking will be among the likely topics of discussion regarding the $100 million project, which could bring 400 condo units priced between $250,000 and $400,000 to the northern perimeter of downtown.
The meeting is the first step toward winning city approval for a project that Buddy Gadams, president of Marathon Development, promises will be first rate.
“We are going to talk about the needs of that area and the development,” Gadams said. “We want to see how to build a development that is good for the city, good for the people who live there and for the developers.”
Gadams said he doesn’t anticipate asking the city to make wholesale accommodations for his development.
“We bought this land and are going into the project without having to ask or demand anything of the city in terms of improvements,” Gadams said. However, Gadams said he would like to see sidewalk and streetscape enhancements in the general area.
It took several months and more than $2 million for Marathon Development to reach this point for the project, designed to meet a growing demand for downtown housing.
The first major step occurred about 18 months ago, when Marathon Development bought the land for the first tower at Granby and York streets. The 34,000-square-foot parcel, which contains a small church and 82 parking spaces, sold for $950,000, Gadams said.
The church, Integrity Heritage Church for All People, has a monthly lease with the developer on its space. The church, which fronts York, will be forced to move to make way for the first condominium tower, which would be 25 stories.
“We hate to displace anybody, but I think when you look at the magnitude of the project, the big picture, everyone one can be a winner,” Gadams said.
Officials with the church could not be reached for comment Monday, but Gadams said his company wants to aid in the move. “We want to help through real estate agents to find another space and possibly provide some financial incentives … in the spirit of being a good neighbor,” he said.
The entire complex, as planned, would stretch on Granby from Bute Street on the south to Brambleton on the north. It would occupy about half of the block bounded by Boush Street on the west.
If the project, now called Granby Towers, is approved by the city, construction on the first tower could begin in late 2005.
Depending on demand – Gadams said he is already getting phone calls from prospective buyers – construction on the second, 15-story tower could be done concurrently.
That tower, at Granby and Brambleton, would force The Vault, an off-site media rotation services company, to move. The business, which stores computer data for companies, is in a former bank building constructed around the late 1940s. Bob Henderson, owner of The Vault and an adjacent parking lot, said he sold the 26,000-square-foot parcel to Marathon Development in May for $1.25 million.
Henderson said he had been in discussions with officials three years ago about selling the property to the federal government for the proposed expansion of the federal courthouse across Granby. An appraisal was done on the property in preparation for a sale, but the talks halted following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, he said.
Henderson of Norfolk, who has a yearly lease with Marathon Development on the property, isn’t sure what he will do when the time comes to move. “I’ve been in business since 1982, so I don’t want to give up,” he said.
Henderson has witnessed a great deal of change since he bought the property in 1989. Years of decline had left the area a mishmash of empty buildings that lacked the cache brought on by recent revitalization several blocks south.
The idea of a condominium development of this magnitude on Granby would have seemed far-fetched back then, Henderson said. “That would have never been anticipated by anyone.”
Reach Battinto Batts at 446-2642 or battinto.batts@pilotonline.com
More Real Estate Articles
• Shifting control of association to owners - Aug. 2
• Two towers planned for Norfolk - Jul. 30
• Theme park proposal gives way to industrial park plan - Jul. 29
#3
vdogg
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Posted 08 December 2004 - 12:06 PM
http://home.hamptonr...4488&ran=241379
Norfolk council approves incentives for Trader tower
By HARRY MINIUM, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 18, 2004 | Last updated 9:46 PM Aug. 17
NORFOLK — The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to spend a maximum of $13.8 million over 20 years to entice Trader Publishing Co. to build a downtown office tower.
Trader announced Monday that it will build a 19- or 20-story , 270,000-square-foot tower at a cost of $51 million . It will bring 1,100 employees downtown, officials said.
The city’s incentive package, which includes $2.5 million for the contribution of the building site on Granby Street, wasn’t announced until Tuesday.
The city will also provide $11.3 million over 20 years as part of a performance-based grant . If Trader meets yearly criteria for generating tax revenues and economic activity, it will receive a grant .
That number is factored for inflation. In 2004 dollars, the value of the grant would be $7.3 million, said Roderick S. Woolard, the city’s director of economic development.
Woolard said Trader will produce $40.7 million in tax dollars and parking revenue over 20 years.
“Out of that nearly $41 million, we would be returning $11 million as an incentive for the development of the Trader tower,” Mayor Paul D. Fraim said.
“Those are funds we would not receive without this development.”
Donald L. Maxwell, director of economic development in Virginia Beach , which also competed with three outside cities for the Trader building, said he was happy that Trader will remain in Hampton Roads. But he said he was concerned that Norfolk may have used incentives to lure jobs out of Virginia Beach .
More than 400 Trader employees likely will leave the Convergence Center I in Virginia Beach for downtown.
“I’m happy, because we have a lot of people who live in Virginia Beach who work for Trader,” he said. “But I have a concern with incentives being given.”
Maxwell said Virginia Beach also offered Trader incentives.
“But once they said they were considering moving out of the area, you use your best effort to keep them here,” he said.
Fraim noted that Trader is a company founded and headquartered in Norfolk and that the city offered incentives not to take jobs from Virginia Beach, but to preserve jobs in Hampton Roads.
“The economic development arena is very competitive,” he said. “Trader was offered substantial incentives by a number of competing localities.
“It is a fact that it will cost them more to do business in the city of Norfolk, because of parking costs, than it would in other locations. But because they determined they wanted to be in downtown Norfolk they were prepared to bear that additional burden.”
Robert Ruhl , business development and marketing manager for Virginia Beach , said he is glad Trader will remain in Hampton Roads.
“Obviously, if we couldn’t get them to stay in Virginia Beach, we wanted them to stay in the region,” he said.
But he bristled at comments from a Trader official indicating the Town Center wasn’t selected in part because of traffic congestion.
“Downtown Norfolk isn’t any better, traffic-wise,” he said. “Just look at what happens when there’s a bridge lift or the circus comes to town.”
Staff writer Chris Dinsmore contributed to this report. Reach Harry Minium at 446-2371 or harry.minium@pilotonline.com
#4
vdogg
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Posted 08 December 2004 - 12:12 PM
Town Center spurs redevelopment
Town Center in Virginia Beach. BILL TIERNAN/THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT.
By MARISA TAYLOR , The Virginian-Pilot
© September 21, 2004
VIRGINIA BEACH — An abandoned Hannaford grocery store near Pembroke Mall is an ugly reminder of business plans gone awry.
Nearby, a Pizza Hut continues to draw customers, but the building has seen better days.
A block away, an old Merchant’s Tire and Auto Center remains shuttered.
Vacant lots, empty big-box businesses and aging buildings surround Town Center, which aims to create an urbanized downtown. But in the last year, a growing number of developers have bought these properties and other as investments, ripe for redevelopment.
“Development plans are being dusted off on every piece of property around Town Center,” said Gerald S. Divaris, the project’s leasing agent.
Earlier this year, developer Michael Sifen filed plans to demolish the Hannaford building and replace it with a shopping center.
The owners of the Pizza Hut are now preparing to renovate the red-roofed building and attach an addition to create a new L-shaped shopping center. The old building will be resurfaced in a style similar to Town Center.
New development around town center:
1. CITYVIEW — 24 acres of retail, office and residential with a possible hotel.
2. ETHAN ALLEN — Two-story furniture store.
3. RESOURCE BANK — A 90,000-square-foot bank headquarters and adjacent parking garage.
4. PEMBROKE RETAIL CENTER — 54,600 square feet of retail.
5. SMOKEY BONES BARBEQUE & GRILL — A 7,000-square-foot restaurant.
6. PEMBROKE OFFICE PARK — Recently renovated, owners also plan to build an adjacent 10-12-story office tower.
7. PIZZA HUT — Planned renovation to existing building to look like Town Center. Shops will be added.
8. MERCHANT’S TIRE & AUTO CENTER SITE — Developers proposed to build a new LongHorn Steakhouse.
And Atlanta developers recently approached the city about tearing down the Merchant’s Tire store and building a LongHorn Steakhouse.
“This latest wave of development shows market recognition of that area,” said H. Blount Hunter, a retail analyst in Norfolk. “The market appears to be reacting to the risk the developers and the city took.”
Some developers are also taking a cue from Town Center’s urban design and drawing up plans for multilevel shops, offices or apartments connected by sidewalks and landscaping.
On nearby Bonney Road, a 24-acre project called CityView will include apartments, office space, shops and a possible hotel, if approved by the City Council. The project’s developers describe CityView as the gateway to Town Center.
Apartments will look out over Thalia Creek, which meanders through the property. Residents will be able to walk or bike on paths that are expected to connect to Town Center.
“It’s not to say we wouldn’t have developed the site without Town Center,” said F. Andrew Heatwole, the project’s developer. “But we probably would have built something more suburban, like three-story walk-up apartment buildings with surface parking.”
City officials hope to see more projects like Heatwole’s instead of traditional apartment buildings, strip malls or big-box retailers.
But not all the projects being proposed are what Virginia Beach officials had in mind.
Many commercial buildings in Pembroke were built in the 1960s and ’70s, when zoning allowed big-box, retail and strip malls. The zoning did not allow development that mixed residential and non residential uses.
The old Hannaford property is one such site. According to plans filed with the city, Sifen plans to build a one-story shopping center there.
The property’s zoning allows him to proceed with his plans without the City Council’s approval.
Sifen owns several shopping centers, convenience stores and mini-storage units in Virginia Beach, according to city records. He declined to comment on his Pembroke proposal.
An abandoned HQ store sits next to the Hannaford site, yet another example of property that could end up conflicting with the city’s vision for the area.
The 80,000-square-foot HQ building has sat unused since the home-improvement store shut its doors in 1999. At one point, Target expressed interest in the property, but Virginia Beach officials have n’t heard of any specific plans for the site.
“The city doesn’t have the zoning standards in place to always get what they want in terms of appearance for this new wave of development,” Hunter said . “The question is whether everything coming out of the ground makes the area look like it’s growing or makes it look like an odd space ship just landed there.”
City officials may never be able to ensure that certain properties develop how they want, Hunter said. Virginia Beach is one of the largest cities in the country without a redevelopment authority, which, in some cases, has given localities power to condemn property in the name of economic development.
Voters rejected creating a redevelopment authority in 1996, when the city was trying to acquire residential property for an office park in the Burton Station neighborhood.
For the right projects, Hunter said, public inducements such as tax breaks may be the only option.
“The one with the money gets to make the rules,” he said. “The minute anyone asks for one penny, Virginia Beach ought to come back and demand what they want in return.”
Virginia Beach officials say they already are influencing the design of new buildings – in many cases, without offering major inducements.
At the city’s urging, Darden Restaurants, which owns Red Lobster and several other restaurant chains, scrapped plans to build a Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill next to Pembroke Mall in its usual log-cabin style. Instead, it will be brick, blending in more smoothly with Town Center across the street.
Joe Chabus, Darden Restaurants’ spokesman, said his company saw the area as a good launching pad for its first Smokey Bones in Virginia. The restaurant will open in February, followed by another in Chesapeake.
“There’s a lot of commercial and residential activity in the area, and the restaurant’s visibility is very good,” Chabus said.
Five years ago, developer Bert Crawford said he would never have imagined building an Ethan Allen furniture store near Pembroke Mall. Now, his company is building a two-story Ethan Allen at Independence Boulevard and Columbus Street, across from Galyan’s. The store will open next year.
“The city asked us to do this, and we said, 'Gee whiz, let’s make this work,’” Crawford said. “We’re putting a lot more into this project than we normally would, but in the long run, we think it’s going to pay off.”
To encourage proposals that harmonize with Town Center, the city has crafted a new zoning classification for projects that include homes, offices and shops. The new zoning classification, if approved by the City Council in October, would encourage “less intense and less dense” development than Town Center.
City officials want to discourage suburban sprawl, but they don’t want to over do the Town Center look.
“You want to avoid a bland, vanilla style of development where everything looks exactly the same,” said Steven Thompson, the city’s chief financial officer.
Developers say they also have to be careful to look for the right type of tenant for the city’s redevelopment plans to work.
Aubrey Layne, president of Great Atlantic Management, said his company decided to buy the Pembroke Office Park across from Pembroke Mall because of Town Center’s early success. The company spent about $750,000 on renovations and plans to build another office tower nearby.
But Layne said he was concerned that developers weren’t luring enough new tenants to the area.
“Most of the new buildings have just been attracting tenants from other locations,” he said. “We’ve just been shuffling the deck.” Many developers said they are willing to take the risk of investing in property near Town Center.
They believe the biggest danger they face is missing the opportunity.
“I know plenty of people who wish they knew five years ago what they know now,” Crawford said . “If they had, they would have been doing what they’re doing now a lot sooner.”
Reach Marisa Taylor at 222-5108 or marisa.taylor@pilotonline.com.
Town Center in Virginia Beach. BILL TIERNAN/THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT.
By MARISA TAYLOR , The Virginian-Pilot
© September 21, 2004
VIRGINIA BEACH — An abandoned Hannaford grocery store near Pembroke Mall is an ugly reminder of business plans gone awry.
Nearby, a Pizza Hut continues to draw customers, but the building has seen better days.
A block away, an old Merchant’s Tire and Auto Center remains shuttered.
Vacant lots, empty big-box businesses and aging buildings surround Town Center, which aims to create an urbanized downtown. But in the last year, a growing number of developers have bought these properties and other as investments, ripe for redevelopment.
“Development plans are being dusted off on every piece of property around Town Center,” said Gerald S. Divaris, the project’s leasing agent.
Earlier this year, developer Michael Sifen filed plans to demolish the Hannaford building and replace it with a shopping center.
The owners of the Pizza Hut are now preparing to renovate the red-roofed building and attach an addition to create a new L-shaped shopping center. The old building will be resurfaced in a style similar to Town Center.
New development around town center:
1. CITYVIEW — 24 acres of retail, office and residential with a possible hotel.
2. ETHAN ALLEN — Two-story furniture store.
3. RESOURCE BANK — A 90,000-square-foot bank headquarters and adjacent parking garage.
4. PEMBROKE RETAIL CENTER — 54,600 square feet of retail.
5. SMOKEY BONES BARBEQUE & GRILL — A 7,000-square-foot restaurant.
6. PEMBROKE OFFICE PARK — Recently renovated, owners also plan to build an adjacent 10-12-story office tower.
7. PIZZA HUT — Planned renovation to existing building to look like Town Center. Shops will be added.
8. MERCHANT’S TIRE & AUTO CENTER SITE — Developers proposed to build a new LongHorn Steakhouse.
And Atlanta developers recently approached the city about tearing down the Merchant’s Tire store and building a LongHorn Steakhouse.
“This latest wave of development shows market recognition of that area,” said H. Blount Hunter, a retail analyst in Norfolk. “The market appears to be reacting to the risk the developers and the city took.”
Some developers are also taking a cue from Town Center’s urban design and drawing up plans for multilevel shops, offices or apartments connected by sidewalks and landscaping.
On nearby Bonney Road, a 24-acre project called CityView will include apartments, office space, shops and a possible hotel, if approved by the City Council. The project’s developers describe CityView as the gateway to Town Center.
Apartments will look out over Thalia Creek, which meanders through the property. Residents will be able to walk or bike on paths that are expected to connect to Town Center.
“It’s not to say we wouldn’t have developed the site without Town Center,” said F. Andrew Heatwole, the project’s developer. “But we probably would have built something more suburban, like three-story walk-up apartment buildings with surface parking.”
City officials hope to see more projects like Heatwole’s instead of traditional apartment buildings, strip malls or big-box retailers.
But not all the projects being proposed are what Virginia Beach officials had in mind.
Many commercial buildings in Pembroke were built in the 1960s and ’70s, when zoning allowed big-box, retail and strip malls. The zoning did not allow development that mixed residential and non residential uses.
The old Hannaford property is one such site. According to plans filed with the city, Sifen plans to build a one-story shopping center there.
The property’s zoning allows him to proceed with his plans without the City Council’s approval.
Sifen owns several shopping centers, convenience stores and mini-storage units in Virginia Beach, according to city records. He declined to comment on his Pembroke proposal.
An abandoned HQ store sits next to the Hannaford site, yet another example of property that could end up conflicting with the city’s vision for the area.
The 80,000-square-foot HQ building has sat unused since the home-improvement store shut its doors in 1999. At one point, Target expressed interest in the property, but Virginia Beach officials have n’t heard of any specific plans for the site.
“The city doesn’t have the zoning standards in place to always get what they want in terms of appearance for this new wave of development,” Hunter said . “The question is whether everything coming out of the ground makes the area look like it’s growing or makes it look like an odd space ship just landed there.”
City officials may never be able to ensure that certain properties develop how they want, Hunter said. Virginia Beach is one of the largest cities in the country without a redevelopment authority, which, in some cases, has given localities power to condemn property in the name of economic development.
Voters rejected creating a redevelopment authority in 1996, when the city was trying to acquire residential property for an office park in the Burton Station neighborhood.
For the right projects, Hunter said, public inducements such as tax breaks may be the only option.
“The one with the money gets to make the rules,” he said. “The minute anyone asks for one penny, Virginia Beach ought to come back and demand what they want in return.”
Virginia Beach officials say they already are influencing the design of new buildings – in many cases, without offering major inducements.
At the city’s urging, Darden Restaurants, which owns Red Lobster and several other restaurant chains, scrapped plans to build a Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill next to Pembroke Mall in its usual log-cabin style. Instead, it will be brick, blending in more smoothly with Town Center across the street.
Joe Chabus, Darden Restaurants’ spokesman, said his company saw the area as a good launching pad for its first Smokey Bones in Virginia. The restaurant will open in February, followed by another in Chesapeake.
“There’s a lot of commercial and residential activity in the area, and the restaurant’s visibility is very good,” Chabus said.
Five years ago, developer Bert Crawford said he would never have imagined building an Ethan Allen furniture store near Pembroke Mall. Now, his company is building a two-story Ethan Allen at Independence Boulevard and Columbus Street, across from Galyan’s. The store will open next year.
“The city asked us to do this, and we said, 'Gee whiz, let’s make this work,’” Crawford said. “We’re putting a lot more into this project than we normally would, but in the long run, we think it’s going to pay off.”
To encourage proposals that harmonize with Town Center, the city has crafted a new zoning classification for projects that include homes, offices and shops. The new zoning classification, if approved by the City Council in October, would encourage “less intense and less dense” development than Town Center.
City officials want to discourage suburban sprawl, but they don’t want to over do the Town Center look.
“You want to avoid a bland, vanilla style of development where everything looks exactly the same,” said Steven Thompson, the city’s chief financial officer.
Developers say they also have to be careful to look for the right type of tenant for the city’s redevelopment plans to work.
Aubrey Layne, president of Great Atlantic Management, said his company decided to buy the Pembroke Office Park across from Pembroke Mall because of Town Center’s early success. The company spent about $750,000 on renovations and plans to build another office tower nearby.
But Layne said he was concerned that developers weren’t luring enough new tenants to the area.
“Most of the new buildings have just been attracting tenants from other locations,” he said. “We’ve just been shuffling the deck.” Many developers said they are willing to take the risk of investing in property near Town Center.
They believe the biggest danger they face is missing the opportunity.
“I know plenty of people who wish they knew five years ago what they know now,” Crawford said . “If they had, they would have been doing what they’re doing now a lot sooner.”
Reach Marisa Taylor at 222-5108 or marisa.taylor@pilotonline.com.
#5
Cotuit
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Megalopolis
Posted 08 December 2004 - 12:17 PM
Cool stuff. We don't have enough Hampton Roads traffic to warrant it's own subforum (yet). Feel free to post any information on the area right here, this is where it should go.
#6
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 08 December 2004 - 12:20 PM
These pics courtesy of guynvb of skyscraper page.
Here is an overview of the Town Center’s location:
A schematic depicting the plan of the Town Center.
Let’s begin with the Tower. Here is an older pic I took probably over a year ago.
Here is an overview of the Town Center’s location:
A schematic depicting the plan of the Town Center.
Let’s begin with the Tower. Here is an older pic I took probably over a year ago.
#7
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 08 December 2004 - 12:23 PM
http://img.photobuck...92sXujUm_ph.jpg[/IMG]
A rendering after completion.
On the corner of Main and Central Park Avenue is The California Pizza kitchen.
This building will feature an open plaza where people can hang out, a place for the people. Ruth Chris's, Bravo, Ann Taylor Loft and The Funny Bone Comedy club will be located inside this building.
A rendering after completion.
On the corner of Main and Central Park Avenue is The California Pizza kitchen.
This building will feature an open plaza where people can hang out, a place for the people. Ruth Chris's, Bravo, Ann Taylor Loft and The Funny Bone Comedy club will be located inside this building.
#8
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 08 December 2004 - 12:25 PM
Courtesy of Spark317 from ssp.
Recap of Norfolk projects. These are in Norfolk only - does not include projects in the other cities of Hampton Roads.
A: Brambleton and Bute Apartments - two 7-story apartment buildings, 248 total units, rent $1,000 to $2,000/month
B: 14-story apartment building; site work underway
C: Granby Towers - one 25-story and one 15-story buildings with 400 total condos selling from $250,000 to $400,000. Includes parking and 17,000-square-feet of retail. Construction to begin Fall 2005 with the 25-story tower completed by summer 2007.
D: Federal Courthouse Expansion
E: 388 Boush Street - 6-story building with 100 condos and parking garage; currently under construction
F: The Tazewell Lots - 12-story building with first-floor offices, an urban market, and 77 condos selling from $160,000 to $450,000.
G: Tidewater Community College Administration Building - 14-story building to house consolidated and relocated administrative functions into a single location
H: St. Paul's Place - 90-unit condos, currently under construction
I: Courts Building - 14- or 15-stories; proposed
J: Office Tower - 35- to 40-stories; proposed
K: Trader Tower - 20-story headquarters of Trader Publishing (trader.com)
L: Hilton Hotel - 25-stories; to be built by Robert Johnson
M: Norfolk Conference Center - 60,000-square-feet; to be built in conjunction with the Hilton Hotel
N: Cruise Ship Terminal - 80,000-square-feet, $41 million project with construction to begin in December 2004 or January 2005; opens Fall 2006
Other Norfolk projects not shown on aerial photo:
Arena
Norfolk City Council will hold a three-day retreat in February 2005 to discuss building a new downtown arena adjacent to Harbor Park stadium
Atlantic City Redevelopment
Multi-million dollar housing, commercial, and retail project. Harbor's Edge project (see below) is part of the project.
Bristol at Ghent
Several 5-story buildings with 268 apartments and 84 condos, includes a 5-story parking garage; $29 million project
Church Street Corridor
Revitalization of African-American centric community adjacent to downtown Norfolk. Multi-million and multi-year project. Includes renovation and re-opening of the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center (theater) in October 2004.
Harbor's Edge
17-story retirement community in the Atlantic City project; $107 million; site work began May 2004 with an opening planned for 2006
Light Rail
$199 million starter line in planning stages; concept and initial plan approved by Federal Transit Administration
Maglev Train
The nation's first maglev train in development at Old Dominion University. Infrastructure (tracks, stations, and cars) in constructed and in place.
New City Hall
Initial discussion for a new high-rise city hall building (perhaps 20- to 25-stories)
RISE Center (Research and Innovation to Support Empowerment) Technology Park
$60 million center at Norfolk State University to serve as an intergenerational, multipurpose education, and research facility to enable and promote applied technology development, business incubation, and economic development activities
University Village
$75 million housing and retail center at Old Dominion University.
Recap of Norfolk projects. These are in Norfolk only - does not include projects in the other cities of Hampton Roads.
A: Brambleton and Bute Apartments - two 7-story apartment buildings, 248 total units, rent $1,000 to $2,000/month
B: 14-story apartment building; site work underway
C: Granby Towers - one 25-story and one 15-story buildings with 400 total condos selling from $250,000 to $400,000. Includes parking and 17,000-square-feet of retail. Construction to begin Fall 2005 with the 25-story tower completed by summer 2007.
D: Federal Courthouse Expansion
E: 388 Boush Street - 6-story building with 100 condos and parking garage; currently under construction
F: The Tazewell Lots - 12-story building with first-floor offices, an urban market, and 77 condos selling from $160,000 to $450,000.
G: Tidewater Community College Administration Building - 14-story building to house consolidated and relocated administrative functions into a single location
H: St. Paul's Place - 90-unit condos, currently under construction
I: Courts Building - 14- or 15-stories; proposed
J: Office Tower - 35- to 40-stories; proposed
K: Trader Tower - 20-story headquarters of Trader Publishing (trader.com)
L: Hilton Hotel - 25-stories; to be built by Robert Johnson
M: Norfolk Conference Center - 60,000-square-feet; to be built in conjunction with the Hilton Hotel
N: Cruise Ship Terminal - 80,000-square-feet, $41 million project with construction to begin in December 2004 or January 2005; opens Fall 2006
Other Norfolk projects not shown on aerial photo:
Arena
Norfolk City Council will hold a three-day retreat in February 2005 to discuss building a new downtown arena adjacent to Harbor Park stadium
Atlantic City Redevelopment
Multi-million dollar housing, commercial, and retail project. Harbor's Edge project (see below) is part of the project.
Bristol at Ghent
Several 5-story buildings with 268 apartments and 84 condos, includes a 5-story parking garage; $29 million project
Church Street Corridor
Revitalization of African-American centric community adjacent to downtown Norfolk. Multi-million and multi-year project. Includes renovation and re-opening of the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center (theater) in October 2004.
Harbor's Edge
17-story retirement community in the Atlantic City project; $107 million; site work began May 2004 with an opening planned for 2006
Light Rail
$199 million starter line in planning stages; concept and initial plan approved by Federal Transit Administration
Maglev Train
The nation's first maglev train in development at Old Dominion University. Infrastructure (tracks, stations, and cars) in constructed and in place.
New City Hall
Initial discussion for a new high-rise city hall building (perhaps 20- to 25-stories)
RISE Center (Research and Innovation to Support Empowerment) Technology Park
$60 million center at Norfolk State University to serve as an intergenerational, multipurpose education, and research facility to enable and promote applied technology development, business incubation, and economic development activities
University Village
$75 million housing and retail center at Old Dominion University.
#9
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 08 December 2004 - 12:31 PM
Completed rendering facing south down Central Park Ave.
Walking up from the south end then up Town Center Drive you can see the construction on the new apartment building, The Cosmopolitan. The 14 storey building will feature 341 apartments with finishes and amenities not found in the area.
A view from the 9th storey of the parking garage of future office development, the original parking for One Columbus Center. They should go ahead and build. Let's hear it for tearing up the blacktop! Sorry a little burry. :uhh:
The Cosmopolitan from up high.. comin right along :yes:
Galyans is in the background.
Walking up from the south end then up Town Center Drive you can see the construction on the new apartment building, The Cosmopolitan. The 14 storey building will feature 341 apartments with finishes and amenities not found in the area.
A view from the 9th storey of the parking garage of future office development, the original parking for One Columbus Center. They should go ahead and build. Let's hear it for tearing up the blacktop! Sorry a little burry. :uhh:
The Cosmopolitan from up high.. comin right along :yes:
Galyans is in the background.
Edited by vdogg, 08 December 2004 - 12:33 PM.
#10
Fruit Cove
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- Members+
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Hamlet
Posted 08 December 2004 - 08:01 PM
wow that is a lot of projects. the area should look extremely nice when they are completed. look at all the surface lots of the aerial of norfolk. it reminds me of the pic of jax in the 70s.
#11
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 16 December 2004 - 06:11 PM
Developers eyeing former Beach HQ for shops, offices, condos
By MARISA TAYLOR, The Virginian-Pilot
© December 16, 2004 | Last updated 6:23 PM Dec. 16
VIRGINIA BEACH - Developers are considering turning the site of an abandoned HQ store into shops, offices, condominiums and possibly a hotel.
Last month, L.M. Sandler and Sons Inc. paid $13.5 million for the 12-acre property on Virginia Beach Boulevard, a block from Town Center.
In early discussions with city officials, company representatives mentioned plans for a possible large-scale project similar in design to Town Center.
Sandler representatives said their plans are in the preliminary stages. If a new development is pursued, the company probably would need a rezoning from the City Council.
“It’s a big decision,” said Debra Williams, a Sandler spokeswoman. “We want to make it cautiously.”
Sandler and its affiliated companies develop homes and business properties from Maryland to Florida. The company recently stepped up development in Virginia Beach.
Earlier this year, Sandler bought the Wedgewood Mobile Home Park for $12 million and gave its 900 residents six months to move. The park closed Oct. 31 to make way for townhomes, apartments and single-family houses.
The company also recently made news when city officials asked brothers Art and Steve Sandler to donate $8 million for the naming rights to a future Town Center performing arts theater. No announcement has been made on their decision.
Company representatives decided the HQ property was a good investment partly because of Town Center, a public-private development of shops, offices, apartments and hotels across from Pembroke Mall.
“We’re trying to come up with a vision that would complement Town Center,” Williams said. “The city has done a great job creating a sense of place and we want to be part of it.”
The HQ building has sat unused since the home-improvement store shut its doors in 1999. An OfficeMax store remains open on the same site.
For more than a year, Target has expressed interest in buying the HQ site. City officials told the big-box retailer they only want a Target mixed with condos and offices, similar to a proposed “vertical power center” that never got off the ground in Norfolk’s downtown.
Sandler and Target representatives recently met for “very preliminary” discussions. “It’s true, we’re interested in that site, but it’s premature to say that we’re coming,” said Aimee Sands, a Target spokeswoman.
Sandler also liked the HQ property because it’s within the Tax Increment Financing District, or TIF, which the city created to pay for Town Center infrastructure, such as parking garages.
Within the 238-acre district, property taxes over a fixed amount are earmarked for paying back loans for Town Center improvements over 20 years. City officials said they are open to redirecting TIF revenue as an incentive, if a worthy project emerged in the future.
“The location within the TIF certainly made it more attractive,” Williams said. “How that could impact us, we don’t have any idea yet.”
So far, the city has funneled the district’s “increment” in property taxes only to Town Center. City Manager James K. Spore said the city’s priority is fulfilling its obligations to Town Center, which is about to start its third phase, which includes a proposed Westin Hotel.
“Right now, the TIF revenue is pretty much committed,” he said.
However, Spore said he supports the type of project being considered by Sandler. “It’s exactly what we were hoping would happen in the area around the Town Center,” he said.
City planners see the Pembroke area as ripe for redevelopment, even though it’s sprinkled with abandoned buildings and vacant lots.
Several projects have been proposed recently that mirror Town Center’s more urban design. CityView – 23 acres of apartments, shops and offices off Bonney Road – is one.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on CityView in January. It is within the TIF district, but it will not receive any TIF revenue.
Town Center developer Louis S. Haddad said there is room in the market for another large development in Pembroke, even one across the street from Town Center. “The real measure of success of Town Center is how much it creates around it,” Haddad said.
Reach Marisa Taylor at 222-5108 or marisa.taylor@pilotonline.com
By MARISA TAYLOR, The Virginian-Pilot
© December 16, 2004 | Last updated 6:23 PM Dec. 16
VIRGINIA BEACH - Developers are considering turning the site of an abandoned HQ store into shops, offices, condominiums and possibly a hotel.
Last month, L.M. Sandler and Sons Inc. paid $13.5 million for the 12-acre property on Virginia Beach Boulevard, a block from Town Center.
In early discussions with city officials, company representatives mentioned plans for a possible large-scale project similar in design to Town Center.
Sandler representatives said their plans are in the preliminary stages. If a new development is pursued, the company probably would need a rezoning from the City Council.
“It’s a big decision,” said Debra Williams, a Sandler spokeswoman. “We want to make it cautiously.”
Sandler and its affiliated companies develop homes and business properties from Maryland to Florida. The company recently stepped up development in Virginia Beach.
Earlier this year, Sandler bought the Wedgewood Mobile Home Park for $12 million and gave its 900 residents six months to move. The park closed Oct. 31 to make way for townhomes, apartments and single-family houses.
The company also recently made news when city officials asked brothers Art and Steve Sandler to donate $8 million for the naming rights to a future Town Center performing arts theater. No announcement has been made on their decision.
Company representatives decided the HQ property was a good investment partly because of Town Center, a public-private development of shops, offices, apartments and hotels across from Pembroke Mall.
“We’re trying to come up with a vision that would complement Town Center,” Williams said. “The city has done a great job creating a sense of place and we want to be part of it.”
The HQ building has sat unused since the home-improvement store shut its doors in 1999. An OfficeMax store remains open on the same site.
For more than a year, Target has expressed interest in buying the HQ site. City officials told the big-box retailer they only want a Target mixed with condos and offices, similar to a proposed “vertical power center” that never got off the ground in Norfolk’s downtown.
Sandler and Target representatives recently met for “very preliminary” discussions. “It’s true, we’re interested in that site, but it’s premature to say that we’re coming,” said Aimee Sands, a Target spokeswoman.
Sandler also liked the HQ property because it’s within the Tax Increment Financing District, or TIF, which the city created to pay for Town Center infrastructure, such as parking garages.
Within the 238-acre district, property taxes over a fixed amount are earmarked for paying back loans for Town Center improvements over 20 years. City officials said they are open to redirecting TIF revenue as an incentive, if a worthy project emerged in the future.
“The location within the TIF certainly made it more attractive,” Williams said. “How that could impact us, we don’t have any idea yet.”
So far, the city has funneled the district’s “increment” in property taxes only to Town Center. City Manager James K. Spore said the city’s priority is fulfilling its obligations to Town Center, which is about to start its third phase, which includes a proposed Westin Hotel.
“Right now, the TIF revenue is pretty much committed,” he said.
However, Spore said he supports the type of project being considered by Sandler. “It’s exactly what we were hoping would happen in the area around the Town Center,” he said.
City planners see the Pembroke area as ripe for redevelopment, even though it’s sprinkled with abandoned buildings and vacant lots.
Several projects have been proposed recently that mirror Town Center’s more urban design. CityView – 23 acres of apartments, shops and offices off Bonney Road – is one.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on CityView in January. It is within the TIF district, but it will not receive any TIF revenue.
Town Center developer Louis S. Haddad said there is room in the market for another large development in Pembroke, even one across the street from Town Center. “The real measure of success of Town Center is how much it creates around it,” Haddad said.
Reach Marisa Taylor at 222-5108 or marisa.taylor@pilotonline.com
#12
Benhamin
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Swoon
Posted 28 December 2004 - 08:13 PM
Wow, very comprehensive, thanks for all the info, I like what I see. Go VA!
#13
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 05 January 2005 - 12:35 PM
This thread is now closed. For a complete and updated listing of Hampton Roads projects please go here--->Hampton Roads Projects Listing]
By MARISA TAYLOR, The Virginian-Pilot
© January 5, 2005
VIRGINIA BEACH — The City Council on Tuesday approved plans for a 30-story hotel-and-condominum tower in Town Center.
By a 7-1 vote, the City Council agreed to build the project’s fourth public parking garage, a conference room and possibly two pedestrian bridges in Town Center’s latest phase.
Armada Hoffler, Town Center’s developer and the city’s partner in the project, is still finalizing details of a proposed 215-room Westin hotel that will be topped by 104 condos. The company also plans to build more offices and shops.
The tower will be the tallest in Hampton Roads.
It will be built on Columbus Street and Independence Boulevard, across from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
According to preliminary estimates, the city could end up spending about $30 million on the project. That includes $19.5 million on the garage, $6.5 million on the 17,000-square-foot conference room, $2.5 million on the two proposed pedestrian bridges and $1.5 million on streets.
Armada Hoffler plans to invest $130 million.
Louis S. Haddad, president of Armada Hoffler, said the city’s contribution is important in securing deals with national chains and will help lure major retailers to the project.
As the project design is finalized, the city’s contribution might change. Tuesday’s vote gave developers the go-ahead to refine the design, and Haddad said the hotel might end up being bigger.
Three council members were absent from Tuesday’s vote.
In early spring, the council is expected to vote again on a final agreement with Armada Hoffler.
The hotel would open in spring 2007.
Councilman James L. Wood said Virginia Beach’s continued contribution to Town Center showed the city’s support of the project’s direction.
“This is a vindication of Town Center’s success,” he said.
But Councilwoman Reba S. McClanan, who cast the only “no” vote, said she felt that the council didn’t have enough details about the financial workings of the deal to support it.
“I want to be persuaded,” McClanan said. “I want them to handle this like a PR project for the citizens: This is how we’re investing the money, and this is how the city will benefit.”
Most of the public money for the project is paid for with property taxes generated by a Tax Increment Financing District, a 238-acre area around the site.
Property taxes that were being paid within the district in 1998 continue to go to city services and schools. But the “increment” in property taxes spurred by the development of Town Center is being invested back into the project, mostly to build the garages.
The Town Center’s first phase includes a 23-story main tower, a hotel and shops and restaurants. The second phase, which is still being built, includes an apartment building, a public plaza, and more shops and restaurants.
Since the TIF’s inception, the area has generated about $3.4 million in property taxes that can be spent on the project. Last year, the city made its loan payments on the public improvements and still had $1.3 million left over.
Money for other public improvements, such as the streets, comes from an economic investment fund that takes money from higher taxes on cigarettes and from the city’s capital budget.
Councilman Bob Dyer said he initially had doubts about the level of the city’s participation because the project seemed to be doing well on its own.
He eventually decided to vote in favor of the latest phase because he was told the deal wouldn’t have happened without the city’s help.
“I have some reservations about the city being in the business of building garages for select projects,” Dyer said. “But I don’t want to kill a good project.”
Reach Marisa Taylor at 222-5108 or marisa.taylor@pilot online.com
By MARISA TAYLOR, The Virginian-Pilot
© January 5, 2005
VIRGINIA BEACH — The City Council on Tuesday approved plans for a 30-story hotel-and-condominum tower in Town Center.
By a 7-1 vote, the City Council agreed to build the project’s fourth public parking garage, a conference room and possibly two pedestrian bridges in Town Center’s latest phase.
Armada Hoffler, Town Center’s developer and the city’s partner in the project, is still finalizing details of a proposed 215-room Westin hotel that will be topped by 104 condos. The company also plans to build more offices and shops.
The tower will be the tallest in Hampton Roads.
It will be built on Columbus Street and Independence Boulevard, across from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
According to preliminary estimates, the city could end up spending about $30 million on the project. That includes $19.5 million on the garage, $6.5 million on the 17,000-square-foot conference room, $2.5 million on the two proposed pedestrian bridges and $1.5 million on streets.
Armada Hoffler plans to invest $130 million.
Louis S. Haddad, president of Armada Hoffler, said the city’s contribution is important in securing deals with national chains and will help lure major retailers to the project.
As the project design is finalized, the city’s contribution might change. Tuesday’s vote gave developers the go-ahead to refine the design, and Haddad said the hotel might end up being bigger.
Three council members were absent from Tuesday’s vote.
In early spring, the council is expected to vote again on a final agreement with Armada Hoffler.
The hotel would open in spring 2007.
Councilman James L. Wood said Virginia Beach’s continued contribution to Town Center showed the city’s support of the project’s direction.
“This is a vindication of Town Center’s success,” he said.
But Councilwoman Reba S. McClanan, who cast the only “no” vote, said she felt that the council didn’t have enough details about the financial workings of the deal to support it.
“I want to be persuaded,” McClanan said. “I want them to handle this like a PR project for the citizens: This is how we’re investing the money, and this is how the city will benefit.”
Most of the public money for the project is paid for with property taxes generated by a Tax Increment Financing District, a 238-acre area around the site.
Property taxes that were being paid within the district in 1998 continue to go to city services and schools. But the “increment” in property taxes spurred by the development of Town Center is being invested back into the project, mostly to build the garages.
The Town Center’s first phase includes a 23-story main tower, a hotel and shops and restaurants. The second phase, which is still being built, includes an apartment building, a public plaza, and more shops and restaurants.
Since the TIF’s inception, the area has generated about $3.4 million in property taxes that can be spent on the project. Last year, the city made its loan payments on the public improvements and still had $1.3 million left over.
Money for other public improvements, such as the streets, comes from an economic investment fund that takes money from higher taxes on cigarettes and from the city’s capital budget.
Councilman Bob Dyer said he initially had doubts about the level of the city’s participation because the project seemed to be doing well on its own.
He eventually decided to vote in favor of the latest phase because he was told the deal wouldn’t have happened without the city’s help.
“I have some reservations about the city being in the business of building garages for select projects,” Dyer said. “But I don’t want to kill a good project.”
Reach Marisa Taylor at 222-5108 or marisa.taylor@pilot online.com
#14
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 06 January 2005 - 11:38 AM
]
The property at 109 E. Main Street, built in the late 1800s, was the first multi-level office structure in downtown Norfolk, according to Harbor Group.
By BATTINTO BATTS, The Virginian-Pilot
January 6, 2005
NORFOLK If you had breakfast or lunch recently with Peter Decker Jr., two things were likely to happen.
You would eat at his sons restaurant, Egg Diner. And on the way there or back, Decker would take you inside the bank building at 109 E. Main St. to admire its architecture.
I ve always been a fan of Italian Renaissance, and this is a classic Italian Renaissance building, he said.
Decker will soon be able to gush at the structures beauty while working at his law practice. He and his wife, Bess, have a contract for the right to buy the century-old building from Harbor Group International. The deal is expected to close at the end of this month.
The $5.7 million deal will be the latest in a string of transactions that clear the way for a new hotel and conference center downtown. That development, in the works for months, is expected to be announced soon.
Harbor Group agreed to buy the building from BB&T last year when the bank signed a lease to become the anchor tenant at 500 E. Main. The firm has since sought to pass that potential ownership on to another buyer. The building does not fit into Harbor Groups portfolio of holdings, officials said.
It is an excellent building, but it is not something we typically would focus on, said Jordan Sloan, chairman and CEO of Harbor Group.
The company owns several large office buildings throughout the country, including 500 E. Main and Dominion Tower in Norfolk.
While Harbor Group was looking for a buyer for the BB&T building at 109 E. Main, Decker was searching for a new headquarters for his law practice, Decker, Cardon, Thomas, Weintraub and Neskis, PC.
The city of Norfolk paid $2.6 million for the building that houses Deckers firm at 201 E. Plume St. last summer . The acquisition makes way for the construction of a luxury Hilton Hotel, a conference center and an 800-space parking garage. Billionaire Robert Johnson, owner of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA franchise, will develop the hotel.
Deckers law practice will occupy the second and third floors of 109 E. Main. At least one more tenant, likely a financial institution, is expected to occupy the building.
The property, built in the late 1800s, was the first multi-level office structure in downtown Norfolk, according to Harbor Group.
Bess and I are very excited to own a truly great part of our citys history,Decker said. It is a building that I have admired.
The property at 109 E. Main Street, built in the late 1800s, was the first multi-level office structure in downtown Norfolk, according to Harbor Group.
By BATTINTO BATTS, The Virginian-Pilot
January 6, 2005
NORFOLK If you had breakfast or lunch recently with Peter Decker Jr., two things were likely to happen.
You would eat at his sons restaurant, Egg Diner. And on the way there or back, Decker would take you inside the bank building at 109 E. Main St. to admire its architecture.
I ve always been a fan of Italian Renaissance, and this is a classic Italian Renaissance building, he said.
Decker will soon be able to gush at the structures beauty while working at his law practice. He and his wife, Bess, have a contract for the right to buy the century-old building from Harbor Group International. The deal is expected to close at the end of this month.
The $5.7 million deal will be the latest in a string of transactions that clear the way for a new hotel and conference center downtown. That development, in the works for months, is expected to be announced soon.
Harbor Group agreed to buy the building from BB&T last year when the bank signed a lease to become the anchor tenant at 500 E. Main. The firm has since sought to pass that potential ownership on to another buyer. The building does not fit into Harbor Groups portfolio of holdings, officials said.
It is an excellent building, but it is not something we typically would focus on, said Jordan Sloan, chairman and CEO of Harbor Group.
The company owns several large office buildings throughout the country, including 500 E. Main and Dominion Tower in Norfolk.
While Harbor Group was looking for a buyer for the BB&T building at 109 E. Main, Decker was searching for a new headquarters for his law practice, Decker, Cardon, Thomas, Weintraub and Neskis, PC.
The city of Norfolk paid $2.6 million for the building that houses Deckers firm at 201 E. Plume St. last summer . The acquisition makes way for the construction of a luxury Hilton Hotel, a conference center and an 800-space parking garage. Billionaire Robert Johnson, owner of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA franchise, will develop the hotel.
Deckers law practice will occupy the second and third floors of 109 E. Main. At least one more tenant, likely a financial institution, is expected to occupy the building.
The property, built in the late 1800s, was the first multi-level office structure in downtown Norfolk, according to Harbor Group.
Bess and I are very excited to own a truly great part of our citys history,Decker said. It is a building that I have admired.
#15
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 10 January 2005 - 04:28 PM
Towncenter hotel condominium tower has been redesigned and increased to 35 stories in height.
Below is a link to the developers briefing to city council last week (real player streaming video). They show a rendering of the new builing (which btw looks much better IMO) and the developer says explicitly that the trend is for things to get bigger (meaning this may not be the final height). Video is approx. 9 minutes long.
http://www.vbgov.com...ildate=1/4/2005
When u get to the page click the pull down menu above the view council index button. Scroll down to "Resolution re Phase III Towncenter" Once you have that selected click on "View council index" and the 9 minute briefing will play.
Below is a link to the developers briefing to city council last week (real player streaming video). They show a rendering of the new builing (which btw looks much better IMO) and the developer says explicitly that the trend is for things to get bigger (meaning this may not be the final height). Video is approx. 9 minutes long.
http://www.vbgov.com...ildate=1/4/2005
When u get to the page click the pull down menu above the view council index button. Scroll down to "Resolution re Phase III Towncenter" Once you have that selected click on "View council index" and the 9 minute briefing will play.
#16
vandiver49
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- Members
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Unincorporated Area
Posted 22 January 2005 - 06:05 PM
All the new proposals are great. But if the transportation concerns aren't addressed in the immediate future (i.e. 3rd crossing) the area is going to choke on its own success.
#17
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 02 February 2005 - 11:18 AM
**Hilton Hotel announcement soon**
Norfolk will announce Gypsum plant expansion, Maersk move to downtown
By HARRY MINIUM, MICHAEL DAVIS AND CHRISTOPHER DINSMORE, The Virginian-Pilot
© February 2, 2005
NORFOLK* — Mayor Paul D. Fraim will announce two economic coups for Norfolk in his state of the city address today.
United States Gypsum, the nation’s largest maker of gypsum wallboard, will spend at least $133 million expanding its plant in Berkley, Fraim will tell an audience at noon today at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside, said city officials who asked not to be identified.
USG Corp., the Chicago-based parent company of U.S. Gypsum, will announce the expansion at an 11 a.m. press conference at the Marriott. The expansion is the largest business investment in the city since Ford Motor Co. built a $375 million expansion of its assembly plant nearly four years ago.
Fraim also will announce that Maersk Line Ltd. will relocate its corporate offices from the Riverside Corporate Center off Military Highway to the Bank of America Building downtown, said officials in the real estate industry and city officials who asked not to be identified.
Both projects are good news for a city already flush with recent major announcements on economic development.
Among them: Trader Publishing Co. said it will build a 20-story, $51 million office tower downtown, Ford announced a $26 million expansion of its truck plant on Monday and work recently began on Harbor’s Edge, a 17-story, $103 million residential retirement facility near downtown.
An announcement is expected in the next few weeks on a high-rise Hilton Hotel to be built downtown alongside a new conference center.
In the past five years, Norfolk has seen nearly $5 billion of investment in residential, commercial and industrial development, city officials say.
Maersk had looked at prospective sites in other cities, including Virginia Beach’s Town Center and cities outside the region, sources said.
Maersk will occupy approximately 40,000 square feet in the Bank of America Building, sources said. The company did not return a call seeking comment.
Maersk is one of the Defense Department’s primary shipping contractors. It manages a fleet of 54 U.S.-flag ships in commercial and government service, including surveillance vessels requiring top-secret security clearances.
It is a subsidiary of Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, which is also parent of the world’s largest shipping line Maersk-Sealand and APT Terminals. That company is building a $450 million container terminal in Portsmouth.
U.S. Gypsum needed to expand its capacity to make wallboard and other construction materials to keep up with increased construction demand.
Norfolk economic development officials were able to persuade the company to expand in Berkley rather than build at a new site in another city or state.
The city and Gov. Mark R. Warner offered U.S. Gypsum financial incentives to expand in Norfolk, sources said.
Fraim declined to comment Tuesday.
The complete details of the U.S. Gypsum expansion, including the number of jobs involved, could not be learned Tuesday. The company owns about 45 acres at its site at 1001 Buchanan St., according to city property records. The total assessed value of the land and improvements was $5.8 million last year.
Opened in 1947, the facility makes gypsum wallboard, plaster and industrial gypsum. USG operates under bankruptcy reorganization, which it filed in June 2001 to deal with more than 100,000 asbestos-related injury lawsuits. The company used asbestos in its products from 1930 to 1972.
Local plant officials deferred to USG’s corporate headquarters for comments on the plant expansion. Officials there did not return repeated telephone messages.
Staff writer Battinto Batts contributed to this report. Reach Harry Minium at 446-2371 or harry.minium@pilotonline.com. Reach Michael Davis at 446-2599 or michael.davis@pilotonline.com. Reach Christopher Dinsmore at 446-2271 or chris.dinsmore@pilotonline.com
Norfolk will announce Gypsum plant expansion, Maersk move to downtown
By HARRY MINIUM, MICHAEL DAVIS AND CHRISTOPHER DINSMORE, The Virginian-Pilot
© February 2, 2005
NORFOLK* — Mayor Paul D. Fraim will announce two economic coups for Norfolk in his state of the city address today.
United States Gypsum, the nation’s largest maker of gypsum wallboard, will spend at least $133 million expanding its plant in Berkley, Fraim will tell an audience at noon today at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside, said city officials who asked not to be identified.
USG Corp., the Chicago-based parent company of U.S. Gypsum, will announce the expansion at an 11 a.m. press conference at the Marriott. The expansion is the largest business investment in the city since Ford Motor Co. built a $375 million expansion of its assembly plant nearly four years ago.
Fraim also will announce that Maersk Line Ltd. will relocate its corporate offices from the Riverside Corporate Center off Military Highway to the Bank of America Building downtown, said officials in the real estate industry and city officials who asked not to be identified.
Both projects are good news for a city already flush with recent major announcements on economic development.
Among them: Trader Publishing Co. said it will build a 20-story, $51 million office tower downtown, Ford announced a $26 million expansion of its truck plant on Monday and work recently began on Harbor’s Edge, a 17-story, $103 million residential retirement facility near downtown.
An announcement is expected in the next few weeks on a high-rise Hilton Hotel to be built downtown alongside a new conference center.
In the past five years, Norfolk has seen nearly $5 billion of investment in residential, commercial and industrial development, city officials say.
Maersk had looked at prospective sites in other cities, including Virginia Beach’s Town Center and cities outside the region, sources said.
Maersk will occupy approximately 40,000 square feet in the Bank of America Building, sources said. The company did not return a call seeking comment.
Maersk is one of the Defense Department’s primary shipping contractors. It manages a fleet of 54 U.S.-flag ships in commercial and government service, including surveillance vessels requiring top-secret security clearances.
It is a subsidiary of Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, which is also parent of the world’s largest shipping line Maersk-Sealand and APT Terminals. That company is building a $450 million container terminal in Portsmouth.
U.S. Gypsum needed to expand its capacity to make wallboard and other construction materials to keep up with increased construction demand.
Norfolk economic development officials were able to persuade the company to expand in Berkley rather than build at a new site in another city or state.
The city and Gov. Mark R. Warner offered U.S. Gypsum financial incentives to expand in Norfolk, sources said.
Fraim declined to comment Tuesday.
The complete details of the U.S. Gypsum expansion, including the number of jobs involved, could not be learned Tuesday. The company owns about 45 acres at its site at 1001 Buchanan St., according to city property records. The total assessed value of the land and improvements was $5.8 million last year.
Opened in 1947, the facility makes gypsum wallboard, plaster and industrial gypsum. USG operates under bankruptcy reorganization, which it filed in June 2001 to deal with more than 100,000 asbestos-related injury lawsuits. The company used asbestos in its products from 1930 to 1972.
Local plant officials deferred to USG’s corporate headquarters for comments on the plant expansion. Officials there did not return repeated telephone messages.
Staff writer Battinto Batts contributed to this report. Reach Harry Minium at 446-2371 or harry.minium@pilotonline.com. Reach Michael Davis at 446-2599 or michael.davis@pilotonline.com. Reach Christopher Dinsmore at 446-2271 or chris.dinsmore@pilotonline.com
#18
rusthebuss
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Metropolis
Posted 02 February 2005 - 01:30 PM
I hope Norfolk also builds the arena that they are discussing in the city meetings. I wonder what else they are building. I heard they are tearing down the greyhound station to build something. Hey vdog where are you getting your info at?
#19
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 03 February 2005 - 06:36 PM
rusthebuss, on Feb 2 2005, 02:30 PM, said:
I hope Norfolk also builds the arena that they are discussing in the city meetings. I wonder what else they are building. I heard they are tearing down the greyhound station to build something. Hey vdog where are you getting your info at?
Various news sources and a few developers i know (who clue me into websites or online information whenever possible), and good old google.
Edited by vdogg, 03 February 2005 - 08:09 PM.
#20
vdogg
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Megalopolis
Posted 03 February 2005 - 08:13 PM
Building purchase opens way for new mixed use or office tower in Norfolk
Norfolk's Wainwright building changes hands, not use
By BATTINTO BATTS, The Virginian-Pilot
© January 29, 2005 | Last updated 8:30 PM Jan. 28
NORFOLK — The Wainwright Building, which houses the offices of several medical professionals, has been sold to an investment group.
Wainwright Condominiums LLC purchased the 100,000-square-foot building, at 229 W. Bute St. in downtown, from The Bute Company for $5.75 million. But the building will not join the list of downtown properties being converted into multi family living space, as the new owner’s name might suggest.
Plans are for it to remain mostly an office building for the next 15 to 20 years, said Eric Menden, one of the partners with Wainwright Condominiums. Menden’s partner is George Hranowskyj, who is a financial adviser with Gateway Bank. Since the partnership formed in early 2004, it has accumulated 60 residential units throughout Norfolk.
This is the partnership’s first commercial deal, and it plans renovations to the nine-story building and will add three condominiums on the roof.
The purchase also includes a parking lot, 219 W. Freemason St., which the owners plan to use to construct an office building or mixed-use development, Hranowskyj said.
Built during t he Depression, the Wainwright Building is an important property in downtown, said Robert M. Acey, who represented the sellers and buyers in the deal.
Acey, an investment properties broker with NAI Harvey Lindsay, said the building’s proximity to Sentara Medical Center makes it ideal for continued use by medical professionals.
Considering the slew of condominiums and apartments either planned or being developed in the downtown area, it is also wise for the new owners to wait before changing the use of the space, Acey said.
“I think the scenario of waiting to see on the stabilization on the residential component is a good idea,” Acey said. “There are a lot of people competing for the same resident.”
Reach Battinto Batts at 446-2642 or battinto.batts@pilotonline.com.
^^^^^
I've always thought that parking lot would be a prime location for an office tower. They had a picture of the site in the newspaper article but not on their website. As soon as i find a pic online i'll post it here..
Norfolk's Wainwright building changes hands, not use
By BATTINTO BATTS, The Virginian-Pilot
© January 29, 2005 | Last updated 8:30 PM Jan. 28
NORFOLK — The Wainwright Building, which houses the offices of several medical professionals, has been sold to an investment group.
Wainwright Condominiums LLC purchased the 100,000-square-foot building, at 229 W. Bute St. in downtown, from The Bute Company for $5.75 million. But the building will not join the list of downtown properties being converted into multi family living space, as the new owner’s name might suggest.
Plans are for it to remain mostly an office building for the next 15 to 20 years, said Eric Menden, one of the partners with Wainwright Condominiums. Menden’s partner is George Hranowskyj, who is a financial adviser with Gateway Bank. Since the partnership formed in early 2004, it has accumulated 60 residential units throughout Norfolk.
This is the partnership’s first commercial deal, and it plans renovations to the nine-story building and will add three condominiums on the roof.
The purchase also includes a parking lot, 219 W. Freemason St., which the owners plan to use to construct an office building or mixed-use development, Hranowskyj said.
Built during t he Depression, the Wainwright Building is an important property in downtown, said Robert M. Acey, who represented the sellers and buyers in the deal.
Acey, an investment properties broker with NAI Harvey Lindsay, said the building’s proximity to Sentara Medical Center makes it ideal for continued use by medical professionals.
Considering the slew of condominiums and apartments either planned or being developed in the downtown area, it is also wise for the new owners to wait before changing the use of the space, Acey said.
“I think the scenario of waiting to see on the stabilization on the residential component is a good idea,” Acey said. “There are a lot of people competing for the same resident.”
Reach Battinto Batts at 446-2642 or battinto.batts@pilotonline.com.
^^^^^
Quote
The purchase also includes a parking lot, 219 W. Freemason St., which the owners plan to use to construct an office building or mixed-use development, Hranowskyj said.
I've always thought that parking lot would be a prime location for an office tower. They had a picture of the site in the newspaper article but not on their website. As soon as i find a pic online i'll post it here..
