3287 replies to this topic

[vdogg]

Thanks for the link Downtowner . Here is the proposed Hilton

[vdogg]

Another rendering of the Hilton


Performing Arts theater renderings

[wrldcoupe4]

downtowner- I had a feeling you were joey p... nice to see you're using periods now.   you also seem to make better formulated points on this site as opposed to RCW. carry that over there man...

vdogg- first with regards to another major high rise condo project. like I said in an earlier post, daniel corp now possesses the canal landing property. originally highwoods was going to make a big office/retail/some condos tower. Daniel now plans to make it totally residential and retail on the lower 1 or 2 floors. only thing is there are not many details about this new tower. I hope it goes at least as tall as the 18-20 stories that highwoods had planned. Other than that, I think people are waiting for any more high rise residential the best i can tell. There is a massive amount of conversion of former industrial or office buildings into residential. Many of these are loft style like you would find in a city like NYC. There is also interest in restoring many of the old rowhouses in areas such as Churchill and The Fan. These have really helped the downtown market jump. I think that new condo towers will follow after some more rehabilitation. Rehab is the really big thing in Richmond right now. I'm totally for it too because there are some architectural treasures downtown. New towers will come (like downtowner said hopefully on the Alcoa property adjacent to the canal walk). With all the rehab etc. going on though i think a major new tower may over saturate the market at the moment.

Shockoe Bottom has made a comeback, but it still has a way to go. The city also has a ton of infrastructure improvements it needs to finish as well. the lack of improvements on the city's behalf is one thing holding the Bottom back. A lot of this stuff is intertwined with the $330 million proposed baseball stadium project for the R-braves planned in the bottom.

The new Hilton Hotel is planned in the former Miller & Rhoads department store. The old Woolworth's building will be removed to make an entrance into the new Hilton. There is some debate though whether the project will just be a Hilton or whether condos will be part of it as well. The downtown hotel market isn't as strong as it could be and the developer is finding it difficult to secure enough financing for just the hotel. It'll either be 329 hotel rooms or 225 hotel rooms and 100 condos.

Edited by wrldcoupe4, 26 March 2005 - 11:34 PM.

[wrldcoupe4]

A couple more things to add....

here is a link to the commonwealth architects page on the Hilton Hotel. THe rending is crisper and more colorful and there is also more information on it:
ComArchs Hilton Rendering

Also, talking about highrise condo construction downtown... This isnt exactly a new tower, however, The Hotel John Marshall is being converted into condos. With 15 floors, this project coming online will be great for downtown Richmond. This landmark will once again breathe life. Info on this was also on the commonwealth architects site:
Hotel John Marshall

[wrldcoupe4]

Another thing to mention is the City Hall Recladding project. It looks totally awesome and I cannot wait until it is finished.

[vdogg]

wrldcoupe4, on Mar 27 2005, 10:29 PM, said:

Another thing to mention is the City Hall Recladding project. It looks totally awesome and I cannot wait until it is finished.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, i saw that when i was in Richmond last month. It does look quite nice. Are there any other buildings scheduled for remodeling in Richmond? I swear i heard that Richmond was scheduled to undergo a major makeover of some of its older and more historic sites. I just can't remember when or where.

[Downtowner]

There is one other project worth mentioning which is the Federal Courthouse thats gonna be built I think from the renderings its gonna look great.

[Downtowner]

He do you all think a new district would be good for richmond like a Sports district full with Sports bars,Sports Billboards and Sports Shops.

[wrldcoupe4]

vdogg- one notable renovation is the Capitol building and grounds and several historic buildings surrounding the capitol building. A new underground visitor/tourist entrance as well as a welcoming center are also slated to open in conjunction with 2007. The state has also released a new proposed master plan for the capitol grounds which could be realized by 2013. There are almost too many smaller renovation projects to list.

downtowner....where do you suggest this sports district go? I would say the best bet would be at the renovated diamond/amateur sports plex/sportsbackers stadium/arthur ashe center. Once the bus stations move near main st. station as part of the multimodal transportation center, that part of the boulevard will be begging for revitalization to rid it of its former industrial gritty image. THe proposed sportsplex there could be the place you are looking for. The only problem is that the coliseum is farther downtown as well as the proposed stadium in the bottom.

[Downtowner]

I think a good place for it would be where North Boulevard is where the diamond and everything is. Get rid of that crummy little league field and that stinkin Red Roof in it looks pathetic. I think that whole area needs to be revitalized and I think a Sports District would attract lots of vistiors from the burbs. Which that would be one of me plus tourists as well. oh yea I have to say I think if the braves want to build a new Ballpark they should build it where the diamond is implode the diamond and build a new one.

[vdogg]

Downtowner, on Mar 28 2005, 07:32 PM, said:

I think a good place for it would be where North Boulevard is where the diamond and everything is. Get rid of that crummy little league field and that stinkin Red Roof in it looks pathetic. I think that whole area needs to be revitalized and I think a Sports District would attract lots of vistiors from the burbs. Which that would be one of me plus tourists as well. oh yea I have to say I think if the braves want to build a new Ballpark they should build it where the diamond is implode the diamond and build a new one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is the Richmond downtown population still declining or has it started to stabalize? I'm just curious to see how likely a mass revitalization of that area is.

[wrldcoupe4]

vdogg, on Mar 28 2005, 07:36 PM, said:

Is the Richmond downtown population still declining or has it started to stabalize? I'm just curious to see how likely a mass revitalization of that area is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A mass revitalization is already occurring if the fact that the Riverside on the James project has a 2 year+ waiting list full of people that wanna get in on it means anything. There is broad revitalization going on not just in the downtown, but all over the city and out into the older sectors of the suburbs. From Downtown to the Bottom to Manchester to Broad St to the old Cloverleaf Mall area in Chesterfield to the area around Willow Lawn, new life is being breathed into many parts of our area. With regards to the population growth, its been pretty stable for a few years. Most population projections (which still show a periodic decline) are based on past population trends which are quickly changing.  I don't know where to find information on the current Richmond city population that isnt a mere projection, but I think it has stabilized and may have already begun to increase finally. The only things truly holding Richmond city back from having explosive yet smart growth IMO are crime, public schools, and taxes compared to the burbs. The new city government with Wilder at the helm is hopefully going to make vast improvements in at least the first two. The counties have relatively low crime rates, awesome schools, lower taxes, and strong population growth rates (Chesterfield county was named 17th in the country for quality of life (from virginia, only fairfax and loudoun were ranked higher)). I'd love to see Richmond catch up in population size to the surrounding counties but I think thats a long time coming if ever (chesterfield and henrico are quickly approaching 300,000 people).

Downtowner- Keeping the diamond in its current location and buiilding up new investment around isn't a bad idea. However, its not the idea the braves will play ball with. I think a sports district even without the baseball stadium could work. this is really going out on the limb but you could even relocate the coliseum near where the diamond is now and leave the ground at the current location of the coliseum for the ever expanding Biotech Park (another example of this broad revitalization) or some other urban commercial use.

Edited by wrldcoupe4, 28 March 2005 - 07:10 PM.

[Downtowner]

Worldcoupe I love that Idea about Relocating the Coloseum I think its time that we get either a new Coliseum or a new arena which I think a new Arena would be great but then again you'd have to look at Taxpaying from the Taxpayers and all of that other Financial mess.But you never know what will happen with the North Boulevard.

[wrldcoupe4]

Hey btw, The residential tower in riverside on the james has a different roof than the one that was in all the renderings and models. It is going to be flat instead of mirroring the top of the office tower.

[vdogg]

wrldcoupe4, on Mar 28 2005, 10:52 PM, said:

Hey btw, The residential tower in riverside on the james has a different roof than the one that was in all the renderings and models. It is going to be flat instead of mirroring the top of the office tower.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm...don't know what to think about that one. Without a picture i can't come to the conclusion as to whether it's a good design change or a bad one. I am surprised that they've come all this way without releasing an updated rendering of the final product. Lets hope for the best though   .

[wrldcoupe4]

vdogg, on Mar 28 2005, 11:45 PM, said:

Hmm...don't know what to think about that one. Without a picture i can't come to the conclusion as to whether it's a good design change or a bad one. I am surprised that they've come all this way without releasing an updated rendering of the final product. Lets hope for the best though  .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well there was an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about how some of the new owners were angry that they were not told about it sooner (it was in the paper like last week) actually.... on pg1 of this thread, the picture u used from Ryan Ramsey shows the top of the residential building. Thats as tall as it gets and that is what the top will look like the best anyone can tell. In most people's opinions ive talked to (like on RCW and stuff) it was a pretty bad design change. Hopefully theyll make the best of it though and we'll see what the finished product looks like....

[vdogg]

wrldcoupe4, on Mar 29 2005, 12:14 AM, said:

well there was an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about how some of the new owners were angry that they were not told about it sooner (it was in the paper like last week) actually.... on pg1 of this thread, the picture u used from Ryan Ramsey shows the top of the residential building. Thats as tall as it gets and that is what the top will look like the best anyone can tell. In most people's opinions ive talked to (like on RCW and stuff) it was a pretty bad design change. Hopefully theyll make the best of it though and we'll see what the finished product looks like....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is slightly irritating that they would do that, but at least its gonna add residential to downtown Richmond. That is the first time this has occured in a while and is still progress whatever the final product looks like.

[wrldcoupe4]

vdogg, on Mar 29 2005, 12:21 AM, said:

That is slightly irritating that they would do that, but at least its gonna add residential to downtown Richmond. That is the first time this has occured in a while and is still progress whatever the final product looks like.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True, this will be the first serious residential development in the business/financial district of the city. I'm sure more will follow especially if Riverside is a success. If Alcoa would move from its current location along the other side of the canal walk, I know a developer would be bound to pluck it up in an instant to complement the Riverside project with another mixed use. It would be an awesome location for adding some highrises to the richmond skyline. I just wish the downtown office market was as strong as the residential market right now. Damn burbs and their cheaper prices/taxes...

[Downtowner]

I agree with you worldcoupe.Yea I think so to that if alcoa became vacant someone would pick that up in a heartbeat.I think It would be good to have another mixed-use in downtown richmond .But at least make it taller than Riverside I think they should have at least made that a little taller.

[wrldcoupe4]

Richmond breaks ground for new condos

From NBC12 News
Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Ground is being broken today on a new $20-million development in Richmond. The city is turning the old Cornish Nolde bakery on 26th and Broad Streets into 77 luxury condominiums.

The city hopes the development will help get people to move into the area.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall.

The Article

here is a link to Hourican Construction's page on it:
Nolde Bakery Renovation

Edited by wrldcoupe4, 29 March 2005 - 07:17 PM.