468 replies to this topic

[okinawatyphoon]

hey vdogg, just a small suggestion, but why don't you merge the Virginia sports hall of fame with this one. After all, the hall of fame is about Portsmouth development.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Glassoul, on May 31 2005, 02:42 AM, said:

I think this is going to have considerable positive impact on Portsmouth. Beyond the additional jobs, it will create a new much needed major source of tax revenue for the city.

The Wal-Mart in Mid-City is certainly a very good development as well. Many of the areas to the east and south of Mid-City are very poor areas. They have, until fairly recently, had to travel a fairly long time to get to a Wal-Mart or K-Mart. Many of these people don't own cars, so that meant HRT, which is not exactly a fun ride for 30 minutes in heat and humidity, nor is waiting for long periods between buses. The Wal-Mart will also provide hundreds of jobs in an area where they are sorely needed, and in an area where many people lack the education or skills to apply for higher quality work. This job can provide them experience and possibly oppurtunities to further themselves. 

As far as disliking Wal-Mart, most people who deride them haven't got a clue. Wal-Mart has been a tremendous boon for low income people and families. It has provided higher quality cheap products than any other discounter before it, and lowered the prices to boot! Compare the quality of something you buy from Wal-Mart today, vs. something you bought from Roses 20 years ago. It is has also pressured the more "acceptable" chains, where those who chide Wal-Mart shop, to keep prices lower and find greater productivity, thus improving the value of even those who dislike Wal-Mart. As for disrupting small mom and pop stores, since most people who shop at Wal-Mart never patronisied these stores anyway, I don't see where that has been a big issue. Wal-Mart has affected smaller grocery store chains like Food Lion, or smaller chain retail stores, but these are not what the anti-Wal-Mart advocates are seeking to protect. More than likely, it reflects some sort of idealist nostalgia than anything bound to reality. The mom and pop stores were not some bastilions of a corporate-welfare culture as someone else pointed out. Even the vaunted arguement of  customer service is exaggerated at best. If Wal-Mart's service were so abhorent, then people wouldn't shop there. We are a captialist society (I use the term very loosely in Quebec), and if you can't compete then you have to close up shop.

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Finally, the gaz lamp district is in downtown Portsmouth, not near Mid-City. To my understanding the plan was held up because Portsmouth decided to bring in that urban developer, the guy that did a lot of work for Norfolk, to come up with a more comprehensive plan for a much larger area of downtown.

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While I agree with everything you said in that bit... (even about Wal Mart only due to the fact that it is helping an area that needs it)... but I will say this for Wal Mart----for every job it creates it takes 3 away in the local business community.  It's a conglomerate built upon the backs of failed local companies they have stripped away...  In MidCity, I doubt that will be the case (few existing businesses)...
Bleh.

I look forward to see the redesign for Portsmouth's downtown!!      Norfolk's redevelopment was remarkable (yet long...) and hopefully Portsmouth will recreate its success across the water.

[vdogg]

PeninsulaKiddo, on May 31 2005, 04:20 PM, said:

While I agree with everything you said in that bit... (even about Wal Mart only due to the fact that it is helping an area that needs it)... but I will say this for Wal Mart----for every job it creates it takes 3 away in the local business community.  It's a conglomerate built upon the backs of failed local companies they have stripped away...  In MidCity, I doubt that will be the case (few existing businesses)...
Bleh.

I look forward to see the redesign for Portsmouth's downtown!!      Norfolk's redevelopment was remarkable (yet long...) and hopefully Portsmouth will recreate its success across the water.

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Just think, 2 towering skylines extending along the coastline. It'll make for some awesome postcards   .

[krdarden]

vdogg, on May 31 2005, 03:29 PM, said:

Just think, 2 towering skylines extending along the coastline. It'll make for some awesome postcards  .

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I can see downtown Portsmouth building an office tower around 16-18 floors along with a condo tower around 27 floors. Once the old city hall is torn down, I can see a couple of mid-sized condo buildings around 10-12 floors in it's place. Finally, I can see another hotel around 12 stories replacing the old holiday inn and if Portsmouth is smart, the would build a mini-town center project with a mixed-use tower around 15-17 floors along with some more residential housing around 5-8 floors in height. I really don't see too many tall buildings here but the skyline would still be very impressive given the population of P-town and if the ever become part of Norfolk, look out!

[PeninsulaKiddo]

krdarden, on Jun 2 2005, 08:21 PM, said:

I can see downtown Portsmouth building an office tower around 16-18 floors along with a condo tower around 27 floors. Once the old city hall is torn down, I can see a couple of mid-sized condo buildings around 10-12 floors in it's place. Finally, I can see another hotel around 12 stories replacing the old holiday inn and if Portsmouth is smart, the would build a mini-town center project with a mixed-use tower around 15-17 floors along with some more residential housing around 5-8 floors in height. I really don't see too many tall buildings here but the skyline would still be very impressive given the population of P-town and if the ever become part of Norfolk, look out!

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I have a feeling that someday (perhaps not soon, but within the coming decades) Norfolk and Portsmouth will merge.  Even if it doesn't, it'll make for a very impressive skyline!

I like your ideas, though some of the projects you suggested could take a long while to come to fruition.  If this latest building boom does indeed last longer than ten years, hopefully it will spill across the Elizabeth River into Portsmouth!  

[rusthebuss]

PeninsulaKiddo, on Jun 3 2005, 04:27 PM, said:

I have a feeling that someday (perhaps not soon, but within the coming decades) Norfolk and Portsmouth will merge.  Even if it doesn't, it'll make for a very impressive skyline!

I like your ideas, though some of the projects you suggested could take a long while to come to fruition.  If this latest building boom does indeed last longer than ten years, hopefully it will spill across the Elizabeth River into Portsmouth!   

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That would be nice but i still see a problem with P-town officials giving up their power but you never know. Norfolk really needs more land and they are very similar types of cities. I hope they do! Also they will have to go through the state for them to allow it. The population would be pushing towards 400k then and that would be awesome.

[okinawatyphoon]

Developer unveils Portsmouth vision

PORTSMOUTH — Downtown could look very different in a few years.

Urban design consultant Ray Gindroz’s vision, unveiled at a City Council meeting Tuesday, includes six high-rise towers , a waterfront park and a traffic circle that would become the new gateway to the city.

It’s a vision city officials have wholeheartedly embraced.

Despite the costs of road improvements and moving city offices, they said Tuesday that Portsmouth needed to press on with the recommended changes and redevelopment of several major downtown sites.

“In my experience, when a city does plans, they generally come true,” City Manager James B. Oliver Jr. said. “We have some really clear emphasis now.”

Earlier this year, Portsmouth enlisted the help of Gindroz’s company, Urban Design Associates, to better handle downtown development proposals.

Gindroz’ downtown waterfront development plan centers on five properties owned by Portsmouth – including the civic center parking lot, the Holiday Inn Olde Towne-Portsmouth and the vacant property across from City Hall – that generally are considered among the city’s most desirable pieces of real estate.

In fact, later the same evening, the council heard a presentation from a group looking to build a high-rise, multi use building on the Holiday Inn site.

The aging hotel is still operating, but city officials have discussed tearing it down and redeveloping the property.

Representatives of the Gee’s Group, a local development company, refused to comment as they left their meeting with council members, which was closed to the public.

The company is one of several that have expressed interest in the site.

But Gindroz on Tuesday advised city officials to focus their attention instead on the southern end of Crawford Street, closer to City Hall.

Resto Story for pics too!! it looks great!

[vdogg]

I made a new thread for this okinawa. I'm moving it now. This project is entirely too major to be in the development thread.   . I can't wait til everyone wakes up, lol.

6 new highrise towers for P-town

Edited by vdogg, 14 June 2005 - 11:31 PM.

[krdarden]

vdogg, on Jun 15 2005, 12:17 AM, said:

I made a new thread for this okinawa. I'm moving it now. This project is entirely too major to be in the development thread.  . I can't wait til everyone wakes up, lol.

6 new highrise towers for P-town

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WOW! 'nuff said!

[urbanvb]

Things are really starting to heat up in Portsmouth as of late. The former Fairwood Homes site is being redeveloped as New Port. The good thing is prices start at $180k-400k so hopefully more people can afford to live in such a nice area.

article

[vdogg]

Good article on the man responsible for Portsmouth current redevelopment successes and future Portsmouth

[vdogg]

More good news for Portsmouth and development in this area in general. Thie just further cements our area as an international port of call. Portsmouth Marine Terminal

[rusthebuss]

That is more great economical news! I hope to here more soon! I wish we could get more info on the high rises in Portsmouth.

[krdarden]

rusthebuss, on Jul 9 2005, 10:28 PM, said:

That is more great economical news! I hope to here more soon! I wish we could get more info on the high rises in Portsmouth.

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Hey V-dogg, I work at the Coast Guard base in Portsmouth and as I was driving home today, I noticed something missing and saw something amazing at the same time! What is missing is hundreds of trees, and what is now visible is the terminals at Craney Island! The cranes looked just awesome from the new entrance to the terminals and it allows another view of downtown Norfolk which is going to be awesome when the new buildings come on-line. By the way, this is the same area where they found that body a few weeks ago that has been missing nearly 10 years. I can actually see the skyline on base but only from the parking lot near ISC and it's not as good as coming onto Pinners Point because it can only be seen on a cloudless day. I kinda miss the trees and wildlife though, I haven't seen any deer or foxes in weeks. At least they spared half the trees on that side of the boulevard and the other side is still left in tact. Finally, I wonder what effect it will have on the mosquitos. I swear those blood-suckers are gigantic!

[urbanvb]

I do hate it when they cut trees down even though I realize sometimes that is the price of progress. I remember when they cut down those trees for TC it almost seemed like a loss of life to me. So many native trees and such were there. I do hope the animals that were there (both Portsmouth and TC) somehow escaped and made new homes elsewhere.

Edited by guynvb, 11 July 2005 - 05:41 PM.

[vdogg]

Portsmouth will be renaming one of its most run down neighborhoods as part of its revitalization efforts. revitalization

[vdogg]

Here is the Portsmouth economic development newsletter. Warning, .pdf file

[okinawatyphoon]

vdogg, on Jul 26 2005, 04:05 AM, said:

Here is the Portsmouth economic development newsletter. Warning, .pdf file

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Portsmouth seems to be doing better now, especially with the Lindab USA headquarters they just won and the Sports Hall of Fame that just opened.

[rusthebuss]

okinawatyphoon, on Jul 25 2005, 04:49 PM, said:

Portsmouth seems to be doing better now, especially with the Lindab USA headquarters they just won and the Sports Hall of Fame that just opened.

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It would be really cool to see Norfolk and Portsmouth become one city. I'm happy for P-town.

[okinawatyphoon]

Plan on table to redo Portsmouth's Midtown

"Fernsler’s 10-year plan for the area includes a 150-room hotel on the site of the Jeffry Wilson housing complex, a pedestrian “Midtown Village” of shops and offices between Airline Boulevard and High Street, and new single-family homes and townhouses on the site of S.H. Clarke Academy. "

Edited by okinawatyphoon, 26 July 2005 - 10:04 PM.