Va. Beach Towncenter project

[vdogg]

Anybody heard when they are starting the Westin, like the exact date.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are 2 conflicting dates. The official ground breaking for phase III which includes the Westin and the performing arts center will be held May 4th. However, the developer has stated that he plans on breaking ground on the Westin in late summer, no specific date on that.

[krdarden]

There are 2 conflicting dates. The official ground breaking for phase III which includes the Westin and the performing arts center will be held May 4th. However, the developer has stated that he plans on breaking ground on the Westin in late summer, no specific date on that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Vdogg, how many more highrises do you think we will see at Towncenter? There appears to be enough room for 3 or 4 more in the latter phases of the project!

I like the possibilities for the HQ property but I hope that they will compliment the development at Towncenter because this area could be really special.

I kinda wish that the whole area across the street could be redeveloped and those

lowrise buildings would become a distant memory.

What's your wish list for each of the properties and also the CityView property?

[vdogg]

Hey Vdogg, how many more highrises do you think we will see at Towncenter? There appears to be enough room for 3 or 4 more in the latter phases of the project!

I like the possibilities for the HQ property but I hope that they will compliment the development at Towncenter because this area could be really special.

I kinda wish that the whole area across the street could be redeveloped and those

lowrise buildings would become a distant memory.

What's your wish list for each of the properties and also the CityView property?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well according to the site plan rendering below, they plan on at least 3 more beyond the Westin.

I would like to see the pembroke mall parking lot, pembroke office park, and the area around circuit city incorporated into the towncenter theme. I would like dense urban housing to extend to up around the Barnes and Noble area, and have that strip of stores and movie remodeled into more of a main street design to cmpliment the feel of towncenter.

[ace707]

Ok guys, I love our region despite any problems we have especially Va. Beach and Norfolk. With that in mind, I do have problems with certain groups whether be it the city, city council or a developer with strong favorism towards a specific city trying to put out false "facts" about being the "be-all" of our area.

Like this site...

The Town Center of Virginia Beach

"Virginia Beach serves as the anchor for the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area."

-Shouldn't it be "one of" rather than "the" anchor of Hampton Roads. Downtown Norfolk and Newport News Shipbuilding seem to be just much of an anchor as Va. Beach's Oceanfron tourism business.

"Virginia Beach is world renowned for its ocean and bay beaches and family oriented attractions."

-For most of the past, all I heard was complaints and controversy for being "behind".

Yes I know they are small nit-picky complaints but I'm getting tired of "competition" among our cities.

[rusthebuss]

Thats funny it has nothing on Norfolk, with a fortune 500 company sitting downtown and all the regional banking hq in the area are downtown. So who is the anchor in this area? Ship repair and overhauling of the ships are done in Newport News and Norfolk which is our bread and butter so Va Beach needs to get their head out of the sky and wake up.

[vdogg]

Ok guys, I love our region despite any problems we have especially Va. Beach and Norfolk. With that in mind, I do have problems with certain groups whether be it the city, city council or a developer with strong favorism towards a specific city trying to put out false "facts" about being the "be-all" of our area.

Like this site...

The Town Center of Virginia Beach

"Virginia Beach serves as the anchor for the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area."

-Shouldn't it be "one of" rather than "the" anchor of Hampton Roads. Downtown Norfolk and Newport News Shipbuilding seem to be just much of an anchor as Va. Beach's Oceanfron tourism business.

"Virginia Beach is world renowned for its ocean and bay beaches and family oriented attractions."

-For most of the past, all I heard was complaints and controversy for being  "behind".

Yes I know they are small nit-picky complaints but I'm getting tired of "competition" among our cities.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, they changed the url again, interesting. Remember this website is run by the developer, not the city. While i agree that he may be taking liberty with the facts i view it as a business ploy and nothing more. City council has no say over what he puts out on his website, truth or otherwise.

[rusthebuss]

Wow, they changed the url again, interesting. Remember this website is run by the developer, not the city. While i agree that he may be taking liberty with the facts i view it  as a business ploy and nothing more. City council has no say over what he puts out on his website, truth or otherwise.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

City sure isn't saying other wise. They feel the same way the developer does. That's the big problem, they think that they run the show.

[Chesapeake Pirate]

City sure isn't saying other wise. They feel the same way the developer does. That's the big problem, they think that they run the show.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the only point here is what the definition of "anchor" is. Since most of the discussion before or after that statement refers to population, I think they are just making the point that since Virginia Beach is the largest population city in the state, they by that same measure could be said to anchor the Hampton Roads MSA.

I wonder what impact there would be if Norfolk and Virginia Beach could partner on development of the light rail project?

Can you imagine how the oceanfront might grow if tourists had easy access via rail to both Town Center and downtown Norfolk? Right now they have to drive to do anything besides go to the beach. This would make the beach much more attractive to have some other options for days and nightlife.

[rusthebuss]

it will take many years for this to occur and the plans will constantly change over the time

[rusthebuss]

My opinion is that they need to tear down pembroke mall and build buildings there. That mall sucks!!!!!!!!

[urbanvb]

I received an email today from the Cosmopolitan Apartments. In it there was a pic which is from the 5th floor so I thought I would share it with you guys. And I am going to try to get by there soon and count the floors. Like Vdogg it seems like there are more than 14 but I have not counted.

[krdarden]

Great picture! I am just waiting one day to hear about a couple of major companies relocating to the Pembroke area with the announcement of a couple more high rises.

It is entirely possible for this region to experience a condominium boom like Charlotte has in the past 6 months with the announcement of 6 or more high rise condos. The demand for condos in this region is sizzling and I am a bit surprised that we haven't heard more from the Beach concerning condo development outside of the oceanfront.

I think that we just may see a condominium boom take place on the old FX property!

I would love to see the Pembroke Mall parking lot become a target for development along with the parking lot where KMart is located.

Finally, those hideous midrises across from Sears could all be incorporated into a single building thus freeing up more space for some quality developments!

[mistermetaj]

I thought there were already plans in the works to tear down the buildings by sears and make a 12 story one. Also, i think the one big problem they will have with the Kmart area is the fact that there is a school there. I have only heard that they want to add shopping centers there, which is sad though since it takes away from the town center.

Also, has anyone heard of the double stacked roads that they have in california because i think that is what they are planning for the towncenter area. If so do they look nice or are they trashy?

[lammius]

I thought there were already plans in the works to tear down the buildings by sears and make a 12 story one.  Also, i think the one big problem they will have with the Kmart area is the fact that there is a school there.  I have only heard that they want to add shopping centers there, which is sad though since it takes away from the town center. 

Also, has anyone heard of the double stacked roads that they have in california because i think that is what they are planning for the towncenter area.  If so do they look nice or are they trashy?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I haven't seen them but I know they're planning the same thing in SW Connecticut. There's lots of opposition from people who think it will be an ugly obstruction. I can see how decking works on limited-access highways but for arterials and secondaries with frequent intersections and crossings I wonder how it would work. Perhaps ground-level local lanes and upper-level express?

[vdogg]

I thought there were already plans in the works to tear down the buildings by sears and make a 12 story one.  Also, i think the one big problem they will have with the Kmart area is the fact that there is a school there.  I have only heard that they want to add shopping centers there, which is sad though since it takes away from the town center. 

Also, has anyone heard of the double stacked roads that they have in california because i think that is what they are planning for the towncenter area.  If so do they look nice or are they trashy?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are, i have seen the plans. My mom works at pembroke 6. They have shown the rendering for this building, which is indeed 12 stories, on VBTV numerous times

(on one of the profiles of economic development shows). I am unsure as to the current status of this building at this time.

[wrldcoupe4]

Also, has anyone heard of the double stacked roads that they have in california because i think that is what they are planning for the towncenter area.  If so do they look nice or are they trashy?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know if you remember, but back in the early 90's (94 i think) there was a really bad earthquake in LA and parts of the double stacked road collapsed flattening cars and people. Not saying that is what will happen in VA beach but in case that helps you see what they look like. I know Richmond has it in some places where the Downtown Expressway meets I-95 near Main St Station in the area called "the spaghetti works" (its where a bunch of bridges/roadways overlap one another at the interchange). That might help as well. They don't look trashy but then again they arent exactly asthetically pleasing IMO.

[vdogg]

Also, has anyone heard of the double stacked roads that they have in california because i think that is what they are planning for the towncenter area.  If so do they look nice or are they trashy?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, now this i haven't heard of. It would definately be interesting to see.

[Seven Cities]

Double stack roads in Va Beach? Interesting.

Here are a few pics I came across of Richmond's Downtown Expressway

From www.RichmondCityWatch.com

http://www.richmondcitywatch.com/Pictures/...expressway1.JPG

http://www.richmondcitywatch.com/albums/al...expressway1.jpg

[wrldcoupe4]

You hit it on the nail seven cities. That's exactly what I was talking about. Thanks.

[Former Resident of HR]

Oops I was on page 4 and did not see 5. So my questions were answered about that ugly complex (Pembroke 6 etc).

Double stacked freeways and roads in the town center? Yuck. The ones around the old (amazing) train station in Richmond are awful. They tend to feel like a tunnel, which makes people slow down, etc. Actually they are more like dungeons .

[mistermetaj]

They are going to tear them all down and build a 12 story building to replace all the office space

[vdogg]

They are going to tear them all down and build a 12 story building to replace all the office space

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One thing i wonder about this project is that 6 buildings torn down and one 12-story building put up leaves an awful lot of unused real estate. I wonder what else they have planned?

[mistermetaj]

Has there been any dates set for ground breaking on the westin, the pembroke building, or the CityView project?

[vdogg]

Has there been any dates set for ground breaking on the westin, the pembroke building, or the CityView project?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The official groundbreaking for all of phase 3, which includes the Westin and the performing arts theater is May 4th. The developer has mentioned that he doesn't plan on starting construction on the Westin til late summer. No firm timetable on cityview or the other building.

[urbanvb]

The official groundbreaking for all of phase 3, which includes the Westin and the performing arts theater is May 4th. The developer has mentioned that he doesn't plan on starting construction on the Westin til late summer. No firm timetable on cityview or the other building.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I saw in the paper that Monday the city has a meeting with concerned to discuss the new interchange and so cityview may be waiting on the outcome.