VCU Developments

[I miss RVA]

Don't know if anyone caught this in the RTD today - but the paper did their annual year-end Q & A with Mayor Stoney. He made mention of the Block D development a couple of times - saying ground will be broken "soon".

Some notable snippets from the article:

The story mentioned Stoney's two failed "signature" projects -- Navy Hill and the casino. It then wrote the following:

"Nonetheless, Stoney says downtown redevelopment is taking root as Virginia Commonwealth University will soon break ground on a $325 million redevelopment project following the sale of the city’s Public Safety Building at 500 N. 10th St."

Stoney was then quoted:

"I’m very happy about the fact that we were able to get an economic development project over the line with the Public Safety Building downtown, which will hopefully be breaking ground here in the very near future.

We are going to do something with the Diamond District. We’re going to release a Request for Interest by the end of the year. And you’re going to see us focus our attention on downtown, focusing on development without an arena in our city center plan."

When asked about the possibility of holding another referendum (likely on the casino issue), Stoney said:

"We are working on an economic development plan. The next item on our plan is the Diamond District. And after that we have the City Center development in the queue."

What all that means from a timeframe standpoint is anyone's guess. I'm surprised and disappointed that the reporter didn't press for a bit more information, particularly even some kind of loosely "estimated" timeframe. INQUIRING MINDS ON URBAN PLANET RVA WANT TO KNOW! 

Here's the article:

https://richmond.com/news/local/stoney-year-end-q-a/article_20d77eab-a6c7-575a-9e15-9fad1bfe7033.html

 

[Child2021]

Hello all, I stumbled on something interesting in today's issue in the Richmond Free Press about what the Mayor's focus will be in the upcoming years, and it could hold an answer to a question a famous commenter has on here. 

" For example, he noted the private $325 million redevelopments of the decrepit Public Safety Building on 9th Street, a block from City Hall, is expected to be underway by March, bringing a 20-story office tower, new hotels, and retail space to the area."

I know this line, in particular, gives a much-needed answer to @I miss RVA. 

Link to the article: Into the future | Richmond Free Press | Serving the African American Community in Richmond, VA

[I miss RVA]

3 minutes ago, Child2021 said:

 

Hello all, I stumbled on something interesting in today's issue in the Richmond Free Press about what the Mayor's focus will be in the upcoming years, and it could hold an answer to a question a famous commenter has on here. 

" For example, he noted the private $325 million redevelopments of the decrepit Public Safety Building on 9th Street, a block from City Hall, is expected to be underway by March, bringing a 20-story office tower, new hotels, and retail space to the area."

I know this line, in particular, gives a much-needed answer to @I miss RVA. 

Link to the article: Into the future | Richmond Free Press | Serving the African American Community in Richmond, VA

Thanks for sharing this! The RFP often has nuggets that the other media outlets miss.

Very interesting that at least as of this time, the RFP is suggesting that the VCU Health-anchored tower is still slated for 20 stories -- I'm guessing nothing to the contrary has been released from the developers, which at least for now is certainly encouraging. I wonder if there's any ripple effect of enthusiasm coming on the coattails of the CoStar announcement that make encourage the developers to keep this thing at 20 stories for the sake of spec space?

I'm curious as to what will actually get underway in March? Site work has started for demo of the Public Safety building, yes? Will there need to be stuff like asbestos mitigation, etc., when this building gets knocked down and carted away?

Since Stoney's referencing a hotel or hotels, it sounds like he's referencing the latest iteration of the City Center SAP. If the city sticks to what looks to be a realllllllllly strong small area plan, City Center could end up being a VERY dynamic part of downtown -- especially once the Coliseum is torn down and hauled away.

[eandslee]

Acronym trouble - had me confused there for a second because:

RFP = Richmond Free Press

RFP = Request For Proposals

LOL!  It’s all good.  This is how my brain works this early in the morning.

 

Thanks for posting the nugget, @Child2021!

[DowntownCoruscant]

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

Acronym trouble - had me confused there for a second because:

RFP = Richmond Free Press

RFP = Request For Proposals

LOL!  It’s all good.  This is how my brain works this early in the morning.

 

Thanks for posting the nugget, @Child2021!

And RFI seems (at least to me) like a waste management company. Maybe that’s BFI?

[I miss RVA]

4 hours ago, DowntownCoruscant said:

And RFI seems (at least to me) like a waste management company. Maybe that’s BFI?

 

Or the city version in RVA would be the DPW.

What was the name of the waste management company Tony Soprano "managed"?

Sorry - old journalist here - and sometimes I forget I'm amongst commercial real estate gurus and business and finance folk.

Easy solution:

RFP = Request for Proposals

RF-P = The Richmond Free Press

Technically the RTD should be abbreviated RT-D.

Edited December 31, 2021 by I miss RVA

[Brent114]

This is looking nice.   Skywalks to me are one of those things that are indicative of a bigger city.  I vaguely remember one on 7th Street, between Grace and Broad.    I wish there were more (I know there’s one at the James Center too). 
 

 

[Icetera]

42 minutes ago, Brent114 said:

This is looking nice.   Skywalks to me are one of those things that are indicative of a bigger city.  I vaguely remember one on 7th Street, between Grace and Broad.    I wish there were more (I know there’s one at the James Center too). 

I also like them even though they do remove pedestrians from the streetscape.  There are several around the convention center and a few scattered around the Capitol complex.  There are also some at the Locks development, the large one for Altria, and probably my favorite is where VCU crosses over Main Street creating more of a tunnel effect.  A shame DE2 has been cancelled or there would have been one there.  I forgot about the one across 7th at the old hotel (was that Murphy?).  Ooo, and I almost forgot about everyone's favorite 6th Street Marketplace.  That one was certainly iconic.

[benstyree]

32 minutes ago, Icetera said:

I also like them even though they do remove pedestrians from the streetscape.  There are several around the convention center and a few scattered around the Capitol complex.  There are also some at the Locks development, the large one for Altria, and probably my favorite is where VCU crosses over Main Street creating more of a tunnel effect.  A shame DE2 has been cancelled or there would have been one there.  I forgot about the one across 7th at the old hotel (was that Murphy?).  Ooo, and I almost forgot about everyone's favorite 6th Street Marketplace.  That one was certainly iconic.

I always liked the old one over Marshall St. at MCV.  I believe it was 5 or 6 levels high.  It was replaced with a single-level one during a renovation at some point.

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, Icetera said:

I also like them even though they do remove pedestrians from the streetscape.  There are several around the convention center and a few scattered around the Capitol complex.  There are also some at the Locks development, the large one for Altria, and probably my favorite is where VCU crosses over Main Street creating more of a tunnel effect.  A shame DE2 has been cancelled or there would have been one there.  I forgot about the one across 7th at the old hotel (was that Murphy?).  Ooo, and I almost forgot about everyone's favorite 6th Street Marketplace.  That one was certainly iconic.

I'm having a senior moment - help me remember: "DE2" ??

[wrldcoupe4]

2nd dominion tower

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

2nd dominion tower

Thanks, Coupe! That one threw me for a minute! I don't recall seeing it abbreviated like that. 

[Hike]

16 hours ago, Brent114 said:

This is looking nice.   Skywalks to me are one of those things that are indicative of a bigger city.  I vaguely remember one on 7th Street, between Grace and Broad.    I wish there were more (I know there’s one at the James Center too). 
 

 

Nice image and liking the look of this. I had originally thought I wouldn't care for the diagonal but I'm feeling better about it. I actually like the steel and "bridge" feel which will change once clad. The DPR webcam linked has completed the tower cameras but they've added the bridge for 3 views.

https://app.oxblue.com/open/dprvirginia/vcuhnewchildrenshosp

[eandslee]

Okay, are they done abating the asbestos in the public safety building yet?  Gee...knock the thing down and let's start building!  Seems to be taking a long time.   Anyone have any updates?  Hope to see ground broken on Block D super soon.

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, eandslee said:

Okay, are they done abating the asbestos in the public safety building yet?  Gee...knock the thing down and let's start building!  Seems to be taking a long time.   Anyone have any updates?  Hope to see ground broken on Block D super soon.

Agreed - I'm ready to see some shovels turning dirt now. Things ARE seeming to take an awful long time to get started.

As of now, Pinecrest (or "Parc View" - ("Parc"??? With a "C"?  Seriously?? Oh dear God... whyyyyy?? )   ... anyway, this building is still looking like it's the front-runner for being the first of the "bigs" to get out of the gate in 2022. Lots of potential competition that could get started this year - CoStar, Bakery Lofts, Block D, the Admiral, (what's going on with THAT one?), Locks 7 (or 8?), plus who knows what might happen along the Manchester riverfront - but as of early March, Pinecrest/Parc View is looking like it'll get the year started.

[123fakestreet]

RTD:

With the future of the Leigh Street training camp facility in question, speculation turns to Virginia Commonwealth University, a major player in Richmond real estate. 

The football fields behind the Science Museum that once served as the early August home of the Washington Commanders don't easily fit with VCU's master plan, which focuses more on joining the academic campus with the medical campus.

But the site is just a mile from the nascent athletics village -- and even closer as the crow flies -- making it imaginable that it could play a role in VCU athletics. 

State officials have gauged VCU's interest in purchasing or leasing the plot, a person familiar with the matter said. The 15-acre parcel includes two full-size football fields, green space, parking and a two-story office building assessed for $14 million. The facility opened in 2013. 

But VCU hasn't had conversations about the site, said Meredith Weiss, vice president for administration. 

"We are not having any conversations about this property at this time," she said. "We are focused on our athletics village." 

The fact the state asked VCU about the property isn't out of the ordinary, either. It's common for government bodies gauge VCU's interest when real estate becomes available. 

VCU has plans for more than $1 billion worth of construction during the next six years, paid for by the university, the state and other sources. But expansion of the Monroe Park campus is pointed eastward, toward downtown, bridging the one-mile gap between the academic campus and the Medical College of Virginia campus.

To bring the campuses closer together, VCU calls for improving public transit between the two and improving bicycle and walking infrastructure. 

VCU recently continued its expansion east of North Belvidere Street -- last year an engineering building opened along Cary Street, adjoining with the already-existing building that houses the business school. 

A few blocks north, VCU plans to build a $181-million arts and innovation building at the intersection of West Broad and Belvidere, contingent on the General Assembly funding it in a budget that could be approved next week. 

The university has plans to reimagine its current footprint, too. The old Franklin Street gym will become a $124 million science, technology, engineering and math building. 

After it tears down the T. Edward Temple Building and tennis courts, VCU plans to build a four-story student commons, wellness facility and green space at a cost of roughly $156 million. 

To replace the current student commons, the university plans a $152 million classroom and lab building along Linden Street. The funding for this building is scheduled for the upcoming biennium. 

Another plan includes erecting a new Honors College dormitory across West Grace Street from the current building, adding 700 beds. Funding won't be sought until 2024. 

On the health campus, VCU plans to build a new School of Dentistry building some time after 2024. 

The new 16-story, $400 million Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU tower is scheduled to open next year. 

But there is one notable exception to VCU's downtown-facing expansion -- its athletics village, a project expected to cost between $80-$100 million on 40 acres of land along Hermitage Road that VCU has acquired or is in the process of acquiring. 

VCU hasn't taken control of the former Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control facility yet, though it hopes to do so soon, athletics director Ed McLaughlin said recently. Demolition of the warehouse could begin this year. 

First up on the construction schedule are new tennis courts and practice fields. In the 2024-26 biennium, VCU plans to begin building a multipurpose indoor facility. 

[I miss RVA]

15 minutes ago, 123fakestreet said:

RTD:

With the future of the Leigh Street training camp facility in question, speculation turns to Virginia Commonwealth University, a major player in Richmond real estate. 

The football fields behind the Science Museum that once served as the early August home of the Washington Commanders don't easily fit with VCU's master plan, which focuses more on joining the academic campus with the medical campus.

But the site is just a mile from the nascent athletics village -- and even closer as the crow flies -- making it imaginable that it could play a role in VCU athletics. 

State officials have gauged VCU's interest in purchasing or leasing the plot, a person familiar with the matter said. The 15-acre parcel includes two full-size football fields, green space, parking and a two-story office building assessed for $14 million. The facility opened in 2013. 

But VCU hasn't had conversations about the site, said Meredith Weiss, vice president for administration. 

"We are not having any conversations about this property at this time," she said. "We are focused on our athletics village." 

The fact the state asked VCU about the property isn't out of the ordinary, either. It's common for government bodies gauge VCU's interest when real estate becomes available. 

VCU has plans for more than $1 billion worth of construction during the next six years, paid for by the university, the state and other sources. But expansion of the Monroe Park campus is pointed eastward, toward downtown, bridging the one-mile gap between the academic campus and the Medical College of Virginia campus.

To bring the campuses closer together, VCU calls for improving public transit between the two and improving bicycle and walking infrastructure. 

VCU recently continued its expansion east of North Belvidere Street -- last year an engineering building opened along Cary Street, adjoining with the already-existing building that houses the business school. 

A few blocks north, VCU plans to build a $181-million arts and innovation building at the intersection of West Broad and Belvidere, contingent on the General Assembly funding it in a budget that could be approved next week. 

The university has plans to reimagine its current footprint, too. The old Franklin Street gym will become a $124 million science, technology, engineering and math building. 

After it tears down the T. Edward Temple Building and tennis courts, VCU plans to build a four-story student commons, wellness facility and green space at a cost of roughly $156 million. 

To replace the current student commons, the university plans a $152 million classroom and lab building along Linden Street. The funding for this building is scheduled for the upcoming biennium. 

Another plan includes erecting a new Honors College dormitory across West Grace Street from the current building, adding 700 beds. Funding won't be sought until 2024. 

On the health campus, VCU plans to build a new School of Dentistry building some time after 2024. 

The new 16-story, $400 million Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU tower is scheduled to open next year. 

But there is one notable exception to VCU's downtown-facing expansion -- its athletics village, a project expected to cost between $80-$100 million on 40 acres of land along Hermitage Road that VCU has acquired or is in the process of acquiring. 

VCU hasn't taken control of the former Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control facility yet, though it hopes to do so soon, athletics director Ed McLaughlin said recently. Demolition of the warehouse could begin this year. 

First up on the construction schedule are new tennis courts and practice fields. In the 2024-26 biennium, VCU plans to begin building a multipurpose indoor facility. 

Full story here:

https://richmond.com/news/local/education/state-officials-have-gauged-vcus-interest-in-training-camp-site-but-they-havent-engaged-in/article_8ddc2109-9bcc-548c-99d9-959041b07707.html

I'm posting a graphic on the City Center sub that focuses on the downtown/VCU Health portion of what looks to be coming in the next few years.

[whw53]

Christ , please anything but another VCU athletics expansion. they've already foiled so much in that area. ugh. 

[123fakestreet]

47 minutes ago, whw53 said:

Christ , please anything but another VCU athletics expansion. they've already foiled so much in that area. ugh. 

While I do like the idea of VCU developing a large swatch of area into a nice athletic facility, I think they chose this area before it became apparent it was going to become the "Diamond District" and the potential of what that area would be.  I had heard years ago they were looking at the plots of land off Leigh between Hermitage and Allen, East Coast metal Distributors and James River Bus Lines properties.  they've now spent years and much effort piecing together parcels for Diamond area so no way they just abandon that area, but damn, really wish they could go back to over by Leigh.  Not the highest use of the land for Diamond District.

Edited April 1, 2022 by 123fakestreet

[I miss RVA]

25 minutes ago, 123fakestreet said:

While I do like the idea of VCU developing a large swatch of area into a nice athletic facility, I think they chose this area before it became apparent it was going to become the "Diamond District" and the potential of what that area would be.  I had heard years ago they were looking at the plots of land off Leigh between Hermitage and Allen, East Coast metal Distributors and James River Bus Lines properties.  they've now spent years and much effort piecing together parcels for Diamond area so no way they just abandon that area, but damn, really wish they could go back to over by Leigh.  Not the highest use of the land for Diamond District.

Fully agreed. As much good as VCU has done for RVA over the years, THIS particular piecing together of land is quickly becoming an urban-planning disaster for RVA. They are just simply taking up WAY too much space over by the Diamond District - space that is FAR better used for high-density residential/mixed-use development. All of this is painful to watch.

[wrldcoupe4]

I don’t mind it being a good transitional buffer to the single family neighborhoods on the other side of the interstate. And the parcels at Leigh and a hermitage are part of Sauer’s project.  I think you’ll see a really high quality expansion there which is more appropriate than athletic fields.  

[wrldcoupe4]

Impossible and maybe unpopular thought. VCU swap part of the land next to Diamond District for City Stadium with the Kickers. Kickers build a new stadium near the new baseball stadium and we have a mini version of the setup in DC. Rest of the land is an extension of the Diamond District. VCU scrapes city stadium (total dump) and repurposes it for their athletic village. 

[123fakestreet]

2 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

All of this is painful to watch.

You just described every major project in this city *cough*Navy Hill*cough*

My dad used to say despite everyone's best efforts- incompetent city council, the old racist Confederate people, the church grifters, etc etc- they still couldn't ruin this city. Which meant it must be pretty great place to live. Just excruciatingly frustrating to think how phenomenal a place it could be if the powers that be were competent.

Edited April 1, 2022 by 123fakestreet

[123fakestreet]

2 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

I don’t mind it being a good transitional buffer to the single family neighborhoods on the other side of the interstate. And the parcels at Leigh and a hermitage are part of Sauer’s project.  I think you’ll see a really high quality expansion there which is more appropriate than athletic fields.  

Don't think you need a transition when the interstate is a big barrier. Back when VCU was looking at it I don't think Sauer Center was even an idea yet.

 

Re: city stadium, I'd prefer that but VCU needs way more land than what city stadium sits on.

 

There's a lot of better places it could go than where it is. Just putting it on the southern end of that area by SCOR would be a lot better than that prime location on Sherwood. Put it in the north bottom area where all those random big warehouses are on Valley rd. Put it over by Brook & Chamberlayne, bulldoze Straton metals and a few adjoining equally crappy looking lots.

Edited April 1, 2022 by 123fakestreet

[I miss RVA]

22 minutes ago, 123fakestreet said:

You just described every major project in this city *cough*Navy Hill*cough*

My dad used to say despite everyone's best efforts- incompetent city council, the old racist Confederate people, the church grifters, etc etc- they still couldn't ruin this city. Which meant it must be pretty great place to live. Just excruciatingly frustrating to think how phenomenal a place it could be if the powers that be were competent.

Welcome to my life for most of the past 50 years, my friend. 

Unquestionably, your father is a very wise man. He totally nailed it.

Edited April 1, 2022 by I miss RVA