Shockoe Bottom Ballpark (Proposed)

[Cadeho]

RVA, I have always favored a ballpark on the old Reynolds site in Manchester. The national Slavery Museum should be in Richmond at the Lumpkins site. And Shockoe Bottom should build apartments and condos above shops constructed in Colonial, Italianate, and Federal styles. The Kroger and Hyatt can still be built across Broad. The Boulevard site, under the last plan was good... so I kinda agree...

[Brent]

There is no appetite, nor funding, for a National Slavery museum. Wilder tried for 15 years to get one built. Now, ironically, his site in Frefricksburg is being considered for a new baseball stadium.

I wasn't a fan of building the stadium in the Bottom (for the same reason I don't believe replacing the Colisuem is a good idea; these venues already exist and are functional) but don't expect any of this to get built without it. That stretch of Broad has had 60+ years to develop. It isn't going to happen without considerable contributions from the city (Kroger isn't going to pay for the storm water utilities upgrades and Hyatt isn't going to build across from a gravel parking lot).

[540_804]

I've changed my view now and am quietly pushing for a neat ballpark overlooking the James and the skyline in Manchester, a national slavery museum in the Bottom, and a huge high-density mixed-use development on the Boulevard. I'm a minority on that, though, even though it seems to be the plan that would (to me) keep everyone happy.

 

I actually agree with all of that. 

 

Imagine a baseball stadium with home plate at the corner of 7th and Bainbridge (or probably, because of size, closer to 6th and Bainbridge, with the section between 6th and 7th acting as a plaza where crowds congregate before the games) that overlooked the city skyline and the James River. The empty lots sandwiched by Bainbridge and Hull could be developed into mixed used buildings with a central parking deck (3 or 4 stories) wrapped by 4 or 5 (or 6-8) floors of apartments and ground floor retail along Bainbridge and Hull. The top of the parking decks could become a green roof courtyard for the residents.

 

On game days, they could close the 7th street and Bainbridge and have giant outdoor tailgating events with the local food trucks. 

 

It could be similar to Bricktown in OKC. 

[vaceltic]

The number of problems in Shockoe Bottom this project would resolve is staggering and cannot go unnoticed (environmental, economic, social, physical). It really is a comprehensive plan to transform the bottom and addresses so many problems, I'm surprised this is coming out of Richmond. Here's how:

 

1. Floodplain mitigation.

2. Reduction of Impervious Surface.

3. Increase in pedestrian traffic to the Bottom at night.  

4. Multi-purpose market promenade (festivals, park space, al fresco dining)

5. Demolition of obtrusive market structure

6. Grocery / food competition on the east end

7. Slave heritage site / learning center

8. Increased commercial activity

9. Increased parking

10. Connectivity to the canal walk

11. Increased connectivity to downtown opening roads underneath Main Street Station

 

While a stadium in Manchester or at the existing Diamond site would retain baseball in Richmond, the problems inherent with Shockoe Bottom would remain for decades to come, and both of these other areas are already redeveloping successfully on their own. There are a host of very challenging issues in the Bottom this plan would address and I'm not creative enough to think of a better way to fix them.

[540_804]

While a stadium in Manchester or at the existing Diamond site would retain baseball in Richmond, the problems inherent with Shockoe Bottom would remain for decades to come, and both of these other areas are already redeveloping successfully on their own. There are a host of very challenging issues in the Bottom this plan would address and I'm not creative enough to think of a better way to fix them.

 

 

Maybe, but I'm not quite sure. 

 

The Shockoe/Shockoe Bottom is (and will likely continue to be) a very hot neighborhood. Most of the historic tax credit sites have been redeveloped and so we're just now starting to see major investments in new construction. 

 

Scott's Addition/Diamond area and Manchester are developing on their own but they both have such a long way to go to reach the level of development that Shockoe/downtown has achieved and I think a new baseball stadium could be a great shot in the arm for both locations.

 

That being said, I do support the Shockoe development. But I would just as much like to see it in Manchester. 

[jbjust]

One benefit of the new plan is that we'll finally have a grocery store in Richmond with covered parking.  I'm telling you, that place will be packed when the weather is terrible and folks don't want to take their groceries out to the car in the driving rain.

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

I won't lie. I'm really more excited for the grocery store, apartments and the hotel than I am for the baseball park. The baseball park itself was a little underwhelming. But then again, I'm not expecting Fenway proportions either.

[Richmonopoly]

I attended the LovingRVA announcement ceremony. I was impressed by the crowd size. People are interested. We, the residents of Shockoe, are excited.

I, too, hope that it is all developed simultaneously.

[Richmonopoly]

A BOON TO N. RICHMOND

Shockoe, Boulevard proposals could cure “retail desert” in North Richmond

MARK GORMUS/TIMES-DISPATCH

Posted: Thursday, December 12, 2013 12:00 am {sodEmoji.|} Updated: 12:35 am, Thu Dec 12, 2013.

BY GRAHAM MOOMAW Richmond Times-Dispatch

Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ ballpark proposal is as much about creating an oasis along The Boulevard for North Richmond’s “retail desert” as it is about a bringing baseball to Shockoe Bottom, a top adviser said Wednesday night.

“The north side of the city of Richmond, the capital of Virginia, where the majority of our population resides, is a retail desert,” said David Hicks, senior policy adviser to the mayor. “We do not have one general retail store in our community on the north side of the river within the city. It’s been that way for so long we don’t even realize it.

At a 3rd District meeting hosted by City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert, Hicks characterized the plan, which centers on a baseball-stadium development on the Bottom accompanied by future mixed-use development on the Boulevard, as being more about economic development than baseball.

By opening up 60 acres on the Boulevard for redevelopment, Hicks said to a crowd of nearly 100 people at the meeting, held at the Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center, the city would be maximizing the potential of what he described as one of the most prime real estate locations in the mid-Atlantic region, sitting at the intersection of Interstates 64 and 95.

It’s also an effort to prevent city residents from having to drive outside of city limits to do their shopping, he said.

“The beginning wasn’t, ‘Where do we put baseball?’ ” Hicks said. “The beginning was, ‘How do we maximize our potential to grow? And where can we put baseball without doing it any harm?’ ”

City officials have said the plan, which would carry a public cost of $79.6 million, would generate up to $187 million in new revenue for the city over 20 years, which officials have said could be used for other priorities such as public schools.

The full article can be found here:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/shockoe-boulevard-proposals-could-cure-retail-desert-in-north-richmond/article_1a81999f-1a42-5c61-8422-09de95068217.html

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

This is turning into a disaster really quick.

 

Not only are we going to end up getting attacked aimlessly by those NIMBYs, but now there's the possibility that we could have a stadium on the Boulevard (which I don't want, I want high density mixed use there), as well as the potential for surface parking lots in a prime parcel in Manchester that could have VERY well been suited for a BALLPARK.

 

Why don't people ever see the best opportunity? Baseball in Manchester, National Slavery Museum in Shockoe, mixed use on Blvd?

[Brent]

Manchester needs residents. Those lots in Manchester should be filled with high rise housing.

[wrldcoupe4]

Not to stray off topic, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt in Manchester and assume this is Phase I... future phases will boost density.

[Icetera]

Another view on the proposal:

http://www.the-richmonder.com/2014/02/its-not-stadium-plan-its-development.html

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

God, one can write a book on this huge mess of a debate. Pigs will fly before we ever get anywhere on this.

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

Well.... this is interesting:

 

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/latest-news/developers-offer-to-build-boulevard-ballpark/article_40a3481c-d0b1-11e3-9b2c-001a4bcf6878.html

[Brent]

Will be interesting to see the plan but my gut tells me it is a timid approach to the development of Boulevard ("small amount of residential"). No plan going forward in Richmond should include the word "small".

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

And just like that Rebkee has withdrawn it's supposed plan for the Boulevard without even giving a peek to the public.

 

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/mayor-open-to-learning-more-about-boulevard-proposal/article_858d08b2-d545-11e3-9b41-0017a43b2370.html

 

I was actually shocked and rather disgusted about the volatile attitude by Jack Berry towards a "suburban developer". I think this really shows the hostility between the counties and the city. There are also some matching attitudes I have seen from both sides though: people from the county hold their head high above the "dirty, dangerous city" while city residents are hostile about the "sterility and blandness" of the suburbs. Still, the Rebkee developer (Gecker) was professional and handled it professionally. I'm somewhat disappointed with Jack for his immediate dismissal of Rebkee as a "suburban developer". Is he not aware they are redeveloping Interbake? Or other projects across the city?

 

Read the comments on social commentary website reddit about this, and you'll see people of all points of view give their opinion, it's interesting:

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/24uzfv/boulevard_stadium_group_backs_off_shockoe_stadium/

[eandslee]

At first I was kind of torqued about Berry's attitude toward Rebkee, but then I thought about it.  Richmond officials are trying to win a PR war with some of its citizens who are against the Shockoe plan and are trying to argue against a Boulevard plan.  Then, out of nowhere, a developer shows up with a private stadium plan on the Boulevard (something that opponents of the Shockoe plan would love to see).  So, the way I see it, Berry was like, "back off so that we can sell the Shockoe plan!"  Basically, Rebkee had ruined (or set back) the chance for the Shockoe plan being the only option available.  Now Richmond has to go back and re-win the hearts and minds of those opponents who once were on the fence and could have supported the Shockoe plan.  Rebkee was professional in their response and I hope that they were "professional" because they realized that they had probably just made the case for a Shockoe stadium worse (when a Shockoe stadium is the plan they support).  That's my take on what happened.  I think that it's more of a PR tug of war going on here rather than a boundary rivalry spat.  Perhaps I'm naive, but that's how I took what happened.  In that sense, I think Berry was justified.

[eandslee]

Frustrated that Richmond (er, rather, the Mayor) can't get his act together on this!  While we spend another decade fighting over where and how a baseball stadium will be built, Norfolk announces a new 23-story hotel that will be associated with its new convention center!  I hate how Richmond gets stuck on issues like this while other cities pass us by.  We could end up with a beautiful Hyatt, Kroger, and some apartments built in a blighted part of Shockoe Bottom (what seems to be a no-brainer), but right now that doesn't seem to be likely...at least not anytime soon.  Will it ever happen in this decade?

 

Here's some REAL development news:

 

http://www.virginiabusiness.com/news/article/work-gets-underway-on-norfolks-new-hotel-and-convention-center'>http://www.virginiabusiness.com/news/article/work-gets-underway-on-norfolks-new-hotel-and-convention-center

[Brent]

I'm disappointed too. City council and the folks that showed up to scare them are ridiculous. It isn't like the city is going to sell bonds to fund schools. It is insane that the idea that money spent here displaces money spent elsewhere got circulated.

This is what we get: no Kroger, no slavery heritage site, schools in the exact same condition, no ballpark, maybe no team, no redevelopment along Boulevard (looks like that may shift to Hermitage Road, which is ok with me), gravel lots along Broad Streetfor another 20 years.

Let's not forget though that we still have more going on than Norfolk.

[RVA2CLT]

Well thanks to the Ballpark plan and public outcry surrounding it, Shockoe Bottom made a Top 11 list of 'America's Most Endangered Historic Places'.

The CNN Article is Here

Shockoe Bottomon National Treasures Preservation site HERE


 

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

Well thanks to the Ballpark plan and public outcry surrounding it, Shockoe Bottom made a Top 11 list of 'America's Most Endangered Historic Places'.

The CNN Article is Here

Shockoe Bottomon National Treasures Preservation site HERE

 

 

I've given up on a ballpark ever being here at this point. It's not worth all the frustration.

[majors2410]

So the wackos are now saying all that ugly asphalt is historic. Never heard of a historic parking lot before.

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

So the wackos are now saying all that ugly asphalt is historic. Never heard of a historic parking lot before.

 

Somehow, "it's not about the asphalt, but what's under the asphalt".

 

Maybe someone should tell CNN that no one raised a finger at the city paving over for a parking lot.

[Shakman]

So the wackos are now saying all that ugly asphalt is historic. Never heard of a historic parking lot before.

Perhaps Richmond will start a new national trend:  Perserve unkept asphalt parking lots and at least the top 20 feet of dirt below the asphalt.