Manchester Development

[whw53]

FYI Amazon Go Grocery will be opening its first store in Virginia according to this blog news site in Annandale (which channels some info from the Washington Business Journal). Someone had brought it up here and I think we can move the needle on this grocer as a realistic contender for the tower at Porter and Commerce perhaps. 

https://annandaleva.blogspot.com/2021/01/amazon-go-grocery-store-expected-to.html

On top of the Annandale location, 2 more locations will located in Franconia and Fairfax.

 

 

Edited January 7, 2021 by whw53

[rjp212]

On 11/30/2020 at 4:48 PM, rjp212 said:

What grocery store do you think it could be?  Aldi and Lidl tend to do stand alone store and the article mentions they would be coming from out of town.  Doing a quick google search, the new Amazon Go Grocery stores run about 18,000 sf. and plan on expanding throughout the States.  Seems like it’d make a good fit for the area. 

Just tootin’ my own horn. 

[whw53]

some permit movement this week for the former Riverhaus site - scant detail, but good to see things rolling there. Remember this was recently purchased by CMB Development, same group behind River's Edge towers.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by whw53

[whw53]

On 1/7/2021 at 6:11 PM, whw53 said:

FYI Amazon Go Grocery will be opening its first store in Virginia according to this blog news site in Annandale (which channels some info from the Washington Business Journal). Someone had brought it up here and I think we can move the needle on this grocer as a realistic contender for the tower at Porter and Commerce perhaps. 

https://annandaleva.blogspot.com/2021/01/amazon-go-grocery-store-expected-to.html

On top of the Annandale location, 2 more locations will located in Franconia and Fairfax.

 

 

Follow up to this blog post from up-state - Amazon Fresh will be opening 3 locations in NVA - not Amazon Go Grocery. Different concept - looks like the Amazon Fresh are larger. But whatever - same deal, Amazon grocery has entered the state.

https://annandaleva.blogspot.com/2021/01/amazon-fresh-to-open-in-baileys.html?m=1

Edited January 12, 2021 by whw53

[whw53]

A special use permit application was introduced at City Council monday and referred to the planning commission for 'The Box' development along  the 500 block Decatur St. Looks like the Special use permit is needed to resolve the proposed parking deck. configuration. Great to see some activity on this one. I hope for a swift planning commission ok and back to City Council for approval.

https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4749737&GUID=2D333B7B-767C-41A0-A640-5E5D9F59B695&Options=&Search=

[eandslee]

13 minutes ago, whw53 said:

A special use permit application was introduced at City Council monday and referred to the planning commission for 'The Box' development along  the 500 block Decatur St. Looks like the Special use permit is needed to resolve the proposed parking deck. configuration. Great to see some activity on this one. I hope for a swift planning commission ok and back to City Council for approval.

https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4749737&GUID=2D333B7B-767C-41A0-A640-5E5D9F59B695&Options=&Search=

Don't like the name of this project, but this is good to see!  Thanks for posting!

[whw53]

A rezoning plan filed this week would take the Caravati holdings in Manchester from a mix of neighborhood business and industrial zoning to the central urban district or B4 zoning. This is the same zoning that the South Falls and Hydro projects were rezoned to prior to those projects getting underway. It looks like the ownership is still under the Caravati family although they had tried to sell in 2019 (see article)- maybe this is to better position the properties?

https://richmond.com/business/architectural-salvage-firm-caravati-s-has-put-its-property-in-manchester-up-for-sale-looking/article_f4b701f1-98d9-5a24-b01c-cf95ef36a03d.html

https://energov.richmondgov.com/EnerGov_Prod/selfservice#/plan/85109f79-8fa6-4398-907b-581b549bde65

Their LLC also owns the parking lot at NE corner of Decatur and 2nd which served their business in the past but didn't see that parcel's primary or secondary address listed in the rezoning filing. 

[I miss RVA]

Would this possibly lead to a project of the size and height of South Falls being developed?

[whw53]

With the announcement today of UPS Freight being bought by a Canadian competitor I wonder whether the new corporate owner would evaluate and sell off some of the holdings in the Bainbridge section of Manchester - almost 4 complete city blocks, 3 are being used as surface parking or are vacant save for a single private residence not controlled by the Overnite LLC ( red dot). Would love to see an auction for these properties. 

https://richmond.com/business/richmond-based-ups-freight-being-sold-to-canadian-trucking-giant-for-800-million/article_119ab828-272d-52bf-a4d3-9a964bc79238.html

Besides the land here it appears Manchester's corporate anchors are both reevaluating office decisions - SunTrust and now UPS Freight's presences in the neighborhood in whatever restructured form  are uncertain. 

Edited January 25, 2021 by whw53

[rjp212]

God I hope so.  I walk my dog past those blocks often and just dream of what that wasted space could be.  

[I miss RVA]

47 minutes ago, rjp212 said:

God I hope so.  I walk my dog past those blocks often and just dream of what that wasted space could be.  

Definitely! It's a sea of vacant or almost vacant blocks just screaming for intense, high-density development that hopefully will have some height to it. Imagine the possibilities! 

[whw53]

On 1/22/2021 at 3:01 PM, whw53 said:

A rezoning plan filed this week would take the Caravati holdings in Manchester from a mix of neighborhood business and industrial zoning to the central urban district or B4 zoning. This is the same zoning that the South Falls and Hydro projects were rezoned to prior to those projects getting underway. It looks like the ownership is still under the Caravati family although they had tried to sell in 2019 (see article)- maybe this is to better position the properties?

https://richmond.com/business/architectural-salvage-firm-caravati-s-has-put-its-property-in-manchester-up-for-sale-looking/article_f4b701f1-98d9-5a24-b01c-cf95ef36a03d.html

https://energov.richmondgov.com/EnerGov_Prod/selfservice#/plan/85109f79-8fa6-4398-907b-581b549bde65

Their LLC also owns the parking lot at NE corner of Decatur and 2nd which served their business in the past but didn't see that parcel's primary or secondary address listed in the rezoning filing. 

Detail today from BizSense. Ok parking lot a E 2nd and Decatur was included in sale as well according to this article. The rezoning application did not come from the current Caravati ownership but another party who has the land under contract. 

https://richmondbizsense.com/2021/02/01/caravatis-site-in-manchester-under-contract-to-mystery-buyer/

[I miss RVA]

I get the feeling we will be seeing a lot of cranes appearing on the Manchester skyline over the next couple of years.

[whw53]

46 minutes ago, eandslee said:

Well, well, well...what do we have here?  Okay...I don’t mind stripping companies from Austin, TX!

https://www.nbc12.com/2021/02/09/vytal-studios-build-corporate-headquarters-richmond-bringing-hundreds-jobs/

This is really cool. 1802 Semmes will be nice campus for them, pass this a lot and often tried to figure out what would fit in here  - can't wait to see what they do with it. Hundred of jobs great for Manchester , i expect many will want to live close by.

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by whw53

[rjp212]

Now if someone would just buy the lot where the old gas station was.   Dodged a bullet with it becoming a suburban Wawa.

Edited February 9, 2021 by rjp212

[whw53]

Week of 2\7 - Permit & Plan applications of note

1. 1114 Hull - LDIS plan filed for our 5 story project there.

2. 406 , 324 Cowardin - looks like lots there in front of storage yard will be a new ground up medical facility. Demolition permits were also filed to remove the on site derelict structures. Map below of this one since it is new. No renderings yet - prepare to be underwhelmed...

 

 

 

[I miss RVA]

There are times when coming on and checking out the Friday updates of new permits/projects is so satisfying because so much is going on - seeing Richmond just keep rolling along in terms of growth and development is honestly like watching a live-action version of City Skylines unfolding before our eyes.

[vaceltic]

On 2/12/2021 at 1:52 PM, whw53 said:

Week of 2\7 - Permit & Plan applications of note

1. 1114 Hull - LDIS plan filed for our 5 story project there.

2. 406 , 324 Cowardin - looks like lots there in front of storage yard will be a new ground up medical facility. Demolition permits were also filed to remove the on site derelict structures. Map below of this one since it is new. No renderings yet - prepare to be underwhelmed...

 

 

 

Frensius designed a decent-looking one under construction in Scott’s Addition. I’m Holding out hope!

[rjp212]

As long as it orients to the street and not a parking lot, then I will count it as a win  

 

[rjp212]

Surveyors and a new builder sign (Harper?) are in place at the old gas station at Cowardin/Semmes.  I know the lot next door is slated for a medical building, any idea what the new plans are for the gas station lot?

[eandslee]

11 minutes ago, rjp212 said:

Surveyors and a new builder sign (Harper?) are in place at the old gas station at Cowardin/Semmes.  I know the lot next door is slated for a medical building, any idea what the new plans are for the gas station lot?

Haven't heard anything.  Perhaps it's a construction staging area?

[Brent114]

Are you sure it isn’t for the  buildings  between the new townhomes and the corner? That renovation rendering just went up a few days ago (the existing buildings are being renovated into the new headquarters of that educational video production company that is moving to the area from Austin). 

[rjp212]

Na they were standing on top of the pad that used to be the convenience store. @eandslee is probably right and it's just for staging equipment.

[whw53]

@Brent114 got a link to that rendering for Vytal HQ?

Sent from my SM-A600A using Tapatalk

[vaceltic]

11 hours ago, whw53 said:

@Brent114 got a link to that rendering for Vytal HQ?

Sent from my SM-A600A using Tapatalk
 

The RTD article link has the rendering images within it. Nothing on 3North Website. Harper & Associates or Loopnet might have older renderings.

https://richmond.com/business/custom-training-video-producer-relocating-headquarters-to-south-richmond-from-texas-adding-155-new-jobs/article_d0b58a9e-7993-5ed2-893f-6dfbffb6f0ea.html