Manchester Development

[I miss RVA]

9 hours ago, eandslee said:

Thanks for the report.  I was able to catch some of the meeting last night (tuned in online), but I must have missed the part about this rezoning.  Dang it!  Why the delay?  Why would the council be hung up on this?  This is easy...what are their issues?  Ugh!  City Council frustrates me!

Me too, brother. City Council has been a frustrating entity for as long as I can remember - and I've seen it too many times. A slam-dunk, locked-and-loaded zoning request or SUP request that has full-throated support from the Planning Commission all too often (at least looking into the way-back machine) gotten derailed because Council must have gotten objections from somewhere - and there needed to be amendments and more study and more amendments and something simple got continued to the point that it never happened. This is unfortunate -- I agree with you that the upzoning of the silos location should be a Michael Jordan slam dunk. I wonder if there is some NIMBY involvement in play here? (I asked the same question re: the Shockoe Bottom rezoning continuance...)

If anyone can shed some insight as to the speed bump here, it would be greatly appreciated!

Say - where online can you watch the City Council meetings? I haven't watched one in decades - I last remember watching them - I THINK - on Channel 57 (I don't think Channel 23 carried them because they had the bulk of the front-burner PBS programming) ...

Edited May 25, 2021 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

8 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Say - where online can you watch the City Council meetings? I haven't watched one in decades - I last remember watching them - I THINK - on Channel 57 (I don't think Channel 23 carried them because they had the bulk of the front-burner PBS programming) ...

You can watch them using the link below.  They are doing Zoom meetings still (due to Covid), so it makes it easy to watch and listen...if you can stomach it.  Some of these council members are soooo slow to understand anything and it takes forever for something to get through their thick skulls...it's ridiculous and can be painful to listen to.  Then each one gives their 2 cents on everything before anything comes to a vote...stupid.  Instead of all the hashing and rehashing, they could have already voted on it and let the vote speak for itself...and then move on to the next item.  Instead, they spend so much time talking about something that would take you and me, 30 seconds to talk about and understand, that they get very little accomplished.  For them, it takes 30 seconds times 100,000!!  It's difficult to listen to sometimes...so, here's the link, but don't say I didn't warn you! 

http://www.richmondgov.com/CityCouncil/FormalMeetingVideos.aspx

[I miss RVA]

14 hours ago, eandslee said:

You can watch them using the link below.  They are doing Zoom meetings still (due to Covid), so it makes it easy to watch and listen...if you can stomach it.  Some of these council members are soooo slow to understand anything and it takes forever for something to get through their thick skulls...it's ridiculous and can be painful to listen to.  Then each one gives their 2 cents on everything before anything comes to a vote...stupid.  Instead of all the hashing and rehashing, they could have already voted on it and let the vote speak for itself...and then move on to the next item.  Instead, they spend so much time talking about something that would take you and me, 30 seconds to talk about and understand, that they get very little accomplished.  For them, it takes 30 seconds times 100,000!!  It's difficult to listen to sometimes...so, here's the link, but don't say I didn't warn you! 

http://www.richmondgov.com/CityCouncil/FormalMeetingVideos.aspx

Thank you, kind sir!! Ohhh yeah - so I see nothing has changed on the City Council then. The members did the exact same thing back in the 70s, 80s, 90s. VERY painful to watch. A lot of bloviating & pontificating and very little asking of relevant or meaningful questions. The sheer lack of insight has been -- and is -- remarkable. (And not in a good way).

Anyway - many thanks. I'll have to remember to pop some popcorn for the next meeting - and to have a few good, stiff drinks at the ready (I get the feeling I'll need them!)

Edited May 26, 2021 by I miss RVA

[whw53]

 

On 2/27/2020 at 11:55 AM, rjp212 said:

75-unit apartment complex being proposed next to the community garden.  Design is severely lacking,  but it’s easier to redevelop an apartment building in 30 years then a condo/townhome development.  So we can chalk it up as a filler project. 
 

https://richmondbizsense.com/2020/02/27/75-unit-apartment-building-planned-beside-community-garden-in-manchester/

POD finally came through this week for this one. From the Manchester BizSense summit i knew they were having trouble getting this approved - it was a side comment , no detail really so glad they got whatever it was worked out. 

https://energov.richmondgov.com/EnerGov_Prod/selfservice#/plan/6eac3068-eccb-439d-be2d-18e12cddf0ab

Edited June 4, 2021 by whw53

[wrldcoupe4]

As we have discussed…. The Silo site overlooking the James is close to clearing hurdles which could pave the way for an up to 20 story redevelopment. 
https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/so-long-silos-hourigan-plans-high-rise-where-southern-states-building-now-sits-in-manchester/article_86b9f60a-31fc-5390-9c27-0fc624824f0e.html#tracking-source=home-breaking

Hoping  for some attractive architecture since this site is truly a gateway. 

Edited June 8, 2021 by wrldcoupe4

[eandslee]

2 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

As we have discussed…. The Silo site overlooking the James is close to clearing hurdles which could pave the way for an up to 20 story redevelopment. 
https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/so-long-silos-hourigan-plans-high-rise-where-southern-states-building-now-sits-in-manchester/article_86b9f60a-31fc-5390-9c27-0fc624824f0e.html#tracking-source=home-breaking

Hoping  for some attractive architecture since this site is truly a gateway. 

You beat me to it!  All good though.  Sounds like there is a lot of build-up for this development.  The design better not disappoint!  Two-year construction timeline.

Edited June 8, 2021 by eandslee

[Hike]

18 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

As we have discussed…. The Silo site overlooking the James is close to clearing hurdles which could pave the way for an up to 20 story redevelopment. 
https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/so-long-silos-hourigan-plans-high-rise-where-southern-states-building-now-sits-in-manchester/article_86b9f60a-31fc-5390-9c27-0fc624824f0e.html#tracking-source=home-breaking

Hoping  for some attractive architecture since this site is truly a gateway. 

In honor of the silos and to capture the essence of the flood wall by utilizing similar design details, I present Manchester's newest highrise.

 

[eandslee]

10 minutes ago, Hike said:

In honor of the silos and to capture the essence of the flood wall by utilizing similar design details, I present Manchester's newest highrise.

 

Is this a Walter Parks design?!  Swear it looks like a Walter Parks product!

[I miss RVA]

15 minutes ago, eandslee said:

Is this a Walter Parks design?!  Swear it looks like a Walter Parks product!

Either that or something Stalin may have commissioned to be built somewhere in the Soviet Union at some point between the end of World War II and his death in 1953.

Jesus - that building should be the picture that shows up with the dictionary definition of "fugly" ... 

[I miss RVA]

There's a little more movement on the Southern States Silos - and a tad more information of what is to follow. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/so-long-silos-hourigan-plans-high-rise-where-southern-states-building-now-sits-in-manchester/article_86b9f60a-31fc-5390-9c27-0fc624824f0e.html#utm_source=richmond.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter-templates%2Fbreaking&utm_medium=PostUp&utm_content=0ec7e032dd1e4ec101109fd5c9cd7c5c0a175c41

[eandslee]

Wait, this is the exact article the Coupe posted last night…right?

[I miss RVA]

9 hours ago, eandslee said:

Wait, this is the exact article the Coupe posted last night…right?

One and the same - damn, somehow I missed the original posting -- it got lost in the shuffle (notice I didn't react to it either - which I would have done had I seen it...) I shudder to think what else I've missed on here! 

I gotta get new glasses... 

Edited June 9, 2021 by I miss RVA

[whw53]

Silo site conditional rezoning to B4 was ADOPTED by City Council last night!

Sent from my SM-A600A using Tapatalk

[I miss RVA]

14 minutes ago, whw53 said:

Silo site conditional rezoning to B4 was ADOPTED by City Council last night!

Sent from my SM-A600A using Tapatalk
 

YESSSSSS!!!  Let the demolition, clearing and construction begin!!!

[rjp212]

Few updates while out driving around:

Looks like building permits are attached to the wood of the old “Church’s Chicken”

Small white building at the corner of Rte 1 and Decatur is under Reno. This is next to the Art Deco building that was recently renovated for office space. 
 

Port City Apts is still well under way on their next phase. 
 

Model Tobacco Building is finally under reno. Fencing is up and workers are moving around. 

[I miss RVA]

Harper and Associates (or, as the article states, an entity tied to it) has just purchased the southwest corner of Cowardin & Semmes. Given that Harper already has a fairly sizeable footprint underway in Manchester & Swansboro, I'm curious to see what they might have in mind for this parcel. It's a large parcel - and located at one of the busiest intersections in Manchester. Does anyone have any insight or has anyone heard any kinds of rumblings one way or another?  What are your thoughts regarding what could/should go here?

https://richmondbizsense.com/2021/06/18/harper-scoops-up-prime-site-at-semmes-and-cowardin-in-manchester/

[eandslee]

32 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

Harper and Associates (or, as the article states, an entity tied to it) has just purchased the southwest corner of Cowardin & Semmes. Given that Harper already has a fairly sizeable footprint underway in Manchester & Swansboro, I'm curious to see what they might have in mind for this parcel. It's a large parcel - and located at one of the busiest intersections in Manchester. Does anyone have any insight or has anyone heard any kinds of rumblings one way or another?  What are your thoughts regarding what could/should go here?

https://richmondbizsense.com/2021/06/18/harper-scoops-up-prime-site-at-semmes-and-cowardin-in-manchester/

Something iconic there would be nice.  I’ve heard no rumors, but some multi-level mixed use is what I’m thinking…we’ll see what the developer is thinking, I’m sure, soon. 

[rjp212]

If I was a betting man, reading into the 14,000 sf with a drive thru, sounds like a bank to me.  Chase is expanding rapidly into the area, so I could see a 2-3 story building out there.   Doubt it will be something iconic as the area is still pretty suburban in nature. 

[whw53]

New renderings up on Nahum's portfolio site appear to show a redevelopment of the largest parcel on the Plant Zero block. The Google Earth image is mine showing a similar vantage point to the last image. Can you tell what gave it away? Also note the massing included for the neighboring Current project on the next block.

It looks like this development concept would snake in Z shape from Decatur to Hull, by passing the 2 smaller property owners on opposite ends of block. 

 

Edited June 22, 2021 by whw53

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

https://richmondbizsense.com/2021/06/23/developer-kleyman-targets-manchester-with-bainbridge-street-projects/

Two 3-story infill buildings on empty lots off Bainbridge, 20 units total:

15 units + retail at 1421 Bainbridge St (shown below); another 5 units at 1122 Bainbridge St

[I miss RVA]

5 hours ago, RVA-Is-The-Best said:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2021/06/23/developer-kleyman-targets-manchester-with-bainbridge-street-projects/

Two 3-story infill buildings on empty lots off Bainbridge, 20 units total:

15 units + retail at 1421 Bainbridge St (shown below); another 5 units at 1122 Bainbridge St

Nice bit of density for a small-parcel infill. I'm thrilled to see that the "Brooklynization" of Manchester continues unabated! I use that term because more than one real estate/development professional has referred to Manchester as "Richmond's version of Brooklyn" - and I agree 100%!

Good to see.

On 6/21/2021 at 9:37 PM, whw53 said:

New renderings up on Nahum's portfolio site appear to show a redevelopment of the largest parcel on the Plant Zero block. The Google Earth image is mine showing a similar vantage point to the last image. Can you tell what gave it away? Also note the massing included for the neighboring Current project on the next block.

It looks like this development concept would snake in Z shape from Decatur to Hull, by passing the 2 smaller property owners on opposite ends of block. 

 

This looks fantastic! Let's hope this gets underway soon!

[vaceltic]

Vytal Studios, the tech firm relocating to the Semmes Avenue warehouse has updated renderings of the complex on its website.

https://vytalstudios.com

[rjp212]

That is ugly as hell.  Oh well, at least its job growth.

[wrldcoupe4]

It’s not new construction. They are reusing the existing buildings. 

[DowntownCoruscant]

2 hours ago, rjp212 said:

That is ugly as hell.  Oh well, at least its job growth.

The third photo down looks like some Conan-inspired, if-they-made-it combo of an Olive Garden, an AMC movie theater, and a minor league hockey arena.