Manchester Development

[rjp212]

Tessera Development is looking to convert 500-520 Commerce Road (Trucker Pro) to TOD-1, allowing a mix of uses and up to 12 stories in height.   This is in addition to the recent TOD-1 rezonings at 1003 Commerce, 600-614 Maury St, and 601-603 Albany Ave.    If any of you are familiar with Charlotte, this really reminds me of the recent growth explosion in LoSo (horrible name), which has quickly been filled in with townhomes,  apartments and mid-rises.   Commerce Road is going to look drastically different in 10 years!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/11/29/mixed-use-rezoning-pondered-for-manchester-block-currently-home-to-trucking-shop/

Edited November 29, 2022 by rjp212

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, rjp212 said:

Tessera Development is looking to convert 500-520 Commerce Road (Trucker Pro) to TOD-1, allowing a mix of uses and up to 12 stories in height.   This is in addition to the recent TOD-1 rezonings at 1003 Commerce, 600-614 Maury St, and 601-603 Albany Ave.    If any of you are familiar with Charlotte, this really reminds me of the recent growth explosion in LoSo (horrible name), which has quickly been filled in with townhomes,  apartments and mid-rises.   Commerce Road is going to look drastically different in 10 years!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/11/29/mixed-use-rezoning-pondered-for-manchester-block-currently-home-to-trucking-shop/

Agreed, @rjp212-- this whole section of Manchester is about to ignite and will look drastically different over the next decade. When you consider that whole section of Manchester from E. 4th Street to Commerce Road and from Albany Ave. to Dinwiddie Ave -- that's 14 blocks of potentially developable land - many of which appear to be vacant and full of rubble. Just imagine what all could go in there over the next 10 years. Holy moly.

Just to put it in perspective location-wise:

 

Edited November 29, 2022 by I miss RVA

[rjp212]

According to Style Weekly,  a letter was posted on Plant Zero letting the tenants know the building will be torn down, starting 1/2/23.   A reminder of what's to come:

[I miss RVA]

5 hours ago, rjp212 said:

According to Style Weekly,  a letter was posted on Plant Zero letting the tenants know the building will be torn down, starting 1/2/23.   A reminder of what's to come:

For a mid-rise project, I really love this design. Classic looking - and very urban and urbane. Given what they're trying to accomplish here - I think the developers and architects really nailed it. It has such a Brooklyn or Boston or Baltimore vibe to it. That whole block in lower Manchester will look sweet when this is fully built out.

Edited November 30, 2022 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

On 11/29/2022 at 1:01 PM, rjp212 said:

According to Style Weekly,  a letter was posted on Plant Zero letting the tenants know the building will be torn down, starting 1/2/23.   A reminder of what's to come:

Here's WRIC-TV8 News latest on this. Nothing really much to report, but I do have a couple of thoughts:

Is it just me - or does it seem like TV8 News keeps harping on opposition to projects in Manchester? Seems like they've been one of the opposition "cheerleaders" (or, if nothing else, 'voices' by giving the Legends and other NIMBY opposition to the Avery Hall/River's Edge site development a LOT of oxygen) - and here they go pointing out opposition to THIS project.

The guy they interviewed (and quoted in the printed story) is incorrect - he called the development "luxury condos".  Ummm... they're not. This project (unless I'm way off base on this) is for market-rate apartments.

And OF COURSE - TV8 just HAD to play the "height" card - saying that local residents have "concerns" that the height of this building might obstruct views of the skyline. Okay... views FROM WHERE???? EMPTY WAREHOUSES SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF THIS CONSTRUCTION SITE???  REALLY???

Jesus Christ... if I were to eyeroll any harder I would break something inside my head, methinks. That's just patently absurd on its face.

I somehow don't think folks in the newer developments farther south and southwest along the Hull Street corridor are overly concerned about this project obstructing views.

Okay... here's the story.

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/richmond-business-plant-zero-to-be-torn-down-for-construction-of-new-apartments/

Edited November 30, 2022 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Alrighty boys...  hot on the heels of the request for rezoning to TOD-1 on Commerce Road between Albany Ave and Marx Street...  the one and only Tom Papa has just dropped off a lovely early Christmas present with the announcement of plans to build a six-story, 163-unit apartment building on the southwest corner of E. 5th and Maury streets -- which is about four blocks north of the location for which upzoning has been requested.

At a full five blocks off the Hull Street corridor, this project would be the farthest south and east of the primary area of development to date. OF COURSE - the architect is... (Do I even need to say it?)

And MY GOODNESS... look at ALLLLLLLLLLLLL of the ripe, developable land immediately around this corner. Am I the only one who does not believe this building will sit there as an isolated apartment building surrounded by vacant rubble lots and/or surface parking for very long? Methinks this is VERY FERTILE ground in the more eastern section of Manchester.

Here's Mike's reporting in today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/12/01/papa-dodson-tag-team-for-apartment-project-on-maury-street-in-manchester/

 

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

4 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Alrighty boys...  hot on the heels of the request for rezoning to TOD-1 on Commerce Road between Albany Ave and Marx Street...  the one and only Tom Papa has just dropped off a lovely early Christmas present with the announcement of plans to build a six-story, 163-unit apartment building on the southwest corner of E. 5th and Maury streets -- which is about four blocks north of the location for which upzoning has been requested.

At a full five blocks off the Hull Street corridor, this project would be the farthest south and east of the primary area of development to date. OF COURSE - the architect is... (Do I even need to say it?)

And MY GOODNESS... look at ALLLLLLLLLLLLL of the ripe, developable land immediately around this corner. Am I the only one who does not believe this building will sit there as an isolated apartment building surrounded by vacant rubble lots and/or surface parking for very long? Methinks this is VERY FERTILE ground in the more eastern section of Manchester.

Here's Mike's reporting in today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/12/01/papa-dodson-tag-team-for-apartment-project-on-maury-street-in-manchester/

 

 

The part of this article that hit me most was that they were planning to do a hotel AND apartments as part of this development, but they “chickened out.”  This project could have been so much more, probably even taller, but again, this project was truncated. Papa also shares his view that developers are starting to put projects on ice. Some may continue, but there is much apprehension in the market on the part of developers. This could negatively affect development in Richmond, sadly. 

Edited December 1, 2022 by eandslee

[rjp212]

A hotel or two in Manchester just makes sense to me.  It’s got easy access to the interstate, the river and downtown.   Manchester will continue to fill out making the street scape feel more lively, and you’d have awesome skyline views from any rooftop. 

[eandslee]

25 minutes ago, rjp212 said:

A hotel or two in Manchester just makes sense to me.  It’s got easy access to the interstate, the river and downtown.   Manchester will continue to fill out making the street scape feel more lively, and you’d have awesome skyline views from any rooftop. 

I agree…especially with the hospitality industry doing so well.  I’m not sure why Papa thought it was too risky. Perhaps there is something about developing hotels I don’t understand.

Edited December 1, 2022 by eandslee

[whw53]

Finally something came of one of these rezonings - of the 5 or 6 TOD spot rezonings' south of Decatur in the last 3 years this is the first POD filed on one of those tracts. I was beginning to think Markham was just rezoning for fun! \s

In fact the rezoning action that facilitated the above development is one of the more recent - it wasn't adopted until earlier this year.

Edited December 1, 2022 by whw53

[I miss RVA]

7 hours ago, rjp212 said:

A hotel or two in Manchester just makes sense to me.  It’s got easy access to the interstate, the river and downtown.   Manchester will continue to fill out making the street scape feel more lively, and you’d have awesome skyline views from any rooftop. 

I'd be willing to hedge more than a few bets that if a developer -- or a group of developers -- come in and turn that four-square-block-square section of central Manchester (where the former Overnight headquarters building sits) into something of a "downtown Manchester" (as I suggested previously - something like what we'd see in Reston or Tysons or Crystal City - or something like Midtown Atlanta or Buckhead -- meaning, an intense development, lots of buildings -- particularly highrises -- plenty of retail/entertainment (maybe movie theaters, restaurants, a grocer, office space, high-density residential, etc.) - we might see a decent sized hotel in that mix. It just makes sense. If we had a legit "downtown Manchester" or "Manchester Center" kind of mega-mixed-use development, a hotel would be a PERFECT component of such an uber development.

[Icetera]

21 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Here's WRIC-TV8 News latest on this. Nothing really much to report, but I do have a couple of thoughts:

Is it just me - or does it seem like TV8 News keeps harping on opposition to projects in Manchester? Seems like they've been one of the opposition "cheerleaders" (or, if nothing else, 'voices' by giving the Legends and other NIMBY opposition to the Avery Hall/River's Edge site development a LOT of oxygen) - and here they go pointing out opposition to THIS project.

I find WRIC to be very anti-Richmond in general and the worse of the local new stations.  I refuse to click on their articles and cannot understand why they seem to be the majority of news references shared by Reddit. 

[I miss RVA]

11 hours ago, eandslee said:

I agree…especially with the hospitality industry doing so well.  I’m not sure why Papa thought it was too risky. Perhaps there is something about developing hotels I don’t understand.

@eandslee-- replying to both of your responses together:

1.) Projects on ice: that struck me as well. HOWEVER - (and y'all know the Debbie Downer I can be about stuff like this based on RVA's horrendous track record of developments getting shelved when even the slightest economic hiccup occurs) - I took Tom Papa's comments slightly differently. I read it to indicated that -- even despite the current situation with extremely high construction costs, overall inflation, increases in interest rates, supply chain problems, etc., -- that he is still bullish on Manchester's continued growth. Yes - with a caveat that SOME ... not all - but SOME developers MIGHT hesitate before pulling the trigger on projects. But I actually don't get a vibe from him that he things developers will completely SCRAP their projects, even if they have to put them on ice for a little while. I think in a lot of ways, we're dealing with a much different RVA dynamic than we've dealt with in the past. I think even if projects get delayed - they will eventually get built. Today's demand for them didn't exist 10-15-20-30 years ago. In those times, a project delayed was a project scuttled. If a development got shelved, that was it - game over. I don't get that vibe as much today because the whole dynamic is different now.

We all know that economic trends tend to be cyclical - and if certain world events stabilize (an end to the war in Ukraine would go a LONG way toward achieving that) then it's reasonable to suggest that, barring any other serious/significant economic problem (like the collapse in 2008) that any momentum lost during this time (and we've seen a slowdown) will be regained once there is enough economic stability to give developers confidence that their projects will make - and not lose - money. I tend to think RVA is actually in a pretty good place overall - particularly as we continue to emerge from a pandemic that - despite what some are saying, is not over by any means. Lots of adjustments are being made to whatever the new "normal" is in this semi post-pandemic economy. Hopefully the situation will get significantly better over the next few years which will only serve to kick-start RVA's boom back into high gear. And it's going pretty well even as it is.

The long and the short of it is: I think there's plenty of reason to be optimistic.

2. Tom Papa not developing a hotel: It was strictly elevated costs and the uptick in interest rates that caused him to go with what he knows works. I can't blame him there. In a way, it's similar to him not (yet) developing a condo project, although in that case, it's partly because he's never developed one before.

Edited December 1, 2022 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Really neat story in today's RBS. Studio Two Three - a local art studio - has purchased the 84-year-old Dogtown Dance Theater on W. 15th Street for $1.7 M and they're going to set up their headquarters in the old theater. Studio Two Three is currently leasing space in the 3300-block of W. Clay in Scott's Addition. Interesting note - they were originally located in the Plant Zero building - which is currently set to be demoed for Fountainhead's 7-story, 235-unit apartment building.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/12/06/art-studio-seals-deal-for-return-to-manchester-with-1-7m-buy/

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by I miss RVA

[rjp212]

Did anybody go to.the Manchester meeting tonight?  Looks like a new building was discussed.  If I had to guess, it looks like the 7 story complex being proposed by Beach Co. next to the they’re already building. 

[I miss RVA]

31 minutes ago, rjp212 said:

Did anybody go to.the Manchester meeting tonight?  Looks like a new building was discussed.  If I had to guess, it looks like the 7 story complex being proposed by Beach Co. next to the they’re already building. 

What's the address of this new building? Do you recall any details? (number of units, etc.)

Nice looking! It'll bring some size and have a real impact. 

[rjp212]

I didn’t attend tonight. I pulled this from their IG account. 

[whw53]

Yea its probably 'Beach Co Dos' but would be great if something new. Who knows, sometimes these neighborhood groups get the first word- look at that Northside project we just found out about thru a similar channel off the BLVD.

Either way good find. Rendering looks great wherever that happens to go.

If somebody who was at that meeting is reading this please create an account and give us some deets- as the kids no longer say. plz and thanku!

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, whw53 said:

Yea its probably 'Beach Co Dos' but would be great if something new. Who knows, sometimes these neighborhood groups get the first word- look at that Northside project we just found out about thru a similar channel off the BLVD.

Either way good find. Rendering looks great wherever that happens to go.

If somebody who was at that meeting is reading this please create an account and give us some deets- as the kids no longer say. plz and thanku!

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk














 

I was looking at the Manchester Alliance's Facebook page and found a higher-res picture. I zoomed in as much as I could - and it LOOKS like the presentation display is showing something like 5XX WEST 7th Street.  The part that seems the clearest to me is WEST 7th. I could be way off on this -- for example, if it's in the 500 block of W. 7th, it's almost under the Manchester Bridge on a lot where, if memory serves, there are townhouses or condos constructed there. I'm just not sure. I wish to goodness that the FB page actually provided a line or two of details. Because it was part of this week's meetings, the minutes are not posted yet. My guess is that this will be in the December meeting minutes.

Here's the higher-res pic if anyone wants to try to blow it up and see if they can make out exactly what it says.

 

[RVABizSenseMike]

On 12/9/2022 at 8:24 PM, I miss RVA said:

I was looking at the Manchester Alliance's Facebook page and found a higher-res picture. I zoomed in as much as I could - and it LOOKS like the presentation display is showing something like 5XX WEST 7th Street.  The part that seems the clearest to me is WEST 7th. I could be way off on this -- for example, if it's in the 500 block of W. 7th, it's almost under the Manchester Bridge on a lot where, if memory serves, there are townhouses or condos constructed there. I'm just not sure. I wish to goodness that the FB page actually provided a line or two of details. Because it was part of this week's meetings, the minutes are not posted yet. My guess is that this will be in the December meeting minutes.

Here's the higher-res pic if anyone wants to try to blow it up and see if they can make out exactly what it says.

 

Their presentation was in fact regarding their planned project on the Thurston Spring site at 326 W. Seventh St./701 Perry St. Here's our most recent coverage of it. 

[I miss RVA]

6 hours ago, RVABizSenseMike said:

Their presentation was in fact regarding their planned project on the Thurston Spring site at 326 W. Seventh St./701 Perry St. Here's our most recent coverage of it. 

Thanks, Mike! Very much appreciated!

[rjp212]

Permits have been filed for the empty lot next to Dogtown Dance Theatre.  3 stories with 15 units and a corner commercial unit.

 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, rjp212 said:

Permits have been filed for the empty lot next to Dogtown Dance Theatre.  3 stories with 15 units and a corner commercial unit.

 

Nice infill on that block.

Location according to the permit filing is 1421 Bainbridge Street.

 

[I miss RVA]

Did anyone catch this story in today's RBS? Mike has an interesting story about a young couple who recently bought the ONLY house standing on the three vacant blocks of the four-block parcel up for sale in what could ultimately end up being an area of EPIC development in Manchester - on the property originally purchased by J. Harwood Cochrane for Overnight Transportation Co. Thalhimer is marketing the four-blocks together for sale - and we've discussed aplenty the otherworldly potential for something REALLY game-changing to be build there. (Such as a "downtown" Manchester, built from the ground up.)

Sooooo... this young couple doesn't want to sell their house just yet. Seems like they aren't ruling it out - for the right price - it'll be an interesting piece of the overall Manchester development puzzle going forward.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/01/03/lone-holdout-homeowners-stand-firm-in-middle-of-prime-manchester-site/

[123fakestreet]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

Did anyone catch this story in today's RBS? Mike has an interesting story about a young couple who recently bought the ONLY house standing on the three vacant blocks of the four-block parcel up for sale in what could ultimately end up being an area of EPIC development in Manchester - on the property originally purchased by J. Harwood Cochrane for Overnight Transportation Co. Thalhimer is marketing the four-blocks together for sale - and we've discussed aplenty the otherworldly potential for something REALLY game-changing to be build there. (Such as a "downtown" Manchester, built from the ground up.)

Sooooo... this young couple doesn't want to sell their house just yet. Seems like they aren't ruling it out - for the right price - it'll be an interesting piece of the overall Manchester development puzzle going forward.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/01/03/lone-holdout-homeowners-stand-firm-in-middle-of-prime-manchester-site/

Saw that article. They are both real estate agents, they bought it less than a year ago, and the house isn't their primary residence. They knew exactly what they were doing, and are going to cash out big time when the time comes.  Major oversight by the company that owns the rest of the land that they didn't even attempt to bid on the house when it was on the market last year.

Edited January 4, 2023 by 123fakestreet