Hampton Inn at Town Center (Under Construction)

[urbanvb]

Finally! I was about to wonder if this was really going to happen. 

[Lluck002]

The approved plans still show a 14 story tower with a height of 155 feet.

[urbanlife]

That would be a good addition to the VB Downtown

[vdogg]

It's not much but there appears to be new utility markings and flags posted on the property, indicating that *perhaps they're getting ready to start back up again. Fingers crossed...

[urbanvb]

Is this still happening?

[vdogg]

14 hours ago, urbanvb said:

Is this still happening?

Unknown at this point. Everything's very quiet, can't find any new information. This was not a large project, and judging by the time it's taken in relation to other projects getting ready to take shape in the area, I'm starting to lean towards no.

[HRVA]

CoStar has construction starting in December 2023 and completion in June 2025. Not always the best source but they’re normally pretty good on hotel data since they acquired STR. 

[vdogg]

1 hour ago, HRVA said:

CoStar has construction starting in December 2023 and completion in June 2025. Not always the best source but they’re normally pretty good on hotel data since they acquired STR. 

December 2023? That's quite some time away. How would CoStar have this information?

[HRVA]

The project came up during the EDA meeting this week to increase the number of spaces they’re using in the garage across the street. No renderings or presentation but it was explained that it would allow for a larger project. Twenty additional spaces will allow for twenty more rooms. Guessing this will add two floors. 
 

“7. Request Approval of a Resolution Authorizing the Hampton Inn at Town Center (located at 4595 Columbus Street) to use an additional twenty parking spaces (165 total)”

[vdogg]

11 hours ago, HRVA said:

The project came up during the EDA meeting this week to increase the number of spaces they’re using in the garage across the street. No renderings or presentation but it was explained that it would allow for a larger project. Twenty additional spaces will allow for twenty more rooms. Guessing this will add two floors. 
 

“7. Request Approval of a Resolution Authorizing the Hampton Inn at Town Center (located at 4595 Columbus Street) to use an additional twenty parking spaces (165 total)”

Ok, I hearby retract all the bad things I've said under my breath about the delay with this project.  I am more than happy to wait some additional time for a taller tower.

It's also possible that they're adding an apartment/condo component. With 165 extra spaces, I could easily see them hitting 20 if they go that route.

[HRVA]

2 hours ago, vdogg said:

Ok, I hearby retract all the bad things I've said under my breath about the delay with this project.  I am more than happy to wait some additional time for a taller tower.

It's also possible that they're adding an apartment/condo component. With 165 extra spaces, I could easily see them hitting 20 if they go that route.

It’s 20 extra spaces for 165 total. 

[vdogg]

18 minutes ago, HRVA said:

It’s 20 extra spaces for 165 total. 

Oh, lol. NVM. *Maybe 2 extra floors then.

[HRVA]

6 hours ago, vdogg said:

Oh, lol. NVM. *Maybe 2 extra floors then.

Yea…just a rough estimate based on the original 120 rooms at 13 floors. Ten rooms/floor with the first floor lobby/amenities. 

[Lluck002]

I’m thinking we’ll be seeing this project pick back up when the Tempo & Homewood Suites across Virginia Beach Blvd gets underway. 

When things on the Pembroke Mall side start to gain traction, hopefully it’ll pressure Armada Hoffler to build again. They need to build Block 2 Tower, acquire the adjacent Taco Bell parcel for another mixed-use tower, fill that empty grassy parcel to the west of the Sandler Center along Independence, build-out Columbus Village to the east, infill surface lot at corner of Constitution & Virginia Beach, reconfigure Central Park with better lighting, landscaping, and hardscaping (with more of a gateway feeling leading to where the Tide light rail station near it would be), and possibly build towers on top of various low-rise blocks and parking garages with nothing above them.

Of course, Armada Hoffler doesn’t own the Hampton Inn parcel, but I’m hoping the developers will get together to coordinate on a cohesive vision since the Hampton Inn is kind of an independent outlier in an area dominated by two major developers that own almost all the surrounding land.

TL;DR: Whenever anything in Town Center is discussed, we should really make sure we all reflect on the intent of the Pembroke Strategic Growth Area Design Guidelines, Virginia Beach Comprehensive Plan, and Central Business Core (CBC) Zoning Ordinance. I have the watercolors depicting the area at full build-out hung in my office for motivation.

[metalman]

Whoever that artist was that painted that had fun!  That’s one hell of a build out.

I’ve been across the Lesner Bridge a lot lately.  You can see Town Center from there.  It’d be nice to see more building above the tree tops from that angle.

Edited July 21, 2022 by metalman
Typos

[Lluck002]

10 hours ago, metalman said:

Whoever that artist was that painted that had fun!  That’s one hell of a build out.

I’ve been across the Lesner Bridge a lot lately.  You can see Town Center from there.  It’d be nice to see more building above the tree tops from that angle.

The architects/designers/artists are credited with watermarks at the bottom of the images (hard to see). But these images are included in our Comprehensive Plan and Town Center/Pembroke SGA Design Guidelines which are encouraged and/or enforced by CBC Zoning, yet we’re continuing to see new one-story strip retail being built on parcels where these images are depicting literal skyscrapers. CBC Zoning requires a MINIMUM HEIGHT of TWO STORIES and lists MAXIMUM HEIGHT as UNLIMITED, requires small setbacks so building front streets, requires all parking lots and facilities to be hidden and not front rights-of-way, etc. (basically akin to Armada Hoffler’s Town Center developments), but anything being built just outside of that Virginia Beach Blvd/Constitution Dr/Columbus St/Independence Blvd enclosure seems to just be the same bland suburban cookie-cutter stuff. Like, tell me how a standard one-story Chick-fil-A, with a drive though, surrounded by surface parking, and set back far from the street was just built on a CBC parcel in the SGA.

TBH, after they dissolved the Strategic Growth Area Department, I think things got lost in translation as they delegated their tasks between Planning & Community Development and Economic Development. In my opinion, SGA Department should have continued to exist as a Division within Planning & Community Development, maybe even as a component of Comprehensive Planning. 

Sorry for the rant haha. It just hits home living in Town Center and working for the City as an Urban Planner but not really having the authority to easily change (correct) things.

[HRVA]

Hopefully an indication that construction is coming: demolition permit submitted! 

[vdogg]

On 2/23/2023 at 10:03 PM, HRVA said:

Hopefully an indication that construction is coming: demolition permit submitted! 

Finally! They sat on this long enough. Pembroke and the new hotel proposed on the same street were about to eat their lunch.  Probably lit a bit of a fire under them.

[vdogg]

Looks like we're about to get started. Height is listed as 140 ft, right at 14-stories.

Approved Site Plan.pdf

[urbanvb]

It’s going to be great to see this high rise go up. We badly need some crane action around here.

[vdogg]

According to the construction permit application filed today the building will be 12-stories with 150 rooms. Seems another victim of value engineering. 12-stories and 140 ft will still have a presence on the skyline, but this did not head the direction I wanted it to go. There are several documents posted which are not yet downloadable. Once they are I'll post them here. The good news is it seems like they're moving at an accelerated pace, and construction should start well before the end of the year, an improvement on the previous timeframe. I would also not be surprised if the 2 other hotels in the immediate area starting soon factored into their calculus somewhat. Perhaps a bit of oversaturation?

[urbanvb]

I noticed today the small building has been demolished and appears site work is beginning.

[vdogg]

13 hours ago, urbanvb said:

I noticed today the small building has been demolished and appears site work is beginning.

I swear I drove by that place every d@mn day. Of course they do it when I'm not looking... 

[varider]

This is awesome news. Somebody should try and get a photo. We've been waiting over 6 years for this, and yes, it will feel good to see something rising in Town Center. If VB has a problem with hotels at the Oceanfront being too expensive for activities at the Sports Center, etc. I don't see why Town Center can't easily absorb all of these hotel rooms, the ones proposed for Pembroke Square, and even more than that. I really don't think Town Center is marketed to tourists well at all. I'm not sure if that's by design, but I can definitely imagine more hotels in that area one day. 

[varider]