Near West End

[wrldcoupe4]

Inside it's abysmal. I'm all for keeping older and quirky buildings and giving them new life. But it's horrible. It's also available... some of the others are not. 

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, whw53 said:

So i always appreciated that early counter-vision for an otherwise auto-centric West Broad.

I don't really know the history of this building but it would make good material for an Edwin Slipek commentary.

100% agreed on both points, @whw53.   Might be worth a reachout to RBS or if Prof. Slipek's contact info is available somewhere. I'd love to know more about the history of this building (and others from that era) as well.

[123fakestreet]

4 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Inside it's abysmal. I'm all for keeping older and quirky buildings and giving them new life. But it's horrible. It's also available... some of the others are not. 

Yeah I took a closer look at it on google streets... it looks like a total dump, I don't see how it could even be renovated into anything worthwhile.  I get what people are saying, would be ideal if the new building went on a vacant lot and this one was renovated, but don't think that's at all realistic, let's just be glad we're getting something nice and new and big on this stretch of Broad.

Edited August 4, 2022 by 123fakestreet

[RVABizSenseMike]

17 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

100% agreed on both points, @whw53.   Might be worth a reachout to RBS or if Prof. Slipek's contact info is available somewhere. I'd love to know more about the history of this building (and others from that era) as well.

I'll send Ed a note on this. 

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, RVABizSenseMike said:

I'll send Ed a note on this. 

Awesome! Thanks, Mike! 

[RVABizSenseMike]

On 8/3/2022 at 2:53 PM, whw53 said:

yea -  I agree with @Brent114. Good to see new development south side of Broad but jeez - at the expense of the one building that espoused some attempt at urban form is unfortunate when there is so much to improve upon in this corridor. . The façade is quirky and has some mid-century character  to it - i would love to know more about it's history. 1960's?  - in a time when  strip centers and suburban subdivisions were in full force one developer\architect decided to give the ol sidewalk retail  and office one last  try. So i always appreciated that early counter-vision for an otherwise auto-centric West Broad. I don't really know the history of this building but it would make good material for an Edwin Slipek commentary.

From Ed himself:

"The Commonwealth Building on West Broad Street is a tight stand-out on an otherwise loosely-built suburban strip.It was constructed at a time (1963) when very little was happening in the way of commercial buildings downtown (the three-story Virginia Employment Commission Building at Main and 7th was built in 1962 was about the only thing built there at the time). Willow Lawn had opened in 1956 and was surrounded almost immediately by modest-scaled and attractive office buildings on Staples Mill Road and Byrd (to the west). The parking lot at the rear of the Commonwealth suggests that this building was not designed for high-trafficked retail and business enterprises (there has never been any strong signage out front). I think it was designed for reps who needed to get in and get out at a regular clip during the weekday. From the beginning, the building catered to insurance companies-- specifically, individual reps of about a dozen-or-so companies. There were also offices for accountants, memorial park management companies, and even a couple of motion picture producers (don't get excited, they probably did corporate work or training films). World Book Encyclopedia had its regional offices here as did Taylor Publishing (which does a myriad of high school and college yearbooks). In 1964 Lustre Craft Cookware sales offices were in the building (how's that for a catchy, mid-century modern product name?). Appropriately, for the unrelenting square footage of brick facade, the Virginia Brick Associates (a manufacturers organization, I assume), had offices here.

I have not been able to ascertain the architect. I would like to think it was David Warren Hardwicke, a solid product of UVa architecture school, who did a dozen or so low-rise office buildings within the vicinity and near Willow Lawn. But the Commonwealth, for all its noble urban design gestures like coming flush to the city sidewalk (which may have been an effort to allow more space for parking at the rear), is not as sophisticated as most of Hardwicke's work. The vertical pier columns that define 13 bays on the street level do not connect with a continuous pier column or structural element on the second and third floors to create a sense of continuity. The street entrance, which is delineated by a slight set-back in the middle of the facade for the entrance to the lobby needs tighter fenestration and better definition There is, fortunately, no traditional ornamentation so this structure can claim being in the International Style tradition..

As to what's coming next, I am sorry that the apartments might be set back farther from the public sidewalk.Richmond doesn't handle urban "front yards" very well-- they become a thin strip of no man's land."

[Brent114]

I was just thinking about this site again, and how this building is the only proper urban building between I195 and Charlottesville. 
 

I just went back to look at the drawing provided in the story, it sure looks like it will be built to the sidewalk.  I’m not sure what he’s getting at at the end (though I certainly agree that “front yards” in Richmond always look awful).  Give me wide sidewalks with buildings built to them, softness can be added with planters. 

[I miss RVA]

59 minutes ago, RVABizSenseMike said:

From Ed himself:

"The Commonwealth Building on West Broad Street is a tight stand-out on an otherwise loosely-built suburban strip.It was constructed at a time (1963) when very little was happening in the way of commercial buildings downtown (the three-story Virginia Employment Commission Building at Main and 7th was built in 1962 was about the only thing built there at the time). Willow Lawn had opened in 1956 and was surrounded almost immediately by modest-scaled and attractive office buildings on Staples Mill Road and Byrd (to the west). The parking lot at the rear of the Commonwealth suggests that this building was not designed for high-trafficked retail and business enterprises (there has never been any strong signage out front). I think it was designed for reps who needed to get in and get out at a regular clip during the weekday. From the beginning, the building catered to insurance companies-- specifically, individual reps of about a dozen-or-so companies. There were also offices for accountants, memorial park management companies, and even a couple of motion picture producers (don't get excited, they probably did corporate work or training films). World Book Encyclopedia had its regional offices here as did Taylor Publishing (which does a myriad of high school and college yearbooks). In 1964 Lustre Craft Cookware sales offices were in the building (how's that for a catchy, mid-century modern product name?). Appropriately, for the unrelenting square footage of brick facade, the Virginia Brick Associates (a manufacturers organization, I assume), had offices here.

I have not been able to ascertain the architect. I would like to think it was David Warren Hardwicke, a solid product of UVa architecture school, who did a dozen or so low-rise office buildings within the vicinity and near Willow Lawn. But the Commonwealth, for all its noble urban design gestures like coming flush to the city sidewalk (which may have been an effort to allow more space for parking at the rear), is not as sophisticated as most of Hardwicke's work. The vertical pier columns that define 13 bays on the street level do not connect with a continuous pier column or structural element on the second and third floors to create a sense of continuity. The street entrance, which is delineated by a slight set-back in the middle of the facade for the entrance to the lobby needs tighter fenestration and better definition There is, fortunately, no traditional ornamentation so this structure can claim being in the International Style tradition..

As to what's coming next, I am sorry that the apartments might be set back farther from the public sidewalk.Richmond doesn't handle urban "front yards" very well-- they become a thin strip of no man's land."

Thanks, Mike, for obtaining Prof. Slipek's weigh-in and history on this. Please pass along to him very our humble thanks from all of us here!

Edited August 4, 2022 by I miss RVA

[Flood Zone]

On 8/3/2022 at 9:32 AM, ancientcarpenter said:

Really hope that Ford dealership would sell. That is a massive footprint across the street from this development.

It's more than that, even. Ford uses the surface parking lot behind the UHaul for overflow employee parking. That said, I like having the car dealerships on that stretch; I prefer it to anything and everything moving westward.

 

On 8/3/2022 at 2:03 PM, I miss RVA said:

couple of other points: this is the first large-scale development to rise on the south side of Broad in the TOD-1 zoned area, and this stretch of Broad heading east is on the verge of really popping with new development. Recall that two large-scale developments, including one quite nearby (at 4400 W. Broad) are slated to rise on the Westwood side of Broad - and there are a few other very large developments in the pipeline for a few blocks north in Westwood. Wow - this entire "greater Westwood/Near West End" area is getting ready to explode with construction. I can't wait to see it all come to pass!

As someone who lives in the general area, it's very exciting. And I get that the south stretch of Broad is zoned TOD-1, so anything within that classification is fair game. But I greatly prefer they keep the building height modest on that side, out of respect for the existing neighborhoods that rather tightly abut that side, and go for increased height on the north side of Broad. Within a few years, there will be enough apartment buildings within a half-mile or mile of Willow Lawn that even a steady occupant of the Legends Grill/Hattie May's/Whatever restaurant space might materialize!

 

[I miss RVA]

5 hours ago, Flood Zone said:

And I get that the south stretch of Broad is zoned TOD-1, so anything within that classification is fair game. But I greatly prefer they keep the building height modest on that side, out of respect for the existing neighborhoods that rather tightly abut that side, and go for increased height on the north side of Broad. 

 

My guess is that anything built along the south side of Broad will max in the 5 to 7 story range out of respect for the neighborhood just to the south. Could we see something reach the "magical" 12-story level along the north side of Broad? That will be fun to see if and when it happens. Hopefully it will. 

[Downtowner]

Don’t forget James river air has a huge facility with lots of surface lots I think at broad and westmoreland  if they move one day that could open up a huge opportunity for development. 

[I miss RVA]

A small but nice development at 1600 Willow Lawn Drive (west side of the street) -- office space. A nice add to this immediate Willow Lawn area.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/10/20/faison-center-kicks-off-next-construction-project-at-willow-lawn-area-campus/

 

Edited October 20, 2022 by I miss RVA

[Brent114]

That school is building really nice looking buildings.  They are basically the same boxes that we are getting in SA and Manchester but these are more cosmopolitan looking.  The colour schemes and lines are smart and fresh. 

Edited October 20, 2022 by Brent114

[I miss RVA]

Bank of America is going to build a from-scratch branch at 50th and W. Broad - just past Willow Lawn on the site of the long-shuttered Hardees. Glad to see some additional business coming back to this intersection. If I had a dime for all the times that my family and I ate at that old Hardees back in the day. Wow...

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/02/15/bank-of-america-eyes-new-from-scratch-branch-across-from-willow-lawn/

 

[ancientcarpenter]

RBS:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/06/08/thalhimer-grabs-industrial-property-off-parham-for-1-9m/

Quote

Thalhimer grabs industrial property off Parham for $1.9M

Looking forward to a stirp mall with a Church's chicken drive thru and 200+ parking spots 

[Shakman]

34 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

RBS:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/06/08/thalhimer-grabs-industrial-property-off-parham-for-1-9m/

Looking forward to a stirp mall with a Church's chicken drive thru and 200+ parking spots 

What is "Church's chicken drive thru"? 

Edited June 8, 2023 by Shakman

[I miss RVA]

43 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

RBS:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/06/08/thalhimer-grabs-industrial-property-off-parham-for-1-9m/

Looking forward to a stirp mall with a Church's chicken drive thru and 200+ parking spots 

Only 200? 

Good golly, Miss Molly -- Victoria What's-Her-Name  ("the Parking Warrior" of RBS commentary infamy) will be screaming for MUCH more. 

[ancientcarpenter]

1 hour ago, Shakman said:

What is "Church's chicken drive thru"? 

I'm not 100% American... but even I know Church's chicken! C'mon! 

 

*Note: I am poking fun at Thalhimer for the Manchester development on Cowardin corner. A few people pointed out they are just the broker not the developer so it's 100% their fault. But, even worse in my opinion, they are responsible for the drive thrus and strip mall across from Diamond district - very very sad!

[I miss RVA]

12 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

I'm not 100% American... but even I know Church's chicken! C'mon! 

 

*Note: I am poking fun at Thalhimer for the Manchester development on Cowardin corner. A few people pointed out they are just the broker not the developer so it's 100% their fault. But, even worse in my opinion, they are responsible for the drive thrus and strip mall across from Diamond district - very very sad!

So Shake Shack has just entered the RVA market, according to local reporting. Surprised the Thalhimer folk haven't been bullishly marketing their "Bringing the Suburbs to the City" real estate campaign to our fine fast-food friends at Shake Shack! There should be a Shake Shack next to EVERY car wash and fried chicken joint in the metro, don'tcha think?

Edited June 8, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Shakman]

On 6/8/2023 at 9:58 AM, I miss RVA said:

Only 200? 

Good golly, Miss Molly -- Victoria What's-Her-Name  ("the Parking Warrior" of RBS commentary infamy) will be screaming for MUCH more. 

Must a big "Church chicken drive-thru".   Will it include a "cemetery"?

Edited June 9, 2023 by Shakman

[I miss RVA]

The densification and urbanization of Westhampton Commons (at Libbie and Patterson) continues. Bon Secours will anchor a fantastic mixed-use building being developed by Thalhimer at 920 Libbie Avenue - just north of Patterson. The new five-story building will have 51K sq ft of office space - 26K of which will be leased by Bon Secours- and 53 apartments on the upper three floors. This new project is expected to break ground in October with anticipated completion of April 2025, and will mark the second larger-scale mixed-use building on the Westchester Commons property, joining a new structure that fronts 5820 Patterson Avenue. The two new buildings will sandwich the newly-renovated 1917-built former Westhampton School (on the corner).

Really nice up-urbanization (if we can use such a phrase) of this part of town - joining a similar push farther south with the Westhampton on Grove development.

Jack Jacobs' reporting includes a very interesting nugget from Thalhimer's Jason Guillot about the surprisingly high demand for new office space in the near West End:

“What we’ve learned both pre- and post-pandemic, given my involvement with both Westhampton on Grove and Westhampton Commons, is that there appears to be unending demand for class A office space in this neighborhood, and while we’ve successfully leased all of our retail and restaurant space to exceptional businesses, the market is much deeper for office space,”

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/06/12/thalhimer-takes-reins-of-final-piece-of-westhampton-commons-with-bon-secours-anchored-mixed-use-building/

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Flood Zone]

This one stings. It's the site of the former Westhampton school playground, which was the premier playground in the area until it was prematurely and senselessly shuttered in 2014. Many great memories of our son (our first child) playing there as a baby and toddler; some of his playmates turned into classmates.

Eventually the playground was relocated to an unappealing stretch along Libbie, where it is a shell of its former self. 

At any rate, what's done is done, so they should by all means go ahead with this. There are more medical providers and corporate bankers than you can shake a stick at within a one-mile radius, so I'd imagine this will be successful.

Edited June 12, 2023 by Flood Zone

[I miss RVA]

Just to add some perspective to how Westhampton Commons is coming together, here is the existing new building that was just recently constructed facing Patterson Avenue.

 

And here's the newest building currently planned for just around on corner, facing Libbie Avenue. They go together very well and create a fantastic new urban synergy along this intersection (Libbie and Patterson). I'm LOVING this transformation into a truly urban neighborhood. These kinds of transformations, unfortunately, have been far too slow to come to Richmond - and were always the stuff of other cities - of "real" cities. RVA is stepping up and moving in the right direction - and I'm grateful to see this in my lifetime. Never thought I would.

Edited June 12, 2023 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, Flood Zone said:

TIt's the site of the former Westhampton school playground, which was the premier playground in the area until it was prematurely and senselessly shuttered in 2014. Many great memories of our son (our first child) playing there as a baby and toddler; some of his playmates turned into classmates.

How old is your son now?

[Flood Zone]

4 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

How old is your son now?

Eleven, almost twelve. But with another one who is younger, playgrounds are still a thing for us. Nowadays the one at Mary Mumford rules the roost.