Centennial Tower

[eandslee]

Boys and girls...This is the news I've been wanting to hear for a very long time! Centennial Towers!!! Holy S@#! is what I thought when I saw the front of the RTD this evening (really after 12 midnight on the east coast), but check this out! A HUGE development to go on...HUGE NEWS INDEED!

Rendering:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satel...4&ssbinary=true

The article:

Centennial Towers

I LOVE the plan and I LOVE the design...Could reach even taller if all is in the right place! I'm SSSOOOO excited! This is the SHEEEEE!

Edited July 21, 2005 by eandslee

[wrldcoupe4]

I was so excited when I saw the topic on RCW!!!! This is awesome! DOWNTOWN IS BACK!!!!! This is an at least 175 million project to build twin towers on Main St between 5th and 6th streets. First floor high end retail, a few floors of office, a botique hotel and condos!!!!! IT will be at least 18-22 stories but could go higher depending on what market studies show! Delivery by 2008-2009!!! :)

[wrldcoupe4]

I think I even see rooftop gardens in this thing! I cant wait for this thing to happen! I can't wait for the market studies to determine the height....

"'Richmond is a great town and the real estate market is just exploding,' said Stephen Staats" (from the article above).

Let's hope this holds true and the height climbs above 22 stories! It would be just 1 block south of The Residences at John Marshall (new name for the condo conversion of the Hotel John Marshall). With all these condos going in in the CBD, retail may be back as well! Grace st's empty storefronts may soon be full! It would be catty cornered from the Verizon Building.

[wrldcoupe4]

one more thing.....there is a lot of out of town (state) interest in downtown Richmond which means it must be raising eyebrows. This is just one example of that.

[vdogg]

[vdogg]

Also, I hope the design doesn't deviate too far from those renderings. It looks awesome.

[burt]

Thank God it's not another flat topped building. This structure has class!

[burt]

Already somebody is kvetching about the destruction of "historic" buildings to make room for Centenial. Read the comments under the story on RTD's business page.

Eric, congratulations! You scooped the story on Urbanplanet. And from way out in Montana!!!

[IMPAQ]

Damn. Why so far away. Is that when construction starts or when it gets finished?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Construction should begin 2007.

It is a great day for Richmond! I'm excited about this. Wish it would've went a bit taller, but... eh, gotta take what you can get, I guess.

[burt]

Betcha somebody remodels the building at n/w corner of 6th and Main directly across the street from Centennial. It's only about 6 stories but very attractive. Ryan has a picture of it somewhere in his portfolio. CORRECTION: I was thinking of the building at n/w corner of 8th and Main when I described it as about 6 floors. The one at the 6th street corner (which MAY have once been the Eskimo Pie Headquarters) is about 10 stories and would, IMO, convert to neat residential.

The 8th & Main building (about 6 or 8 floors) would also convert nicely, IMO. Mr Jamel (spelling) from Washington owns it.

Edited July 22, 2005 by burt

[burt]

Also, I hope the design doesn't deviate too far from those renderings. It looks awesome.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Coupe thinks he sees rooftop greenery.

Edited July 21, 2005 by burt

[wrldcoupe4]

Construction should begin 2007.

It is a great day for Richmond! I'm excited about this. Wish it would've went a bit taller, but... eh, gotta take what you can get, I guess.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Construction begins in 2007. It should be finished in late 2008/9. Which means we'll have to wait a while for it but hell , it's worth the wait. Especially if markets reports show it should climb taller than 22 stories. Richmond's getting a new set of twin towers

[eandslee]

Coupe thinks he sees rooftop greenery.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would love to see a spire of some sort on top of the relatively flat roofs shown in the renderings. We need more height in downtown Richmond, not so much density (though when you get additional height, you naturally get density too).

[wrldcoupe4]

I think the rendering is still beautiful...

[eandslee]

I think the rendering is still beautiful...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, I totally agree Coupe, but if I could change anything, it might be to put a spire on the buildings. Nevertheless, I love the rendering the way it is.

[rusthebuss]

Its a nice looking building. I think Va has been overlooked for so long that they won't know what to do anymore with all this development from Hampton Roads, Richmond, Roanoke and NOVA its smoking dudes!

[burt]

Oh, I totally agree Coupe, but if I could change anything, it might be to put a spire on the buildings.  Nevertheless, I love the rendering the way it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm with coupe on this, eric. It has a nice attic (I think that's what architects call rooflines). It think a spire would detract from it.

[burt]

one more thing.....there is a lot of out of town (state) interest in downtown Richmond which means it must be raising eyebrows. This is just one example of that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Didn't the developer say he tentatively has a major business cllient showing interest in occupying a big hunk of office space?

The downtown office market must be heating up (CNB, Centennial and ROTJ). I hope out of state businesses move in, but short of that, bring 'em back from the suburbs!

Edited July 22, 2005 by burt

[burt]

Its a nice looking building. I think Va has been overlooked for so long that they won't know what to do anymore with all this development from Hampton Roads, Richmond, Roanoke and NOVA its smoking dudes!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know what they're smoking, Rus, but hope our conservative legislature doesn't declare it illegal!

[burt]

 

I was so excited when I saw the topic on RCW!!!! This is awesome! DOWNTOWN IS BACK!!!!! This is an at least 175 million project to build twin towers on Main St between 5th and 6th streets. First floor high end retail, a few floors of office, a botique hotel and condos!!!!! IT will be at least 18-22 stories but could go higher depending on what market studies show! Delivery by 2008-2009!!! :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Ritz Carlton might be a good fit with about 100 deluxe hotel rooms on upper floors of Centennial.

[wrldcoupe4]

They did say they are in serious talks with a serious, large office tenant. Hopefully it isn't simply downtown shuffle. I'd hope it is either an out of town tenant or one coming in from the burbs...I wonder who will fill the CNB Tower. A Ritz Carlton in Richmond would be incredible. MAn I would kill for this thing to rise above 22 floors. I have a feeling Richmond is really starting to heat up. If they could only fix the high crime view of the city and the schools, this town would explode. Hopefully Wilder can whoop this city into shape!

[wrldcoupe4]

hey btw burt, I count 22 stories in the rendering My eyes didn't spin on this one

[Downtowner]

Hey another few Nice Hotels for this Tower would be Hyatt,W Hotels or Wyndham. Or who know this could be the Hilton of the Miller Rohads doesn't fall threw.

[burt]

hey btw burt, I count 22 stories in the rendering My eyes didn't spin on this one

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

but how many do you count at Vistas? (maybe you've answered that. Haven't got to that thread yet).

[wrldcoupe4]

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A 50-story TOWER!!!!!!!! WTFFFFFFF

"There are approximately five 20-story office towers in the city, Bayer said. "We could have built a 50-story office tower, and waited for the city to grow to support it," Bayer said. "We thought a 20-story, mixed-use development was about right." Some details of the project are still being fleshed out, such as who will operate the hotel."

Goodstein Plans Mixed-Use Tower for Richmond, Va.