Norfolk Stores and Retail and Resturants

[vdogg]

I really like Alexander. I was iffy about him at first, but he's proven to be the type of mayor that's not afraid to take bold steps and make major investments. We need more like him in the area.

"City planners have long talked about pushing new development inland as a way to help combat future impacts of sea level rise, with the Military Circle area — which sits on what officials have called a spine of relatively high ground — being the main target.Mayor Kenny Alexander said there’s been a desire to control the area for years, even before he was elected to lead the city, but said a recent citizen push to increase development on Norfolk’s east side helped push forward these recent deals.“After speaking with residents on the east side, we decided to bring it to fruition much sooner than we had originally planned to do," Alexander said.He said there was also some strategic thought given to the timing due to the coronavirus.“Post-COVID 19, all cities will be looking for ways to grow their tax base," Alexander said. “People say ‘Mayor, you’ve got to be crazy to invest at this time,’ but this is the time you need to invest in those properties and activities, enterprises that will give you that return on your investment.”"

[BFG]

With everything being uncertain because of the Coronavirus, would this make construction costs cheaper? I already know they got a great deal on the mall site, but I wonder if they could build this development at a lower cost?

As for Mayor Alexander, I think it took him a minute to find his footing, but I see him really taking Norfolk to the next level this second term. We could really find this region getting on the map in the next few years.

Edited May 7, 2020 by BFG

[Urbanlooker]

6 hours ago, vdogg said:

This quote is indicative of the direction they wish to go in the area.

"transit-oriented mixed-use development"

[Norfolk757Kid]

Is there room for an arena plus mixed use development or is it one or the other? 

[vdogg]

7 hours ago, Norfolk757Kid said:

Is there room for an arena plus mixed use development or is it one or the other? 

Absolutely. That area is a suburban wasteland. They tear down most of the mall they can easily fit some pretty dense development along side an arena.

On 5/1/2020 at 10:21 AM, 23320 said:

Norfolk just announced an agreement to purchase Military Circle for $11 million.

They have also agreed to purchase the hotel, which will give them control of the entire mall site. Hopefully this will move the anchor office conversions forward. 

That oval ring in the center of the green/yellow area is pretty much shaped like an arena already. That's where I'd put it.

I'd line the perimeter streets with dense midrise residential and mixed use. It'd be quite the urban corridor.

[BFG]

A couple years ago, I took Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena and put it over the Military Circle site. Even with parking garages, you’d have plenty of room for houses and offices. I don’t know if it’s enough for 6,000 people like they want, but you can still build around an arena. 

[BFG]

I’ve mentioned before how much I love Dallas, and lived there as a kid. About 20 years ago, they built the American Airlines Center for the Mavs and Stars, and eventually apartments and offices around that called Victory Park. As much as I want SPQ and the area near Harbor Park to take on that look, I wouldn’t be mad if they did this at Military, with light rail coming through at some point. 

[baobabs727]

ROFL!!

Try living under him.

Try meeting him and having an even remotely "back-and-forth" type of conversation, much less a substantive debate. 

However, I do agree that investing in "downtimes" is bold and necessary. (Though  philosophically I don't particularly like local governments installing themselves in the real estate industry,  but this would be an exception.)

[Virginia City]

We can have a Downtown, Midtown (Military Circle) and Uptown (Town Center) if this place takes off with some residential size.

[vdogg]

This one hurts, this one really hurts. St-germain was a great cocktail bar oh, I'm really going to miss it. 

https://www.pilotonline.com/food-drink/vp-db-saint-germain-pourhouse-closed-20200522-gu4kpgdpi5dhxl3xtcrwmwwz6e-story.html

They had very unique and eclectic drinks. Judgement of Paris was one of my favorites. Now I'm really fearing what else may close on Granby Street after we've made so much progress.

[vdogg]

Hoping once all is said and done these restaurants decide to stick with the European style outdoor seating. This really works for Granby and really activates the street. Lot's of foot traffic and a surprising amount of people out.

[urbanlife]

On 5/1/2020 at 9:26 AM, zeppelin14 said:

Tear it all down. Clean slate. Build that arena!

It should be where a new arena goes as well as a new light rail line.

[Cjnfkvb]

19 hours ago, vdogg said:

Hoping once all is said and done these restaurants decide to stick with the European style outdoor seating. This really works for Granby and really activates the street. Lot's of foot traffic and a surprising amount of people out.

I was always thinking that if they removed one of the parking lanes, they can install permanent seating along the entire length of granby street between brambleton, and main. Somthing like the parklets they have, but much bigger.

Edited May 23, 2020 by Cjnfkvb
Spelling

[Cjnfkvb]

This place has moved around to a lot of locations.  Hopfully they picked the right spot this time, and they can settle down. 

[Ogarri]

Business Insider mag said today that “Malls will likely try to court grocery stores like WalMart and Target to replace department store anchors (“like Nordstrom and JC Penny”) in a post- pandemic world.”

It’ll be interesting to see what transpires post pandemic. 

[baobabs727]

Interesting that Starwood Retail Partners has hired JLL to manage the mall now. Same mall manager, Mr. Wofford. Starwood lost their western and southern portfolio of 6-7 malls a while back to Israeli bond holders from what I understand. They had been acquired en bloc by Starwood for about $1.6 billion prior to a subsequent acquisition which included MacArthur Center.  When Covid hit it was reported that rent collections were down to nearly 20% of normal levels in that portfolio. These purchases were part of their infamous mall buying spree, which had many of us scratching our heads at the time. They had no prior mall ownership or management experience, and they never did seem to get the hang of it either. Amateur hour. I’m not saying that this was the only reason why they defaulted. Obviously, market trends had something to do with that as well.

By the way, I’m assuming you guys know that Richmond’s Nordstrom will never reopen. And they have no Nordstrom Racks yet either. That will leave Pentagon City and Tysons as the sole, full-line Nordstroms in the entire state of Virginia. Back to where we were in Feb. 1999 Lol.  ;-(

Edited November 21, 2020 by baobabs727

[zeppelin14]

On 11/21/2020 at 5:54 PM, baobabs727 said:

Bsck to where we were in Feb. 1999 Lol.  ;-(

I wish Norfolk could go back to 1999 on this sometimes and have the crystal ball on the future and build what we all envision on these forums, an improved city grid with ground floor retail and high rise apartments above.

Edited November 23, 2020 by zeppelin14

[BFG]

31 minutes ago, zeppelin14 said:

I wish Norfolk could go back to 1999 on this sometimes and have the crystal ball on the future and build what we all envision on these forums, an improved city grid with ground floor retail and high rise apartments above.

In my head, I sometimes play the “what if” game, going back to about 1995. In that game, they build the street grid with shopping and restaurants, a new arena that was proposed around that time, and VB residents approve a light rail expansion. Imagine how different this area looks 20-25 years later. A few NCAA tournaments, maybe a pro team, and I imagine bigger businesses come here because we have a robust transit system, that by 2020, goes to the airport, base, Greenbrier, and parts of the Peninsula.

I also imagine SPQ gets off the ground. 

Edited November 23, 2020 by BFG

[BeagleAccountant]

On 10/21/2019 at 7:04 PM, 23320 said:

The food hall is on the docket tomorrow night for approval of live entertainment. Not sure why that wasn’t taken care of earlier but have to figure it’s just behind schedule like things always seem to be. 

This project is disappointingly but understandably dead. The space is now up for lease.

https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/vp-db-granby-food-hall-not-happening-20210204-wszjttlhivbv3dffaqiznt4rh4-story.html?fbclid=IwAR05_53alNO1KN4XfWipbbFHMZO915o-AlCHZ-CwgJojr0bUBgM_t2lOKaA

Edited February 4, 2021 by BeagleAccountant

[Norf Native]

I'm not surprised.  They just seemed to drag their feet on this project and now with COVID, they have an excuse to not move forward.

[BFG]

Yeah...as frustrated as I am that the pandemic may have exacerbated things, they kicked the can down the road for two years. They had their chance to execute.

The more I think about it though, the more I think Waterside should've become the food hall of downtown. Wonder if one of the warehouses in Park Place/Railroad District would be interested?

[BFG]

Cinemark 18 at Military Circle is now set to close. That’s probably the final nail in the coffin for Military Circle, as we know it. 

https://www.pilotonline.com/entertainment/vp-nw-cinemark-military-circle-closed-20210215-en67svjaxfgqnntqi3pp3guba4-story.html

[zeppelin14]

One can only hope that's the final nail in the coffin for the mall.

[BFG]

The Apple Store at MacArthur plans to close in the next 90 days. I really don't like how this article implies it's because of safety issues when stores have been leaving the mall left and right over the last five years. 

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/25/apple-macarthur-center-store-closing/?fbclid=IwAR1HubMebNUn1Ly3-M66T1jOyg5PYC2PupPfAIezkUz3RFjCQrIq3tFf6N8

[BFG]

The Pilot confirms, with a much-better analysis. 

https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/vp-bz-apple-macarthur-closing-20210226-7at32pncrbckxkjwabe3tpqmna-story.html