Norfolk Development 2

[lammius]

I know this building very well, my late father had his dental practice in there for 28 years and I was a member of St. John's AME Church next door. The plans for this building are encouraging, I hope that the development will include affordable housing. I too would like to see the adjacent parking lot developed into something nice.

I agree about the affordable housing. It appears to be a growing problem in Norfolk these days.

And for the parking, I'm sure the lot could be developed if the city didn't require 2 parking spaces per unit for this development! First of all it's downtown and secondly it's likely that a large number of the residents will be single people in one-bedroom units. Do they need 2 parking spaces? In the .pdf you see the flaw in the city's logic--that parking cannot be shared between daytime commercial users and nighttime residents. The city really needs to develop a comprehensive parking strategy for downtown and other areas under study for redevelopment. Currently each development site is considered in a vacuum, with parking being provided on-site at a prescribed ratio and municipal decks thrown about almost at random. I think that developing a parking strategy that takes central multiple-use (shared) parking as a serious alternative would (1) cost developers less money, (2) allows for higher intensity of land uses [more space for other stuff than parking], (3) allow for coordination between parking planning and transit planning.

[rusthebuss]

Those are very good points that the city needs to look at with parking! I don't I think they are trying to limit it as much as possible so that the feds give them money for the Light Rail. I don't know whats going to happen with LR now that the state will not have money for the LR project with the cuts in the budget

[Aughie]

Has anyone been on the 200 block of Granby Street recently? Across from Harry's BBQ, and next to the boutique hotel there is a smaller building that has a pending license from the Virginia ABC posted in the window. Does this mean a possible new restuarant/bar opening in this location?

[ace707]

Hey yall, I was at MacArthur and I'm curious as to what they are building in front of Nordstrom over by St. Paul's church. Currently they are driving piles so obviously this building isn't some 1 or 2 story structure. Can anyone find out?

Edited June 18, 2006 by ace707

[vdogg]

Hey yall, I was at MacArthur and I'm curious as to what they are building in front of Nordstrom over by St. Paul's church. Currently they are driving piles so obviously this building isn't some 1 or 2 story structure. Can anyone find out?

No clue. I'm definately on the case though. I know that the farmers market is going somewhere near there but they can't possibly be driving piles for it, can they?

[mikeas]

No clue. I'm definately on the case though. I know that the farmers market is going somewhere near there but they can't possibly be driving piles for it, can they?

I think they are building parking for the Rotunda condo conversion.

[vdogg]

I think they are building parking for the Rotunda condo conversion.

I thought that might be it but I did not remeber a parking deck being listed as part of the rotunda conversion.

[vdogg]

Has anyone been on the 200 block of Granby Street recently? Across from Harry's BBQ, and next to the boutique hotel there is a smaller building that has a pending license from the Virginia ABC posted in the window. Does this mean a possible new restuarant/bar opening in this location?

Ah, glad to have you over here. Welcome to the forum. It's very possible that there may be a new resturant/bar going there as the row at Ghent/Bristol at ghent would probably be attracting that type of development interest. That being said i've heard nothing rumored or official about something going there. Was there anything else on the signage such as a develpment companies name?

[okinawatyphoon]

That's strange because I don't see any permits or anything on this weekly construction PDF from the Norfolk website. But maybe it isn't updated fully, or i'm not looking in the right place.

[vdogg]

^^^I think its # 133 on that map "quality enterprises". Probably is associated with the Rotunda.

[willy]

I don't see a garage and the website doesn't mention anything about a parking garage.

[vaceltic]

I don't see a garage and the website doesn't mention anything about a parking garage.

I like that the developers are putting in green space around the Rotunda to reduce some of the impervious surface on tharrt lot. Willow oaks will add a nice touch to that sparse side of downtown.

[ace707]

I don't see a garage and the website doesn't mention anything about a parking garage.

No there is no garage planned for the Rotunda. To take care of the parking situation, they are expanding the surrounding parking lot by extending the parking lot over the leftover green space as shown in the above pic.

The piledriving by St. Pauls Church also I doubt has anything to do with the Rotunda project as it is too far for Rotunda residents. The piledriving at St. Pauls Church is taking place in the green space between the parking lot and one of the building on the same side as Nordstrom but it is actually across from the South garage instead of directly in front of Nordstrom.

[vdogg]

I'll have to get down there and take a pic because I'm really at a loss for where you're referring too. Is it close enough to St. Pauls place to be associated with that development?

[lil-bear]

If I remember correctly, the piles are being driven right behind the St Pauls Church complex. I saw it when I was Downtown for the Farm Market at MacArthur Center. I saw it as I was exiting the North parking garage.

I think it might have something to do with the church complex.

Edited June 19, 2006 by lil-bear

[ace707]

If I remember correctly, the piles are being driven right behind the St Pauls Church complex. I saw it when I was Downtown for the Farm Market at MacArthur Center. I saw it as I was exiting the North parking garage.

I think it might have something to do with the church complex.

Yeah that's what I've been referring to. I'm just curious as to what they are building there that requires piles to be driven

[vdogg]

Here are the full planning documents to the 555 Church street development. No official name for this project given yet but there is a sketch rendering on the last page. 555 church street Warning .pdf file!

This project was rejected by council. I have no idea what happened but i'm currently in the process of finding out.

Thereupon, an Ordinance entitled,

[urbanvb]

Lost is interesting verbage. Wonder what it means? I noticed also the link above for this project does not work any longer.

[rusthebuss]

This is interesting. They try to shut down the cosmo and now they are shutting this down. WHY?

They also took the pdf off of the site!

[vdogg]

Lost is interesting verbage. Wonder what it means? I noticed also the link above for this project does not work any longer.

lost means what it sounds like. Council actions are either "approved" or "lost" meaning rejected. I'm gonna see if the video is online and see what I can find out.

[rusthebuss]

VA outpatient clinic is in the works for Norfolk

[okinawatyphoon]

Private sector offers to build Norfolk's new court complex

moved: This is not about the Fed. courts expansion, just the city courts expansion.

[vaceltic]

Maybe in 5 years we will see a 50 story signature tower come out of the ashes of the old circuit court!

[vdogg]

Richardson said his group alsoproposed building a new main library as part of the courthouse project, which would get the library open many years ahead of schedule. The city is building a library in the Ocean View neighborhood and plans another in the Broad Creek community before it turns its attention to downtown.

^^^I like this.

[lil-bear]

Once the courts are relocated and a new main library is built, then the city needs to build a new city hall.

Then that land where the current city hall is can be placed back on the tax rolls.

I think a good location for a new city hall will be on the current juvenile & domestic court building site, on the corner of St. Pauls Blvd. & City Hall Ave.