Norfolk Development 2

[brikkman]

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/12/five-historic-norfolk-buildings-one-vision-new-housing

Now this is exciting...Not yet promising, but exciting news. The fact that a company is trying to attractive a certain (REGULAR folk) market is great for DT for a lot of reasons. I make over 45 grand and it is still hard to pull the trigger on even renting something in DT and I have regular bills and no extras. A wife (who works and makes that amount), kid, car note, and monthly bills, that is it.

Someone really needs to look at the income disparity in this region, especially Norfolk. I think I read somewhere that older people out number younger people and that's why home prices, income medians and all that gets foggy. I read somewhere else as well that the median HOUSEHOLD income is around 55/53 grand. If you are between the ages of 21 and 30, how, where, and who can afford anything decent (if at all) with a HOUSEHOLD income of 55/53 grand? If you can, someone needs to point me in that direction.

I mean, if you are single no kids, I guess this is alright (not many trips to vegas though). Or maybe single with a kid with a good baby-daddy.

[mikeas]

The vacant warehouse in Fort Norfolk should be more than a retirement community. It's water front and should have a built in marina. It would be a good place for EVMS students to stay though with light rail they could live downtown as well.

I'd first like to see them do something with the leaning tower though. Can you straighten out a leaning building? It would seem that if the column on the corner on Granby and City Hall was taken out the whole building would go...

[vaceltic]

Anybody know what the heck this is? It just kind of snuck up on the city council agenda and I don't recall seeing this go through planning. Seems substantial. The last time something got in there without us knowing was for Wachovia Center so I have high hopes.

1.

WATER’S EDGE BY CLARK NEXSEN, for the following applications on property fronting 1,287 feet, more or less, along the eastern line of Campostella Road, beginning 125 feet, more or less, from the northern line of Arlington Avenue and extending northwardly; premises numbered 350 Campostella Road:

a.

To amend the General Plan of Norfolk, 1992 from medium density residential to high density residential.

b.

To amend the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Norfolk, 1992 to create the Water’s Edge Apartments Residential Planned Development District (PD-R) Water’s Edge.

c.

For a Change of Zoning from C-2 (Corridor Commercial) district to PD-R Water’s Edge (Water’s Edge Apartments Residential Planned Development) district. The purpose of the rezoning is to allow for a multiple-family development

This sounds eerily similar to River's Edge at Berkeley....hmmm

[jbhay]

Been waiting for the day someone announces plans for that abandoned warehouse in Fort Norfolk. My friends and I used to sneak in there and just explore that building about a year or so ago, we were up there on July 4, 2008 to watch the fireworks, but it started torrentially raining, I still remember all the boats fleeing down the harbor, lol. We were down there recently and the urge came to check it out once again, but someone finally put some wire mesh in the little openings where we used to have to crawl through to unlock the outer doors. That's the end of my little urban confession story.

Anyways, it is definitely a great thing to hear all the little development news arising around DT Norfolk and its surroundings. Makes for an exciting time to be living in this area, especially for the ones who are really pushing for urban growth, which I assume is a high percentage of us here as we spend our time on an urban discussion forum.

I also noticed that the area under the Campostella Bridge is looking to redevelop, which I saw either in this thread or another, but that is great news because I've always thought that little area has promising potential, but in its current state, it's horrendous, as many places in Norfolk are sadly. I don't know why, but I constantly daydream about areas around Norfolk that could be their own little urbanized districts (think Ghent/CBD), while simultaneously getting frustrated that it will take so long for visions to see the light of day. Places like Ward's Corner, Harbor Park, Granby Street north of the Zoo, Hampton Blvd. north of the tracks and south of ODU; these could all use better planning and more dense residential units accompanied by great commercial activity.

[Telmnstr]

Awesome. On that warehouse building, before they cut all those odd holes in it I was thinking of turning it into a large laser projection screen :-) A big issue was the property across the street was US Govt.

Holy hell am I getting attacked on Pilot Online, and I didn't even say anything bad about the project! I think competition is good, and we need more of it.

Interesting stuff for Norfolk. I bet Wright would be happy to have a buyer for some of those properties too.

How many square feet is the union mission building, anyhow?

[ronsmytheiii]

I am not too sure about the Warehouse, looks crummy right now....

However, does anyone get a Richmond vibe from this project, that is a good thing

(Which reminds me, we need a capital Ale house!)

[rusthebuss]

I am not too sure about the Warehouse, looks crummy right now....

However, does anyone get a Richmond vibe from this project, that is a good thing

(Which reminds me, we need a capital Ale house!)

No, we need our own micro brewery...I'm of German descent and have always dreamed of opening a loc brewery/restaurant....we need things that are region can be proud of that are not from other metros.

[jbhay]

I fully support a micro-brewery or a Capital Ale House in this area. Only been to CAH once in DT Richmond, and it was an excellent experience.

Been to Bull & Bones in Blacksburg, ronsmythe? Delicious beer!

[mikeas]

Capital Ale House is nice but we do have a couple good local micro-brew bars. The Taphouse (Norfolk and Hampton locations), Sobo Pizza Kitchen at ODU Village and the Beir Garden in Oldtown Portsmouth, the English Pub in Hampton to name a few...

St Georges (Hampton) and Williamsburg Aleworks brew locally but they aren't brew-pubs, you can buy there stuff at Totalwine, Farm Fresh, and select bars around town. There was a brew-pub on High St in Portsmouth but they closed...I think we just have Gordon Biersch now.

There is also a new brewery coming to Norfolk. The O'Connor Brewing Company has applied for an ABC license to operate a brewery at 521 W. 25th Street. The notice was in the Pilot on Monday.

[mikeas]

I am not too sure about the Warehouse, looks crummy right now....

However, does anyone get a Richmond vibe from this project, that is a good thing

(Which reminds me, we need a capital Ale house!)

You'd be surprised what some windows and a paint job can do to a building. Was the PETA building a reuse project? I can imagine it looking very similar to the current condition of the warehouse.

[jbhay]

^Good question, it sure does look it.

mikeas: Ill have to check out some of those, but I have been to the Taphouse and I finally stopped in Bier Garden last weekend with some friends. Actually, I hadn't been to DT Portsmouth in over two years and was somewhat impressed with High Street, namely the amount of bars and the great vibes the street design was giving. When I want to go to a bar around here, which isn't so much, I usually go to The Boot, but that has a lot to do with how I know the owners very well, having owned Relative Theory Records on Granby all those years, so I like going there to hang.

Sorry for

[Telmnstr]

The Boots pretty chill sometimes. Last time service was slow, but perhaps they were down an employee or something. I too know the guys, and remember Realtive Theory (who's space sits empty). I'd love to open a live music venue, and have ideas, but the capital would be large and no idea if the market would support it. I've got some different twists to my ideas, of course.

Still waiting for friends to get moving on the hacker space. I'm funding 1/3rd of it (to start) and it's taking FOR EVER. 7 months since I looked at the location originally.

Portsmouth is alright. Last time we hit the Still, prior to that Bier Garten to plan a tech event with some book authors that happened in downtown Norfolk, prior to that some surf themed place.

If you are all game to hang and stuff, hollar sometime. Last time CaveMaN and I were the only shows. I wouldn't mind doing the Still again in PTown. It's not super cheap though.

Also, over Thanksgiving I visited my folks who retired to Florida. On the way back, I had to check. Hit up a best buy in Orlando and found the camcorder I was eyeballing. Once I figure it out, I might slap together some stuff. I haven't messed with video for a while because both of my old cameras are down (tape mechanisms.) Gonna see how this HD stuff plays out. So far the camera does GREAT in full light, and hurts badly in low light.

Anyways, back to the situation at hand. I think they are going to do the apartments with caution. Build one, then move to the next.

It's funny in the comments how people are talking as if the Navy is the low end of the market. The Navy is probably the reason why prices are so high. BAH should be banned. If your going to pay people for something, give them the money and let them decide where to spend it. Locking it into only being able to spend it on something means there is no reason to care about the quality or cost of the item, ya know?

[mlsimons]

Been waiting for the day someone announces plans for that abandoned warehouse in Fort Norfolk. My friends and I used to sneak in there and just explore that building about a year or so ago

haha, I remember that...long live the icehouse!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Telmnstr]

Oh yea, the night club "The Abyss" that existed up until the new convention center in Virginia Beach went in, used to be a brewery restaurant type venue.

I thought there was now one at VaBeach town center?

[mikeas]

Oh yea, the night club "The Abyss" that existed up until the new convention center in Virginia Beach went in, used to be a brewery restaurant type venue.

I thought there was now one at VaBeach town center?

Gordon Beirsch is in Town Center, its pretty decent. There also used to be one out on Laskin Road, can't remember the name right now.

[rusthebuss]

Gordon Beirsch is in Town Center, its pretty decent. There also used to be one out on Laskin Road, can't remember the name right now.

That was Hilltop Brewery. They use to have live bands there and had really good beer!

[mainstreeter]

Hello Norfolk

I wanted to drop you guys a note about US Development and the Prioreshi's. They have forever changed the landscape of our Main Street in Columbia SC. When they came in the late 90's from NJ our downtown was a dump and people laughed at them saying "nobody will live down there". Now we have several hundred living on Main St and even more in our Vista area. They have invested a tremendous amount of money, time, and passion into our city and are very active in our city partnership and community. Congrats on saving what looks like a real cool building and gaining another developer who believes in your downtown.

[varider]

Thanks mainstreeter.

That's great and optimistic news for Norfolk's downtown. Not putting down Columbia, but I wonder what they can do with a much larger downtown in Norfolk.

[varider]

WATER’S EDGE BY CLARK NEXSEN, for the following applications on property fronting 1,287 feet, more or less, along the eastern line of Campostella Road, beginning 125 feet, more or less, from the northern line of Arlington Avenue and extending northwardly; premises numbered 350 Campostella Road:

a. To amend the General Plan of Norfolk, 1992 from medium density residential to high density residential.

b. To amend the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Norfolk, 1992 to create the Water’s Edge Apartments Residential Planned Development District (PD-R) Water’s Edge.

c. For a Change of Zoning from C-2 (Corridor Commercial) district to PD-R Water’s Edge (Water’s Edge Apartments Residential Planned Development) district. The purpose of the rezoning is to allow for a multiple-family development

[varider]

Someone stated that this project seemed similar to the old Rivers Edge @ Berkely. I def. agree.

Look:

SUNSATIONS REALTY, LLC, for the following applications on property extending 270 feet, more or less, along the northern line of Indian River Road beginning 132 feet, more or less, from the eastern line of State Street and extending eastwardly; premises numbered 324 Indian River Road; Geographic Parcel Identification Numbers 1437111618 and 1437019664; property also fronts 220 feet, more or less, along the southern line of Emmett Place beginning 105 feet, more or less, from the eastern line of State Street and extending eastwardly; premises numbered 335 � 345 Emmett Place; Geographic Parcel Identification Numbers 1437018798 and 1437110885; all properties fronting the eastern and southern lines of the cul-de-sac portion of Emmett Place; premises numbered 340 � 350 Emmett Place; Geographic Parcel Identification Numbers 1437110966 and 1437120488:

1. To amend The General Plan of Norfolk , 1992, from industrial/transportation/utility to high density residential

2. To amend Chapter 11, Overlay Districts, to create the River�s Edge at Berkley Planned Development (PD MU River�s Edge at Berkley )

3. For a change of zoning from I-3 (General Industrial) District and I-5 (Deep Waterfront Industrial) District to River�s Edge at Berkley Planned Development (PD MU River�s Edge at Berkley). The purpose of the rezoning is to construct a high density residential development.

[ronsmytheiii]

Posts in the Norfolk Development thread that preceded this thread:

Project location:

[varider]

These Clark Nexson folks have developed Student Housing @ ODU, Amerigroup's HQ in VB, the Half Moone cruise terminal, Ocean Beach club @ the Oceanfront, the Convention Center, amongst many other projects not in HR.

[ronsmytheiii]

Looking through his portfolio, he was involved in the Half Moone Terminal, Ocean Beach Club, Old Dominion Housing, the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Operation Smile Headquarters, restoration of the Selden Arcade,replaced the courtyard for the Chrysler Museum, and Atlantic Shores. Hmm, looks pretty good!

http://www.clarknexsen.com/

Hmm, I seem to have been in a building designed by the group everyday here at Tech!

Edited December 5, 2009 by ronsmytheiii

[vdogg]

I think it's a bit premature for a separate thread. We have no idea what this is yet and may turn out to be suburban in nature. Until we get something (i.e. a rendering, a blurb on the site, or information from the planning commission) it is best to keep this as part of Norfolk Development for now. I'm going to merge this with the original thread. I'll separate back out once we have something to go on.

[ronsmytheiii]

First time I've seen a rendering for what they plan to do with the old warehouse. Hope this pans out.

Think US development will use this plan^?