City Walk

[hoobo]

This is the architects webpage Mulvanny. Nothing on city walk but their designs are fantastic and this should give us and idea of what to expect.

Clicking around their site, not only have they designed some nice towers, but they've also done urban Lowe's and Targets. The irony. Check out the description for a Target in Annapolis:

This new two-story Target store is part of a $400 million Annapolis Towne Center redevelopment project. The mix of retail, commercial and hospitality facilities is destined to become a center for living and working. The proposed design is intended to raise the quality and character of the area and provide a more urban, community-oriented and pedestrian-friendly development. Target recently chose MulvannyG2 to be one of three regional cost estimating consultants.

So they'll design City Walk and then go across the street to the "urban big-box."

[urbanlife]

wow, I have been so busy with school I have missed all these new images. The project looks cool and I am so proud that VB actually has a good firm designing city walk. Mulvanny kicks ass. This will outshine the Hoffler building.

[metalman]

Doesn't this project in Portland from Mulvanny look strikingly similar to the City Walk rendering? Hmm. Especially the pic with the two towers.

http://www.mulvannyg2.com/work/ontheboards/burnside.asp#

You can click on each pic to get a larger view and the "Description" tab in the project listing on the right side.

[urbanlife]

yeah, they actually didnt win that competition so maybe they were just reusing the concept for this project. Whatever it was, it works for me.

[mistermetaj]

yeah, they actually didnt win that competition so maybe they were just reusing the concept for this project. Whatever it was, it works for me.

On the city walk plans, there is a little box of parking lot that is not included for development. What is currently sitting on that site that they cant develop?

[urbanlife]

On the city walk plans, there is a little box of parking lot that is not included for development. What is currently sitting on that site that they cant develop?

If you are referring to the lot on Kellam and VB Blvd, then that is simply a lot owned by another land owner that is not apart of this development. My guess will one day house a condo tower or something.

[metalman]

That is a strip of about 3 businesses that is a serperate property. If you drive down there you can see that it is curbed off from the rest of the City Walk area...unfortunately.

...Oh, I didn't see that you posted a response, Urbanlife. My bad. I didn't mean to echo, echo.

[urbanlife]

thats cool, I am 3000 miles away so you would know better than I would what is on that lot.

[metalman]

I'm fairly certain this has to do with City Walk...I guess you could call it progress...

I passed it today and the Honey Baked Ham restaurant/Deli was closed and has a sign on it reading something like "Moving near Lynnhaven Mall". I wonder when Office Max is leaving?

Any new news yet?

[hoobo]

I'm fairly certain this has to do with City Walk...I guess you could call it progress...

I passed it today and the Honey Baked Ham restaurant/Deli was closed and has a sign on it reading something like "Moving near Lynnhaven Mall". I wonder when Office Max is leaving?

Any new news yet?

Where would Office Max move to and would it be temopary until phase 1 of City Walk is complete? The only places I can think of are the remaining part of the old Woolworth's store, the old Merchants location which could be expanded, or TC (unlikely but would be nice if they opened next to Dick's).

[urbanvb]

I called Heavenly Ham just to prod for more info. They did close the Pembroke location due to City Walk being built but the person I spoke to did not know when the building would be torn down. It's a great question where Office Max will go during construction although they may just close shop for awhile. The old Woolworth's space has been chopped up into smaller spaces and what remains is much smaller than what was originally there.

[vdogg]

I called Heavenly Ham just to prod for more info. They did close the Pembroke location due to City Walk being built but the person I spoke to did not know when the building would be torn down. It's a great question where Office Max will go during construction although they may just close shop for awhile. The old Woolworth's space has been chopped up into smaller spaces and what remains is much smaller than what was originally there.

Good lord, they are further along on this than I thought. I wonder how long until we get some real renderings out of this?

[lexicon506]

I was looking around google earth to see where this site is, and was shocked when I found a "downtown" full of parked cars! Has it always been this way? Unfortunately, I don't think this development is going to do anything for downtown other than get more cars on the roads. What needs to happen is the demolition of all those big box stores, and division of those blocks into smaller parcels to encourage different buildings with smaller footprints (and mix-use, of course). You can't expect a place to feel urban just because there are some shiny towers and a few stores proposed. Look to Providence, Asheville, Boulder, for how to revitalize a downtown. I don't mean to bash VaBeach at all, it's just that I was very disappointed when I saw that this would be destined to become a shopping mall in disguise due to its suburban surroundings.

[vdogg]

I was looking around google earth to see where this site is, and was shocked when I found a "downtown" full of parked cars! Has it always been this way? Unfortunately, I don't think this development is going to do anything for downtown other than get more cars on the roads. What needs to happen is the demolition of all those big box stores, and division of those blocks into smaller parcels to encourage different buildings with smaller footprints (and mix-use, of course). You can't expect a place to feel urban just because there are some shiny towers and a few stores proposed. Look to Providence, Asheville, Boulder, for how to revitalize a downtown. I don't mean to bash VaBeach at all, it's just that I was very disappointed when I saw that this would be destined to become a shopping mall in disguise due to its suburban surroundings.

Simply because it has suburban surroundings does not mean it will be a "shopping mall in disguise". Virginia Beach is a suburban city trying to develop an urban core. This will take time. Downtowns do not simply spring forth from the loins of the earth overnight. That entire area is slated to be transformed into an urban corridor and I believe they will be successful. The city does not own all land in that area and getting all the local property owners to "conform" has proven to be quite difficult. Where you see a sea of parked cars I see potential. An office tower and (hopefully) the midrise block will start construction next year as well in TC proper, building out that project and shifting emphasis west. Now, if you were to refer your points to the "urban Walmart" proposed for next door, you'd be dead on and I'd raise no objection to the statement.

On to a different subject

I went by Honey baked ham to look at the property and then came home to view the rendering. Honey baked ham sits on the spot that the hotel is to be located. All the highrises also front that same road. This means that office max may not have to move that soon at all, since the first phase of the project is supposed to be towards the front of the property and not where office max currently sits.

[vdogg]

I was looking around google earth to see where this site is, and was shocked when I found a "downtown" full of parked cars! Has it always been this way? Unfortunately, I don't think this development is going to do anything for downtown other than get more cars on the roads. What needs to happen is the demolition of all those big box stores, and division of those blocks into smaller parcels to encourage different buildings with smaller footprints (and mix-use, of course). You can't expect a place to feel urban just because there are some shiny towers and a few stores proposed. Look to Providence, Asheville, Boulder, for how to revitalize a downtown. I don't mean to bash VaBeach at all, it's just that I was very disappointed when I saw that this would be destined to become a shopping mall in disguise due to its suburban surroundings.

I should clarify, I actually agree with almost all of that statement, I simply disagree with what you say the scope of this particular project (City Walk) will be. In many ways it is likely to surpass TC.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

"do not simply spring forth from the loins of the earth overnight."

Great line vdogg haha.

And I agree with the latter statement that it may somewhat surpass TC. It's going to be a phenominal development that will double the skyline of Virginia Beach; I'm much impressed by this.

[vaceltic]

When a developer is able to get enough properties together, hopefully they will create a street grid that allows dense mixed-use blocks to create a dowtown. If Armada Hoffler and the developers of City Walk can do it, I am very encouraged about the street layouts for Downtown Virginia Beach.

[urbanlife]

I do agree these types of growths do take time. I however agree that I would love to see the city begin to take the needed steps to push for more human scale blocks downtown. By working with developers the city could give incentives for smaller block footprints. There are options, the city doesnt have to live with what it currently has.

[hoobo]

I was looking around google earth to see where this site is, and was shocked when I found a "downtown" full of parked cars! Has it always been this way? Unfortunately, I don't think this development is going to do anything for downtown other than get more cars on the roads. What needs to happen is the demolition of all those big box stores, and division of those blocks into smaller parcels to encourage different buildings with smaller footprints (and mix-use, of course). You can't expect a place to feel urban just because there are some shiny towers and a few stores proposed. Look to Providence, Asheville, Boulder, for how to revitalize a downtown. I don't mean to bash VaBeach at all, it's just that I was very disappointed when I saw that this would be destined to become a shopping mall in disguise due to its suburban surroundings.

There seems to be some confusion on this thread about this comment. Are you familiar with the area in question or have you only seen this area in google earth? Pembroke was never a downtown or ever claimed to be. It has been one of Virginia Beach's main commercial areas and site of the region's first indoor mall. Over the years it has become a center of shopping centers and low-rise office buildings. As the area around it became built-out, as construction pushed further into rural Virginia Beach (starting in the 1980's), and as the population surpassed that of Norfolk's (the region's business center), only then did the City decide it was time to develop an urban center. Because it was at the main crossroads in Virginia Beach, didn't have height restructions imposed by the FAA/Navy, and was mainly commercial and residential (no heavy industrial); Pembroke was the obvious choice. Unless City Hall moves there, it will never be a true downtown. But in time, Pembroke CBD will become a dense urban core. So Virginia Beach is not revitalizing a downtown, but building one from scratch. I wouldn't liken it to Providence or Asheville but to Tyson's Corner, Reston TC, or Newport Beach's Fashion Island/Newport Center.

[vdogg]

If you go to www.wtkr.com and look under featured videos you will see construction zone. Click on that and they have a very short segment about city walk. Nothing big but the fact that we're hearing more and more about this makes me think that a more proper announcement is coming soon. (They also talk about Cosmo 418).

[vdogg]

Also, according to Divaris homepage, it looks as though City Walk may have grown substantially

City Walk A mixed-use development comprised of 450,000 square feet of retail, 500 residential units, a hotel and office space

in Virginia Beach, VA .

Correct me if i'm wrong but it used to be 300,000 sq ft of retail and 450 residential units.

[hoobo]

Also, according to Divaris homepage, it looks as though City Walk may have grown substantially

City Walk A mixed-use development comprised of 450,000 square feet of retail, 500 residential units, a hotel and office space

in Virginia Beach, VA .

Correct me if i'm wrong but it used to be 300,000 sq ft of retail and 450 residential units.

378,000 sqft of retail, 438 residential units, and 180 hotel rooms. Still, about a 20% increase in retail, 15% increase in residences, and a never-before mentioned office component.

[urbanvb]

If you look back a few pages it was also 381k sq feet so it does seem to keep growing.

[vdogg]

I called Heavenly Ham just to prod for more info. They did close the Pembroke location due to City Walk being built but the person I spoke to did not know when the building would be torn down.

Answer:

In the shadow of Town Center, City Walk takes its first steps

[urbanvb]

Oh wow, that didn't take long!

I wonder what is next.. and when? We really need some answers here!!