Va. Beach Town Center project 2

[Alpine757]

Stop the press! Big PDF of Town Center Past-Present-Future

First rendering of Pedestrian Bridge of Virgina Beach Blvd on page 22!!! This is going to make a statement.

http://www.vbgov.com/file_source/dept/mcg/...nter_092007.pdf

Enjoy

Looks awesome. I see too that on page 18 of that pdf file, it looks like they have an 8-10 story office building situated on Block 9? I was thinking it was going to be another rise of condos?

[RJWGMU]

Looks awesome. I see too that on page 18 of that pdf file, it looks like they have an 8-10 story office building situated on Block 9? I was thinking it was going to be another rise of condos?

You mean in the rendering of the Westin? It looks like there is something right next it it, but that is actually One Columbus Center... You can just see it because the Cosmo. Apts aren't in the image.

[Alpine757]

You mean in the rendering of the Westin? It looks like there is something right next it it, but that is actually One Columbus Center... You can just see it because the Cosmo. Apts aren't in the image.

I guess it is, what threw me is that you can see the building sits in front of AH tower (look at ah's right side), and from that perspective One Columbus should be sitting behind AH tower. Guess someone just wasn't accurate in the rendering & it sure makes it appear as though it's sitting on block 9.

[hoobo]

The bridge isn't bad, but it isn't good either. Too 1950's. They should go with an eccentric cable stay design. If they want to stay with this design, then have the arches bow out instead of being vertical. And use blue-green lights to light up the structure at night.

I kinda miss those trees. Columbus One was a funny office building. Lived up to Frank Llyod Wright's high-rise in the park concept.

Finally, look at those financials. The City needs to release that data to the anti-private/public citizens to shut them up.

[RJWGMU]

Lived up to Frank Llyod Wright's high-rise in the park concept.

What is this concept?

[metalman]

I found it on the Va Beach Government website, hence the vbgov.com address. If you put your mouse over "city hall" on the top page link bar, click on the second listing "hot topics", then down to the bottom of that page to Virginia Beach Town Center, or just click on the link below. The presentations, pdf's and such are in the box on the right side of the page next to the three pics of AH, Westin, and Tower Two.

http://vbgov.com/vgn.aspx?vgnextoid=554234...nextfmt=default

Looking at the finished rendering of the Westin, it still has a lot to change from it current state to get there. The glass balconies will really lighten and air up to look of the building. Did you notice they put a cap on top of Luxor Jr. where the spire sticks out? I just noticed it today coming home from work.

Also, the Columbus two building is slightly different from the rendering on Divaris' site. Divaris' site has a raised glass tower on the front corner of the building, Columbus two in this pdf has it removed?

And it looks like we still have to only public rendering of Tower two.

Did you see 1.2 million square feet for block 11, wow. It sounds like a lot to me.

Edited October 5, 2007 by metalman

[RJWGMU]

I found it on the Va Beach Government website, hence the vbgov.com address.

Haha, shows you how tired I was when I looked at it this morning!

As for getting the Westin to the rendering, I wish they would have kept the corner windows of the building the way they are in the rendering, having them end at the start of the hotel on the way down. It gave an extra dimension to the building.

And wow, 1.2 million SF? That is just under TWO of the Cosmopolitan blocks!

[erdogs]

I don't know how reliable this information is, but a friend of mine who is working on the Westin said there is a rumor about a 60 story building being planed. Has anyone else heard of this? I doubt it's true, but it got my attention.

[RJWGMU]

I don't know how reliable this information is, but a friend of mine who is working on the Westin said there is a rumor about a 60 story building being planed. Has anyone else heard of this? I doubt it's true, but it got my attention.

Well a couple of questions:

1) Who is planning it?

2) Where would it be?

3) How reliable is your friend?

4) How reliable is their source?

[vdogg]

I don't know how reliable this information is, but a friend of mine who is working on the Westin said there is a rumor about a 60 story building being planed. Has anyone else heard of this? I doubt it's true, but it got my attention.

In the current credit climate, I wouldn't put much stock in it. Such a building would have to be uber mixed use. perhaps if we're thinking in a 5-10 year time frame, but not now. I've heard the same rumor, but I just don't think it's credible. Of course I would love to be proved wrong.

[erdogs]

Well a couple of questions:

1) Who is planning it?

2) Where would it be?

3) How reliable is your friend?

4) How reliable is their source?

I didn't dig too deep into questioning him as it was a rumor going around the job site. What ever it is I'm sure it's in the preliminary stages. This might be for block 11 which would put it way down the road. Block 11 has 1,200,000 sf posted on the above website, so something large is being considered, that's why I brought this up. You can never trust a rumor too much from a construction site. I'm guessing it won't be 60 stories but could mean something big is coming. It wouldn't surprise me if true considering the success of Town Center.

[erdogs]

In the current credit climate, I wouldn't put much stock in it. Such a building would have to be uber mixed use. perhaps if we're thinking in a 5-10 year time frame, but not now. I've heard the same rumor, but I just don't think it's credible. Of course I would love to be proved wrong.

Being around many construction sites when you hear rumors like this it usually takes a year or two before the ball starts rolling. Construction prices are going down, we have one major company in AH's head quarters and one major hotel with the Westin. This could be gaining a lot of attention from around the country by developers.

[urbanvb]

60 storeys is WAY tall. The BofA HQ in Charlotte is an example of a 60 storey building (and a beauty of a building imo). Maybe call me a skeptic (at least for now) but I will believe it when I see it.

[RJWGMU]

60 storeys is WAY tall. The BofA HQ in Charlotte is an example of a 60 storey building (and a beauty of a building imo). Maybe call me a skeptic (at least for now) but I will believe it when I see it.

I agree, it is a beauty! Who designed it?

I also agree that I will believe it when I see it. If they are talking block 11 behind the Cosmo, I said before that the total square footage (1.2 million) would be 2 1/2 of the Cosmopolitan Apartments. If the building was the same as the Cosmo just taller then, it would be 30-40 stories. If it is to be 60, then the tower would take up half of the lot most likely.

Now if a 60 story tower was announced in Norfolk, I would be extremely skeptical. Notice I said, announced. In Virginia Beach though, Armada Hoffler seems to be able to build taller and taller each time and with the Office Market booming, I'd say they might could just pull it off. I doubt though if they are considering this, since they have already said what will be going on the Beacon lot and showed a rendering of block 11. Hmm, maybe The Landing is coming into the near future...

[Alpine757]

60 storeys is WAY tall. The BofA HQ in Charlotte is an example of a 60 storey building (and a beauty of a building imo). Maybe call me a skeptic (at least for now) but I will believe it when I see it.

BofA Tower is an amazing building. It fits in perfectly in Charlotte's downtown area, but can you imagine how out of place a 60 story building would look right now at town center? There's nothing there to transition it in like you've got in Charlotte. I wouldn't imagine they'd build something that large until they've already built a larger town center area, it would just look odd in my opinion.

[RJWGMU]

BofA Tower is an amazing building. It fits in perfectly in Charlotte's downtown area, but can you imagine how out of place a 60 story building would look right now at town center? There's nothing there to transition it in like you've got in Charlotte. I wouldn't imagine they'd build something that large until they've already built a larger town center area, it would just look odd in my opinion.

I agree yet again, but at the same time, that is kind of what the Westin does now!

[hoobo]

What is this concept?

My bad. I meant Le Corbusier's Contemporary City. His futuristic city was skyscrapers set in parks with transportation done by trains and subways. Frank Llyod Wright's Broadacre City is an car-centric development. Both are everything that is bad with last century's architecture and urban planning.

[hoobo]

Did you see 1.2 million square feet for block 11, wow. It sounds like a lot to me.

The AH Tower Block (Block 4) is 850,000 SF and is smaller than Block 11. I'm thinking a larger office tower (attached to the parking garage and not atop it so another 20/25-story building) and a mid-rise residential building. So assuming 18-20,000 SF floor plates, you have a 400 - 500,000 SF office tower (pretty substantial for the area), a 400,000 SF parking garage, 50,000 SF retail, and 250-350,000 SF apt/condo (150 - 250 units).

[erdogs]

Check out page 6 of this pdf, I don't know if its' been brought up before. It already looks like they have a new tower in mind.

http://vbgov.com/file_source/dept/mcg/WebP...difications.pdf

[RJWGMU]

Check out page 6 of this pdf, I don't know if its' been brought up before. It already looks like they have a new tower in mind.

http://vbgov.com/file_source/dept/mcg/WebP...difications.pdf

Which block are you referring to? Block 5 next to One Columbus Center has been announced for some time now and is a 5 story glass and brick building that looks like it belongs in the Lynnhaven Office Park. Block 9 has been tossed back and forth but would likely be at most as tall as the Cosmopolitan.

[erdogs]

Block 5, they already show the building you are talking about which leads me to believe something else is planed for it.

[RJWGMU]

Block 5, they already show the building you are talking about which leads me to believe something else is planed for it.

I am still slightly confused as to why you think something 'else' is planned. They just released a new rendering in the most recent presentation to the City Council of what the building will look like...

[metalman]

The small rectangle building in blue is the next building to be developed. Granted it is blue which, by the key means 1 story retail, it is a five story building with retail on the first floor and office on the four floors above it. Their is a rendering in the pdf from the same vbgov website that was released on 9-27 that I posted 1 or 2 pages back. That pdf also has the Beacon lot tower rendering and the Ped. skywalk over VB blvd.

That's not our site for the 60 story hopeful.

[mistermetaj]

Anyone wondering what is that building on the cover of the modifications pdf? You would think that since it was about town center, they would use a picture of town center. Maybe that means something is coming?

[RJWGMU]

Anyone wondering what is that building on the cover of the modifications pdf? You would think that since it was about town center, they would use a picture of town center. Maybe that means something is coming?

Nope, it would be nice though. That is one of those generic PowerPoint slides that comes with the software. They wouldn't be so bold anyway