Va. Beach Town Center project 2

[vdogg]

On a side note, it looks like GWBT comes up to just under the AH tower spire. While not technically taller that AH, due to the spire it'll look like it. Looks to be in the low to mid 300 ft range.

[vdogg]

Man, that's such a great pic. Try as I might however, I can't capture it. Our only hope is that perhaps they'll put the static image up on the TC website or Divaris's website.

[pipdo]

Here's the image directly from the swf I found, which I assume is the same one vaceltic was talking about. If anyone knows of a page with a larger picture let me know and I can extract that too (or any other image inside flash)

[vdogg]

Here's the image directly from the swf I found, which I assume is the same one vaceltic was talking about. If anyone knows of a page with a larger picture let me know and I can extract that too (or any other image inside flash)

Thanks, i'll enlarge it. What program did you use to extract this?

[vdogg]

[vdogg]

They did a really good job with this. If i didn't already know those buildings haven't been built, i'd have trouble discerning the real ones from the fake ones.

[vdogg]

Well, I updated our forum page for the first time in 2 years, lol. I finally found a picture worthy enough to replace the ill-fated korean towers.

[pipdo]

Thanks, i'll enlarge it. What program did you use to extract this?

The program I used was called Fortop SWF Resource Extractor. I just grabbed it off download.com since it was free, so there might be something better out there that's also free, but I haven't tried anything else.

[urbanvb]

That is a great rendering-pic! Now, if we could just jump across the street and continue...

And to think just a few years back the only building there was Columbus One (reddish tall building).

Edited April 28, 2008 by urbanvb

[spiker3]

What is the 20 story building to the far left (i dont remember the block #s)

That really is a phenomenal picture

And i still curse Dave Hansen when i wake up each day vdogg

[vdogg]

What is the 20 story building to the far left (i dont remember the block #s)

That really is a phenomenal picture

And i still curse Dave Hansen when i wake up each day vdogg

That's the block 11 tower.

[metalman]

That's freakin' awesome! Now come on City Walk!...and Pembroke Mall...and Columbus station!...

[RJWGMU]

That's freakin' awesome! Now come on City Walk!...and Pembroke Mall...and Columbus station!...

Amen to that! It is amazing to me how much different the skyline looks with those two towers in the picture. Not only did they do a great job of rendering the image, but it just fills up so nicely! If only they will build a mid-high rise on the block between Cosmo and Westin and build something tall-ish behind the Sandler Center!

Something else... I have never noticed how much AH dwarfs One Columbus until now It's crazy!

Lastly, Taco Bell needs to GO!!!!! Get a twin of Gateway Bank Tower or something on that lot!

[urbanlife]

pembroke is the real key, if they grid that area out and create and urban mall and a couple garages then sell off the rest of the land, that would turn pembroke into a pretty large downtown.

[metalman]

Divaris' online mag. has updated info (and the new photo) on new blocks in Town Center

http://www.divaris.com/rereview/index.html

Most notibly- 10,000-square-foot fashion store (unnamed) , Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe (sound interesting), and....

The second new building to be added to the existing ten blocks will overlook Fountain Plaza, between The Cosmopolitan Luxury Apartments and The Westin. That building will accommodate retail on the ground floor and a 125-room boutique hotel on seven floors above. Negotiations are being finalized with one of the world

[RJWGMU]

Divaris' online mag. has updated info (and the new photo) on new blocks in Town Center

http://www.divaris.com/rereview/index.html

GREAT article! Wow, so much in there... Does anyone have pictures of Two Columbus Center?

Which hotel brand just launched a boutique model? Westin? Hyatt? Marriot?

Any idea who the second corporate or regional HQ tenant would be in the new office tower?

The Gelato shop sounds great!!

On an unrelated note, I will no longer be calling Virginia Beach home. I will be moving to Fairfax permanently this coming Wednesday. Hopefully you all can be sure to take lots of pictures for me!!

[urbanvb]

Great news. I had no idea this block would come along so quickly. One guess for the new hotel might be a W Hotel or Aloft, a newer concept from Starwood Hotels (aka Westin, Sheraton). I will try to take a few new pics of Two Columbus over the weekend.

Edited May 2, 2008 by urbanvb

[Shakman]

Great article... In that ariel shot, there seems to be a lot of open land screaming for urbanized developments.

Though a little oops from the article...

They say that the Westin is 500 ft tall and tallest between Charlotte and Philly.

If it is indeed 500 ft tall, then it is not the tallest beween Charlotte and Philly. Baltimore's Legg Mason is 529 ft tall.

I thought Westin was at 537ft?

Edited May 2, 2008 by Shakman

[spiker3]

Great news. I had no idea this block would come along so quickly. One guess for the new hotel might be a W Hotel or Aloft, a newer concept from Starwood Hotels (aka Westin, Sheraton). I will try to take a few new pics of Two Columbus over the weekend.

W possibly, almost definitely not aLoft, that wouldn't fit with the town center feel (it has a drive in car wash as feature) but anything's possible at this point.

[orulz]

Aloft is definitely a possibility - the hotel in Epicentre in downtown Charlotte is an Aloft. Hotel Indigo is a possibility as well.

[RJWGMU]

W possibly, almost definitely not aLoft, that wouldn't fit with the town center feel (it has a drive in car wash as feature) but anything's possible at this point.

I doubt Westin would allow for direct competition like that, so likely "W" ... They probably had this planned for while.

[hoobo]

I'm going to throw out the Kimpton Hotel chain. I stayed in one of their hotels in San Diego: very nice. They're out of San Fran but have a huge presence in D.C. metro area and are opening a location in Baltimore.

W seems to hip for Town Center. I could see them in Downtown Norfolk or as part of a new development at the Strip, but not TC. At least, not right now. But then again, it fits in with the mixed-use aspect. aLoft is interesting since it's more of burbs/small town offshoot of W, but who knows.

[vdogg]

Great article... In that ariel shot, there seems to be a lot of open land screaming for urbanized developments.

Though a little oops from the article...

They say that the Westin is 500 ft tall and tallest between Charlotte and Philly.

If it is indeed 500 ft tall, then it is not the tallest beween Charlotte and Philly. Baltimore's Legg Mason is 529 ft tall.

I thought Westin was at 537ft?

I think that figure has oscillated between 512 and 525 (i'll have to check some old articles to be sure), I don't recall 537 though, but i could be wrong. I'm pretty sure Legg Mason is still taller though, so that does appear to be a mistake. It would be more appropriate to say tallest between Charlotte and D.C.

[metalman]

In looking at the new CMSS ariel photo of the future TC, I noticed that they leveled the Taco Bell, you can see the top couple floors of what will be the new "Boutique Hotel", and just beyond that I see what looks to be an 'architecturally treated' roofline of a building where that restuarant managment business sits on the Central Park block.

From this angle, they showed us the final product of Town Center. The only thing not shown is the build out on the indi. side of the Sandler Center, the pedestrian bridge across VB Blvd, the bridge from the boutique hotel to the Cosmo parking garage, and whatever will eventually end up on the Taco Bell lot.

I'd love to see some kind of digital graphic fly-around of this finished product!

[HarryVB]

What is going on. Now its a boutique hotel?... On Block 9. It sounds pretty stupid. Im sure people are tired of seeing more hotels. They need to build something everyone wants to see with a wow reaction. Something people can do and will Enjoy.. IMAX Cinema on Block 9? So you can feel like your in the movie when u go with the seats rumbling or something.. Enough hotels for christ sakes.. Build something the locals and visitors would enjoy doing when they come to Town Center... Something Hampton Roads has never thought about doing and smack it right in the middle of Town Center on block 9 so you can draw others from the 6 other cities and surrounding counties..