Richmond off-topic postings

[eandslee]

I didn’t get any photos because I was running, but ran past the Novell project in Scott’s - looks like they’ve built a parking deck and they have built up to the second floor on the residence building, but oddly enough, no tower crane.  There is equipment on site for the little strip mall across the street from the Diamond (on AA), but no real build-up yet.  Also ran right by Parc View and it was towering above us at 9 floors. 
 

Part II:

Probably 10s of thousands of people out there today!  This event does a great job in showcasing Richmond.  Love it for that!

Edited November 13, 2022 by eandslee

[Hike]

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

I didn’t get any photos because I was running, but ran past the Novell project in Scott’s - looks like they’ve built a parking deck and they have built up to the second floor on the residence building, but oddly enough, no tower crane.  There is equipment on site for the little strip mall across the street from the Diamond (on AA), but no real build-up yet.  Also ran right now to to Parc View and it was towering above us at 9 floors. 
 

Part II:

Probably 10s of thousands of people out there today!  This event does a great job in showcasing Richmond.  Love it for that!

Ran and provided photos, awesome! Enjoy your post run meal and congratulations on completing.

[I miss RVA]

@eandslee-- VERY awesome!! Humble thanks to you and Mrs. Eandslee for taking so many AMAZING photos. Looks like the weather for the marathon couldn't have been more beautiful!

MAZAL TOV on completing the race! How did you do? (That is, do you know your official time?)

Beautiful photos - thanks so much for providing them for us! YOU DA MAN!!!

[eandslee]

I did okay. I don’t have my official time yet, but I clocked in about 1 hour 53 minutes  for 13.1.  Not bad for an old 47-year old man. 

[I miss RVA]

1 minute ago, eandslee said:

I did okay. I don’t have my official time yet, but I clocked in about 1 hour 53 minutes  for 13.1.  Not bad for an old 47-year old man. 

Not bad at all!!

Well done! 

[I miss RVA]

Good article in today's RBS re: the city's office of Planning and Development Review - and the work the city has put in both in terms of hirings, process streamlining, looking at upgrading software, etc., to significantly reduce the backlog of permit requests and dramatically improve the level of throughput regarding getting permits pushed through the system so that developments don't merely sit on the shelf and collect dust when they could be stirring up dust by breaking ground and getting underway. Barring the other inherent delays (such as materials procurement, costs, supply chain problems, etc.) this alone should have a significant impact on the pace of RVA developments - and hopefully it will really knock down the time between a project getting announced and shovels going into the ground. Good commentary by Bruce as well.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/11/16/we-took-that-as-a-challenge-to-change-richmond-reduces-permit-backlog-delays/

[Downtowner]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

Good article in today's RBS re: the city's office of Planning and Development Review - and the work the city has put in both in terms of hirings, process streamlining, looking at upgrading software, etc., to significantly reduce the backlog of permit requests and dramatically improve the level of throughput regarding getting permits pushed through the system so that developments don't merely sit on the shelf and collect dust when they could be stirring up dust by breaking ground and getting underway. Barring the other inherent delays (such as materials procurement, costs, supply chain problems, etc.) this alone should have a significant impact on the pace of RVA developments - and hopefully it will really knock down the time between a project getting announced and shovels going into the ground. Good commentary by Bruce as well.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/11/16/we-took-that-as-a-challenge-to-change-richmond-reduces-permit-backlog-delays/

i mean to just hear Bruce say where we were and where we are now and where we will be within the next few years is insane. To hear the median city income is 80k and could be 100k within the next few years is mind boggling. Something I never thought I would ever see. Congrats to everyone involved in making this happen. Developers and construction companies are very happy to see this. 

[I miss RVA]

33 minutes ago, Downtowner said:

i mean to just hear Bruce say where we were and where we are now and where we will be within the next few years is insane. To hear the median city income is 80k and could be 100k within the next few years is mind boggling. Something I never thought I would ever see. Congrats to everyone involved in making this happen. Developers and construction companies are very happy to see this. 

AMEN!!  Couldn't agree more, @Downtowner

And re: Bruce - recall that FOR YEARS he was among THE MOST VOCAL about how the city was BADLY fumbling the permit review/approval process - and how severely the backlog was impacting development. At one point, Bruce had pointed out that were was well over $1 billion of development clogged up in the pipeline just waiting to get through - imagine where RVA would be if that backlog had been cleared out a couple of years ago. Holy wow...

Re: the uptick in the median income - pretty amazing to say the least. Now we just need to get the actual raw population figures to move up as impressively. Glad to see the income level of the city going up - but I'd like RVA to do a LOT better than just incremental growth in terms of volume of population. I want us to reach -- or better yet, exceed -- that 340,000 mark that city planners were saying we COULD hit by the tricentennial in 2037. 

[eandslee]

7 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Good article in today's RBS re: the city's office of Planning and Development Review - and the work the city has put in both in terms of hirings, process streamlining, looking at upgrading software, etc., to significantly reduce the backlog of permit requests and dramatically improve the level of throughput regarding getting permits pushed through the system so that developments don't merely sit on the shelf and collect dust when they could be stirring up dust by breaking ground and getting underway. Barring the other inherent delays (such as materials procurement, costs, supply chain problems, etc.) this alone should have a significant impact on the pace of RVA developments - and hopefully it will really knock down the time between a project getting announced and shovels going into the ground. Good commentary by Bruce as well.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/11/16/we-took-that-as-a-challenge-to-change-richmond-reduces-permit-backlog-delays/

NBC12 did a story on this subject too (and was not an exact carbon copy of the RBS article).  Here it is.   A pretty nice read (the associated video is very good too with some great shots of some of the projects around town):

https://www.nbc12.com/2022/11/16/richmond-building-blitz-permit-backlog-nearly-1200-cleared/

Edited November 17, 2022 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

37 minutes ago, eandslee said:

NBC12 did a story on this subject too (and was not an exact carbon copy of the RBS article).  Here it is.   A pretty nice read (the associated video is very good too with some great shots of some of the projects around town):

https://www.nbc12.com/2022/11/16/richmond-building-blitz-permit-backlog-nearly-1200-cleared/

Good report! Super important point that the reporting brought out: the throughput for a building permit used to take anywhere from 45 to 60 days. Now - no more than a five business-day wait. BIG BIG improvement! That's MUCH more like it!

I can't help but wonder how much this problem with the city planning/review department had to do with the ridiculous lags in some of the bigger-ticket projects that we read about in RBS a year (or more!) ago - that are only just now getting underway? As we approach the end of the year, it does seem like the level of activity has really picked up in the last couple of months, even with the current economic situation (inflation/elevated construction costs/supply chain/materials shortages, etc.)  As the city is becoming more efficient on the processing side - that HAS to have a positive impact on the rate of transition from proposed/announced/approve - to ground broken/under construction.

[I miss RVA]

My dear friends - I just wanted to wish everyone and all in our wonderful RVA/UP community a very Happy Thanksgiving!! May today be a day of family, friends, food, football, fun and festivity for all of you. Hope the weather in the River City is nice, particularly if you're going out to visit family/friends today/tonight. Everyone - enjoy the day - stay safe and be well! 

[Hike]

4 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

My dear friends - I just wanted to wish everyone and all in our wonderful RVA/UP community a very Happy Thanksgiving!! May today be a day of family, friends, food, football, fun and festivity for all of you. Hope the weather in the River City is nice, particularly if you're going out to visit family/friends today/tonight. Everyone - enjoy the day - stay safe and be well! 

Thanks man, just sitting here in a food coma! 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Hike said:

Thanks man, just sitting here in a food coma! 

 

You KNOW the Thanksgiving meal was good when the entire household is snoring for a couple of hours afterwards. 

Edited November 25, 2022 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Our good friends over at Richmond BizSense have added their first new area to their initial offerings of metro RVA development maps. This new one focuses on central Henrico County. This is their first addition to their collection of area-specific interactive development maps since they first launched this concept several months ago.

Check it out!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/11/23/central-henrico-development-map/

[eandslee]

Sorry I’ve been MIA this week. I just returned from a cruise I took with my family for Thanksgiving. Hope everyone’s holiday was a good one!  Good to be back home…and now, back on the boards!

[Shakman]

I still have a food coma from Thanksgiving.

[I miss RVA]

13 hours ago, eandslee said:

Sorry I’ve been MIA this week. I just returned from a cruise I took with my family for Thanksgiving. Hope everyone’s holiday was a good one!  Good to be back home…and now, back on the boards!

Welcome back to Crazyville! 

[eandslee]

2 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Welcome back to Crazyville! 

Hoping the "crazy" you mention is a crazy frenzy of economic growth and lots more announcements and groundbreakings of major projects in the Richmond area!   

[I miss RVA]

5 minutes ago, eandslee said:

Hoping the "crazy" you mention is a crazy frenzy of economic growth and lots more announcements and groundbreakings of major projects in the Richmond area!   

Now that you mention it, yes, that, too. Though I was really thinking more of the nuttiness that is the UP RVA forums! 

[I miss RVA]

Axios Richmond's reporting on upcoming zoning changes being considered by the city.

1 big thing: Loosening Richmond's zoning laws

City officials want to make it easier for homeowners to build a second, smaller house in their backyard.

What's happening: A new proposal would allow accessory dwelling units — sometimes referred to as in-law suites or granny flats — to be constructed in any single-family-zoned neighborhood without any special approval.

Why it matters: It's one of three major zoning changes officials unveiled this week following months of public meetings and studies broadly aimed at increasing the supply of housing in the city while making life easier for businesses.

State of play: Currently, accessory dwelling units must be individually approved by the city's planning commission.

• Under the new code, they'd be allowed by right.
• The size of the unit, which could be freestanding or attached, would be limited to a third of the size of the primary house or 500 square feet, whichever is greater.

 A second proposal would eliminate all minimum parking requirements from the city's zoning code.

• At a meeting earlier this week, planners described it as a chance to redevelop surface parking lots downtown, lower the cost of building new housing and make it easier for small businesses to open.
• One example: Under current city code, the building that used to house the restaurant Mojo's is required to have 23 off-street spaces. An exemption is grandfathered in, but if a new business moved in, they would have to spend time and money to get a new special-use permit, officials said.

Worth noting: City officials stressed that most developers would likely still provide parking.

• A study of 50 recent projects by the city's planning department counted 12,646 parking spaces — 7,857 more than required under current zoning laws.

Last, officials are proposing loosening licensing requirements for Airbnbs and other short-term rentals.

• The changes include eliminating a residency requirement but setting limits on how many rentals would be allowed per neighborhood and building.

What's next: The city is still holding information sessions, with a virtual meeting tonight at 6pm.

• The proposals go before the Richmond City Council next year.

Check out the story in today's Axios Richmond:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-richmond-2c077f74-8d5a-4556-ac67-f858e946bc61.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_richmond&stream=top

Edited December 9, 2022 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Folks - some more REALLY good national pub for Richmond!

Amtrak is doing something of a service rebrand, slated to launch in 2026 - "Amtrak Airo - A New Era of Rail". They've unveiled a new ad campaign, available on YouTube (and I would imagine it will be airing across multiple platforms on multiple sites) - and they've released their first promotional video.

Guess which city is the FIRST city shown on their video montage of destinations in their "Routes Across America" campaign" ???

Below is a hint. 

And here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3-EIFeM27U

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by I miss RVA

[blopp1234]

2 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Folks - some more REALLY good national pub for Richmond!

Amtrak is doing something of a service rebrand, slated to launch in 2026 - "Amtrak Airo - A New Era of Rail". They've unveiled a new ad campaign, available on YouTube (and I would imagine it will be airing across multiple platforms on multiple sites) - and they've released their first promotional video.

Guess which city is the FIRST city shown on their video montage of destinations in their "Routes Across America Campaign" ???

Below is a hint. 

And here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3-EIFeM27U

 

Was very excited when I saw this a few days ago! The rebranding is coming due to Amtrak announcing a brand new fleet of regional trains that will operate on all the state supported corridors outside of the Midwest, especially in Virginia, so we will be seeing new European style modern trains arriving in RVA by the end of the decade. Once this round of projects is complete, the next big steps for Virginia in terms of Amtrak will be adding cross state service from Newport News to Cville and routing all trains through downtown Richmond. 
 

Speaking of routing all trains through downtown, I saw on the NC rail forum a few months back that that should be completed by 2040, which I wish would be sooner but I’m sure if funding becomes available sooner that could expedite the timeline. Also saw on the NC Rail board that the 110 mph S-line that will cut travel time between Richmond and Raleigh from over 4 hours to under 2.5 hours, will be operational by 2035 at the latest. It’s been included in Amtraks 2035 service expansion plans and they’ve already thrown their hat into the ring for funding for it.
 

Exciting times for passenger rail in Virginia!

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, blopp1234 said:

Was very excited when I saw this a few days ago! The rebranding is coming due to Amtrak announcing a brand new fleet of regional trains that will operate on all the state supported corridors outside of the Midwest, especially in Virginia, so we will be seeing new European style modern trains arriving in RVA by the end of the decade. Once this round of projects is complete, the next big steps for Virginia in terms of Amtrak will be adding cross state service from Newport News to Cville and routing all trains through downtown Richmond. 
 

Speaking of routing all trains through downtown, I saw on the NC rail forum a few months back that that should be completed by 2040, which I wish would be sooner but I’m sure if funding becomes available sooner that could expedite the timeline. Also saw on the NC Rail board that the 110 mph S-line that will cut travel time between Richmond and Raleigh from over 4 hours to under 2.5 hours, will be operational by 2035 at the latest. It’s been included in Amtraks 2035 service expansion plans and they’ve already thrown their hat into the ring for funding for it.
 

Exciting times for passenger rail in Virginia!

Biggest thing needed now is getting that downtown railway bridge replaced and the track upgraded coming south out of Main Street Station so trains no longer have to take the CSX A-Line through the western part of the city to Staples Mill. That's the key to getting real north-south traffic moving through Main Street Station. and my guess is that's something we won't see until sometime next decade (meaning, in the decade of the 2030s).

Check out this time-progressed projection of service increases of Amtrak traffic to be routed through Main Street Station between 2019-20-21 and beyond 2040, courtesy of the 2022 Virginia Statewide Rail Plan, which was created by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. Main Street Station figures prominently in the state's future as something of a nexus of statewide rail travel, building over the next 15-20 years and certainly after 2040.  My only personal lament - having just turned 60, I'll need to live to 100 to really see how all of this plays out!

Nonetheless, indeed - as you said - exciting times!

BELOW are key slides from the 2022 VSRP with SPECIFIC focus on MAIN STREET STATION. You can check out the entire VSRP report at:  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/f83c1618157b45388bc794dde93d0f81?item=1

SLIDE 1 - The bourgeoning DC2RVA line - with new direct service to/from Washington originating and ending at Main Street Station - this service is underway (in addition to already established thru service via Main Street Station to/from Newport News).

 

SLIDE 2 -- Additional direct service to/from Washington (DC2RVA) originating and ending and Main Street Station as well as additional thru service via Main Street Station to/from Newport News -- PROJECTED IN 2026

 

SLIDE 3 -- Completion of the TRV - Phase 2 (which if I'm understanding this correctly is the phase 2 portion of the order of projects listed in Transforming Rail in Virginia which will have significant track enhancements, the new bridge in NOVA, third track in Hanover and in other locations, greatly increasing capacity between Washington and Richmond) - will allow for significantly enhanced direct north-south service between D.C. and RVA (beginning and ending at Main Street Station). PROJECTED BETWEEN 2026-2030.

 

SLIDE 4 - This could be considered the Holy Grail for RVA and Main Street Station: FULL north-south traffic routed THRU MAIN STREET STATION - which means the railway bridge spanning the James River will have been replaced, track will have been updated, and north-south trains will be routed off of the CSX A-Line to come east into the central city, stopping at MSS. Notice this includes thru-traffic via Main Street Station to/from Norfolk AS WELL AS SERVICE TO/FROM RALEIGH. PROJECTED BETWEEN 2030-2040.

 

SLIDE 5 -- An alternative proposal - which would convert a significant number of DC2RVA trains that begin/end at Main Street Station into thru-traffic via Main Street Station to/from Norfolk - essentially extending the Virginia terminus of the line to Norfolk instead of Richmond. Two alternatives proposed - one which routes all southbound trains from Main Street Station to Norfolk; the other which routes southbound trains from Main Street Station to Raleigh via the S Line. PROJECTED - BY 2040.

 

SLIDE 6 - THE FULL BUILDOUT - with additional -- HIGH SPEED -- rail service to/from Raleigh - routing ALL north-south trains (except for AutoTrain, if I remember correctly, yes?) via Main Street Station. PROJECTED - BY 2040.

Edited December 20, 2022 by I miss RVA

[plain]

Am I the only one who still thinks about Bart Simpson every time I hear someone sing Jingle Bells?

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, plain said:

Am I the only one who still thinks about Bart Simpson every time I hear someone sing Jingle Bells?

Love it!

When I was in high school, a good friend of mine and I did a "re-write" of some of the lyrics to "Jingle Bells" to lampoon how commercial the holiday season had become. (What's sad was this little re-write is circa 1980 - ugh... where did the time go?)

Dashing through the malls... with credit card in hand
Christmas trees galore, it's a winter wonderland...
Newspaper ads all say... "shop NOW to quench your thirst!"
The grocery stores all stock fresh eggnog by October 1st...

OH!!

Jingle Bells, nothing sells, like a Christmas ad today
Get those decorations up! Now HURRY! Don't delay-HEY!!
The Holidays are in air, or so it would seem
That we're saying "Merry Christmas" three weeks ahead of Halloween