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What's Your Vision for Richmond?

wrldcoupe4

By wrldcoupe4
in Richmond

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Downtowner Burg

Downtowner

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Coupe glad to see you create this I have some ideas I can vision for downtown. I would like to see Shockoe Bottom turned into a Shopping District full of shopping more Dining and even Entertainment. Shops Including Borders books and Music, A Sports Authority,an AMC Movie Theater, A bunch of new Condo's with a few of them being towers, A Mini Mall with about 50 to 60 Shops. Also for the Restaurant portion you could have a Hard Rock a Coyote Ugly a Red Robin and finally an Olive Garden.

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Joey, I remember when I was a young man, I had a vision for the 17th street farmer's market area. "Gee," I thought, "wouldn't it be neat if all the old storefronts and buildings lining 17th street were converted into an International strip of restaurants?" In my mind there would be French, Italian, German, Russian, Asian and South American restaurants in colorfully festooned buildings in the strip.

At that time the word "gentrification" was unknown. The row of buildings facing one another across the pitiful little market were run down, seedy and almost beyond dreams. The area seemed destined to remain the sad, desolate, sometime flood-plagued district no one wanted to visit.

Well, my dreams didn't fully materialize into an International Quarter, but look at it now! 17th, 18th, Main and Franklin Streets almost vibrant compared to their condition in the 1960s.

So, dream on, lad. You'll see the results as you age. :)

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Cadeho City

Cadeho

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Simply beautiful Downtowner :cry:

You know, with all the music going on in Shockoe Bottom, I don't think it has a music store. It could use one.

This is kind of my intent for the "What Do You Want?!" thread at the other site... it's amazing how many of my threads get ignored.

Of course I want to see E. Broad Street revived more than apartments. The apartments are sqeezing out space for anything big. I'd like to have a big store downtown to serve the market in the city people are afraid to touch.

I'd move the jail to the site of an unused industrial complex over southside and develop 18th and Oliver Hill Way for retail. Also the rest of the valley, if the rail companies would share or give up some land, build a couple of towers. Once we drive up 95, we pass the impressive skyline and drive past nothingness.

I'd like to see some of the towers downtown remade or demolished. The V-Dot building is handsome, but it needs some more umph. The Jefferson and Monroe buidings are just plain dreary! They need to come down and something of style should replace them. They can use the same orientation because I love how they're arranged. We need to lose the box image! I don't particularly like Dominion's building downtown... to much of an echo of the Federal Reseve although it is older.

And more lighting on our buildings! We are too dark and boring. Heck City Hall feels unfinished with the top left untouched. It'd be great to place some white lights like on the James Center Wachovia Building except vertical. Save the West Hospital! It's foolish for people to throw away diamonds.

I'd develop the eastern section of Jackson Ward with attractive mid-rises and townhomes. We need to demolish Gilpin and develop a little village reminiscent of the architectural styles of what used to be there. All of the ugly 1960s and 1970s apartments need to be demolished. I'd better protect historical places in the east end as they are rapidly disappearing. Northside needs to be cleaned out of the negative influences especially along North Ave. There are some very neat structures there.

Bring back the trolleys!

All of the ignored commercial strips that have been neglected wouldn't be neglected anymore.

Almost finally, enforce reginal cooperation and halt the ever expanding suburbs. Reuse what you have, counties, and stop being so wasteful. Plus there need to be more parks and green, open spaces all over the area.

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Cadeho City

Cadeho

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Nice Brent!

I'd replace the steeple on Trinty/New Light too. It was a grand structure. Heck I'd put the steeple back on St. Paul's too.

I think the entire Shockoe Bottom should be done in cobblestone and paving block. Just uncover it in most spots. But the big concrete slab roads... whose idea was that?! They have to go too.

I'd develop the large warehouses north of Broad between Oliver Hill and 18th.

I think you meant Broad and Brook. I'd rather see Maggie Walker on Monument.

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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I am sure that plans (or at least, hopes) were announced 10 years ago or so by the congregation of Trinity/New Light to restore a steeple. In fact, I believe fund raising was begun.

Also, an announcement was made by a group to erect a statue (I think of Maggie Walker) at the very spot mentioned above - the triangle at Broad and Adams/Brook Road.

What happens to these good intentions? Why do we never hear any follow-up? :dontknow:

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Brent Hamlet

Brent

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The last that I read on the Maggie Walker monument (about 3 years ago now) was that fund raising wasn't going well and that the statue of her was scaled back from something like 9 feet to 6 feet. The whole thing was only going to cost around $100K. I don't know how any fund raising committee couldn't raise that amount of money. If asked, Oprah alone would probably fund it, there's a Chicago connection there in addition to the other obvious ones. It is intended for Broad and Brook but I would like a more prominent location like at Belvedere. I think that it is important for it to be located in a business area. A site straddling white and black Richmond (historically anyway) would be fitting, plus the live oak which was supposed to be temporary when planted has grown into a nice looking tree at the Brook and Broad site. Does anyone remember the pine tree that was there until about 8 years ago? There was some (small) public outrage when it was chopped down to make way for the live oak. It had been a volunteer and had a nice beat the odds charm to it...

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TBurban Town

TBurban

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holy crap that looks awesome I would love that to go downtown that would look awesome but could see it at 35 floors making it the tallest in Richmond.

I attempted to make it taller but it seemed to begin to look out of place. I have a building that I could easily add height to if needed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37594671@N00/...in/photostream/ Opinions are always appreciated!

And I promise that this is the last word document building Ill post unless requested.

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Downtowner Burg

Downtowner

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yeah that looks awesome man. I think that would look awesome downtown we look forward to more of your drawings. But yea all three of those would be awesome it would be neat to have both canal pointe's as One and Two Canal Pointe make them like twins but at different heights you know almost like One & Two Liberty Place up in philadelphia.

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Cadeho City

Cadeho

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Nice Tommy I like the Key Building too. We have similar designs in our heads. I liked tapered buildings or even irregularly spaced ones. And I have a thing for cornices.

Are you using AutoCad? I wish I knew how to use that. I have several towers sketched out that'd look good I think like that.

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TBurban Town

TBurban

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Nice Tommy I like the Key Building too. We have similar designs in our heads. I liked tapered buildings or even irregularly spaced ones. And I have a thing for cornices.

Are you using AutoCad? I wish I knew how to use that. I have several towers sketched out that'd look good I think like that.

I havent been using AuotCad on these two renderings but Im taking a class that will allow me to make them 3 dimensional and give them more details. I hope to see your drawings when theyre digitized. :thumbsup:

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Cadeho City

Cadeho

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They're basically sketched ideas... people doodle... I make my doodles create a place. If my scanner was working I would. I've been using my camera to take pics of stuff lately but I could see how they come out.

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