Walmart at Town Center

[vdogg]

Freaking Walmart at Town Center?!?!?! So much for the urban development of the FX property. Absolutely horrible. Here's the link to wtkrs story. It's a short video that is listed under the featured videos list. Why do we consistently claim that we want urban development in that area and then turn around and shoot ourselves in the foot with Vitamin stores, dollar trees,

etc? It simply doesn't make sense.

[urbanvb]

Tell me it is not so! I was hoping for a nice mixed use development, something to complement TC and City View. And the possibility of a 2 storey Walmart? OMG! You noticed the words 'affordable shopping'. I mean I am all for something affordable but Walmart? The thing here is Walmart has deep pockets and the owner is probably looking to gain all he can, which I cannot blame him. But still, my hopes are dashed now.

This makes me want to write a letter to city council. Another thing is Walmart is notorious for traffic and the CBD already has more than it can handle. This is truly upsetting.

[vdogg]

And the worst part about this is that it is not city owned land, meaning there is really nothing they can do about it. Walmart is intent on shoving yet another store down our throats on prime land whether we want one or not. I guess the other 800 can't handle the demand. I wonder how the developer of City Center feels about this development. Is this what they were expecting when they located their development where it is? So much good could come from that land and they're just going to squander it on a big box store. I'm going to closely follow the planning commission meetings on this subject to see what they have to say. Hopefully there are a few roadblocks they can throw in the way.

[vdogg]

Tell me it is not so! I was hoping for a nice mixed use development, something to complement TC and City View. And the possibility of a 2 storey Walmart? OMG! You noticed the words 'affordable shopping'. I mean I am all for something affordable but Walmart? The thing here is Walmart has deep pockets and the owner is probably looking to gain all he can, which I cannot blame him. But still, my hopes are dashed now.

Not just that but they are calling it "Walmart at Town Center". I'm sorry but Walmart has absolutely nothing to do with town center and should not be able to just tack that name on as though they are anything but a big box store. They must think that we are complete morons. My only hope is from the words "Walmart plans a multilevel store". Perhaps this will be some new urban style Walmart that will be part of a larger development. I doubt it though.

[urbanvb]

That lot is huge. I would hope they would include other retail as well. This truly is so dissapointing. Perhaps a few of us could write the planning commission an email or letter.

[vdogg]

This makes me want to write a letter to city council. Another thing is Walmart is notorious for traffic and the CBD already has more than it can handle. This is truly upsetting.

I was thinking the same thing. This may be something we need to oppose. This is not the way to achieve the citys fabled comprehensive plan. It was a short article and other than confirming that walmart is interested no city official has come out to say which side of the fence they sit on this issue. I wish that City Walk would hurry up and get their ducks in a row so that their development can "influence" their surroundings in a more positive fashion.

[urbanvb]

Another thing I wonder is why the long wait. The video said it will be at least another year before anything is done. Wonder what the hold up is. This property has been empty for many years now.

[vdogg]

Another thing I wonder is why the long wait. The video said it will be at least another year before anything is done. Wonder what the hold up is. This property has been empty for many years now.

Perhaps the planning commission has already had a few choice words about this sale.

[willy]

This is why DT Norfolk will always be the premier downtown of Hampton Roads.

Wal-Mart at Town Center, I think I just vomited in my mouth from saying it.

[urbanvb]

Here is the planning commission's website and an email address is also provided there if others want to also write them.

[vdogg]

This is why DT Norfolk will always be the premier downtown of Hampton Roads.

Nobody has suggested that it wouldn't be, that really isn't what this is about. This is about Walmart gaining a toehold in a DT area and I don't think it should. If Va. Beach is truly going to realize its dream it has got to stay the course and not allow things like this to slip idly by.

[nrdzrool]

ugh. what an awful thing to hear about first thing in the morning. i think this just ruined my day.

if this goes through, the only glimmer of hope i can see is the remote chance that walmart may fork over a bit more money and have a well designed building put in there. i doubt it though. i can't wait to see how big the parking lot will be.

[hoobo]

Should've realized that Wal-mart wouldn't be held at bay forever. They wanted the TC site, but the City had other plans. Luckily, Divaris shared that vision. Obviously, the FX property owners don't share that same vision. Then again, I don't know what's worse, a Wal-mart or Bill's flea market. With so many projects in the pipeline for the Pembroke area, it would seem that redevelopment of the FX property is 5-10 years away at the very least.

I wonder how much a Wal-mart will impact traffic. That could be a strong rallying cry. Their impact has to be way more than Target, whose entrance into the market is another reason why Wal-mart wants in.

[grownsup]

Horrible News.

[mistermetaj]

Horrible News.

Luckily this isnt set in stone yet by any means. Right now they are only considering the spot along with lowes and target (though if target is going to the mall, then that really doesnt make any sense). From the way the owner of the FX property is portrayed, he sounds like a disgruntled VB citizen who doesnt like the expensive prices of town center, hense the "whatever comes here, it will be a big anchor store with affordable shopping." I guess in some outlandish way, he thinks he is doing VB residence a service by blocking nice developments on his property for large box retail.

Also, does anyone know about zoning restrictions that the city can enforce? A walmart or any other property owner cannot just come and build, it has to go through multiple planning phases...so can the city rezone the area to require more density and require walmart or whoever to turn the whole are into a mixed use property?

[mercuex]

mistermetal -

Unfortunately, the vast majority of modern planning codes are weighed heavily against multi-use developments. The very purpose of zoning was to split up different industries, originally to keep tenements from being built next to factories. Zoning laws, by definition, tend to favor sprawl and its usually a coup in itself when a city can even manipulate their own zoning ordinances to allow for the Town Centers, Port Warwicks, and City Centers to exist. Since the FX property is not part of the original TC site, it is subject to the old laws and has to proceed separately to get approval for mixed use. Its location near TC and the precedent set by TC helps a lot, but its still far easier for a big box retailer to develop than any kind of mixed use/urban village development.

It will be difficult for the City to just rezone the area now that its been bought and developments are being tenatively planned. It would be messed up if the city pulled the rug from under the developer just like that (and its a hell of a process anyway). If it did happen, while we'd be happy here, there would be a lot of developers, even TC developers, who would feel pretty pissed off that the city was messing with land like that, setting a potentially dangerous precedent. Could scare money out of Pembroke.

[mikeas]

Tell me it is not so! I was hoping for a nice mixed use development, something to complement TC and City View. And the possibility of a 2 storey Walmart? OMG! You noticed the words 'affordable shopping'. I mean I am all for something affordable but Walmart? The thing here is Walmart has deep pockets and the owner is probably looking to gain all he can, which I cannot blame him. But still, my hopes are dashed now.

This makes me want to write a letter to city council. Another thing is Walmart is notorious for traffic and the CBD already has more than it can handle. This is truly upsetting.

The brand new Vitamin Shop on the corner of Independence and VA Beach Blvd. already killed the urban development style, no point in building two story Walmart's if the land is available.

[hoobo]

VB Zoning Codes (pdf)

The FX property is zoned B-3.

Strategic Growth Plan (pdf)

Check out pages 69 and 70 (13 & 14 in pdf). The West Pembroke Area includes the FX property. The Comp Plan recommends mid-rise to high-rise mixed-use with garage parking and transit options. It calls for elimination of single-story structures and surface parking.

Based on these two documents, Wal-mart or any big-box store should not be allowed to redevelop the FX property into another big-box. There may be a legal battle, but with the comprehensive plan and zoning codes on the City's side, big-box development should be blocked out.

[urbanvb]

I highly doubt though it would scare any developers off from future construction. And although I don't know for sure I am thinking the old FX site would fall under the new changes and construction could be mixed use. But the good thing is that we don't know for sure that Walmart is coming but is being considered. Things could change.

I think later when I get time I do intend to email the planning commission and find out if legally Walmart could build here.

[vdogg]

"whatever comes here, it will be a big anchor store with affordable shopping."

I noticed that statement too and it seemed to be a little nimbyish to me, but i'm unsure what context to take it in. Between Pembroke mall and kmart we have plenty of affordable shopping right in the immediate area. What we are lacking is high end retail and I would surely hope that the owner is not trying to block that out of some sense of keeping Va. Beachs suburban character in that area. The way some of these property owners have been acting as of late however, you never know.

[vaceltic]

The planning commission can oppose the development by saying it does not fit into the comprehensive plan. A B-3 zoning would allow Wal-Mart to build there but there are other factors such as traffic, parking requirements, transit orientation, etc. that might be considered. If the surrounding area has been zoned with a mixed-use element, the planning commission could rezone the FX property into a mixed-use district which could kill the project because of its high traffic volumes and anti-pedestrian aspects. The owners would be unable to claim a takings because the land because mixed-use zoning would still allow them to sell to other developers and would not diminish the value of the property.

[rusthebuss]

Maybe this is why they are proposing a multistory Walmart and might have a garage there.

I'm not a Walmart hater but I think there is a place for everything and TC is not one of them. How many do we need in this area. I think there are more Walmarts than Farm Fresh stores

[vaceltic]

Hopefully the garage will surround Wal-Mart on all sides so we don't know its there!

[urbanvb]

I also noticed he said Walmart will be the anchor store so I assume there may be other stores as well. Sounds like another strip center to me.

[ace707]

Wal-mart at Town Center is like a porno with acting, they just don't mix. If they bring wal-mart over and in the future Town Center is grown out, I'm sure going to make sure they stay away from that side. I'll tell outsiders that we left the Town Center district when we crossed the street to get to the Wal-Mart side lol.