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Broad Street Revitalization

wrldcoupe4

By wrldcoupe4
in Richmond

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  • 5 weeks later...

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scootergirl Crossroads

scootergirl

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I have also just moved to jackson ward (2nd and Marshall, in what I like to call the Hairdid Neighborhood, haha). Between my slow efforts to meet my neighbors and a few extended dog walks, I've got a few baby factoids.

I pass the CNB a few times a day, and nothing is happening there right now. I'll let y'all know when stuff starts happening.

There is a little thrift shop (junk shop is probably closer to the truth...) across the street from me. For quite a while, the guy that runs the place had a sign in the window that said "$500 for everything". Why the hurry to get out, especially when clearly he's been hoarding crap in there for long enough that he kind of has to climb over it to escape? And double especially when a friend tried to purchase a suitcase off of him and the guy opened the door on the unit next door, which is literally PACKED with bicycles? Humorously, there is an old work permit in the window of the bikehole, a few years out of date. It was to become a bike shop. Someone stopped quite literally in the middle of putting primer up on a wall--the open can left there, dried up and old old old. So anyways, the junkman said that there is a guy that owns nearly all of a 4 block radius, and that he's got some big plan. And therefore everyone is slowly but surely moving out of those spaces. Jemal has signs on a few of the already vacant buildings in the immediate area, so it's probably a safe assumption that he's the "guy that owns 4 blocks".

interestingly the corresponding larger junk shop that is on broad proper now also has BUY ALL OF OUR CRAP signs posted all over the place...so I think we're getting closer. Heh, and I think that my hood is going to get hella loud with construction stuff by spring.

The Popkin Tavern is now open, and there is some SERIOUS money in that place. The food is very eh, but the room will bring folks in. it's a pretty neat space.

Tarrant's Cafe has just opened in the old Tarrant's Drugstore building at 1 W Broad.

There's a restaurant whose name is escaping me that recently opened on E Clay near 3rd St. It has a very cool look to it and lunch looks affordable and tasty, but it was late and I don't think my dog would have made a particularly good dinner companion.

you know, there is a super easy and necessary thing that Richmond needs to figure out to make downtown its own living breathing entity, and that's where to put the trashcans. every morning I hear the street cleaners going down my street, and I'm glad that they do because every night the place is a wreck with litter and garbage. I've had words with folks dropping their crap on what is now my front lawn, and my neighbors have had words with them too. you can't stop all of the people that litter, because there will always be someone that doesn't have enough respect for where ever they are to drop trash right there, but if there were trashcans at the places where you'd expect them to be, that'd probably eliminate a lot of the problem. Walk around the broad street area with something you want to throw away and you'll find that the cans are always in the least useful area.

Actually, it's not just broad st. The Canal Walk has the same problem. richmond seems to have left trash receptacle placement to a forgotten afterthought, and it just makes it so much more attractive to litter when you don't know if you'll ever find a trash can.

heh, I'll stop ranting about garbage now. please return to your regularly scheduled...stuff.

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wrldcoupe4 Metropolitan Area

wrldcoupe4

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Long time! Thanks for stopping by again. Hope the scooter shop is going well.

Anyways, nice assessment and I totally agree about trashcans. I've had trash before and had to walk blocks before finding a trashcan. No wonder people just chuck stuff on the ground.

Do you know which 4 blocks the guy is talking about? There are some vacant lots there. If you give me some more info, I'll see what I can find out.

Jamal owns the CNB and the United Way building... I think he may own a few others.

I drove along that stretch of Broad this past week and it's definitely turning a corner, but still needs a lot of work.

Keep us updated on your new neighborhood!

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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The building at 2nd and Clay which once had aspiratiions to become the 2C Hotel is undergoing work. When I was there in late October, it was obvious that s some kind of interior demolitioin was underway with a number of workmen on site.

Scooter, I passed your shop at the end of Manchester Bridge and thought about dropping by. However, I had come from up the street where I had called on another forum participant. I think my drop-in visit there was a bit inconvenient, so was reluctant to pop in on you unannounced.

Nice to have your comments, as usual.

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Scooter and Coupe. The developer in Jackson Ward referred to may not be Jemal but Ron Stallings. He's been promising major development for decades. The Hippodrome revitalization is one of his supposed projects, but I walked all around it and there's not a sign of any activity. Have to admit, though, that the place probably has a larger stage area than I had thought. Would love to get inside.

A man in the former DOSE coffee shop said Stallings stiill has plans for the entertainment venue, and he told me that Stallings has an office somewhere on 1st Street. I decided to check him out in person, so walked down 2nd to Leigh, was tempted to stop in CROAKER'S SPOT for lunch, but there was a line out the door; went a block west to 1st, turned south. There has been considerable upkeep on some of the houses in the area. Heading south on 1st, I turned into an alley and ran into the rear wall of the Hippodrome. After inspecting it, I went back to 1st and discovered MIKE AND MIKE AT MAGGIE'S CAFE. Had a nice chat with the chef, then continued south toward Broad. Never did find Stalling's office and ended up having iced tea at TARRANT'S DRUG on Broad at Foushee.

It was on this walking tour that I discovered work in progress at the 2C property.

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scootergirl Crossroads

scootergirl

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hrmm...I think I will have to go talk to the neighbors some more to figure out what is what on what guy and which 4 blocks he has in mind.

the proposed condos in the 2C building look sweeeeeeeet. check about halfway down this page for a pair of delicious looking photos. there are some other jackson ward projects listed here that I hadn't heard of previously as well.

http://urbanitedigs.com/properties/sale/default.asp

re: ron stallings....I looked at a few of the rentals that his company had available before I chose my current crib in jackson ward. I'll admit that I was somewhat underwhelmed by the properties that his company had available. I hope that the poor to mediocre quality that was displayed in those units was because they were aiming for affordable housing (as opposed to the overpriced polished turd feel that you get in some of the "renovated" units on the rental market). the apartments were not of the quality one would hope. I would hate to see the 4 blocks in question be done poorly as that would obviously hurt the neighborhood instead of help it.

burt, it's generally quite alright to drop into my shop whenever you're in the neighborhood, but I'll admit that the last month has bit a bit on the chaotic side. it should chill out here a bit in the next week or so. hopefully. :)

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Good story by Carol Hazard on today's Business page of the RTD.

She writes about conversion of the old Emrick Chevrolet building into condos.

There will be 25 "flats" on four levels ranging in price from $130K to $300K. Some will have 13-foot ceilings in the pie-shaped building and there will be very few 90-degree corners.

Fourteen have already been reserved.

The flat iron structure is between West Broad and West Marshall slightly north of Broad where Adams Street and Brook Road diverge in Jackson Ward.

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  • 1 month later...
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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Style has spoken on what it calls Empty Promises in a long cover story about The Greater Richmond Convention Center.

Ryan Ramsey at RCW has revived a thread with an unfortunate title decrying the structure as "DOA". But, Ryan's first comment in the revival of the thread is most decidedly upbeat. A poster who is known as reachingsumwhere continues Ryan's point of view despite rebuffs from opponents.

Not withstanding its shortcomings, the giant is here to stay. Critics would do well to suggest improvements rather than bemoan its existence.

Like Venture Richmond, it is not easy to get a response from the convention center when one has suggestions or even questions. When finally the person who holds a top position in management of the facility made contact, we had a pleasant and lively discussion. I had suggested they follow up a lead about contacting a very large National group that books about five conventions of 5000+ people annualy. Large conventions plan ahead -- way ahead, like three or four years. When I contacted my convention source during all these attempts, she smiled politely and said that she and the GRCC had played "phone tag", but her pleasant demeanor and avoidance of discussion left me with the feeling that negotiations were not progressing.

The pleasant and informative gentleman with whom I finally dealt with at GRCC promised to personally contact my source. I have not heard from either party since.

My impression from GRCC was that said convention, usually held in big cities like Dallas, Atlanta, etc., was simply out of its league. Lack of hotel rooms was mentioned as a major concern.

Which brings me to the low occupancy rate for downtown hotels. Mr. P. C. Amin, with 18 Metro Richmond hotels in his portfolio and seven more on the drawing boards apparently is not disuaded by the low figures. He says he wants to (and will) build a first-class full service hotel in Center City.

Wrldcope4 recently posted reality renderings of the proposed replacement for the Murphy's Hotel building. The northwest view makes the stretch of Broad look like a boulevard. Improvements between Fifth and First streets are certainly on the horizon, while Furniture Row and other commercial/residential buildings westward to VCU are making the area quite desirable.

VCU Medical expansion; a new Children's Hospital filling the block of 10th, 11th, Broad and Marshall; aforementioned new state offices on Broad between 8th and 9th; the restored National Theater; the new Fed Court House; Richmond CenterStage; a new Miller & Rhoads hotel, and possibly another hotel by Mr. Amin are a fast rising tide for the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

And here's a bit of trivia: When Barack Obama was in town recently, the Convention Center served the largest plated sit-down dinner in Virginia's history. Upwards of 4000 meals were enjoyed by the sell-out crowd.

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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At night this weekend, the interior was lit up on several floors. Just because changes to the facade aren't occurring doesn't mean nothing is being done inside. That's where the bulk of the work will be taking place anyway.

I hope that's true with the National, too.

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