Broad Street Revitalization

[Cadeho]

Less art, more materialism. A rebirth to me would make downtown the Mecca of the region for EVERYTHING. It seems to be 1000 years to never before that will happen.

[burt]

Here's the Times Dispatch story about revitalization efforts along Broad Street that Coupe alerted us to:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satel...p;oasPN=%21news

Oooops! I goofed. Will try again in another post.

[burt]

Here's the correct story about Broad Street. Sorry for the error above.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satel...mesdispatch.com

[wrldcoupe4]

Heating Up Broad Street

Revitalization along Broad Street is really getting a lot of press lately, and I couldn't be happier.

Armed with support from the city building commissioner's office and help from Richmond's arts community, Robinson has launched a project to inject even more life into a commercial corridor that is experiencing a slow renaissance after falling into decades of neglect.

Robinson has identified 59 vacant storefronts along a seven-block stretch of Broad Street, from Belvidere to Second Street, and he is cleaning up those storefronts and then either placing collections of art in the windows or painting murals on them. If the electrical wiring in the buildings allows, the storefronts will be illuminated at night.

His mission is simple:

"I want to bring downtown back to life," said Robinson, who is negotiating with one potential sponsor and seeking others to help fund his project, called "Vacant Spaces Equal Artful Places." .....

[burt]

Downtown can do with more father/daughter combinations like Tom and Amanda Robinson. Congratulations and thanks to them for their efforts toward beautifying the blooming arts district.

[wrldcoupe4]

The city is going to be aggressively fighting blight through various means according to the mayor. One of the first targeted areas is the intersection of Broad and Second St:

Spot blight abatement is a state law now being used by the City to address community decay, where landowners simply let their buildings sit empty and further deteriorate, leaving only an eyesore for those citizens who pass by in their daily routines. The City's immediate attention is focused on several long-empty buildings at Broad and Second Streets, a major gateway into historic Jackson Ward.

Eliminating blighted buildings is a major component of my plan to clean up our community and fight crime. Additional instances of decades-old, run-down buildings will be addressed using this state law. If a landowner fails to fix up a property, the City can make repairs and charge those expenses to the owner or confiscate the property and sell it to someone who will make the necessary repairs.

Slumlords beware! We're taking back our city.

[Icetera]

The city is going to be aggressively fighting blight through various means according to the mayor. One of the first targeted areas is the intersection of Broad and Second St:

Slumlords beware! We're taking back our city.

So glad to see this!

[ric75]

The city is going to be aggressively fighting blight through various means according to the mayor. One of the first targeted areas is the intersection of Broad and Second St:

Slumlords beware! We're taking back our city.

Thanks for the heads up Coupe. I hadn't gotten around to reading the newsletter yet. Glad to see the Mayor attacking the mini-ghetto on Broad St. This area is the last haven of the urban decay Broad Street has seen in recent decades. Most areas along Broad are seeing great improvements but not this ~ 4-5 block stretch. It's only a matter of time before infill and revitalization from the east and west take over it but the sooner we deal with it the better and I appreciate Mayor Wilder taking a hard-line stance on the issue.

[burt]

As Coupe reminds us, a new group called Prodigy Partners is going to help things along in the Broad Street corridor, too.

See what they are doing with the old Lighthouse diner over on Hull Street for starters:

http://richmondva.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/89

[Icetera]

Wow, that is beautiful. I hope they keep it close to the original.

[burt]

Wow, that is beautiful. I hope they keep it close to the original.

Ice, trying hitting http://www.richmondva.wordpress.com/

Without the added numbers behind the site, you'll get some interesting stuff.

Though I'm sorry the blogger is clinging to his doubts about an upcoming groundbreaking.

[Cadeho]

I was taking night pictures on Broad last nigth and it is very very depressing. I'm sorry, I have no hope for deadtown.

[wrldcoupe4]

It's a good thing not all people lack hope for Broad Street. It'll feel good to prove you wrong.

[Cadeho]

When I see Broad St, I see the flight to Short Pump and other places. I get even more depressed to think of all that vacant space being converted to condos with sandwich shops underneath and that is Richmond's version of a comeback.

Last night I saw all the chained and vacant storefronts, the peeling paint, the old 1960s fa

[ric75]

When I see Broad St, I see the flight to Short Pump and other places. I get even more depressed to think of all that vacant space being converted to condos with sandwich shops underneath and that is Richmond's version of a comeback.

Last night I saw all the chained and vacant storefronts, the peeling paint, the old 1960s fa

[Cadeho]

Hahaha! How are condos with sandwich shops under them (which are on the bottom rung of developments happening downtown) somehow anyway inferior to the ersatz crap popping up in woods around Short Pump? I'll never understand why you continue to give credence to the same suburban developments that last for 10 years and then fall off the map. If you can't see what's happening downtown then I don't know what could ever possibly change your mind. These "cowboy" businesses are the beginnings of change for areas of Broad Street that have been vacant and run down for YEARS. You call them cowboys, most call them pioneers. And the fact that these pioneer restaurants continue to succeed bodes well for the areas that they decide to move into. Change never happens as quickly as we would like but Richmond is heading in the right direction. As far as I'm concerned Richmond is already a great city to live in and on its way to becoming a destination. It won't happen tomorrow or next year but look for the many changes that have occurred to continue into the next decade. You need to find that one positive bone in our body and nurture it instead of wallowing around in despair.

I didn't say the businesses were cowboy, just the getting tough attitude on the blight by this law and the city itself. The city's answer is to bulldoze everything and leave it sitting as a field as evidenced in the East End. We can't even flex muscle in fixing the schools, getting rid of the homeless, and tearing down all the public housing complexes. All they'll do is paint the exteriors and still have vacant buildings sitting there for many more years.

The condo/sandwich shop combo is inferior to what's going on to the west on both sides of the river because they're not doing anything to really boost downtown or bring in all people. It's not enough to lure the suburbanite. It's not enough to lure a lot of city residents. It only caters to 1% of the entire population much like the performing arts center would have. WE NEED MAJOR RETAIL ON BROAD east of Broad, not some row of art galleries with condos on top. We need multi-level big-time shopping there again. No I haven't given up on downtown or Broad, but everyone else has. The best it can do is have these condo/sandwich shop developments, and you seem quite satisfied with that. They need a developer to snatch up each of the properties and help lure stores this city hasn't seen to make it the place to go again. But for me, I can't do anything downtown but take pictures. Maybe if I want to go to a pawn shop, I'll know where to go. What the heck am I going to do with an art gallery? And this is coming from someone who likes to draw and likes art, but I am not interested at this moment in my life. And I'm not saying they should not be there, but BRING SOMETHING ELSE AS WELL!

Farther west on Broad looks satisfying with the exception of the old Sears building which could be put to better use. It's bustling much much more than east Broad after hours. If all that Broad east of Belvidere is good for are galleries and skimpy sandwich shops and that is your idea of progress, then downtown will never be anything to attract people from around the region.

[wrldcoupe4]

The most successful sort of revitalization effort in Richmond seems to be that which takes small but frequent steps. Big steps to revitalize like 6th Street and the Convention Center are not successful. Broad's comeback is occurring in stages. After starting at rock bottom = urban decay, the first organic step is for adventurous/creative types to come into an area. This, to your unfortunate dismay, includes restaurants, artists and art galleries, and young people looking to live in an urban environment. And just quickly, to call the new and highly successful restaurants along broad "skimpy sandwich shops" is insulting considering the hard work, risk, and diverse cuisines offered by these restaurateurs. After these urban "frontiersmen" enter an area, properties become cleaned up, vacancies lower, and property values and rents increase. Creating a neighborhood with people living above storefronts boosts the area because it means more people will take pride in the area within which they live. All of the above makes an area more appealing to the types of retail you impatiently await. The rising rents that are fine for the chains and other retail tend to push out many of those original urban frontiersmen, who move on to another blighted area and the process starts anew.

I'm not sure how you can complain about the state of Broad and then complain when the city finally begins to take action. Nor can I understand you putting down the few people that are willing to risk it in an area that others think is a waste of time. Many people feel the forward momentum of downtown (and to my surprise/excitement many people that aren't as interested in urban development as myself). It just takes time, which seems hard to comprehend since we've had similar discussions here maybe 2 or 3 dozen times. The absolute WORST thing someone could ask for is to get all the retail you want before the time is right and have it fail. Then you'll NEVER see Broad the way you want it.

West of Belvidere bustles because of the large student population nearby.

[Cadeho]

A lot of people live in Jackson Ward and along Broad, but they're no match for VCU? I don't think so. As I said, there's nothing wrong with the establishments going on broad now, but it really leaves me thirsty and I'm dying from it. The day when I can shop downtown is the day I'll say you're right.

They're not skimpy sandwich shops, but that's the combination that comes to mind as the satisfactory model for our downtown to have. We'll never have the big retail I'd like to see as long as every one of those buildings gets converted into condos. Those extra floors can be very useful for a big business.

No I'm glad at least there's a promise to fix things and I am glad someone's taking a risk, but it shouldn't be a risk at all. Just come and make it a paradise already! It is very gloomy down there. But I'll sit back and watch and count the number of gray hairs before I can count where I'd like to go downtown.

[wrldcoupe4]

I'd have to say, I don't think Broad St is nearly as gloomy as your outlook can be.

[Cadeho]

Seeing what's there now is as depressing as having my whole family killed.

I am not settling for what's going on there now as the model to be reproduced over and over with no space for real big-time business.

[ric75]

Seeing what's there now is as depressing as having my whole family killed.

I am not settling for what's going on there now as the model to be reproduced over and over with no space for real big-time business.

Well Carytown seems to do well drawing people without any of the big-time businesses moving into it. Can you imagine Carytown with Tower Records instead of Plan 9? 5 Guys instead of Carytown Burgers? Jason's Deli instead of New York Deli? Regal Cinemas instead of the Byrd? Booooooring. Part of the pride of Richmond lies in its plethora of unique, privately owned establishments. THAT is what draws suburbanites and new residents to downtown. Trying to duplicate the suburbs in downtown Richmond would be the death of it. Not only would we lose the reason so many people enjoy this city but we'd be in direct competition with stores that are already well established in the suburbs, often in many different locations. I'm personally excited about the introduction of places like Popkin's Tavern, Comfort, Gallery 5, and Tarrant's along Broad Street. Take it as a sign that Richmond's identity continues to strengthen instead of worrying how unlike the suburbs we are. In my mind at least, that's a very good thing.

[burt]

The most successful sort of revitalization effort in Richmond seems to be that which takes small but frequent steps. Big steps to revitalize like 6th Street and the Convention Center are not successful. Broad's comeback is occurring in stages. After starting at rock bottom = urban decay, the first organic step is for adventurous/creative types to come into an area. This, to your unfortunate dismay, includes restaurants, artists and art galleries, and young people looking to live in an urban environment. And just quickly, to call the new and highly successful restaurants along broad "skimpy sandwich shops" is insulting considering the hard work, risk, and diverse cuisines offered by these restaurateurs. After these urban "frontiersmen" enter an area, properties become cleaned up, vacancies lower, and property values and rents increase. Creating a neighborhood with people living above storefronts boosts the area because it means more people will take pride in the area within which they live. All of the above makes an area more appealing to the types of retail you impatiently await. The rising rents that are fine for the chains and other retail tend to push out many of those original urban frontiersmen, who move on to another blighted area and the process starts anew.

I'm not sure how you can complain about the state of Broad and then complain when the city finally begins to take action. Nor can I understand you putting down the few people that are willing to risk it in an area that others think is a waste of time. Many people feel the forward momentum of downtown (and to my surprise/excitement many people that aren't as interested in urban development as myself). It just takes time, which seems hard to comprehend since we've had similar discussions here maybe 2 or 3 dozen times. The absolute WORST thing someone could ask for is to get all the retail you want before the time is right and have it fail. Then you'll NEVER see Broad the way you want it.

West of Belvidere bustles because of the large student population nearby.

Developments that have taken place in the 6th Street area, while not howling successes, were, IMO, seeds for the turnaround we're seeing today. What's more, the Convention Center saw a 22% increase in attendance last year; and that growth, spawning M&R Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard by Marriott at Centennial and a possible hotel above W. T. Grant's, portends larger convention bookings.

The brave souls who are pioneering on Broad Street are to be applauded. I cannot phathom criticism of fresh young talent establishing an arts corridor complete with restaurants and residential simply because a person is not turned-on by good food and the arts or living above the store. Small retail will lure bigger stores, but it's dreamland to expect a speedy return to the old days of massive retail.

Theatre IV has just announced that in view of the growing popularity of the District, they will be begin more frequent usage of the charming Empire Theatre for their youth and adult programs.

Coupe and ric75, count me in your sensible corner.

[Icetera]

I tend to be a pessimist, but I do do believe that the small businesses beginning to sprout in this area will lead to a general revitalization. I do not foresee it being quick, but it is most definitely occuring. As much as I am against the major chains overall, I do feel that this stretch could handle a few located sparingly with local businesses. People from out of town visiting the convention center could use some comfort zones, and they can help anchor further growth.

EDIT: Sigh, I keep getting interrupted in the middle of posting and losing my train of though. How dare they make me actually work at work!

[Henry]

Well Carytown seems to do well drawing people without any of the big-time businesses moving into it. Can you imagine Carytown with Tower Records instead of Plan 9? 5 Guys instead of Carytown Burgers? Jason's Deli instead of New York Deli? Regal Cinemas instead of the Byrd? Booooooring. Part of the pride of Richmond lies in its plethora of unique, privately owned establishments. THAT is what draws suburbanites and new residents to downtown. Trying to duplicate the suburbs in downtown Richmond would be the death of it. Not only would we lose the reason so many people enjoy this city but we'd be in direct competition with stores that are already well established in the suburbs, often in many different locations. I'm personally excited about the introduction of places like Popkin's Tavern, Comfort, Gallery 5, and Tarrant's along Broad Street. Take it as a sign that Richmond's identity continues to strengthen instead of worrying how unlike the suburbs we are. In my mind at least, that's a very good thing.

BINGO!

[Cadeho]

As I said, bring in something Richmond doesn't have... it worked for Short Pump. There are tons of stores we don't have in our area and downtown would be a great place for them. You guys to me are the ones who gave up on downtown by thinking small. Think big! The time is now.