Major James Center Expansion

[Shakman]

Well with the new owners concentrating their efforts with retail, renderings maybe further down the road.

[Cadeho]

Where's that one you saw? I haven't forgotten... what would you like your stake to be? Pine, maple, mahogany, oak, or cherry?

[Shakman]

Where's that one you saw? I haven't forgotten... what would you like your stake to be? Pine, maple, mahogany, oak, or cherry?

I have always liked cherry.

I have a rendering of the completed Three James Center. I just have no way of scanning it. Coupe was suppose to help me with that.

[burt]

Where's that one you saw? I haven't forgotten... what would you like your stake to be? Pine, maple, mahogany, oak, or cherry?

You DO talk in your own private riddles, Cam. Is everyone else as baffled as I am by the above?

[wrldcoupe4]

Shak... if you're scanner doesn't work, you could take a picture of it with your camera and then load the pic up onto your computer from the camera. From there, you can upload the photo to a photosharing website like flickr or photobucket, and then you'll be able to post the pic here.

[Shakman]

I have an ancient computer. It does not have the means to download photos and /or scans.

[wrldcoupe4]

Shak... it might be possible for you to bring it by my office. I could probably scan it here, as long as it isn't physically a big rendering.

[Cadeho]

You DO talk in your own private riddles, Cam. Is everyone else as baffled as I am by the above?

Haha Burt, you'd have to go back a page or two to get the reference.

[burt]

Haha Burt, you'd have to go back a page or two to get the reference.

Not worth the effort to backtrack for the source of an obscure comment. Why don't you just highlight your reference along with your posting just as you did with this one?

Now, back to topic: I can't quite figure out where James Center would add a new tower. Would it be above the parking deck that extends over the expressway? Or on the small vacant lot between 10th, 12th, Canal and the Expressway?

I think J/C III could support about 12 new floors, and if expansion plans are serious I suspect that would be the first project.

[wrldcoupe4]

well that lot is over an acre and would definitely be able to accomodate a nice tower (26 floors was floated). The 12 new floors is an option, as well as another tower fronting Cary St. They might have air rights above the RMA deck as well, not sure.

[Shakman]

I can bring the Three James Center rendering tommorow during lunch. It is a small photo. "PM" where you want to meet and what time.

[Cadeho]

I'm sorry Burt, it was a couple of my posts and shak's posts. Just an on-going thing within the thread.

[Shakman]

burt - No hard feelings with cad. It was just some light humor between cad and myself.

[burt]

burt - No hard feelings with cad. It was just some light humor between cad and myself.

It's just that I, with some frequency, find myself scratching my head over Cam's meanings.

No offense, Cam. I'll just keep scratching.

[jbjust]

On the subject of James Center, why haven't I ever heard any plans for the surface parking lot between One James Center and the Dominion tower? That lot has entrances on three major streets and certainly is good for something more than a surface lot given its prime location. Who owns that? If nothing else, it would be nice to turn that block into green space and somehow link it up with Kanawaha plaza via an overhead pedestrian bridge like the one between Dominion tower and Kanawaha. A park would really pull together James Center, Dominion tower and the Federal Reserve Building.

BTW - there is a nice remnant of the original cobblestone streets that runs right through that parking lot.

[burt]

jbjust. The lot of which you speak could be the site of a signature highrise, IMO.

In my long ago youth, my first summer job during school break was with the C&0 Railroad. I was a sort of messenger boy and used to shuttle by foot between the tower at 9th & Main (now BBT) and a 6 story ugly building which was approximately where The Downtown Expressway crosses 10th Street. I don't remember the actual address, but suspect it was on Canal Street. Anyway, between Cary and that building was a rail yard with trains shunting cars around during the day. All of the streets, such as they were, had cobblestones. The Expressway and, later, James Center REALLY transformed that section of the city!

Sometime I'll tell about my summer job the following year at The Federal Reserve in the classical building on 9th Street across from Capitol Square.

[wrldcoupe4]

Dominion owns that lot and unfortunately, I think they bought it a couple years ago for the purpose of surface parking for its employees. It used to be owned by the James Center folks (previous owner). We all agree it is THE location for a signature tower.

I'm sure something will happen there eventually, but give the current owner, who knows when?

cool story burt!

[jbjust]

A 40-story tower on that lot would really anchor downtown, particularly if it had any retail or restaurants to offer street-level interaction, unlike the Dominion tower.

[wrldcoupe4]

alllllllll right... Shakman was kind enough to bring by a rendering of the expanded tower... albeit a small rendering but a rendering nonetheless

It only showed a partial shot of the building, but it gives you an idea of what we can expect

I'll have to tinker with it and try to make it a littler bigger later....

[burt]

alllllllll right... Shakman was kind enough to bring by a rendering of the expanded tower... albeit a small rendering but a rendering nonetheless

It only showed a partial shot of the building, but it gives you an idea of what we can expect

I'll have to tinker with it and try to make it a littler bigger later....

That's a neat rendering. It should thrill Joey! But exactly where is the new tower amid the J/C complex? Is it an expanded James Center III?

[wrldcoupe4]

Yes... the expanded JCIII is seen on the right of the pic. This does not show what any new towers would look like... one would sit south of JCIII next to the DT expressway, while another would be built on Cary, should demand warrant their construction.

[jbjust]

Where would all of those people park? I assume that there would be a similar expansion of the little four-story parking garage beside the new addition.

[Cadeho]

Thanks Burt... you should write a book on your Richmond memories.

Ok, Shakman is now safe... but I will shake my fist because there are no Charlotte-esque humps, just the same box but bigger. It's just the angle that makes it seem like humps. And I had to resize the pic so I wouldn't look stupid looking at the screen with binoculars!

[JWCJ]

It looks great, boy do I hope it goes throw with plans.

[Downtowner]

I will say this it looks awesome for a box I like it alot for a boxy design but it seems a little slimmer than most buildings and thats what I like about it. I wish we could start to see more slimmer buildings also it would be nice to have some slabbed towers like Bell Atlantic Center in Philly also something like Comcast Center would look nice in Richmond but nothing close to the height of comcast center. But I love the rendering.