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The Future


JWCJ

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After Ernesto and the bottom didn't flood, and it doesn't seem like we are going to get hit by any more stroms so I think Shockoe made it throw this year with, if I were to give it a grade a 85. I don't think it going to flood for the rest of the year. What do y'all think?

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Hurricane Season ends November 30...

And right now it is pouring like a faucet, but I don't think we're going to face Gaston for a while. This flooding this from inland is a new issue and I think a rare one. As long as they keep maintaining the sewers and the pump station, and those upgrades, there shouldn't be a problem. But I also think people shouldn't forget the geology and geography of the area.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

That's only one of the buildings that's been on the site. There's another that was two-story and had classical features.

If we were to build on the site again, an arcade design would be nice, something that brings back colonial architecture to the city.

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Could the Bottom's future be similar to its past?

The First Market

from Dimenti Studio... which by the way has a fascinating collection of old Richmond photographs.

I don't see why this building could not be re-created. I remember it and like it. Perhaps a couple of cross-throughs could be included to allow access to both sides of 17th Street so as to eliminate a solid brick wall.

Maybe a parking deck or two could be tastefully designed for the roof.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is great and I hope it is highly successful...$1 self parking is awesome! From a Venture Richmond email:

Experience the convenience of easy parking, dining, dancing and shopping! Go to Historic Shockoe Slip!

Self Parking

Nights & Weekends: all night & weekend days, $1.00

Self Parking deck is located on 12th Street between Canal and Cary Streets.

Valet Parking

Daytime Valet Rates: (11:00am-5:00pm)

$4.00 for the first 2 hours with validation from a participating business (list available)

$5.00 with no validation for the first 2 hours

$5.00 for each additional hour (max. rate of $30.00)

Evenings & Saturday Valet Rates: (5:00pm - Close)

$4.00 with validation from a participating business (list available)

$5.00 with no validation

Valet pick up point is located at 13th & Cary Streets in Shockoe Plaza. After 5pm, pick up is on Cary Street between 12th & 13th Streets.

Valet Hours of Operation:

Monday - Wednesday 11:00am -11:00pm

Thursday - Saturday 11:00am - 2:00am

Sunday's Closed

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Awesome stuff from OKC...

...while I admire what we are doing in the Bottom, River District, Slip, Boulevard, Broad Street Central, Broad Street West, etc.,

OKC is doing a splendid job on this very concentrated area of OKC called "Bricktown."

Which obviously foreshadows my next point: Concentrated areas. We are developing projects that could very well be tied to other projects sparsely across the city's core.

I look at Charlotte, and now OKC. Wouldnt it be beneficial to residents and tourists to tie these projects together? Could you have imagined The Childrens Museum built at either end of the canal. But, adjacent to some funky restaurants, across from Laser Quest, 2 doors down from Bow Tie Cinemas...in the Shadows of Riverside and Vistas???

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And Bricktown also has a canal which I understand is better utilized than Richmond's.

But Richmond does have tie-ins, IMO. There's the well-defined Museum District; The CBD centered on Broad is working toward establishing an exciting Gallery Row with adjacent restaurants and a Theatre District centered among hotels, a Coliseum and Convention Center. Hopefully, retail will follow.

In the Slip and Bottom, Toads Place will be a centerpiece of entertainment amidst about 40 restaurants/clubs/bars, some hotels, the beginning of destination furniture shopping and a scattering of other commercial activity.

I think Richmond is going in the right direction.

A practical and frequent bus circulator would help tremendously.

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And Bricktown also has a canal which I understand is better utilized than Richmond's.

But Richmond does have tie-ins, IMO. There's the well-defined Museum District; The CBD centered on Broad is working toward establishing an exciting Gallery Row with adjacent restaurants and a Theatre District centered among hotels, a Coliseum and Convention Center. Hopefully, retail will follow.

In the Slip and Bottom, Toads Place will be a centerpiece of entertainment amidst about 40 restaurants/clubs/bars, some hotels, the beginning of destination furniture shopping and a scattering of other commercial activity.

I think Richmond is going in the right direction.

A practical and frequent bus circulator would help tremendously.

Speaking of furniture, this past weekend I was down at THESE FOUR WALLS. I absolutely loved the place, the furniture was an incredible blend of international modern pieces, and old world traditional. I would definitely recommend stopping in even just for a look, it's well worth it.

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With RV Cole, La Diff, and These Four Walls, we've got a nice little collection of furniture stores in the Slip...

I hope that cafe/market thing in the Southern Railway Bldg is a success...

All we need for a real destination furniture mart is IKEA in MSS train sheds. :yahoo:

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I know this isn't furniture but I wouldn't mind seeing an Urban Best Buy like the one in Baltimore on Pratt Street. But it would make more since for Downtown Richmond to have an Urban Circuit City. I think that would be a great idea.

All the development going on in the CBD I think will attract retail in the Broad/Grace corridor.

Urban Circuit City would be a great addition to downtown.

What suggestions do other readers propose?

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A Barnes and Nobles in one of the old furniture store buildings. Coffee shop and all. I could be simiilar to the B&N that are in the older sections of lower manhatten. It would be in the middle of a 30,000 student University.

You're on track with a great idea there, Majors.

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I'd be down with a Barnes and Noble. I'd even like to have something like Baltimore's Power Plant. I'm thinking a few blocks be turned into a giant entertainment venue, including The House of Blues, ESPN Zone, HardRock Cafe, Barnes and Noble and whatnot. Then the Fulton Gas Works site would have to become the Richmond Aquarium :D

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I'd be down with a Barnes and Noble. I'd even like to have something like Baltimore's Power Plant. I'm thinking a few blocks be turned into a giant entertainment venue, including The House of Blues, ESPN Zone, HardRock Cafe, Barnes and Noble and whatnot. Then the Fulton Gas Works site would have to become the Richmond Aquarium :D

Good thinking, Tommy. But I do like Major's idea of the B&N in one of the old furniture stores in the gallery district.

Perhaps the club venues you mention could center on the north side of Broad from the Coca Cola sign at first, thence east on Broad; down both sides of 2nd to Marshall, and continue east on Broad to 3rd. Some existing buildings might lend themselves to conversion while the facades of others could be saved. Wouldn't it be neat to have a line-up of all the ones you have listed plus B.B. Kings and Planet Hollywood? A one-thousand room hotel could span the south frontage of Broad between 3rd and 5th, bridging over 4th Street. And if the State Legislature approves TV horse-race gambling, Colonial Downs could establish another Off Track Betting parlor (Richmond already has two) among the clubs. Hahaha. Richmond could be the Vegas of the MidAtlantic. :yahoo:

I'm not too fond of the aquarium at the gas works, though. Can't you think of a better site for that?

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  • 4 months later...

From the Building Permits section of Sunday's paper:

Yong Y. and Kin Mak, owners; Wateredge Construction Inc., contractor; 1717 E. Franklin St., tenant upfit, restaurant, eat in, $134,000.

Sam's Associates II LLC, owner; Walters Construction Co. Inc., contractor; 21 N. 17th St., buildout for new restaurant and office space, $125,385.

Any idea what to expect from these new restaurants?

Also, in the mayor's biweekly newsletter, he reports on drainage improvements progress in the Bottom:

Richmond's Shockoe Bottom is receiving a $20 million upgrade to prevent flooding like we saw during Tropical Storm Gaston in 2004. New curbing with wider drains and other improvements are being added along areas of Main Street. The work is about 50 percent complete, and we expect to be finished by December 2007.
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