Jump to content

Waterside District


umterp03

Recommended Posts


On 3/22/2017 at 0:24 PM, NFKjeff said:

Yes. It is going to look exactly like the architectural rendering.

Here is a pic from the top of the Waterside District garage taken yesterday. I hope it helps show how progress is taking shape.

20170321_142853.jpg

Thanks for the perspective. I'm still less enthused about this now. I like the original idea much better. This seems more vanilla compared to what was originally put out. I thought it was going to add some spunk to the region.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know if anyone knows this, but just in case…. 

The president of the Waterside District recently gave some of us downtown a briefing on the status of programming there. While he did not specifically point this out, I was able to deduce something based on his comments and therefore proceeded to ask him:  "What's going upstairs besides the 10,000 square-foot Harbor Club?"  He kind of looked at me  with that deer in the headlights look, paused for second and then replied, "nothing… as of yet, and that's why we need everyone here to come out and support this venture."

To sum it up…I believe that the structure, post annex removal, is around 150,000 ft.² ...give or take. So they've only been able to program 85,000 ft.²?   Wow. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You've got a large urban mall a few blocks away and a new large outlet mall going up in the same city. Not to mention all the other existing retail areas in the city and surrounding area. I don't know if your numbers are accurate or not, but it might take some time for this version to fill-up. Some places opening there will fail, others will succeed and others will come and try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, carolinaboy said:

You've got a large urban mall a few blocks away and a new large outlet mall going up in the same city. Not to mention all the other existing retail areas in the city and surrounding area. I don't know if your numbers are accurate or not, but it might take some time for this version to fill-up. Some places opening there will fail, others will succeed and others will come and try.

Indeed, all of that is true.  But  there is clear differentiation here.  Perhaps more is needed.

Plus, this is the most spectacular property in Coastal Virginia and perhaps for hundreds of miles South and North, excepting the Rudee Loop property.   This is a super-regional  play, not just the living room of Norfolk. Waterside has always been a super-regional draw ...that is until the most recent several years.  Sitting on one of the deepest natural harbors in the world, great highway access,  ferry service, a marina, a proximate population center, central business district, cruise terminal, world class museums  and other attractions such as The USS Wisconsin, and all of the cultural arts centers, theaters and communal venues...not to mention the largest naval base in the world and 15 million tourists. Woefully underutilized, tremendous upside and right at the ground floor of Norfolk's Downtown revitalization. 

So yes, I thought they might actually fill the whole building (especially after having torn down the annex).

Edited by baobabs727
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It doesn't surprise me its not filled yet. Waterside had been on the decline for more than a decade with several non-starter revitalization projects. Some businesses are probably taking a wait and see considering prior failures and the spat between the city and the old bar/clubs there, Have a Nice Day Café and Bar Norfolk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know what would fill Waterside? An apartment tower expansion. Having that built in customer base makes the property infinitely more attractive and is probably why such an expansion is the central part of their plan to begin with. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/1/2017 at 7:29 PM, vdogg said:

You know what would fill Waterside? An apartment tower expansion. Having that built in customer base makes the property infinitely more attractive and is probably why such an expansion is the central part of their plan to begin with. 

right there on that plot of land just seems weird. Perhaps if they were to redo the garage land with parking? I would like to see that happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, urbanvb said:

I like the distressed look of the brick and signage.

In other news an OBX restaurant Stripers Seafood will be coming to the complex.

http://pilotonline.com/business/consumer/outer-banks-restaurant-stripers-seafood-is-on-its-way-to/article_31b54d44-856f-5a5b-91a6-61912ec0ffd1.html

As do I.  I love the brick and woodwork.  I think it's going to end up looking really nice, and perhaps classier than the original "Waterside Live" renderings. 
I'm also happy to see another seafood option coming.  Hopefully they will have some more "traditional" fare. (From their Maneto menu - http://www.stripersbarandgrille.com/menu - I think they will.)  I'm sure Rappahannock is good, but I'm not a fan of oysters or the whole "raw" thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The brick is a really nice touch...I love the weathered look, it adds a lot of charm. The seafood restaurants help establish Norfolk's place as a coastal destination. Honestly, I don't know of too many seafood spots close to downtown, outside of A.W. Shucks (one of my favorites!), so adding another one to Waterside is great.

I think a fish market would do wonders there too. Either in Waterside or an old warehouse, if any even exist near downtown anymore.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.