Pembroke Development

[mistermetaj]

how has that area been for the city? is it feeling more like a downtown for VaBeach for the locals of VaBeach?

It is a more upscale area for locals. i was at yard house a few nights ago and Plaxico Burress and Brandon Jacobs were there. By the way Yard House has the best overall food I have eaten and this comes from after 3 years living in NewYork. That place is great. An amazing supply of beers too I might add.

[757Duke]

Does anyone know of any renderings of the new Walgreens coming to the corner of Constitution Drive and Virginia Beach Blvd?

I wonder if we're going to get a design more inclined to a mixed-use district (i.e. the Oceanfront Walgreens) or one of the standard cookie cutter suburban storefronts.

[BFG]

Likely the standard design (cookie-cutter). I seriously wonder why VB won't take a page from Norfolk and put the Walgreens at TC, say on the first floor of the Armada Hoffler building, or next to the Men's Warehouse. That's the kind of thing TC could use IMO...

[urbanvb]

Hopefully Walgreens will be mindful of the location and build it less suburban as they did at the Oceanfront. I would like to think so...

[urbanlife]

Likely the standard design (cookie-cutter). I seriously wonder why VB won't take a page from Norfolk and put the Walgreens at TC, say on the first floor of the Armada Hoffler building, or next to the Men's Warehouse. That's the kind of thing TC could use IMO...

Heck, I wonder what the point of putting together an urban center plan and not use it.

[757Duke]

According to the Pembroke mall fan page on Facebook, they stated that the new Walgreens will be sporting the look of their "new prototype" design. I wonder what that means?

[urbanvb]

Something like this would be nice.

[757Duke]

Construction on Walgreens is well under way now. No drive through (a step further towards non-suburbia)!

[urbanlife]

So what corner is this Walgeens going up on? Decent little building, nothing big but definitely urban in design which is what that area needs more of. I really do hope this city develops a true downtown.

[BFG]

VB Blvd. and Constitution Dr., on the old Shell gas station site. I wonder if it'll be 24 hours, although I still say it should go in TC somewhere, considering how hard VB is trying to push the idea of a "downtown" on people.

[757Duke]

As of now the building isn't directly on the corner per se, there will be what appears to be a parking lot that could be developed into another building down the line. There is a side street that cuts between Walgreens and Max and Erma's as well.

[urbanlife]

I have been looking at Charlotte, which is a kind of small downtown when you look at it, which much of it has been built in the last 30 years. I am curious do you guys think Downtown VB will get a Modern Art Museum? I think now would be a good time while the economy is trying to bounce back for the city to go after key spots for civic buildings like museums and theaters and such.

[mikeas]

VB already has a decent art museum near the oceanfront, maybe they could move but I figure they attract more near the tourist trap.

MOCA

http://www.virginiamoca.org/

[urbanlife]

VB already has a decent art museum near the oceanfront, maybe they could move but I figure they attract more near the tourist trap.

MOCA

http://www.virginiamoca.org/

Yeah, I vaguely remember them, I wonder how their business is doing cause they may be at the oceanfront but they are in kind of an odd location and one would think people go to the beach for the beach and less for the art museum. Often times when one thinks of art museums, people tend to think of downtown where they should be and it gives the city a chance to make a statement through a bold, creative form of architecture that best expresses the city's creativity.

I hope VaMoCA decided to make the move in the near future which could easily be used as a centerpiece of the next district of Pembroke to be built.

Also looking at Google Maps, I really hope the Pembroke Office Park receives a major make over with a major urban campus design. I would love to see the central walkway that connects the buildings turned into a park like setting with pockets of parks coming out at different points along the path. Obviously a mix of commercial and residential, as well as a couple parking garages, one on the east end and at least another big one on the west end.

It would definitely make for a nice urban college campus mixed with high tech jobs and other forms of technologies and start-up companies.

I have just been doing some daydreaming and sometimes feel like the city isn't keeping up with my dreams. I really want to see Pembroke to push its urban goals faster and I am really hoping the City Council is working to set themselves up to take advantage of the next boom and are really trying to make themselves business friendly as well as trying to get themselves prepared to compete on a national stage.

I think Pembroke is VaBeach's chance to really turn itself into the big city of Virginia, which it already is population-wise, but it has always acted like a sleepy suburb city. I do hope things are changing there, and I hope you guys get to see light rail running through the city some day soon....though I couldn't think of any second routes for light rail through VB if it ever got a first line.

[757Duke]

A Bahama Breeze restaurant and other updates are coming to Pembroke Mall.

 

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/pembroke-mall-announces-new-stores-restaurant

[757Duke]

The Pembroke/Town Center fire station is nearing completion. The building gives off an overall urban appearance and is situated directly across from the new Town Center Walmart development. It's a good piece of the puzzle for a westward expansion of the Central Business District, adding to the civic function of the area.