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Proposed: Reynolds North and South Plant Redevelopment


TBurban

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These are strictly visions of what the city would like to see at the Reynolds Plant along the Canal Walk: these are not final whatsoever, BUT, I thought I'd start a new topic being that ideas are starting to get thrown around.

Reynolds North & South Plant Redevelopment

North Plant:

CB Richard Ellis has been retained as the exclusive representative in the sale of the Reynolds Packaging Groupʼs North Plant located in downtown Richmond. The property is approximately 6.009 acres with frontage on the Haxall Canal and views to the James River. The property is the last sizable redevelopment site in the core of the Central Business District of Richmond and has been called a “Developers Dream” by the Richmond Times‑Dispatch when the plant closure was announced. On the property are five primary structures, one structure is the Spooling Plant which is made up of six individual buildings. On the adjacent parcel are two structures with potential historic value. The remaining two structures are warehouse buildings that are bisected by the Haxall Canal and Virginia Street. By using Federal, State and City of Richmond tax credits some of these buildings can make for an excellent adaptive rehabilitation project.

Visions of North Plant Redevelopment:

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South Plant:

Reynolds Packaging Group has partnered with CB Richard Ellis for the disposition of their Manchester facility known as the South Plant. The South Plant is a 17± acre site along the James River directly across the river from the Richmond Virginia central business district. The South Plant includes approximately 506,000 square feet of existing structures on 17± acres of prime development land. Within walking distance of the Downtown Financial and Entertainment districts, this property has been sought‑after for years by visionary developers as an unusual, close‑in, largeacreage, redevelopment site. The parcels that constitute the South Plant property are bounded by Norfolk Southern Railroad and the James River to the west and north, 6th and 7th Streets to the south, and Hull Street to the east.

Site of South Plant Redevelopment:

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Neat, Tommy! What's the date on this CB Richard Ellis vision? I don't recall seeing this rendering anywhere. Note that the new William Mullen's building is shown. I read recently that the empty lot directly across the street at 10th and Canal is to be a new parking deck. And will #3 James Center ever be expanded upward?

They claim it is the "last sizable redevelopment site in the core of the Central Business District" but how about all those parking lots roughly bounded by 2nd, 5th, Main and Canal Streets?. The BowTie group owns one of those lots -- 3rd to 4th, Main to Cary. That area would be ripe for redevelopment when the economy is back on track.

It's not clear to me how the canal on the Reynolds tract would be developed but the separate canal rendering would appear to extend the navigable portion of the canal from The Hat Factory west to 12th Street. The lock in that area is quite historic, but is not visible in the rendering, although the old bridge in the background looks like the one that is in place now.

Somehow or another the two canals (Kanawa and Haxall) should be joined, IMO.

The Manchester parcel would be a great ballpark site.good.gif

Whoever did the layout has misnamed the bridges. The old 9th Street Bridge was replaced by The Manchester Bridge, and they have mislabeled Lee Bridge as the Manchester Bridge.

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All of the information can be found on Venture Richmond's Annual Downtown Development Update Magazine (.pdf) I'm pretty sure the rendering depicted in the magazine is pretty recent, maybe late 2009/early 2010.

I agree--that spot in Manchester would be an awesome location for a ballpark surrounded by a nicely sized mixed use development!

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The thing that is so disappointing about this town is the sloppy work that everyone does on our marketing materials. How in the hell do you not get the names of the bridges correct? The new City of Richmond site shows buildings with lights burned out. How hard is it to Photoshop the photos to make the buildings look the best that they can? If I had a dollar for every time I saw a photo of Richmond that was reversed (back in the days of film this was a big problem, probably not an issue now that there aren't negatives that can be erroneously flipped over) I‘d be sitting pretty. A few years back at the baggage claim area at the airport there was a billboard that showed the Federal Reserve to the east of the Manchester Bridge, Riverfront Plaza was to the west. I've seen the Lee Medical building on the wrong side of Monument Avenue in many Monument Avenue photos in magazines. The sloppiness is unacceptable, maybe I'm just crazy, surely it is acceptable here is goes again....).

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All of the information can be found on Venture Richmond's Annual Downtown Development Update Magazine (.pdf) I'm pretty sure the rendering depicted in the magazine is pretty recent, maybe late 2009/early 2010.

I agree--that spot in Manchester would be an awesome location for a ballpark surrounded by a nicely sized mixed use development!

WOW, Tommy!! That pdf is fabulous. When I get a chance I'm going to go thru it and add up the number of residential units being readied for occupancy. I bet a quarter the figure will be well upward of one thousand during 2009/2012 bringing the downtown/Shockoe Bottom & Slip/Jackson Ward/Monroe Ward/Manchester/Midtown population close to the 10,000 mark, and that does not include the number of VCU students in dorms.

Since you knew how to bring over the Reynolds property redevelopment section, would you please post the restaurant segment (pages 14 thru 19) in our Richmond Dining Out thread? whistling.gif

Thanks.smile.gif

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OK, Tommy and all. I just totaled up the number of downtown new residential units completed in 2009 and those expected to be on line by 2012.

And I won my own quarter!rolleyes.gif

Shockoe Bottom -- 465 units.

Shockoe Slip -- 28 units.

Jackson Ward -- 99 units.

Manchester -- 537 units.

City Center -- 133 units.

VCU/Midtown -- 8 units.

Monroe Ward -- 16 units.

Grand Total -- 1,286.

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Neat, Tommy! What's the date on this CB Richard Ellis vision? I don't recall seeing this rendering anywhere. Note that the new William Mullen's building is shown. I read recently that the empty lot directly across the street at 10th and Canal is to be a new parking deck. And will #3 James Center ever be expanded upward?

They claim it is the "last sizable redevelopment site in the core of the Central Business District" but how about all those parking lots roughly bounded by 2nd, 5th, Main and Canal Streets?. The BowTie group owns one of those lots -- 3rd to 4th, Main to Cary. That area would be ripe for redevelopment when the economy is back on track.

It's not clear to me how the canal on the Reynolds tract would be developed but the separate canal rendering would appear to extend the navigable portion of the canal from The Hat Factory west to 12th Street. The lock in that area is quite historic, but is not visible in the rendering, although the old bridge in the background looks like the one that is in place now.

Somehow or another the two canals (Kanawa and Haxall) should be joined, IMO.

The Manchester parcel would be a great ballpark site.good.gif

Whoever did the layout has misnamed the bridges. The old 9th Street Bridge was replaced by The Manchester Bridge, and they have mislabeled Lee Bridge as the Manchester Bridge.

Everything you said, I agree. Thanks for typing it for me!

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These are strictly visions of what the city would like to see at the Reynolds Plant along the Canal Walk: these are not final whatsoever, BUT, I thought I'd start a new topic being that ideas are starting to get thrown around.

Reynolds North & South Plant Redevelopment

The more I look at the canal rendering the more confusing it gets.

It, I have decided, is a view looking west from about 12th Street along the Byrd Street/Downtown Expressway corridor. Williams Mullen's new tower is in the background as are Riverfront Plaza and a possible new high rise with sloping roofline at about 10th and Byrd on the Reynolds (Alcoa) property.

It's almost as if the present Byrd Street is replaced with a canal.dontknow.gif

Am I misinterpreting this rendering?

You'll have to scroll up to see it.

Thoughts?

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  • 4 weeks later...

These are strictly visions of what the city would like to see at the Reynolds Plant along the Canal Walk: these are not final whatsoever, BUT, I thought I'd start a new topic being that ideas are starting to get thrown around.

Reynolds North & South Plant Redevelopment

In light of the sale announced today of the Reynolds plot (see Richmond Canal Walk thread) I thought it might be appropriate to bring this topic to everyones attention once again. Scroll to top to see speculative renderingings.

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The Reynolds property south of the James has not been purchased, but according to this story by Carol Hazard in today's RTD, the potential developers of the North Plant are interested in the site.

A build out along the canals on the north shore would enhance prospects of major sports and entertainment development across the river, IMO.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/FOIL25_20100224-212806/326710/

T-Burban, is it possible to bring the renderings here? We know they are not official plans but they offer an overview of both properties.

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  • 2 months later...

Developers of the Reynolds north plant will ask City Council to approve less commercial space along the canals.

The first goal, perhaps by 2012, is to renovate some of the industrial buildings into 220 apartments with surface parking.

If I read the plan correctly, the intention is to connect the two canals after some demolition.

Long-range, a high rise may be built along 10th Street.

Our favorite Italinate structure on the canal across from Riverside on the James will retain commercial zoning.

From Will Jones in today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/FALL08_20100507-222607/343017/

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Southern Railway Deli is gone??? I must have missed that. It was a great pleace.

Yea, Shak. We discussed that closing pretty thoroughly in the "dining out" thread.

Developers of the Reynolds north plant will ask City Council to approve less commercial space along the canals.

The first goal, perhaps by 2012, is to renovate some of the industrial buildings into 220 apartments with surface parking.

If I read the plan correctly, the intention is to connect the two canals after some demolition.

Long-range, a high rise may be built along 10th Street.

Our favorite Italinate structure on the canal across from Riverside on the James will retain commercial zoning.

From Will Jones in today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...-222607/343017/

I'm surprised that this story has not stirred some comment. dontknow.gif

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Oh no he did not say surface parking!?!?!?

Until real estate property goes up in value downtown, it looks like their will always be surface parking lots. Hopefully the planning commision recommends a parking garage and city council will not approve until a parking garage is put in the plans.

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  • 2 months later...

Developers of the Reynold's Plant North are asking City Council to make adjustments to recent zoning changes. They want less commercial space and more residential.

A high rise is planned at the western end of the property at 10th and Byrd Streets, and a 7 to 10 story residential or hotel tower would anchor the eastern end near The Hat Factory. In between would be about 225 apartments converted from existing buildings, although the ground floor of the Italianate building on the canal would have commercial space.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...yn26-ar-350068/

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Developers of the Reynold's Plant North are asking City Council to make adjustments to recent zoning changes. They want less commercial space and more residential.

A high rise is planned at the western end of the property at 10th and Byrd Streets, and a 7 to 10 story residential or hotel tower would anchor the eastern end near The Hat Factory. In between would be about 225 apartments converted from existing buildings, although the ground floor of the Italianate building on the canal would have commercial space.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...yn26-ar-350068/

Most likely this will be approved! :thumbsup: About the 7 to 10 story residential or hotel tower that are in the plans to be built. Residents of the 17 story Vista on the James are complaining about the height! Im sorry but wouldnt it be great if everybody had a say in how tall the towers downtown should be! Any tower in the planning phase thats too tall would have people complain from the tower next door how their view is obscured and nothing would be built in downtown! If you do not want your view gone then buy the land around the tower and stop imposing your will on other peoples property. Then you wouldnt have a problem anymore!

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Developers of the Reynold's Plant North are asking City Council to make adjustments to recent zoning changes. They want less commercial space and more residential.

A high rise is planned at the western end of the property at 10th and Byrd Streets, and a 7 to 10 story residential or hotel tower would anchor the eastern end near The Hat Factory. In between would be about 225 apartments converted from existing buildings, although the ground floor of the Italianate building on the canal would have commercial space.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...yn26-ar-350068/

City Council approved the project! Must have been in a good mood before their August vacation!

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/07/27/city-council-agrees-apartments-make-more-sense/

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  • 2 months later...

I like the taller building concept but a bit disgusted about the reduction of retail. Perhaps when the market is better suited, a reversal could be taken into consideration.

Hiya, Shak.

There have been modifications, but Jack Berry says this in the article: "The requirements for first-floor pedestrian uses were retained and strengthened in some instances."

The developers are right about one thing; there is a lot of vacancy along the canals. Especially at Riverside On The James (with the exception of BLACKFIN BAR AND GRILL) and on the ground level of Vistas on the James condo tower.

I hope the Italianate mid-rise on the Haxal Canal across from ROJ is retained and developed into an upscale boutique hotel. :thumbsup:

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  • 1 month later...

This is the most comprehensive report I have seen on plans for the old Reynolds property on the north bank of the James between 10th and 14th Streets.

Considerable infrastructure may be required, but physically connecting the two canals is not mentioned as part of the plan.

The story reveals that four of the original buildings between 10th and 12th Streets are to be renovated into residential units. A new block-long building will be constructed between 12th and 13th Street as a sort of extension of Byrd Street and will parallel the north side of the original canal locks. At least, that's how I interpret Ed Slipek's description and the rendering of the sterile structure. (Illustration #6.)

As far as I can determine, the future of the present manufacturing plant through which the old canal bed runs is not mentioned.

A sketched map would have been a great help with this report.

From the current Style Weekly:

http://www.styleweek...9D3430288834D1D

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  • 1 year later...

Reynolds aluminum foil buildings to be redeveloped

Two Richmond developers will turn five historic buildings, in the first phase of construction, into 175 apartments with 8,000 square feet of retail space.

Subsequent phases of the renovations, stretching to Virginia Street, call for two structures built in the 1970s to be torn down to make way for more apartments, office and retail space. A high-rise building is planned at 10th and Byrd streets.

Construction starts next week, said Jason Vickers-Smith, a principal with The WVS Cos., one of the developers. "We hope to have people moving in this fall."

The plan is to finish the first phase, one-third of the project, by this time next year, Vickers-Smith said. The remaining phases will be market-driven, depending on how well the apartment and retail space is leased.

Great news for the Canal Walk! This is the missing link that the canals have been waiting for. Glad to hear it's finally getting put into motion. This will do wonders for further linking the city to the riverfront.

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