Boulevard Property

[calwinston 1]

While browsing through the local economic development websites here in Los Angeles, I found the Grand Avenue Committee website. This is the type of vision that I would like for Richmond to take hold of for the much larger Boulevard poperty. We could incorporate many of the elements plus add on the baseball stadium with some amusement, also have a pedestrian bridge over the train tracks to Boulevard Square. What do you think is best for the Boulevard Property? The possibilities are endless!

Grand Avenue Website

http://www.grandaven....org/index.html

The Boulevard Property

The property is bounded by the N Boulevard,Robin Hood Rd, Hardy St, and Rhoadmiller St to the south.

Change to Aerial View

http://www.mapquest....DRESS#undefined

[calwinston 1]

Here is what others around the Richmond Region have to say

"It's a major gateway that may not be fully benefiting from its strategic location," said Peter H. Chapman, the city's deputy chief administrative officer for economic and community development.He added that the city's plans for revitalizing North Boulevard are in the early stages, and hinge on the 60 city-owned acres surrounding The Diamond.

That property, he said, "lends itself to some sort of catalytic redevelopment project," but added, "we don't have an etched-in-stone plan at this moment."

http://www2.timesdis...-221009/338143/

Richmond Biz Sense

http://www.richmondb...-the-boulevard/

Friends of Richmond Baseball

http://www.friendsof...ndbaseball.com/

Urban Richmond blog

http://richmondva.wo...gory/boulevard/

Buttermilk&Molasses

http://floricane.typ...levard_project/

[calwinston 1]

Here is a copy of what a developer wanted to do back in 2008.

http://floricane.typepad.com/buttermilk/the_boulevard_project/

[burt 16]

Here's a bit of Boulevard history?

Check out this slideshow and story by Karri Peifer in today's Richmond dot com:

http://www2.richmond.com/content/2010/apr/30/building-boulevard/

[calwinston 1]

Century City in Los Angeles, CA is a good example of what the North Boulevard Property can become with some vision from the city council of Richmond. But of course this vision will be on a smaller scale. At Century City in the center there is a Town Center owned by Westfield with Skyscrapers and townhomes/condos surrounding it. This is also the place that Northrup Grumman is headquartered till next year when they move to Northern Virginia.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/96/245638267_5e42650f25.jpg

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3006/3019264127_b01f728ffc_o.jpg

[calwinston 1]

This is what Highwood Properties wanted to do to the Boulevard and Shockoe Bottom back in 2009 but backed out due to the economic climate.

http://chpn.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/cha-powerpointcombinedv2.pdf

[burt 16]

Century City in Los Angeles, CA is a good example of what the North Boulevard Property can become with some vision from the city council of Richmond. But of course this vision will be on a smaller scale. At Century City in the center there is a Town Center owned by Westfield with Skyscrapers and townhomes/condos surrounding it. This is also the place that Northrup Grumman is headquartered till next year when they move to Northern Virginia.

http://farm1.static...._5e42650f25.jpg

http://curbednetwork...01f728ffc_o.jpg

[burt 16]

Century City between Pico and Wilshire Boulevards used to be part of the 20th Century Fox lot.

[calwinston 1]

Century City between Pico and Wilshire Boulevards used to be part of the 20th Century Fox lot.

Yeah, today its only a a fraction of its former glory. Fox sold the land to developers to pay off debt and survive. If you look closely in this picture in the bottom right hand corner of the development you will see what is left of the 20th Century Fox Studios.

[calwinston 1]

This is what Highwood Properties wanted to do to the Boulevard and Shockoe Bottom back in 2009 but backed out due to the economic climate.

http://chpn.net/news...tcombinedv2.pdf

Here is a pic from the pdf file. The proposal could of had more dense office space, condo towers and retail but it was a good start. The land is way too valuable to go mediocre on these proposals.

http://chpn.net/news...tcombinedv2.pdf

[jbjust 295]

I really don't like the idea of more office space drawing employers away from downtown, though. We need to get something that will move people from the suburbs to the city, not from downtown out to the Boulevard.

[calwinston 1]

I really don't like the idea of more office space drawing employers away from downtown, though. We need to get something that will move people from the suburbs to the city, not from downtown out to the Boulevard.

Mainly the companies already Downtown will not even think about moving to the Boulevard. Law firms (that work closely with the government and finance), the financial sector(Richmond Federal Reserve Bank right across the street), Government and anybody that has to work on a consistent basis with the government(contractors, lobbyist, etc.),any medical entity tied to VCU, Theatres and Art companies, all companies in the Bio-Technology Park. The Boulevard Gateway property (Richmonds new uptown since we already have a midtown) will cater more to startup companies ie (technology, graphic design, marketing, architecture, the list goes on). Also people who have kids will not move from the suburbs to the city until the education system does a 180 degree turn. Richmond is a homogenous society with over 80% of the people here are natives. Until that culture changes(transplants international and national moving here)and the bad reputation of the city fades many people will unfortunately stay away from the city.

[calwinston 1]

"Weeks End" editorial in the Richmond Times-Dispatch back in January 2009. It talks about the cities focus, non foucus, and countless of proposals on the property Boulevard Gateway project. If everything didnt move so slow with are officials this would have been done 5 years ago.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/editorials/article/WEEKSEND17_20090116-201503/180570/#comments

P.S. Please do not make this another master planned development headed by one company having office buildings looking almost exactly the same but slightly different.

[calwinston 1]

Looks more and more like the rendering below is coming into fruitation

http://www2.timesdis...-223206/352282/

Just take out the indoor sports complex and there you have it!

I come to wonder if Richmond thought outside the box and built a world class baseball stadium similar to the World Cup Stadium in South Africa or the Birds Nest in Beijing??? Of course on a smaller scale seating around 10,000

[burt 16]

Hey, Cal. Is your link to the RTD supposed to open up a story about The Boulevard project? Maybe it's because of the format change, but I don't see anything about the project. I did post a story in Sports recently about talk of a new ball park located as shown on the graphic above.

Mean while, I'm not holding my breath about a world-class stadium complex anywhere in or near Richmond.

[calwinston 1]

Hey, Cal. Is your link to the RTD supposed to open up a story about The Boulevard project? Maybe it's because of the format change, but I don't see anything about the project. I did post a story in Sports recently about talk of a new ball park located as shown on the graphic above.

Mean while, I'm not holding my breath about a world-class stadium complex anywhere in or near Richmond.

Yeah Burt its the same link that you posted yesterday in the Sports thread but the link seems to be broken now. Im going to try to find the correct link then post it again.

P.S. Also a month ago their was another Times-Dispatch story about the Squirrels wanting a stadium at the Boulevard site! Will post very soon updated link and more about the property today!

[calwinston 1]

Here is the correct link

http://www2.timesdis...20S1-ar-222187/

Plus some other links

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/2010/may/10/bald10_20100509-223005-ar-155511/

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/may/11/ed-hazel11_20100510-180404-ar-160919/

"Behind the scenes" progress made in ballpark talks

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/2010/may/20/DIAM20-ar-53289/

[calwinston 1]

LA Live type of development??! One can only wish!

http://www.lalive.com/

Ritz-Marriott Lighting Cermeony Grand Opening!

http://www.flickr.co...ons/4272919311/

Los Angeles Times article

Lighter Than Air: A view of Downtown L.A. from the Goodyear Blimp

http://www.latimes.c...53001.htmlstory

[calwinston 1]

Nice aerial shot of the Boulevard area

http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/

Undated photo from the Library of Virginia archives of Parker Field and the Boulevard

Parker Field

[calwinston 1]

Century City

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Century_City_2006-02-19.jpg

[burt 16]

Century City

http://upload.wikime..._2006-02-19.jpg

Oh, my God! There's the Blue Whale in the middle of the picture.

I had forgotten that building. Knew it well when I lived in LA back in the 1980's. Isn't it on Beverly Blvd west of La Cienega?

[calwinston 1]

Oh, my God! There's the Blue Whale in the middle of the picture.

I had forgotten that building. Knew it well when I lived in LA back in the 1980's. Isn't it on Beverly Blvd west of La Cienega?

Yeah it is the Blue Whale(Pacific Design Center) located in West Hollywood, CA close to Beverly Blvd but at the intersection of San Vicente and Melrose 2 blocks up from Beverly and La Cienega! I drove past there about a month ago and their was a lot of construction going on around the center! Looked like an addition!

[calwinston 1]

John: Boulevard "Not That Bad"

Study: Boulevard Great

According to a striking new study from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University, 100 percent of residents who live on the Boulevard think it is just absolutely awesome!

“Yay!” according to the study, in which researchers interviewed 655 residents of the iconic Richmond thoroughfare, all of whom believed it to be, like, the best street ever!

“Our findings indicate some of the numerous socioeconomic and environmental factors that push residents to gravitate toward arriving at the conclusion that the Boulevard is so totally awesomely wickedly rad!” said Daniel Fawbush, a VCU sociology professor and lead researcher on the 117-page study. “This research has supported our original hypothesis, which was that the Boulevard is so totally super duper! Really just the cat’s pajamas!”

The study noted that 36 percent of Boulevard residents said the avenue is cool because of its proximity to bars and restaurants, while 15 percent noted “the Bouley’s” epicness because of its beauty. The remainder – 49 percent – said that the Boulevard is dope because almost every apartment on it has at least one window where you can look out and see one of your neighbors changing.

http://tarichmond.com/2010/07/02/report-100-percent-of-boulevard-residents-think-it-just-great/