Hampton Development

[rusthebuss]

I hear we actually might gain from this. I know langley will be getting alot more personel

[Former Resident of HR]

hey where in Richmond are you referring to?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The project on the James. It looks very tasteful from what I can tell.

[wrldcoupe4]

The project on the James.  It looks very tasteful from what I can tell.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ahhh Riverside on the James. Yea I'd say it fits the historic canal and riverfront quite well. Except they changed the roof on the condo tower..... Brown's Island (where it is built) isn't extremely historic from what I can tell. Now if we were talking about Belle Island, home of a civil war prison among other things, this project wouldn't exist.

[Former Resident of HR]

ahhh Riverside on the James. Yea I'd say it fits the historic canal and riverfront quite well. Except they changed the roof on the condo tower..... Brown's Island (where it is built) isn't extremely historic from what I can tell. Now if we were talking about Belle Island, home of a civil war prison among other things, this project wouldn't exist.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Belle Island? They can't build anything like that there, I'm sure.

One thing that I do like on the Island though is that old power plant and then that random 50's looking storage building. That would be nice to convert into something.

[okinawatyphoon]

Center stays its course

DESPITE REDUCED FUNDS, IT'S ADVANCING SHIPBUILDING

NEWPORT NEWS -- Rough seas.

Enemy fire.

Fighter jets screaming down the flight decks.

With all the tumult that an aircraft carrier's operations can bring, thousands of parts are firmly welded down during ship construction. But that welding has a downside: it's tough to undo. When parts - such as combat systems - have to be replaced years later, undoing the welding is a time-consuming and costly task.

Consider, though, a new system the yard is developing at the Herbert H. Bateman Virginia Advanced Shipbuilding and Carrier Integration Center, or VASCIC, which opened downtown in 2001.

For the yard's next generation carrier, the yard hopes to install a system of metal rails in parts of the ship that will need future renovation. Instead of being welded down, combat systems can be bolted into holes in the rails.

"The ship is going to be in existence for 50 years - and there will be a lot of technological change over that period," said Irwin F. Edenzon, the shipyard's vice president for technology development and fleet support. "One of the things we need to give the Navy is the ability to upgrade the ship cost effectively, and make the ship much more flexible."

The Flex-Deck, as it's called, is one of several key tasks now under way at VASCIC.

That and other work - such as new submarine concepts and modeling and simulation work that can help, among other things, to determine how flight operations would change with new flight-deck layouts - shows that life stirs at VASCIC.

More could be stirring, of course. The state never ponied up $40 million in operations money it promised the yard in 1998. That meant that the center, where 400 people work, still has not grown to the 600 people it was expected to have by now.

Under the initial arrangement, the city would turn over the land on West Avenue for VASCIC's use. The state would pay $58 million to construct the center, built in the shape of a ship, as well as another $40 million to jump-start operations in the first several years. And the yard would run it, answering to a board appointed by the governor.

The city and yard did their part. And the state paid the $58 million, which will grow to $72 million by the time all bond and interest payments are made by 2011. But the $40 million in operations funding has not yet come. The initial deal called for the state to grant that money by July 2004. That was put off to 2006, and, more recently, to 2008. The budget items were killed off courtesy of Virginia's recent fiscal problems. "The focus went to funding mandatory activities before discretionary spending like VASCIC," said Anne Oman, legislative fiscal analyst with the General Assembly's House Appropriations Committee.

Without the money, the university grants - to have been awarded to state colleges for carrier research - have fallen by the wayside - though the yard has funded some smaller university research projects on its own. Plans to train workers from South Hampton Roads shipyards, another key goal of the center, also haven't yet been funded.

Revitalization of the city's downtown was a key goal of VASCIC.

It's clear that the center has not created a massive influx of new restaurants and retail stores downtown. But Florence Kingston, the city's director of development, contends VASCIC is an important part of the city's larger effort to have the yard use space in several buildings downtown. Over the past 10 years, more than 600,000 square feet of office space - in both new and converted buildings - have opened up for the yard.....

Resto Story

[rusthebuss]

City OKs $24M condo project

Hampton leaders hope that upscale housing will kick downtown revitalization into high gear.

BY TERRY SCANLON

247-7821

Published May 23, 2005

HAMPTON -- The city has signed a contract for a $24 million luxury condominium project a block from the Hampton River, which officials say marks a turning point in their effort to revitalize downtown.

Developer Arthur Collins II, the man responsible for much of the revitalization in Norfolk, plans to build at least 100 condos and a parking garage on Settlers Landing Road after agreeing to buy about a block of land for at least $1.3 million.

The deal between Collins and the city allows Hampton officials to set construction standards.

In exchange, the city will spend $5 million on the parking garage and pay another $875,000 to relocate a bank to clear room for the condos.

"What we're doing is taking a major step forward in the downtown redevelopment effort," said Hampton Economic Development Director James Eason.

City Council plans to spend millions in the next few years aiding construction of new condos, apartments and stores downtown.

In return for adding trees, narrowing streets and replacing a patchwork of paved lots with a couple of parking decks, the city hopes to create a more intimate atmosphere that will attract new residents, tourists and businesses. But before any of that happens, the number of people who live downtown needs to grow, Collins said.

Rest of Story

Edited May 23, 2005 by vdogg

[urbanvb]

Good news for Hampton. I really haven't been DT Hampton but hopefully this will spur more activity there. What kind of shape is this area in?

[rusthebuss]

Good news for Hampton. I really haven't been DT Hampton but hopefully this will spur more activity there. What kind of shape is this area in?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's in decent shape....

[okinawatyphoon]

Good news for Hampton. I really haven't been DT Hampton but hopefully this will spur more activity there. What kind of shape is this area in?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

DT Hampton is where that one 15-story building and the Air and Space museum is right? If so, I'm really glad its getting more housing. That DT is very nice, but small.

[vdogg]

DT Hampton is where that one 15-story building and the Air and Space museum is right? If so, I'm really glad its getting more housing. That DT is very nice, but small.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, the building is actually 13 stories but Hampton's downtown really compliments the view coming into Norfolk on 64.

[okinawatyphoon]

Yeah, the building is actually 13 stories but Hampton's downtown really compliments the view coming into Norfolk on 64.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh ok, thanks for the correction. Does anyone know the history of the 13-story building? It seems like Va. Beach's TC building, you know, how it is kinda by itself (at the moment, i know TC is growing fast) and they also look kinda similar with the two solid colors.

[vdogg]

Oh ok, thanks for the correction. Does anyone know the history of the 13-story building? It seems like Va. Beach's TC building, you know, how it is kinda by itself (at the moment, i know TC is growing fast) and they also look kinda similar with the two solid colors.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, but i think the blue glass and maroon? color of hamptons building is a lot more "alive" than TC's blue and white. And i think if Hamptons building were as tall as TC it would make for a much nicer looking signature tower. I don't know what that buildings history is though.

[rusthebuss]

Yeah, but i think the blue glass and maroon? color of hamptons building is a lot more "alive" than TC's blue and white. And i think if Hamptons building were as tall as TC it would make for a much nicer looking signature tower. I don't know what that buildings history is though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Its a radison and I think it was built in the early 90's I think

[urbanfan]

Its a radison and I think it was built in the early 90's I think

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually the name of the tower in downtown hampton is Harbour Center. It is actually 14 stories tall with a parking garage that surrounds it. (5 stories) It is an all business tower. Across the street is the Raddisson Hotel at 10 stories. Harbour Center was actually suppose to be a two tower complex but the demand never came through. Recently the city has proposed bringing back the second tower proposal, but there is nothing concrete about it. It's just a part of their downtown master plan for now but it sure would be nice to see a twin tower. It is a very beautiful building. Unlike the City hall tower.

[okinawatyphoon]

Actually the name of the tower in downtown hampton is Harbour Center.  It is actually 14 stories tall with a parking garage that surrounds it. (5 stories)  It is an all business tower.  Across the street is the Raddisson Hotel at 10 stories.  Harbour Center was actually suppose to be a two tower complex but the demand never came through.  Recently the city has proposed bringing back the second tower proposal, but there is nothing concrete about it.  It's just a part of their downtown master plan for now but it sure would be nice to see a twin tower.  It is a very beautiful building.  Unlike the City hall tower.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HAHA!! Do you mean the white building that looks like an airport control tower? LoL!

BTW, I'm glad to hear that a twin tower is being considered. It would look great!

[vdogg]

Actually the name of the tower in downtown hampton is Harbour Center.  It is actually 14 stories tall with a parking garage that surrounds it. (5 stories)  It is an all business tower.  Across the street is the Raddisson Hotel at 10 stories.  Harbour Center was actually suppose to be a two tower complex but the demand never came through.  Recently the city has proposed bringing back the second tower proposal, but there is nothing concrete about it.  It's just a part of their downtown master plan for now but it sure would be nice to see a twin tower.  It is a very beautiful building.  Unlike the City hall tower.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok, cool. So this 13-15 story building (have we all ever agreed on a height ) may have a twin some day? Sounds good to me. It's nice to see this spill over effect to the rest of the area. Everyone wants that taller or denser downtown now. It's a good trend.

[Former Resident of HR]

HAHA!! Do you mean the white building that looks like an airport control tower?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually for the style that building uses a lot of glass on its lower levels and is not that bad. At night the lobby is kind of cool looking. It certainly looks better than the Norfolk City Hall (AKA The Dump), but then again so does every other City Hall I have seen in this area... Hampton City Hall

[rusthebuss]

Actually for the style that building uses a lot of glass on its lower levels and is not that bad.  At night the lobby is kind of cool looking.  It certainly looks better than the Norfolk City Hall (AKA The Dump), but then again so does every other City Hall I have seen in this area... Hampton City Hall

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Norfolk is planning on building a new city hall so I think it will be the best looking on in the 757 area. It is possible that it will be in the 20's,

[rusthebuss]

More shops for Port Warwick

Thirteen businesses are scheduled to open by fall in the upscale Newport News community.

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[urbanvb]

Wow. Sounds great!

[rusthebuss]

Wow. Sounds great!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know it just shows that we are growing as a region not just one city. Suffolk is trying to renovate downtown as well. I just can't get enough!!!

[urbanvb]

We can truly say HR is undergoing a building boom just like similiar cities across the US. It is just so exciting to hear about and see these developments!

[rusthebuss]

We can truly say HR is undergoing a building boom just like similiar cities across the US. It is just so exciting to hear about and see these developments!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can you imagine this place in 40 years!!!!!!!!

[urbanvb]

Rock on.. or should I say, build on!!!

[rusthebuss]

The Yorktown waterfront is experiencing a new awakening, anticipating the opening of Riverwalk Landing.

It opens officially on Saturday, but on Thursday, people already were taking a sneak peek.

Chuck Murray said, "It is really wonderful. This is the best thing that has happened here."

York County Web site

The buildings of Riverwalk Landing, near completion in early May.

The multi-million-dollar development on the York River includes two docks, one that can accommodate regional cruise ships, a parking terrace, a restaurant and 10 retail stores.

Christa Hopson