Richmond Developments

[Marcus Squires]

it looks like site work is beginning in Manchester for the new tower on the left side of the image. Ran by today and they were ripping up the concrete pad and had other site prep items scattered around. 

[drayrichmond]

That's awesome news about Manchester, really looking forward to a new skyline across the river! Heck, one day we could have competing skylines between Manchester and the CBD

Another note of good news is that the Pear Street Project in eastern Shockoe seems to be moving forward after a lengthy battle with Church Hill NIMBY's. The short of it is that the planning commission approved a height of 5 stories at 2801 East Main St with little objection. No new design yet, I don't think..

Along with that a 200 unit apartment building was also approved by the planning commission for 1207 School St near VUU. This is going where some old industrial sites are, I think a recycling/scrap company. Good for the neighborhood but great for the cities image being visible from 95 to go from a scrap yard to a new building.

Here's the link: http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_be181abe-cc08-5da3-a399-b3f5f2b541b5.html

[Wahoo 07]

Deleted redundant post

Edited February 7, 2017 by Wahoo 07
Redundant Post

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

16 hours ago, drayrichmond said:

That's awesome news about Manchester, really looking forward to a new skyline across the river! Heck, one day we could have competing skylines between Manchester and the CBD

Another note of good news is that the Pear Street Project in eastern Shockoe seems to be moving forward after a lengthy battle with Church Hill NIMBY's. The short of it is that the planning commission approved a height of 5 stories at 2801 East Main St with little objection. No new design yet, I don't think..

Along with that a 200 unit apartment building was also approved by the planning commission for 1207 School St near VUU. This is going where some old industrial sites are, I think a recycling/scrap company. Good for the neighborhood but great for the cities image being visible from 95 to go from a scrap yard to a new building.

Here's the link: http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_be181abe-cc08-5da3-a399-b3f5f2b541b5.html

The nimbys managed to dumb it down from initially 13 to 16 stories tall (!!) to 5.

Assholes.

Is this the same thing as One Shiplock or something else?

Edited February 7, 2017 by RVA-Is-The-Best

[Icetera]

3 hours ago, RVA-Is-The-Best said:

The nimbys managed to dumb it down from initially 13 to 16 stories tall (!!) to 5.

Assholes.

Is this the same thing as One Shiplock or something else?

This is separate from One Shiplock.  Shiplock is at a lower elevation so they can have more more floors while maintaining similar height to Lucky Strike.

[RiverYuppy]

I wish it was going to be taller, but I'm glad to see it moving forward.

Richmond really needs more new Condos/townhomes to add to the resilience of its market.  

I would love to see a big apartment to condo conversion or a large condo project go up in RVA.

[eandslee]

1 hour ago, RiverYuppy said:

I wish it was going to be taller, but I'm glad to see it moving forward.

Richmond really needs more new Condos/townhomes to add to the resilience of its market.  

I would love to see a big apartment to condo conversion or a large condo project go up in RVA.

I'm hoping the two 16 story residential towers in Manchester start going up soon. Those might wet your appetite. Additionally, I'd like to see the proposed tower next to the Riverfront Plaza get back on track (which has residences planned).  Would love to see a major company come in on that project and make it taller...perhaps even a better design. I wonder what the status is now?  I hope there is some interest and that things are not stagnant. 

[Wahoo 07]

4 hours ago, eandslee said:

I'm hoping the two 16 story residential towers in Manchester start going up soon. Those might wet your appetite. Additionally, I'd like to see the proposed tower next to the Riverfront Plaza get back on track (which has residences planned).  Would love to see a major company come in on that project and make it taller...perhaps even a better design. I wonder what the status is now?  I hope there is some interest and that things are not stagnant. 

I think that the Riverfront Plaza project is pretty important.  Aside from filling in the street grid, it would provide a link between the CBD and the Canal Walk.  For the Canal Walk to thrive and truly become a regional destination, it needs 24 hour activity.  Dense, high rise residences would certainly further this.

[drayrichmond]

Yeah besides an office component that spot would be great for a condo tower. Will probably lose some height being just condos, but it would get more people and open up access to the canal district

[blopp1234]

Well there goes the tobacco row tower.

http://richmondbizsense.com/2017/02/14/developers-abandon-tobacco-row-condos/

[Wahoo 07]

Disappointing news.  I was looking forward to that parcel being developed.  Hopefully something else will take one shiplock's place.

[RiverYuppy]

It is certainly disappointing news.

I think it in part had to do with location.  Tobacco Row doesn't really offer anything over Rockett's Landing, which has comparably priced condos.  In fact Rockett's Landing is right on the water, has two very nice restaurants within walking distance, and the larger scale probably provides buyers with more of a feeling of security in their purchase.  I'm sure there are even more amenities I'm not mentioning as well.

It's not that those type of prices can't be commanded in the city.  Look at Manchester, the $600-900k townhouses are going up south of the river.  There are plenty of houses selling for over $1m west of Belvedere.  

I think the project would have been a lot more successful if it were "in" downtown rather than just close to it (like Rockett's Landing).  It just didn't bring anything to market that couldn't be found a hop and a skip away.

[drayrichmond]

30 minutes ago, RiverYuppy said:

It is certainly disappointing news.

I think it in part had to do with location.  Tobacco Row doesn't really offer anything over Rockett's Landing, which has comparably priced condos.  In fact Rockett's Landing is right on the water, has two very nice restaurants within walking distance, and the larger scale probably provides buyers with more of a feeling of security in their purchase.  I'm sure there are even more amenities I'm not mentioning as well.

It's not that those type of prices can't be commanded in the city.  Look at Manchester, the $600-900k townhouses are going up south of the river.  There are plenty of houses selling for over $1m west of Belvedere.  

I think the project would have been a lot more successful if it were "in" downtown rather than just close to it (like Rockett's Landing).  It just didn't bring anything to market that couldn't be found a hop and a skip away.

I think you summed it up nicely.

Maybe they could have gotten away with a lower price point there, something like 400-700k, to get some retirees to move to the area, but there are better options around the city at the price point they were shooting for. Maybe we'll see something new come along, I would have really liked to see condos to get more permanent residents in the area, but it may end up being more rental units if anything at all, that just seems to be the market for shockoe.

[Marcus Squires]

we are about to see a lot of change this year regarding infrastructure in Richmond. 

 

http://www2.richmondgov.com/CapitalImprovementProjects/

[Wahoo 07]

http://richmondbizsense.com/2017/02/17/apartments-eyed-for-metal-recycling-site/

Nice to see some development in northside

[blopp1234]

2 hours ago, Wahoo 07 said:

http://richmondbizsense.com/2017/02/17/apartments-eyed-for-metal-recycling-site/

Nice to see some development in northside

I agree, but it seems kind of suburban with the parking lot. Wish it was a parking garage instead.

[drayrichmond]

yeah not a fan of the parking, but it's certainly a lot better than whats there now

[Wahoo 07]

http://richmondbizsense.com/2017/02/21/bowling-alley-set-to-roll-along-boulevard/

A nice bit of infill around Boulevard and Broad

[blopp1234]

http://www.charlottefive.com/charlotte-deserves-better-than-the-planned-office-tower-at-the-former-observer-site/

Found this article about a planned Charlotte office tower. I have no words. Would kill to have that tower pop up downtown.

[eandslee]

1 hour ago, blopp1234 said:

http://www.charlottefive.com/charlotte-deserves-better-than-the-planned-office-tower-at-the-former-observer-site/

Found this article about a planned Charlotte office tower. I have no words. Would kill to have that tower pop up downtown.

I'm jealous. They get all the tall, beautiful buildings...not saying this one is that great, but they have some very nice skyscrapers. I'm just waiting for Richmond's turn. I hope I'm still alive to see it.  Somehow, the city needs to attract businesses downtown. Lowering the taxes, cleaning up City Hall (the people not the building necessarily), drastically improving the schools, improve mass transit (serious mass transit, not just the BRT)...all of these will bring businesses downtown and only then might we see some really tall buildings being built. Just imagine if all the businesses in Innsbrook were downtown, now that would be some impressive skyscrapers!

[eandslee]

https://chpn.net/2017/02/24/lot-being-cleared-for-apartment-development-on-marshall-street/

 

Construction starting for apartments (6 stories) on Marshall St. 

[drayrichmond]

Awesome!, hadn't heard much on that one in awhile, glad it's moving forward, it'll be a nice piece of infill

[RiverYuppy]

On 2/24/2017 at 3:58 PM, eandslee said:

https://chpn.net/2017/02/24/lot-being-cleared-for-apartment-development-on-marshall-street/

 

Construction starting for apartments (6 stories) on Marshall St. 

This is great.  I drive by that lot every day on the way to work and was wondering what was going on there.  There is construction on the same street (19th) two blocks over.  I thought they might be holding supplies or equipment on the empty lot.  I'm glad to see it's going to be a full 6 stories!

[Wahoo 07]

39 minutes ago, RiverYuppy said:

This is great.  I drive by that lot every day on the way to work and was wondering what was going on there.  There is construction on the same street (19th) two blocks over.  I thought they might be holding supplies or equipment on the empty lot.  I'm glad to see it's going to be a full 6 stories!

It's a great bit of infill.  That area of the bottom always felt a bit like no-man's-land.  Glad to see that that will no longer be the case

[Toni]

On 2/22/2017 at 5:51 PM, eandslee said:

I'm jealous. They get all the tall, beautiful buildings...not saying this one is that great, but they have some very nice skyscrapers. I'm just waiting for Richmond's turn. I hope I'm still alive to see it.  Somehow, the city needs to attract businesses downtown. Lowering the taxes, cleaning up City Hall (the people not the building necessarily), drastically improving the schools, improve mass transit (serious mass transit, not just the BRT)...all of these will bring businesses downtown and only then might we see some really tall buildings being built. Just imagine if all the businesses in Innsbrook were downtown, now that would be some impressive skyscrapers!

Funny, I live in Charlotte and I would give anything for Richmond's connectivity and general city feel.  Uptown Charlotte definitely has some great buildings, but it becomes the worst kind of sprawl with no real street grid once you go half a mile in any direction.  Also, look at Uptown Charlotte from an aerial view, and you'll see that the tall buildings section is about 8 blocks long but only 2-3 blocks wide.  It's pretty much just Tryon Street, so it makes a great skyline, but it still doesn't feel like a real city when you're walking around, which I think downtown Richmond does (not to mention that Richmond has old neighborhoods like the Fan, Jackson Ward, Oregon Hill, etc. just outside of downtown--leave downtown Charlotte and you mostly just get boxy, big, inelegant four-story wood-frame apartment complexes with zero charm).

I too laughed a little bit when I read that CharlotteFive article.  Yeah the Observer tower is a bit old-fashioned and not flashy at all, but at least it doesn't have a flat roof!  But I also see how it won't fit in to Charlotte very well, and it's not obvious why putting the frontage of the building along the interstate while the street access will just be open fields, creating little urban landscape to speak of.