Richmond Developments

[Icetera]

23 hours ago, rjp212 said:

Oh I forgot this was two separate projects.  Kotarides has some pretty generic suburban products. 

You are not kidding.  They cannot even tell their properties apart. 

Their naming is awful as well.  Everything has to be "Clairmont" or "Belmont," regardless of location.  In this case "Belmont on Broad" is several blocks West of Belmont Street at Broad Street.  I am sure that will not create any confusion, especially coming off of the I-195 Hamilton St. ramp...

Edited July 14, 2020 by Icetera

[eandslee]

Just a reminder that tonight at 6:00pm is the Coliseum Area Framework Plan Meeting under the Richmond 300 planning process. This is a chance to hear the latest news on plans for the area and it affords you the opportunity to weigh in via polling during the meeting.  This will be the second meeting of this type to discuss this area of downtown.  It is a virtual meeting, so you can attend online. Here is the link:

https://aecom.webex.com/ec3300/eventcenter/mobile/eventInfoMobile.do?siteurl=aecom&confID=166324852928548155&meetingKey=1306472296&backUrl=%2Fmw3300%2Fwireless%2Fmeetinglist.do%3Fsiteurl%3Daecom&t=a&MTID=eeb80c0181648a999faefcf5080b23cb4&rnd=0.9582161304010125&isIPADAsMobile=null

 

Again, that is 6:00pm tonight, 14 July 2020 - hope to have you all tune in with me!

[Shakman]

2 hours ago, eandslee said:

Just a reminder that tonight at 6:00pm is the Coliseum Area Framework Plan Meeting under the Richmond 300 planning process. This is a chance to hear the latest news on plans for the area and it affords you the opportunity to weigh in via polling during the meeting.  This will be the second meeting of this type to discuss this area of downtown.  It is a virtual meeting, so you can attend online. Here is the link:

https://aecom.webex.com/ec3300/eventcenter/mobile/eventInfoMobile.do?siteurl=aecom&confID=166324852928548155&meetingKey=1306472296&backUrl=%2Fmw3300%2Fwireless%2Fmeetinglist.do%3Fsiteurl%3Daecom&t=a&MTID=eeb80c0181648a999faefcf5080b23cb4&rnd=0.9582161304010125&isIPADAsMobile=null

 

Again, that is 6:00pm tonight, 14 July 2020 - hope to have you all tune in with me!

Nice.  I'll try to attend.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Shakman

[Icetera]

Turn current city hall into a park?  That is certainly a unique proposal...

Edited July 14, 2020 by Icetera

[eandslee]

I was sort of concerned about the move to build a new City Hall as certainly it would require public funds to do so.  To me, a NEW arena is more important (more important than a new City Hall) and I am afraid that spending more public money toward a new City Hall and a NEW arena (if necessary) would be a tough sell to the public.  In either alternative, City Hall at the very least, would receive a renovation and in two of the alternatives, a new City Hall is proposed (interesting, since I didn't know this was in consideration).  I supported Alternative 3, but Alternative 1 apparently gained the most support of those online at the time of the meeting.  We just need to get the ball rolling on this and get an RFP on the streets before HR can build a new arena before Richmond.  If we are second to the game, our arena will not reach the potential that it can if it is THE premier arena in Virginia.  The open space concepts were good, but my favorite was the open space around the new arena itself.

[Icetera]

15 minutes ago, eandslee said:

I was sort of concerned about the move to build a new City Hall as certainly it would require public funds to do so.  To me, a NEW arena is more important (more important than a new City Hall) and I am afraid that spending more public money toward a new City Hall and a NEW arena (if necessary) would be a tough sell to the public.  In either alternative, City Hall at the very least, would receive a renovation and in two of the alternatives, a new City Hall is proposed (interesting, since I didn't know this was in consideration).  I supported Alternative 3, but Alternative 1 apparently gained the most support of those online at the time of the meeting.  We just need to get the ball rolling on this and get an RFP on the streets before HR can build a new arena before Richmond.  If we are second to the game, our arena will not reach the potential that it can if it is THE premier arena in Virginia.  The open space concepts were good, but my favorite was the open space around the new arena itself.

I like the arena layout and park of Proposal 3, the linear park with hopefully towers along it from Proposal 1 and the retention of City Hall from Proposal 2 (demolition would be a hard no from me).  I do not feel the additional block of park is necessary but I would not be against the idea of the park in place of Social Security either.  I definitely support redeveloping the John Marshall courts site.  Perhaps it could be combined into a City Hall Annex with Social Services and the other needs City Hall feels they need.

[eandslee]

18 minutes ago, Icetera said:

I like the arena layout and park of Proposal 3, the linear park with hopefully towers along it from Proposal 1 and the retention of City Hall from Proposal 2 (demolition would be a hard no from me).  I do not feel the additional block of park is necessary but I would not be against the idea of the park in place of Social Security either.  I definitely support redeveloping the John Marshall courts site.  Perhaps it could be combined into a City Hall Annex with Social Services and the other needs City Hall feels they need.

I agree with you. There were elements of each Alternative that I liked.  Oh, and a renovation of the current Coliseum should not even be an option.  If a renovation is done, it will still be a second-rate facility and you cannot expand the number of seats. Only a new arena will provide everything Richmond, and that area, needs. Richmond needs to aim for the stars and nothing else. 

[Wahoo 07]

https://richmondbizsense.com/2020/07/15/more-residential-density-planned-around-westhampton-area/

Nice infill projects between Patterson and Grove.

[rjp212]

This is all I can think of based on those layouts...

https://denverite.com/2018/05/07/denver-slot-home-replacements/

These are a huge issue for most booming cities.

Edited July 15, 2020 by rjp212

[eandslee]

Here are the presentation slides from the Richmond300 meeting last night.  Also, here is the link to the recording of the meeting. 

Presentation:

http://richmond300.com/marketingMasterPlan/sites/default/files/ColiseumSummit_July14_FINAL_LowRes.pdf

Recording:

https://aecom.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/aecom/recording/play/ebbc5baeaaeb4aa2bdf1d2331c46e6d0

[I miss RVA]

My preference is for option 3 - but implementing "F" from option 1 (a stand-alone high rise hotel tower). Much greater density in option 3.

 

Edited July 16, 2020 by I miss RVA

[Richmonder23]

Looks like the city is going to vote to expand B3 zoning (central business district) tomorrow in several parts of the city! I'm unfamiliar with zoning practices, can  anyone explain the likelihood of this passing , its implications, and whether this is a new development or something we knew was coming? Seems exciting to me.

https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4593218&GUID=782E1065-55B9-4A3B-8379-45BD89AAE196

[eandslee]

2 hours ago, Richmonder23 said:

Looks like the city is going to vote to expand B3 zoning (central business district) tomorrow in several parts of the city! I'm unfamiliar with zoning practices, can  anyone explain the likelihood of this passing , its implications, and whether this is a new development or something we knew was coming? Seems exciting to me.

https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4593218&GUID=782E1065-55B9-4A3B-8379-45BD89AAE196

At first glance, I don’t think this pertains to any specific development.  Looks like they are just refining the zoning so that it fits with current plans.  I could be wrong though. 

[rjp212]

5 hours ago, Richmonder23 said:

Looks like the city is going to vote to expand B3 zoning (central business district) tomorrow in several parts of the city! I'm unfamiliar with zoning practices, can  anyone explain the likelihood of this passing , its implications, and whether this is a new development or something we knew was coming? Seems exciting to me.

https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4593218&GUID=782E1065-55B9-4A3B-8379-45BD89AAE196

 

On 6/18/2020 at 3:49 PM, whw53 said:

The rezoning signs around the Carver / Newtowne area are not for site specific projects. They refer to zoning actions initiated by city staff related to the Pulse corridor plan passed in 2017. This is the 3rd part of the Pulse related rezonings - Scotts's Addition was rezoned in 2018, Monroe Ward in 2019 and now they are focused on the Newtowne/Carver area extending all the way to the Boulevard - including the DMV site.

link to rezoning program below - lotta good stuff in here, upzoning most of land along Broad to urban B4 and doing away with most of the M1 industrial zone in the area.

http://www.richmondgov.com/PlanningAndDevelopmentReview/documents/PulseCorridorPlan/M-A-V_Summary_20200327.pdf

This is what @whw53 had to say about the rezonings.  Seems they are updating the small area plans.

[whw53]

This update to the B-3 zone is  a separate action from the Pulse rezonings brought up here previously in that it is a change to the zoning text instead of the zoning map.

Someone brought this up on Reddit the other day and i had not heard about it prior to then but it is unlike the Pulse rezoning actions where the zones for certain areas of the city are being re-drawn.  Every zoning district has pages describing what uses are allowed by right, by permit and what sort of density is accepatable and so on and so forth. So this change to the B-3 only affects those conditions, essentially just editing those pages and does NOT redraw or alter any boundaries which is why there are no hearings on it really. But it is substantial because it does re-define the zoning definition across the board in every B-3 zoned area in the city. 

B-3 does not substantially cover the Carver\Newtowne area being discussed as the current focus of the Pulse rezoning action (officially the SCIENCE MUSEUM/ALLISON STREET/VCU&VUU STATION AREA REZONING). This is mostly doing away with M-1 I think and if there is B-3 in this area it will be disposed of in the current rezoning as it is proposed now. (Side note - this has been postponed from the City Council calendar from this week until September).

I haven't read much into what is being proposed for the B-3 but I think it has to do with allowing more density (from 5 to 7 stories) and removing surface parking as a principal use as the two big ones.  B-3 is a central business category but unlike B-4 it has not led to redevelopment - think Broad Street from Scott's to Willow Lawn and Midlothian Turnpike on South-side. It would be in the city's interest to see higher and better uses for these corridors but most of the structures there are aging. I think the impetus here was to make this land, which is mostly pavement, more attractive in its potential even if the current setting is not so much. I'll look more into it though!

Edited July 22, 2020 by whw53

[Richmonder23]

Apologies if this has been posted already - looks like a new apartment complex is coming for the VUU area.

 

www.richmondbizsense.com/2020/07/22/developer-lined-up-for-34m-apartment-project-near-vuu/

Edited July 22, 2020 by Richmonder23

[eandslee]

Does anyone know if construction on this project has begun or not?  They were supposed to have started already, but I don’t think I’ve heard anything except that the gas station was torn down.  Any update would be nice.  Thanks!

https://richmondmagazine.com/news/news/council-oks-broad-street-apartment-plans/

[Brent114]

The gas station is still there, still open. 
 

I hope it hasn’t been scrapped because of the Rona. 

[wrldcoupe4]

The sale hasn't closed, at least per the city records. Could be at risk...

[I miss RVA]

4 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

The sale hasn't closed, at least per the city records. Could be at risk...

Not good, boys and girls! Let's hope this is only a minor hiccup and the project will go forward as planned.

[Richmonder23]

Forgive my ignorance on this but could it be related to this?  North Lombardy and Broad  looks like it's in the middle of this strip  of Broad that's currently being argued over by several neighborhood groups. Looks like City Council punted the issue to their September meeting to let the neighborhood groups get out their grievances regarding re-zoning (even though they've had like 5 public meetings on this since 2017). If the rezoning hasn't yet taken effect can the construction even start? Or would the deal have gone through regardless? (I'm genuinely all very new to this stuff, so I don't know)

Either way, and not to change the subject, but it's pretty frustrating watching the NIMBYs come out again against this.

https://richmondmagazine.com/news/news/pulse-corridor-clash/

Edited July 24, 2020 by Richmonder23
add last sentence

[whw53]

The project has already been approved by City Council through a Special Use Permit (which was needed since it did not meet the current M-1 zoning).  The current Pulse rezoning effort here is unrelated to the timeline of this project since it has already made it through the city gauntlet, however what is interesting is that the developer used the anticipated rezoning to justify the SUP when taking it before the planning commission.  I've heard from a source that some private aspects of this project have been delayed but it is still on the table to be built. 

Edited July 24, 2020 by whw53

[Richmonder23]

9 minutes ago, whw53 said:

The project has already been approved by City Council through a Special Use Permit (which was needed since it did not meet the current M-1 zoning).  The current Pulse rezoning effort here is unrelated to the timeline of this project since it has already made it through the city gauntlet, however what is interesting is that the developer used the anticipated rezoning to justify the SUP when taking it before the planning commission.  I've heard from a source that some private aspects of this project have been delayed but it is still on the table to be built. 

Interesting. Well,  hopefully the rezoning (and this project) continue to go through as planned so it's not sitting alone on Broad there! 

[I miss RVA]

9 hours ago, Richmonder23 said:

Forgive my ignorance on this but could it be related to this?  North Lombardy and Broad  looks like it's in the middle of this strip  of Broad that's currently being argued over by several neighborhood groups. Looks like City Council punted the issue to their September meeting to let the neighborhood groups get out their grievances regarding re-zoning (even though they've had like 5 public meetings on this since 2017). If the rezoning hasn't yet taken effect can the construction even start? Or would the deal have gone through regardless? (I'm genuinely all very new to this stuff, so I don't know)

Either way, and not to change the subject, but it's pretty frustrating watching the NIMBYs come out again against this.

https://richmondmagazine.com/news/news/pulse-corridor-clash/

OMG - Richmonder23, I'm SO with you regarding utter exasperation with all the fetid BS coming from the NIMBY's about "historic" and "height" and all the other dribble.

I'd like to tell the bloody donkey interviewed in the story - YES - a mini-Manhattan is EXACTLY what Richmond needs to get out of this bogus "mid-sized historic city" BS. For the love of God, no one is talking about dropping a bleeding 60-story mirrored-glass tower along Monument Avenue just west of Stuart Circle. And quite frankly - if someone puts a 25-story building on West Broad Street, my question is:  it "harms" W. Grace or W. Franklin or Park Avenue or Grove Avenue HOW??? Chorus of crickets if one thinks about this logically and intelligently? Thought so.

The NIMBYs can leave the kitchen and actually let the city thrive for once. "Scaled back" ... ?? Seriously?? Pardon me while I vomit now.

(Shaking my head so much I now have a headache...)

8 hours ago, Richmonder23 said:

Interesting. Well,  hopefully the rezoning (and this project) continue to go through as planned so it's not sitting alone on Broad there! 

Let's hope the project gets built and the rezoning goes through without a hitch. The NIMBYs need to back off. They've had their time and held Richmond back enough. The city is on a roll (even in spite of COVID) and is doing pretty darn well. Let her alone and let her grow instead of trying to constantly stunt everything that will turn Richmond into a truly big city.

[Richmonder23]

16 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Let's hope the project gets built and the rezoning goes through without a hitch. The NIMBYs need to back off. They've had their time and held Richmond back enough. The city is on a roll (even in spite of COVID) and is doing pretty darn well. Let her alone and let her grow instead of trying to constantly stunt everything that will turn Richmond into a truly big city.

Absolutely! I rolled my eyes quite a few times through that article. If these folks think Richmond is destined to look like Midtown Manhattan in a few years because of some rezoning, they've clearly never been to Manhattan! (Plus, what's so bad with looking like one of the country's most popular cities anyway?) NIMBYs have been holding Richmond back for far too long. I for one say - bring on the density - and height!