Richmond Developments

[wrldcoupe4]

I'm sure we'll have more details later today but...

Highwoods Chosen as Richmond Developer

The Raleigh real estate investment trust is to coordinate and oversee the work of the groups that will invest in and build $800 million of offices, shops, parking and a minor-league baseball stadium in the city's Shockoe Bottom section, said Tabitha Zane, the company's vice president of investor relations.

Highwoods itself is to develop about 600,000 square feet in the project over time. The company will collect fees for managing land use and finding qualified developers to invest in the non-office portions.

[Cadeho]

The media has dusted off the old renderings.. I wonder if any new ones have been made yet?

[burt]

$800 million is a lot of bucks!!!

Can't wait to see renderings. The project is supposed to be pitched to City Council this afternoon according to a story I read this morning in the R-TD which has mysteriously disappeared. Perhaps we'll see something in tomorrow's paper before they delete it.

Do you suppose a replacement Coliseum is included in the cost figure as well?

There is no height limit at The Diamond, is there?

Edited October 27, 2008 by burt

[burt]

Details about the Highwoods plans for Shockoe Bottom and collaboration with other firms at the Diamond.

From this afternoon's breaking news at inRich:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...10-27-0196.html

[wrldcoupe4]

Some of my notes from the meeting today:

Development team:

Primary Developer, Project Manager, Office Space development – Highwoods

Master Planning – CMSS Architects

Ballpark Design – HKS Architects

Investment Banking – Morgan Keegan

Multimodal component/train shed/museum, slave trail component – SMBW Architects

Shockoe Residential – Historic Housing LLC

Boulevard Residential – Bobb/Armada Hoffler Development Team

Hotel Development at both sites – TBD

Boulevard Retail – Bobb/Armada Hoffler Development Team

Development Components

Boulevard Site –

- Town Center concept – low to midrise

- Up to two hotels; 1 180 room hotel at Robin Hood Road and I-95

- Large Residential component; up to 450 condos, up to 400 apartments

- 600,000 SF office space in mostly 4-5 story buildings; 1 iconic 8-story building

- 4 parking decks (shared between daytime and nighttime uses)

- Retail: ground floor of office buildings/parking decks and free standing; 250,000 SF of “mid-box” and small retailers

Shockoe Bottom Site –

- 200,000+ SF Class A Corp. HQ Highrise Tower (between MSS and I-95)

- Museum dedicated to area’s slave history in old Seaboard Railway Bldg

- $60 million Baseball Stadium: 6,500 Seat stadium with capacity of 8,500; expandable by 2,000 Seats; 20 feet below grade to preserve viewsheds/neighborhood scale

- 80,000 SF entertainment/retail space surrounding new ballpark

- 300 hotel rooms in 2 hotels; 1 overlooking ballpark, 1 between MSS and I-95

- 250 Apartments units (up to 600 units depending on demand); some will overlook ballpark

- 60 condo units; some will overlook ballpark

- 2 new parking decks

- Reopening of Franklin Street beneath MSS to create gateway from parking decks west of I-95 towards Shockoe Bottom/Stadium

- New multimodal transit center: Amtrak service, GRTC transfer center, Central hub for future statwide rail service, future light rail potential

Additonal details can be found here:

http://www.richmondsmayor.com/news-room/20...et-station.aspx

Two Renderings from the above link

Boulevard Site:

"Shockoe Center"

looking west from 18th and Broad

Edited October 28, 2008 by wrldcoupe4

[Cadeho]

LOOK!!!! AT!!! ALL!!! THOSE!!! UTILITY!!! WIRES!!!! That looks awful in that rendering... we need to bury them!

Otherwise...

[burt]

Excellent compilation of facts, plans and renderings, Wrldcoupe4!!!

Even the Mayor's news letter is positive with nary a personal stab at anybody!!!

My ONE comment and recommendation: Note in the rendering the land north of the Main Street Station shed is landscaped. What MUST happen, if MSS is to become practical as a rail station is to extend the shed across Broad to Marshall Street with track infill between the two present trestles. Switches beside the station into about six tracks in the shed would allow for present and future train traffic which could be accessed via escalators and elevators from below. Ticketing could be on the ground level of MSS. In addition to intelligently designed acess to the tracks above, a GRTC bus transfer station as well as public parking could be accommodated under the extended shed.

Coupe has included the pdf of both projects from the Mayor's news letter in his posting above. Click the renderings at the bottom of the Mayor newletter which may be increased in size for easier viewing.

Edited October 28, 2008 by burt

[blake_p]

The stadium in the bottom looks great, but the Boulevard plan leave a lot to be desired. It doesn't integrate with the surrounding neighborhoods and looks like a suburban office and apartment complex.

[eandslee]

I really like the high-rise building just northwest of the MSS in the Shockoe Rendering. What piece of land do they have that sitting on? Overall the plan looks very similar to the one provided several years ago. I really like the idea of having the stadium in Shockoe Bottom. At least this way, out-of-towners can see what our downtown looks like (it was very difficult from the Boulevard location).

[Shakman]

I really like the high-rise building just northwest of the MSS in the Shockoe Rendering. What piece of land do they have that sitting on? Overall the plan looks very similar to the one provided several years ago. I really like the idea of having the stadium in Shockoe Bottom. At least this way, out-of-towners can see what our downtown looks like (it was very difficult from the Boulevard location).

It looks like the lot which VCU /MCV has considered to be developed as part of their master plan. I wonder who currently owns that parcel.

Edited October 28, 2008 by Shakman

[wrldcoupe4]

The tower is proposed to rise south of broad, west of MSS, and east of I-95. If I'm not mistaken, this property is owned by the city or perhaps the RMA.

[eandslee]

The tower is proposed to rise south of broad, west of MSS, and east of I-95. If I'm not mistaken, this property is owned by the city or perhaps the RMA.

Thanks Coupe. This is interesting. I've never seen its proposal before and I like it!

[Cadeho]

I know the Slave Trail people can't be too happy... unless they set aside a place for the site of Lumpkins Jail on the site of that tower...

[CommRE]

The tower is proposed to rise south of broad, west of MSS, and east of I-95. If I'm not mistaken, this property is owned by the city or perhaps the RMA.

It is owned by the city if this is the right parcel.

PID # E0000127005

Property Type: Government

Property Address:

1500 E FRANKLIN ST

RICHMOND, VA 23219-3618

Current Owner:

CITY OF RICHMOND

PUBLIC WORKS

Tax Mailing Address:

900 E BROAD ST

RICHMOND , VA 23219-1907

Property Use:

620 GOVERNMENT PUBLIC BUILDING

Land Use:

1. Primary Commercial/Indust Land

Lot Size: 3.68 acres / 160,162 sf

Zoning: M-1 Light Industrial

Subdivision:

Census Tract: 0205.00 Block: 2

Block: / Lot:

Legal Description:

199.45X762.35 IRREGULAR LOT 3.798 ACRES

[TBurban]

Some of my notes from the meeting today:

Development team:

Primary Developer, Project Manager, Office Space development – Highwoods

Master Planning – CMSS Architects

Ballpark Design – HKS Architects

Investment Banking – Morgan Keegan

Multimodal component/train shed/museum, slave trail component – SMBW Architects

Shockoe Residential – Historic Housing LLC

Boulevard Residential – Bobb/Armada Hoffler Development Team

Hotel Development at both sites – TBD

Boulevard Retail – Bobb/Armada Hoffler Development Team

Development Components

Boulevard Site –

- Town Center concept – low to midrise

- Up to two hotels; 1 180 room hotel at Robin Hood Road and I-95

- Large Residential component; up to 450 condos, up to 400 apartments

- 600,000 SF office space in mostly 4-5 story buildings; 1 iconic 8-story building

- 4 parking decks (shared between daytime and nighttime uses)

- Retail: ground floor of office buildings/parking decks and free standing; 250,000 SF of “mid-box” and small retailers

Shockoe Bottom Site –

- 200,000+ SF Class A Corp. HQ Highrise Tower (between MSS and I-95)

- Museum dedicated to area’s slave history in old Seaboard Railway Bldg

- $60 million Baseball Stadium: 6,500 Seat stadium with capacity of 8,500; expandable by 2,000 Seats; 20 feet below grade to preserve viewsheds/neighborhood scale

- 80,000 SF entertainment/retail space surrounding new ballpark

- 300 hotel rooms in 2 hotels; 1 overlooking ballpark, 1 between MSS and I-95

- 250 Apartments units (up to 600 units depending on demand); some will overlook ballpark

- 60 condo units; some will overlook ballpark

- 2 new parking decks

- Reopening of Franklin Street beneath MSS to create gateway from parking decks west of I-95 towards Shockoe Bottom/Stadium

- New multimodal transit center: Amtrak service, GRTC transfer center, Central hub for future statwide rail service, future light rail potential

Additonal details can be found here:

http://www.richmondsmayor.com/news-room/20...et-station.aspx

Two Renderings from the above link

Boulevard Site:

"Shockoe Center"

looking west from 18th and Broad

I just wanted to bring this to the new page. Otherwise, speechless!

Edited October 28, 2008 by TBurban

[burt]

Here's a follow-up story about ballpark prospects and ancillary development in the Bottom.

From today's inRich:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/busines...10-29-0150.html

[philzone]

Thanks for following these developments so thoroughly. You folks do wonderful work.

I used to work for Media General and the inRich.com, TimesDispatch.com and DiscoverRichmond.com websites. Fun times, but I was laid off and now I'm looking for work. Anyway, thanks for linking to the inRich site so often over the years -- the traffic boost and recognition always helps.

[burt]

Thanks for following these developments so thoroughly. You folks do wonderful work.

I used to work for Media General and the inRich.com, TimesDispatch.com and DiscoverRichmond.com websites. Fun times, but I was laid off and now I'm looking for work. Anyway, thanks for linking to the inRich site so often over the years -- the traffic boost and recognition always helps.

A special welcome to Philzone. This is the gentleman whose dedicated love of Richmond has translated into fabulous stories and photographs in The Richmond Times Dispatch and Discover Richmond. He has opened many eyes to regional treasures few knew existed, many of which are posted on these pages.

Thanks so much for joining us, Phil.

[Cadeho]

Welcome Phil! Now we have a ton of photographers here... we need a club.

[HopHead]

Pretty neat site plan. The only thing that I question is why is the focus on baseball now since the Braves left? Why not put a new arena in this space? To me, a new arena in the likes of the JPJA in Charlottesville would do so much more for Richmond. The coliseum is long over due to be replaced.

[burt]

Pretty neat site plan. The only thing that I question is why is the focus on baseball now since the Braves left? Why not put a new arena in this space? To me, a new arena in the likes of the JPJA in Charlottesville would do so much more for Richmond. The coliseum is long over due to be replaced.

You've got a good point there, dbull! A space that could be utilized 365 days a year. But is the plot large enough for a 20 to 25K seat arena? We wouldn't want anything smaller.

If the proposed design for streetscapes were to be included, it would be the first arena anywhere with urban commercial spaces surrounding it as an outer wall. But VERY unique!

[Cadeho]

It's not like the stadium can't be used as an arena.

[wrldcoupe4]

Not too big of news but Verizon signage is going up on their building at 7th/8th and Grace.

[burt]

Not too big of news but Verizon signage is going up on their building at 7th/8th and Grace.

Well, I'm pleased that my sources were correct about this relocation of Verizon which I learned over a year ago.

A side bar about that structure: When C&P Telephone was an occupant, there was some sort of "understanding" that nothing taller could be constructed in the immediate area because of electrical wave-length intereference (or something to that effect.)

In this digital World, would that still apply?

And another side bar about the area: Courtrooms in the nearby new Fed CH were jammed yesterday with litigants in the Circuit City bankruptcy case. So, already, new life in the neighborhood with lots more to come!

Edited November 11, 2008 by burt

[HopHead]

You've got a good point there, dbull! A space that could be utilized 365 days a year. But is the plot large enough for a 20 to 25K seat arena? We wouldn't want anything smaller.

If the proposed design for streetscapes were to be included, it would be the first arena anywhere with urban commercial spaces surrounding it as an outer wall. But VERY unique!

LOL, well I think a 25k seat indoor arena probably wouldn't make sense in Richmond or most markets. Something in the 15-17k range would be ideal. This would be great for attracting top name music acts, keeping that CAA tourney for years to come as the conference continues to grow. Maybe even score the opening round of the NCAA tourney! I think Richmond did have that one year back in the late 80s-early 90s? Also, what's the deal with the Strawberry hill ampitheater these days? I remember back in it's heyday, almost any group would have at tour stop there. Then all of the sudden it disappeared?