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Portsmouth development


vdogg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Peaked into the new Griff's Sports Lounge in the 500th block of High St last night. It will be between the Hawthorne Hotel and the Old Towne Bakery. Work continues inside but the place looks great. Extensive tile and granite throughout, very nice patio, lots of TV's. I'll definitely be checking it out when they open. Also, Fusion 440 on Dinwiddie St. has changed over to the "Blue Water Seafood Grill".

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  • 3 weeks later...
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  • 2 weeks later...

More than two years ago, city officials thought they had a deal to fill a void in local retail and bring a shopping center to Midtown. The Sembler Company, a Florida-based developer, signed on to transform a prominent 24-acre site on Frederick Boulevard near the new Walmart Supercenter. Word leaked that a Target would anchor the project and draw in other stores and restaurants.

After nearly three years of waiting, however, the deal has collapsed. Two weeks ago, the Economic Development Authority voted to terminate its agreement with Sembler and search for another developer. Faced with the turbulent economy, the company had asked to subdivide the property and develop it piecemeal rather than start with a large anchor store.

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/12/portsmouth-quits-deal-property-developer-sembler

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  • 3 weeks later...

Senator Lucas wont give up:

State Sen. Louise Lucas says she and five partners are close to securing a deal to build a Marriott hotel by Interstate 264 and Victory Boulevard. Lucas, a Democrat representing Portsmouth, tried but failed in 2008 and early 2009 to get approval for a larger, more expensive project that would have included a conference center. The City Council voted down her request to use up to $38 million in low-cost, tax-exempt bonds to help her finance that project.

This time, the project will not need council approval, Lucas said. She and her partners, who include her two daughters, will put up more than 50 percent of the cost, which Lucas estimated could be between $10 million and $14 million.

A call to a Marriott spokeswoman this morning was not immediately returned. A company official has visited the site of the proposed hotel twice, Lucas said.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/lucas-says-deal-close-building-marriott-portsmouth

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  • 2 weeks later...

A couple of new businesses in Old Town have opened.

Court St:

Segundo (Restaurant)

High St:

Angry Adams Wine & Cheese Spot

The Smoke Shack (Coming Soon)

Also a new pawn shop has opened but I'm not sure of the exact name, looks to be mostly jewelery for sale.

Montgomery Square is coming along nicely, I'm thinking some of the apartments are already occupied.

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A couple of pictures I took from the car on my way through town yesterday.

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Montgomery Square. Supposidly the future home of Corner Alley Bowling and Sports lounge. Upstairs is apartments I believe.

P2090571.jpg

Children's Museum Expansion Construction (taking while moving...)

P2090574.jpg

Corner of Court and Queen. Still occupies the basement of this century old building. Its a cozy little Tapas place.

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  • 1 month later...

Not huge news, but every little bit helps:

A New York company wants to buy one of the city's most visible low-income housing complexes and rehabilitate it with help from federal tax credits. The tentative deal involves the sale of London Oaks, a cluster of brown low-rise buildings with 296 units between downtown and Midtown. Two City Council members who saw plans for the project were optimistic the deal would improve the look of the complex and address social problems through new management.

"It's early in the process, but it's awfully exciting, the idea that a group would come in and make a major investment in this property," said Councilman Doug Smith, who saw the presentation with Vice Mayor Bill Moody Jr.

Under the proposal, The Related Companies would buy the property from Roanoke-based F&W Management. The Related Companies has applied for $1.6 million in federal low-income housing credits for the project, putting it in competition with the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority for some of those funds.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/03/ny-firm-wants-buy-fix-lowincome-portsmouth-housing

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  • 3 weeks later...

This is mainly 3 and 4 floor buildings. I don't see any reason to be overly excited.. also Portsmouth is known for proposing huge projects that never break ground. I wasn't a member back then, but I've seen one thread on this site where Portsmouth announced like 6 new 25+ floor towers in downtown?

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Portsmouth deserves something they can call their own. I never go to Portsmouth...and my impression of it is not a good one. If this project is built, maybe I'll have an excuseee to go there.

Do you plan on being injured or sick? It's just a hospital expansion, and apartments/townhomes...

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Do you plan on being injured or sick? It's just a hospital expansion, and apartments/townhomes...

Willett Hall, a city-owned 2,000-seat performing arts center, would be demolished but possibly replaced by a new entertainment center.

City leaders envision the project lifting Portsmouth's struggling Midtown area into a retail hub

"The project is going to be a beautiful city-urban setting with multiple amenities that would attract people to want to live in the city again

I would definately go check out something described as a retail hub in a beautiful, urban setting.

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Portsmouth needs to focus on downtown. The city owns several grass covered blocks down there and it seems like they continue to fill them up with single family homes rather than urban developments. Portsmouth has very little taxable land left, they need to go high density on everything to get the tax base up. Portsmouth has horrible city leadership and people vote the same back in year after year. During the real estate boom not one new privately funded building was constructed in downtown Portsmouth where as Norfolk sprouted a couple high rises and several "luxury" apartment projects.

It is statistically proven in Portsmouth that people vote based on skin color which is very unfortunate.

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With Portsmouth's track record of late, Ill believe it when I see it

That was exactly my first thought, how many times have we heard about this midtown redevelopment over the years? Portsmouth really needs to put its money where its mouth is if it is going to spout out these random ideas...and I have to agree with others here, there is more than enough grass lot lands within the downtown area that should be what the city is focusing on.

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