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Norfolk/Portsmouth skyline


krdarden

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Just imagine how awesome these two skylines will be in 2015 when all the new projects and proposals are realized along both waterfronts! The skyline will be huge and will probably be a fovorite among all the cities in these forums. Cities such as Charlotte are great and have wonderful buildings but not many cities can offer a cruise terminal, waterfront condominiums, a downtown mall, perhaps a waterfront arena, a waterfront marketplace, and the type of density that we will have by that year. Also, we have another booming downtown in Virgina Beach with it's office towers visible on the horizon.

Hampton Roads cities combined are doing construction comparable to almost any city in the country! I am waiting for Chesapeake to build themselves a real downtown with their population on the verge of surpassing that of Norfolk! The logical thing to do is to become one unified city to reduce duplication of facilities; nonetheless, that seems to rational and there are too many egos at stake for this to happen in our generation.

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J I am waiting for Chesapeake to build themselves a real downtown with their population on the verge of surpassing that of Norfolk! The logical thing to do is to become one unified city to reduce duplication of facilities; nonetheless, that seems to rational and there are too many egos at stake for this to happen in our generation.

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Wow, Chesapeake. Thats a tough one. I think it will probably be a very long time before the spirit of urbanization catches on there. A lot of people move there for its suburban character, and i don't see the locally elected council steering away from that anytime soon. I think the reason Va. Beach is starting to turn the corner is that the level of sprawl and suburbanization is so grotesque there is a lot of community support behind taking a different direction. As for the Norfolk/P-town area, there is no end to the possibities for those skylines. That area is gonna look fantastic by 2015 :) .

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Chesapeake is so conservative and I don't expect anything from them for at least 25 years as they try to lay a foundation to only God knows what!

I think that the waterfront property across from Harbor Park would be another great location for a high rise condominium and could lead to the redevelopment of that area into another jewel in Norfolk's crown. Norfolk State's Rise Center project will expand toward downtown and my next thoughts turn to the property on and near the site of Norfolk Floral Company which could be better utilized than the parking lot that it reallly is. I think that the projects behind the downtown plaza will be razed in the near future and will open up some more opportunities for development in our ever expanding downtown. I hope that the city can address the needs of the current residents there by perhaps building a couple of mid rise residentiial towers near the Rise Center complex and incorporate this development with retail and job opportunities and training to help energize this entire project. A recreation center and career opportunity center could be included to make this project complete. Oh yeah, a shopping center would fit nicely across from NSU in a concept sorta like what ODU is doing over there. Norfolk State could really help propel the community around them into a high tech modern society and help lower the crime rates and unemployment while providing better housing and self help and home ownership options.

Atlantic City diagram looks very impressive and will really add to our skyline, especially if the second tower, and a large hotel and office buildings materialize there. I can see downtown development eventually merging with this project and creating a skyline as impressive as anywhere in America. Portsmouth's skyline will hopeful be filled in some and should stretch from the Naval Hospital all the way to the NTelo's AmphiTheater! Both skylines will be long and practically mirror each other in density. A couple of condos across from Harbor Park will stretch the skyline even more! I think that NSU should seek to partner with a condo developer and create a tower to cap it's development and really extend our downtown to the max!

The very last frontier downtown could be the Church St. corridor which used to be special during WW2. Hopefully, this area can become a thriving retail center that can appeal to people of all races by offering a safe and friendly atmosphere with perhaps more security and lighting and just maybe they can attract a Walmart to come into the area and create a midcity type of development and even more affordable home opportunities.

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Interesting dialogue here. If the current rate of development in this area continues at a steady pace, all that has been discussed so far could become a reality. However, I disagree with trying to attract a Wal-Mart to the Church St. corridor. There is already a supercenter near Janaf and there is one planned at Tidewater Dr. and Little Creek Rd. But some type of addtional development is always good.

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Interesting dialogue here.  If the current rate of development in this area continues at a steady pace, all that has been discussed so far could become a reality.  However, I disagree with trying to attract a Wal-Mart to the Church St. corridor.  There is already a supercenter near Janaf and there is one planned at Tidewater Dr. and Little Creek Rd.  But some type of addtional development is always good.

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:lol: Krdarden, i was with you all the way until walmart. We have so many in Va. Beach i am sick of seeing them. I just shudder at the thought of them sinking their claws into more Hampton Roads real estate :D .

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:lol: Krdarden, i was with you all the way until walmart. We have so many in Va. Beach i am sick of seeing them. I just shudder at the thought of them sinking their claws into more Hampton Roads real estate  :D .

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The sad thing is that its the type of retail that works in this blue collar town. I think they are building another one in Chesapeake on Hillcrest parkway by Hickory section off of 168

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:lol: Krdarden, i was with you all the way until walmart. We have so many in Va. Beach i am sick of seeing them. I just shudder at the thought of them sinking their claws into more Hampton Roads real estate  :D .

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Agreed, this area is already pretty much saturated with them. I'd prefer to see a super Target store in Hampton Roads before another WM comes around. I'm just glad they haven't been able to enter the lucrative NYC market.

The sad thing is that its the type of retail that works in this blue collar town. I think they are building another one in Chesapeake on Hillcrest parkway by Hickory section off of 168

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Geez, another one? :angry: I haven't heard about that one. I'm more familiar with the proposed one off of Dominion Blvd.

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Anyway, lets get back on topic here.  We can create a separate thread to the evils of WM.

I have always envisioned skylines on both banks of the Elizabeth River.  Norfolk and Portmouth could have a twin cities vibe going like Minneapolis and St. Paul.

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lol, there already is one Walmarts Evil Empire

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Maybe one day Norfolk and Portsmouth will join and become one city. Norfolk could use the land and the water front property. I don't know if that will happen though.

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Wasn't there a feasability study going on about this recently?

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There has been so many feasability studies i can't remember how many there were.

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I just mentioned Walmart because there are few shopping opportunities downtown for those in the Church St. section of the city. I would just like to see something that will draw people of all races to this area whether it be retail or entertainment.

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There are no Wal-Marts in New York City yet. We have a couple Targets, Kmarts and Home Depots though.

I live in New Jersey. Wal-Mart is building its biggest superstore ever imagined on the Meadowlands and I imagine many people may come out from the city just to go.

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I just mentioned Walmart because there are few shopping opportunities downtown for those in the Church St. section of the city. I would just like to see something that will draw people of all races to this area whether it be retail or entertainment.

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I understand what your saying kr. I'm just concerned that whatever we decide to put down there is in keeping with the urban character of that area. Thats why Walmart sent off alarm bells. I'm not entirely sure what to put down there honestly. I think the first thing that will have to be done is the continued urban renewal of the surrounding area before any new retail located in that area can be successful.

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There are no Wal-Marts in New York City yet.  We have a couple Targets, Kmarts and Home Depots though. 

I live in New Jersey.  Wal-Mart is building its biggest superstore ever imagined on the Meadowlands and I imagine many people may come out from the city just to go.

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Nice to see you could make it over to our neck of the woods lammius :) .

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I understand what your saying kr. I'm just concerned that whatever we decide to put down there is in keeping with the urban character of that area. Thats why Walmart sent off alarm bells. I'm not entirely sure what to put down there honestly. I think the first think that will have to be done is the continued urban renewal of the surrounding area before any new retail located in that area can be successful.

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It looks like Church street is turning into suburbia instead of urban. Norfolk needs to make up its mind whether it wants to be a city or a suburbs.

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It looks like Church street is turning into suburbia instead of urban. Norfolk needs to make up its mind whether it wants to be a city or a suburbs.

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Hmm.... yeah, i don't think that would be a very good idea. I'm am curious to see how church street is addressed in Norfolks 2010 plan. I don't remember seeing anything about it.

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It looks like Church street is turning into suburbia instead of urban. Norfolk needs to make up its mind whether it wants to be a city or a suburbs.

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And have you seen the new housing along that corridor and the streetscape improvements that were made a few years ago? Church Street does look like a suburban boulevard now. It's wide with a median strip and the houses are single family detached set on small grassy plots.

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That's Norfolk trying to compete with Va Beach. They need to make their mind up. Someone should go to a city meeting with the mayor there and address the issue of whether or not the city wants to be a city or it wants to be a suburbs. I guess you can argue that LA is not city then because in the city limits there are tons of single family houses. The ghettos are single family homes.

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