spiker3

W possibly, almost definitely not aLoft, that wouldn't fit with the town center feel (it has a drive in car wash as feature) but anything's possible at this point.

What is the 20 story building to the far left (i dont remember the block #s) That really is a phenomenal picture And i still curse Dave Hansen when i wake up each day vdogg

They'd have to be to afford rent compensating for 18 units sitting empty. I don't remember hearing office/medical as part of the original plans for this building, which is why it's funny to me. For this project to still be going on, after almost three years is absurd. There's 1 unit sold, and now commercial space leased to make up for failing sales. At this stage they'll take anything to help pay their financing off. Get what you can in today's market, but this is an indicator of just how far downtown's market has fallen.

Well, it's funny to me, but maybe i have a crude sense of humor... Franklin Condos has a new tenant....a dentistry i guess you have to get rent money wherever you can get it, especially since selling one unit to a cousin

It's been years, and i'm fairly certain it closed a while ago, but is Le Chambord (sp?) still around? French cuisine in va beach, somewhere in Great Neck or FC?

Actually Norfolk's city council and Regina Williams were quoted saying they never followed up with NSU till a few months ago because of the focus on federal approval, that's where that statement comes into play. It's one of the reason Williams is taking considerable more heat; i wouldn't be shocked to see her before the end of the year, depending on how the rest of the year goes for her.

NSU Will Greenlight Light Rail.....At a Cost This has gotten out of hand. This letter is three weeks old, but shame on NSU. This is not Christmas, you don't get to put together a list of items to be completed for approval. It's called blackmail and extortion. Regina Williams is NOT taking as hard a line as she needs to with this hogwash. Fraim has it right, it's not going to happen. Williams needs to wake up and realize that this problem is not going away until the city forces NSU into waking up to reality. Light rail is going to happen. We are not purchasing the presidents home and then giving it to NSU. This is under construction, not in the planning stages. Shame on NSU for this immature nonsense. ODU is laughing their butts off right now at how proposterous NSU's directors look right. Shameful.

Hoteiler Eyes Land Across From Pilot Plant First off, a FOUR star DoubleTree? Seriously? I'm a bit baffled though. This property is off of Greenwich Rd, which VDOT announced in February was going to be closed off and dead ended. This property is at the very end of the road. The new Newtown/64/264 Interchange flyover essentially eliminates two way traffic on Greenwich, and where this property is, it would turn into an entrance ramp from 264. Just seems like $10 - $12 million for a lot appraised at $2 million and slated to lose it's traffic flow could have been done differently. But seriously, a four star doubletree?

Regional Lawmakers Support HRBT Expansion But Have No Pay Play After Fraim's announced support, it looks like an expanded HRBT is going to be a definite addition to the regional transportation package. The only question is does it replace one of the six, or become an addition? The bigger question that's bothering me, these plans look great on paper, and i think that the third crossing and the expanded HRBT will have a definite impact, but overall, are these going to fix the current problems, simply postpone them, or be too little too late? Without doing something like a Big Dig in Boston, i don't know that these projects are going to be a solution, i think it's playing catch-up, and by the time they're completed the problem will have grown past what they were intended to fix in the first place. Of course, first and foremost we have to find $12 billion to pay for this, but i don't have to write the laws, just have to pay for them

I think the point of the article wasn't about a lack of crowds at night, the bars and clubs will always draw some type of crowd, but that during the day, and Sunday through Thursday, there isn't much traffic in the place. My suggestion for national chains was for retail, intice a traffic-drawing retailer with space and a fantastic rent deal, then give them the freedom to turn the space however they'd like, open it up to the street or the boardwalk. I think one thing that would help was the idea of extending Granby St to Waterside Drive; has that idea made anymore headway or is the pedestrian stoplight the culmination of that idea?

As successful as the nightclub phase was, tearing this building down will not happen, it's too much tax revenue to lose and would lose standing with national chains. I do however, marginally agree with expanding Town Pointe in place of Waterside. However since that won't happen, Waterside could benefit from street-level accesible retail instead of the enclosed space. It would be a great contrast to MacArthur in that sense. Eliminate the food court, try and pull some eclectic national chains into the mix, get rid of the mom and pop feel, relocate them to 21st St and Ghent. It's a dank, small building that feels tiny once you're inside it, you walk seemingly 20 feet and you've seen it all. It definitely needs improvement beyond the nightclubs.

Mayor's Support of Expanded Bridge Tunnel Could End Regional Rift over Transportation

Something is better than nothing, but i'm ready for this building to be torn down and get a real hotel/development on this site. But kudos to someone for finally taking a chance on this lackluster building

Petty bs like this is the reason why NSU is perceived the way it is in regards to this project Why on God's green earth would there be issues that have yet to be aired on literally the eve of construction?! The time for grievances was months and/or years ago, and the idea that they're withholding additional concerns makes them look petty, uncoordinated and downright stupid. This politicking crap has got to stop.

Off the NSU topic.... the Brambelton bridge is almost complete, but they've yet to begin construction for the bridge next to it for LR. Wouldn't it have made sense to kill two birds with one stone and have them both being worked on at the same time? Rather than completing the one and starting the other a month or two later? Anyone know anything about this, or were they waiting for financing to be guaranteed? (for LR from the feds)

Traffic has certainly gotten worse, especially at the tunnels and bottle necks in the area. Add in the construction at Hampton (thankfully over now) and Battlefield with the dozen drawbridges, too-narrow lanes (264) and others....yeah traffic sucks. LA, NYC, San Fran, Seattle and DC, yes all have traffic. We'll never do away with traffic obviously. But one of the largest knocks on the cul-de-sac of the east coast is the amount of traffic with no cure or end in site. DC is constantly updating and working towards relief. Boston funded the largest traffic construction project in history. San Fran re-routed and destroyed an interstate smoothly rerouting. What have we done? Exactly like rus said, it should have been thought of 20 years ago. As far as the projects to use, the third crossing is the one project that will never go away. At first i was an opponent and skeptic, but now i understand that project would do more for this area than anything else. A interstate/bridge system essentially devoted to port traffic (not exclusively but close) would remove tractor trailers from the downtown, midtown and HRBT. You don't think that would speed things up exponetially? Reversing tubes isn't a bad idea but it just delays a few years, instead of a longterm fix, or help. rus, i disagree, i think something at this point is better than nothing. I'm tired of losing two hours of my day to traffic because i bought a house in Portsmouth. I want the leaders that we elected to put together something, anything towards the single biggest problem affecting this area. Was the TA perfect? Of course not. But you bet your butt i'd gladly pay an extra $1 per tank of gas, $3 every year on registration, etc. to get to and from faster. It's going to take compromise, sacrifice, and guts. I think the GA put together a great combination of the three. I understand where the courts are coming from, even if i personally disagree. But something's got to be done (i'm sure Gov Kaine and the GA realize this)

I think the $30 - 40+ billion price tag is the hold up, not western VA. There's just too many projects needed and not enough money, and not enough time. It's going to take getting creative to fix it, which is what this plan was.

The court's issue was that for the state assembly to pass taxation power to someone was unconstitutional. How would included areas who voted against the authority vote for something they don't want? And as far as an elected leader, Fraim is an elected mayor, heads the board, so no go there either. I'm just baffled by the overwhelming hatred towards this. Yes, it's not perfect, but it beats nothing, which is what we're left with now. The number of cars on the road is only going to go up, even with light rail, and traffic is only going to get worse and worse. Instead of paying pennies and dollars extra a year for the benefit of the area, people want to complain and moan because taxation without representation (which is factually untrue, we elected the Assembly, they're the ones originating the tax) would rather sit in traffic and watch the region stagnate like vdogg said. Nuclear is exactly right. HR is screwed. Anyone else know where we can find $20 billion?

I'm more than a bit skeptical, Bristol was supposed to be a catalyst down Monticello, something that certainly hasn't come close to panning out. What would be the need for a parking garage with 1000 spaces, or the benefit of adding an additional 210 apartments (on top of the rentals in Bristol, 201 at 21) in an area lacking in necessities? I dunno, while i'm all for development, this seems to be building in the wrong area. Why not partner with a developer for a mixed use development at the Kirn library site? Just seems to be barking up the wrong tree...

Anyone have any knowledge of local visits by candidates? I heard about trying to get John McCain to the Crowne Plaza on Bonney in Va Beach but that's all so far. Anyone know anything else?

there's a blurb online today about the VB X Park, but here's a link to their website, with promo video/faux newscast for the project VB X Park

When Macy's bought out Hecht's that ended any chance of Macy's at MacArthur, the brand is simply too watered down and too common now for MacArthur to bring them on. They want a national anchor with a very limited or non-existent presence in Hampton Roads, and will not settle for a Macy's, Pennys, or the like.

It'll stay vacant for the next year until they lose their contract, i tried getting them to consider a Chick Fil A for the spot and was told the cost of build out was too expense (bids were around 900K - $1.5 million to add hood systems, drainage, without a brand in mind) HMSHost is on the way out, hopefully the mall will bring in a traditional vendor this time around. I'm well aware of the issues in the stores since i left though.

To add to this, Greenbrier looks to be doing horrendous as well, Pac Sun's old space, a jewelry store, DEB, Suncoast, and two or three other stores are either empty or going out of business.

FatBurger is no longer a franchise in this area, Pharrell and the owner were bought out by FatBurger. Pharrell is still a partner in the company but the store does less than $500K a year (it's an awful location with no street visibility) The growth potential they saw happening didn't show up, so Chesapeake remains their only store (originally had plans to open a NoVa location and a Virginia Beach location by the end of 07)