journiyin

By the way... did this actually get approved? I missed any articles about it on Tuesday saying yea or nay...

Is anyone ever going to do something with the building next to the Marriot? The brick one facing broad on the other side of 6th st?

This housing burst is different than the ones in the 80's... this one will almost exclusively affect suburban development, in the fact that rising fuel and energy costs and over-lending on over-priced large homes are the driving forces for the slump.

That would correspond with burt's middle of the summer groundbreaking.

Special thanks for Bruce Smith (NFL Hall of Famer, Buffalo Bills, and former Virginia Tech Hokie) for putting that Westin project together. Tommy, did you appreciate the luxury of the hotel? That used to be where I would go to the beach - as that spot was a park at one point...

Judging from Coupe's stats above, I am inclined to lean towards the blip formula. How can 3 of the top MSA's all be in or directly associated with Virginia if it isnt a good place to work and be? I would have to say we replace those jobs in a heartbeat. People are still head-hunting for people to fill jobs in the area... Id say we are extremely lucky that the state and local governments are so accomodating to business and consumers.

I need a roof over my head, then I worry about where it looks... I need more MONEY!

Especially with the timing and restuarants and bars in the area.

I can see the roof of those buildings barely from Berry Burks roof, Ill try and get up there tonight before it gets dark and see what I see...

Yeah but who needs a view of the river anyways...

Gander Mtn sneakily opened last week, but its official grand opening event isnt for a week or so. Bass Pro is still in the works, but considering the developer, the engineer, and the other politics involved, this project will take some time to develop. About the idea of Bass Pro going downtown, it would be a brilliant move for the city. But, I got the feeling that the reasoning for Bass being that far north is to try and capture Fredericksburg's market also... hence the thinking of the Bass Pro on the peninsula in Hampton... it captures the Williamsburg and Virginia Beach region nicely. I think we will have to rely on a New Urbanist downtown mall market project to truly draw in large scale retailers and chain restuarants... Ill say I wouldnt mind living above an American Eagle and a couple of offices, as long as Quizno's is around the corner ( a walk that is) and my local grocery is a block away....

Its a bar first. Sports bar second. Then a place that has food, third.

Lets hope it is a better place. I do concede that the school system should move away. I also agree with the City Councils decision to sue Wilder over his actions on Friday. He should have given them a notice on Monday, saying hey, movers will be there on friday, here are some boxes, I suggest you pack it. He would have avoided the embarrassment and possible legal issues he is now facing. Right or wrong about the move, Wilder was entirely wrong to allow anyone to touch private information who was not allowed. Oh and Mary Garcia cleaner doesnt have file cabinet keys, and I would trust her more than I would ever trust JoeSchmoe mover.

You hinted that you don't believe the confidentiality of the records in question? (I could be wrong, it is the internet afterall). In light of that, I couldnt disagree with you more. If I were a parent or a student, I would be mortified to know that Joe Schmoe Mover got to look at my social security number, my address, my grades, and SOL scores and a host of other information that the school system would have in its central office. No one, and I repeat no one, except for the hired staff of the school department should be packing that place up. I will not argue that a ten dollar lease is absurd, but that was born out of the financial difficulties the city has born in the recent past. It is an error that can be fixed. I dont see why the school system has to move miles down the road. Build another building within a few blocks and centralize city functions. I dont care if Wilder is heavy-handed, I care if he is carrying a bat to exact some sort of revenge. To answer your question about Henrico... no is the answer. But they are in the same COMPLEX, which by definition in suburbia is the same thing. The City of Richmond's dynamics are quite different. Centralization is the key to dissemination. I dont disagree that getting all the cities functions under one roof or within several blocks of each other would save boat loads of money. Thinking along those lines... why hasnt the mayor offered up the 6th St Marketplace's office space for the school system? It is city property now sitting vacant, and wouldnt that allow the small stores and restuarants to come back? Am I missing something here? Does Wilder have yet another hidden agenda with this property?

Ok so how long will we have to put up with a dictator as a mayor? This image he is portraying is doing nothing but damaging our cities credibility. Even if he has a legitimate gripe, he is ignoring the laws of the land to achieve his goals, and that I will not accept.

How much extra land does CSX have that it isnt using?

indelible.

Good suggestion, guess I should get back in with god's good graces

Yes but could I land the majority vote is the real question. Ill have to start walking around and finding out.

Well trucking in and out dirt is always a large expense, and then dumping the 'dirty' dirt (yeah i said it) is a large, vigorous process, but in the case of this property, the developer would easily recover in profit margin due to the product he or she could sell.

OH SNAP! VCU's population supports their athletics department pretty well.

Ill take Cam's side, I was watching the Virginia Tech football game up in Blacksburg. And drinking myself silly. Otherwise, I might have attended the baseball game. I would have walked the three miles to get there. And taken a taxi back But, like most Richmonders, I was doing something else. And since I am not a real baseball fan to begin with, I wasnt hurt by it. In fact, I have been to more hockey games here then anything else, not a single braves game, maybe the culture in Richmond doesnt truly support baseball anymore? Basketball seems more in line with the current mentality.

I put the depth of the building around 75-100', so that gives them about 225-300 feet of frontage on Main St. That is some valuable space!

I am trying to get my company to pay for me to get down to this and hear what is being said in the business community and how they intend to address the obvious growth potential.

30 Years from now we will be calling those Architecturally siginificant... just give it time.