D_C
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Posts posted by D_C
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I pointed out why your compromises in my opinion won't work. Why don't you explain why a new building with roof top features similar to West Hospital won't work? Keep in mind that West Hospital is far from being a national treasure. We are not talking about the Chrysler building. We are talking about a building that most residents of the city don't really care about.
If/when it is torn down, and a new building put up, I would like to see it closely resemble the old West Hospital (balconies way up high, dark brick, non-boxy) and to use the exact same roof. Not just one similar, but the exact roof. That would impress me. I believe a compromise that incorporated the salvation of the very unique roof, complete with old rotating light, would be a fair compromise.
I am just not that impressed with the new bed tower and would hate to see another cookie-cutter splotch on our skyline.
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but VCU must realize that its local reputation will take a hit if it does not explain why the only feasible location for the new facility is on the site of West, and why West could not be adapted to other uses that would be useful to VCU - particularly housing.
....and the spin doctors are already brainstorming.
Those photos of the West Hospital from just about every angle of the city skyline are AMAZING!! Good freakin' work!! That is a lot of driving around and the viewpoint from some of those shots I recognize. That is a very good series on the impact on the city skyline.
Destruction of this building would be like tearing down old city hall.
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Not that I am a supporter of tearing this building down, but I would like to say that I feel the historic significance of this structure has already been compromised with the destruction of its sister building; old Cabaniss Hall (old school of nursing building) that was directly to the east of the West Hospital. The similar style of construction, the identical brick, the general appearance. So, clearly, the assault is already well under way.
I would also like to know whether this building has always been VCU property. Was this building initially constructed by VCU as a hospital or was it something else first? If it has always been VCU property, then I would have to respect the wishes of an individual property owner, as I abhor the recent supreme court ruling giving the go-ahead to private developers to use emminent domain to condemn property for the good of the tax base (community at large). This ruling reminds me of something from the U.S.S.R. days. VCU should have every right to do with their property what they want, even if this building is as historic as the Empire State Building.
I have been inside of this building, although it has been many years. From what I can remember, it was pretty neat. Alot of 1930's style iron, marble and tile. This building is also significant in its shape. Not many buildings that are not churches, are built in the shape of a cross. I remember just about every floor having a circular information desk in the middle of the building, a style that continues to be used today.
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Shak, no one disputes VCU's continuing need for world-class facilities. What's at issue is whether new world-class labs and classrooms MUST replace the West or can be constructed nearby, and whether West can be adapted to other uses in an economic manner. Also at issue is whether these important decisions should be made solely by VCU administrators or whether the general public has a legitimate interest in saving a landmark building, as VCU is a state-supported school. In the past, Richmonders have been quite content to let a few powerful individuals decide things; the charette process and Master Plan discussions have really signaled a change in the way business is conducted in River City.
So maybe the city should come up with their own "plan of redevelopment" for this monument, like the desired swap for the public safety building property, and put the matter on the ballot for the residents to decide. Seriously. I agree that "the people" should weigh the pro's and con's and have some say in the future of our city. I know that this will never happen, but it sounds good.
I guess we could look at it from this standpoint though; "the people" have already spoken during the downtown master planning sessions, informational meetings recently, and can always voice their concerns to their council people. We have already spoken to this issue.
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The assault on the West Hospital continues:
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...02-21-0203.html
I hate to say it, but I can see VCU's points. As much as I would LOVE to see this building remain a part of our skyline, I just don't see it happening.
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PLEASE????????!!!!!!!!
I was thinking about that myself. Why won't Henrico and or Chesterfield ask the GA for their land back or change Va law so we're like every other state? Richmond annexed parts of Henrico, Chesterfield, and Manchester because it could offer services the counties and Manchester couldn't at that time. Basically, the city said the counties were inept and we could do a better job. Well now it's reversed. The city is corrupt and inept, why don't they take the city back. Richmond was a part of Henrico for many years. I wish I could locate the law that states cities had to be independent. A few were but by 1900 all were. I think Richmond and Manchester were already independent cities before 1900.
I'm sure if Hazlett had his way, he would build the Henrico Wall at the city/county line and any resident of Richmond or other localities would have to pay a toll to enter and leave Henrico.
That is a fantastic idea!! Henrico can annex Richmond and Chesterfield can annex Petersburg.
Then, we can all share the load of taking care of our own homeless and poor instead of shipping them to the city for social services and public housing. Don't even try to tell me that it doesn't happen because I know people who work for BOTH counties' social services departments and I can tell you that it does happen.
Then the load can be shared to facilitate state and federal buildings as well as college campus buildings, that suck down city services like fire, ambulance and police, and end up leaning on city taxpayers. The city recieves pennies on the dollar for reimbursement towards real estate taxes and I think it is high time that we all share the expense together.
And not that anyone in the counties really cares, but city residents would also be relieved of the burden of having to fund public transportation. My guess is that the entire program would be scrapped instead of expanded. After all, Henrico doesn't believe in sidewalks so why even bother with busses?
So yeah, let Henrico, VA. absorb the city. I would love to have a few hundred thousand extra taxpayers to help us take the load off. Careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
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The manatee was a welcomed rare sight!
I was going to place my new stamp here, but I'm going to wait and see. I didn't particularly agree with the idea for the island in the master plan. I've always favored a city-identifying monument that could become a national monument placed on the island and dominate the skyline. If a tower were to rise on the island, I wonder, how many other places have towers in the middle of rivers? That would be interesting in itself. Whatever they build, it would be a landmark and with that already in its description, why not compliment that with striking architecture? Try something organic and fluid to play off the river.
How about a new City Jail? It could be like a mini-Alcatraz.
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Another Inrich article on GRTC:
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/busines...02-15-0111.html
I am on-board 110% with this!!!
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Karsen's
Thank you for the well thought-out review. This is a great type of post!
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This plan, in some form or another and with one developer or another has been in the works for some time now. The owner has looked at doing commercial development here years before the master plan discussions recommended parkland.
Echo Harbour's bridge would not cross the river. It would be interesting to see where a proposed bridge to Mayo for emergency access above the flood plain would be built. If the river were to flood and the flood gates were closed (the purpose for this new bridge), would the bridge have to go overtop of the floodwall?
I didn't know that this had been in the works for a good while. Thanks for setting me straight.
As for the bridge, I remember crossing a rail bridge to the west of Mayo Bridge from Virginia Street to the Southside bank many years ago. Is this old rail line still being used? Also, what are the regulations regarding this access bridge? Does it have to accomodate vehicles or could it just be a foot bridge like the one under the Lee Bridge? If the latter is sufficient, then a similar foot bridge could maybe be constructed under I-95.
As for the aquarium, boy, that would be a mess, having to evacuate all of those creatures in the event of a flood. I don't know that we would want any runaway sharks, pirrhanna or barracuda lurking in the James. It was freaky enough back when that Manatee swam up to the 14th street bridge. Anyone remember that?
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Chesterfield County approves re-zoning to allow commercial development along Courthouse Road from Lucks Lane to Midlothian Turnpike. Link to NBC12 article:
My only question is, WHEN IS CHESTERFIELD GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE CART-PATHS THEY CALL ROADS? I wonder if this development go-ahead will include road improvements. I would hope that since the county has a whole new set of supervisors, that things would be a little bit different. Oh well, I never go over there any more anyway, so this fight is for the Chesterfieldians.
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Inrich article on possible Mayo Island development:
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...02-14-0135.html
Very interesting read. I like the idea from a city homeowner's point of view as it would increase the city's tax base and take some of the strain off of the homeowner in this city. I am not an economist, but I don't know that the demand for another large-scale condominium complex is there. Maybe someone with a better current knowledge of the housing market could ellaborate on that. In My Opinion though, as the county's subdivisions get older, their schools, fire and police departments become over-stressed and gasoline continues to get more expensive, I would think that you will see a bigger migration of people looking to move back into the city center, which would keep the demand high for residences in Richmond.
In My Opinion I would be very suspicious about this plan though, as far as its intentions. It is almost too coincidental that as soon as the proposed Master Plan comes out, showing this property as a public park, a developer appears on the scene with a plan for development, thus, boosting the potential sale price of the land. The city would have an interest in purchasing this island for the public park idea but if there is a viable plan for development, then the sale price could be over-inflated to screw the city taxpayer out of some extra dough.
This proposal also calls for another bridge across the river. Would they use the old rail bridge that runs to River Lofts? Isn't there a live rail bridge that crosses Mayo Island? Would they build a whole new bridge? It would be interesting to see their idea on paper. Wow! 2 new bridges across the James here in town. One for Echo Harbor and one for Mayo Condos.
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This was an interesting story in today's Times Dispatch. Way to go Petersburg!!
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...02-11-0154.html
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"James River canal walk opening this year"
"Richmond offers minor league sports"
I think somebody needs to update their facts.
Until the divorce is finalized, we are still married to the Braves.
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Does anyone know why there are two Norfolk Southern Passenger cars parked across 14th street from Vistas on the James?
They're def. old passenger cars that look like they're from the Norfolk & Western Days.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lch4/2237144705/ <---there's a link to a photo of one of the two.
wow. I haven't seen those cars in a very long time. They look just like the cars that used to be behind some old bank over on Forest Hill Avenue, just west of Stratford Hills shopping center. I surveyed that bank back in 2000 and the property owner was giving the rail cars away to anyone who would just move them.
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Hey, Majors. How do you like this? VCU runs over Drexel.
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...01-27-0161.html
Excellent game last night! Packed house! Sorry to the folks in front of me that were victims of my exceptionally loud yelling and the courtesy megaphone that they gave me on the way in.
Yeah, VCU looks damn good!! Tuesday night will be the test when they travel up to George Mason.
IMO, Coach Grant should be the million dollar man. He has definately got a tough crew and he and his staff appear to be a tough crew themselves. I really like the way he stalks the court, inches from the line, chest poked-out and steadfast. The new "Stonewall". VCU players will draw defenders towards him and it is almost like he is setting a pick, narrowing the passage way for the defenders. The sixth man. He's as cool as Coach Knight (Bobby).
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Rams defeat Hofstra in N.Y.
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports/more....01-24-0213.html
Oh, and for you Techies....
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports/more....01-24-0123.html
VT lines up against Duke tonight.
I would really like to see an area tounament with UVA, Tech, VCU and U of R, maybe somewhere around Thanksgiving. A Commonwealth Championship. These teams need to play one another more often.
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While most area residents are mourning the loss of the Braves and know where the blame lies, here's a sports story on the local level about today's matchup between The Rams and The Monarchs at The Ted in Norfolk this afternoon:
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports/more....01-19-0135.html
Excellent game by Coach Anthony Grant and the Rams!!! Even with poor officiating, the Rams were able to silence the crowd and put one in the "win" column.
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Five years was ample time to figure that out. If the numbers didn't work for Richmond and if Wilder couldn't get private support then he should have been upfront with Atlanta and advised them to take the team elsewhere. The lack of communication was unacceptable. Wilder campaigned on his ability to make business deals and to run the city. It is clear that he is capable of neither.
Sounds like one of the members of those RBI (Richmond Baseball Initiative) Jerks who tried to fist a stadium in the Bottom to me. If Staubach Co. was working on a preliminary plan, don't you think that the Braves should have been a little more patient? No, I guess not. While Wilder was telling the Nationals that we were in good faith negotiations with the Braves concerning keeping them here and we couldn't really discuss their sending a AAA or AA team to Richmond, the Braves organization was out slutting around with Ms. Gwinnett, creating websites, cherry-picking a location for their new stadium.
Let's be honest here, if anyone is to blame, it is the lame-arse non-supporting supposed 'fans' that live around here for not supporting the R-Braves more and RBI, Calvin Jamison, and Rudy 'Fathead' McCollum for pumping the Braves' heads full of garbage on how wonderful it would be to have a stadium in Shockoe Bottom.
You may not like Wilder, and that's o.k., but you cannot possibly lay this blame on him. I am sure that someone in the Braves organization had a line of communication with Staubach Co. and was well aware of the progress on the preliminary design.
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Wilder should announce, "Oh, your arseses are definately going down the Gwinnett path. So long chumps."
Sincerely,
Nat's Fans
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Wilder was quoted as saying, "One thing is certain, Richmond will have baseball."
Yeah. VCU baseball. I, for one, don't want to see some stinking-arse A or AA team drift in here. There is nothing more pathetic than being a capital city with some low-level, scrub team. If anything, we should throw whole-hearted support behind the VCU Rams. I mean, it's not like they are national champions or anything.
As for everyone blaming Doug Wilder, I think this goes far beyond him. This probably stems from the fact that the residents of this area just plain did NOT support this team. I remember when Parker Field would be packed with people wanting to see the Braves. It can't be the stadium. A whole lot of dumb-arses rant that the place is a dump. I go multiple times a year and I think the facility is nice. I just don't see where people get off calling it a dump. What makes it a dump? Someone please explain. The field was an issue a couple of years back but so was my yard at home. We had a butt-load of rain that summer. Duh! Improvements rendered a flawless field last year. The surrounding area is an issue to some. I like it. It's easy to park for free, the interstate access is easy, it's quiet, there are no immediate neighbors to complain about noise. What's the big freakin' deal? So it comes to one issue. The whiney-assss Braves management couldn't get their little yuppie ballpark crammed into Shockoe Bottom where it would stand out like a turd in a punchbowl.
I stand by my first thoughts on this; Carry your arses! If you like, I will load up your balls and bats in my truck and drop them off at the bus station across the street for you. And as for bringing some A or AA team in here, I say; Save the effort. It won't be supported at all. No one will go, it will be a huge waste of money and ultimately we will look worse than we already look. Think of the reputation we will have when we have a no-name bunch of scrubs leaving Richmond because we couldn't muster a few hundred people a night to watch them stink up the field.
Bring in the office buildings, bring in the residential infill, bring in the retail, just don't bring in a Wal-Mart for God's sake. Forget the Richmond Braves and don't settle for something on a lower level. It's just plain embarrassing.
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You know, this is total bullcrap that no one in my neighborhood has been included in any of these discussions. As a neighbor to this proposal, I sure would like a fudgeing clue as to what the propsal looks like. I have my entire angel loveed life and worth, invested in 3 properties that are within fart-smelling distance of this development.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for the betterment of this area. Yeah, the vagrants and hobo transients are constantly stinking up the place and have to be "shoo-ed" off, but there are some hella nice homes around there and people have a lot of money invested in them and would at least like a "head's up" or something. crap!
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Im really excited for the 2008 Richmond Braves. Usually after winning a championship they have a Ceremony on opening day for the IL championship from the previous season. I expect to see a Ceremony for the Richmond Braves after winning the IL last year. Theres also a new team in the IL this year. It is the AAA Phillies team that moved from Ottawa Ontario to Allentown PA and are now called the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. I cant wait to see the Braves play them. I really am looking forward to the AAA Braves this year. There should be some new young talent coming to Richmond. But alot of the same players should be back depending on what the A-Braves do and then they might cut some of the pitchers and they might not come back to Richmond cause Atlanta is really stacked on pitching after signing a few pitchers from the free agent market and from trades they have made. I am glad to see Tom Glavine back in Atlanta and out of New York Mets land. But I expect Richmond to have another strong year.
The Richmond Braves will be history by 2009. We will no longer have a baseball team to cheer for. You guys better get familiar with the "House of Thrills" down at the corner of Broad and Harrison because VCU will be the best game in town. Look for the Braves to move to Georgia soon. (Gwinnett)
Richmond off-topic postings
in Richmond
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If too much copper in your diet wasn't a bad thing, I would have suggested breaking out the marshmallows and making smores over the roasting crook.
Friggin' metal thieves. I hope that the one that stole my old beat-up camper shell from beside my garage, cut himself so bad on the torn metal that he bled to death. I hate a thief.