ace707

Wow for real!? That has got to be a very smart move for the comapny.

Go down Freemason St. on the west side of Boush St. and you will walk into one of downtown's secret jewels, an upscale neighborhood filled with well-preserved (and even occupied by residents) houses from the 1700's and 1800's including one of only a few libraries built by Andrew Carnegie himself. The library is now used as a post office and houses a law firm and its interior and overall condition would make the unsuspecting visitor think the building isn't as old as it reallly it is.

haha, I'm sorry dude. Sorry if I sounded mad. I not mad or anything, I just thought it was something to take note of. Thanks though for understanding

Why do we have this topic when it would work well under the airport thread? I don't know about everyone else in this forum but it has gotten so overrun with topic threads that don't have longevity and/or fall in other existing threads. Do we really need Hilton news when we already have the Hilton Downtown thread and what's up with threads that have a topic that only speculates but has no real concrete info for it (i.e. New Norfolk Southern Tower, etc.) Can we clean this place up?

757's are nearly 3 times the capacity of 737s. But the airport has handled bigger planes. Even though they aren't used by any of the airlines for passengers, the shipping companies like UPS and FedEx use DC-10's and MD-11's when needed. Those planes are capable of carrying up 400 people. Also bigger planes require airlines to fill more of its seats. Competition is so stiff and the market is being accomodated so additionally airlines and seats could hurt the others (but then again maybe not if US airways goes down then the remaining airlines and Jet Blue if they come will keep the market well accomodated.)

How did the Va. Beach forum becoming an "Introduction" forum? haha, well, I'll spill my guts too for the heck of it. I'm 21, lived in Norfolk for 19 and a half years, currently go to TCC with plans to transfer to ODU this fall and majoring in business administration and IT. I'm not quite sure what kind of job/career I shooting for yet but until recently, I've wondered if I should pursue a job in that upcoming TRADER TOWER lol

oops! haha yeah I'm sorry if I offended anyone from Richmond but I wasn't targeting anyone in particular. I was more speaking about our government's actions and proposals. My fault on any offenses.

Chicago has two airports and New York does too. The thing is they are hubs. 2 airports can do fine for a region if those airports know how to work together. I mean look, Norfolk grew AND Newport News grew, I think our airport situation is doing fine and whether it was intentional or not, both airports are helping each other out by attracting airlines that the other doesn't have. That way they aren't competing directly with each other but more like complementing each other. Honestly as far as unification goes, I think Hampton, Newport News and Williamsburg has better unification than Norfolk and Va. Beach. Then again, Norfolk and Va. Beach are the two biggest cities in the state (I don't get why they don't count Fedricksburg as a city when their population is over 900,000) so they both will always compete. I surprised Chesapeake hasn't gotten into the fray knowing they are the third largest city in the the state. Their population is only around 20,000 people less than Norfolk.

I don't think fortune 500 companies will save us and the states traffic problems. I was in Northern Va nearly 2 years ago and saw more highway construction there than you can shake a stick at. Then again, Northern VA is in the top 3 in the nation for horrbile highway traffic so I understand. A fortune 500 company of course will mean more money but when it comes down to it, we the people I think are to blame. We complain about raised taxes to pay for projects and vote for people to reject it for us and then turn around and complain about how we hate that there are no plans or money to pay for improvements/expansions. We all go vocal against a toll booth for 20 years but I think taking 1 minute to give a dollar is a small price to pay for being stuck in traffic for half an hour or more everyday and losing 5 years of our lives in our car on the highway. I've seen many new highways in Delware and Pennsylvania and true, I have to pay at toll booths, but to me, it's very satisfying to go on a highway with way less traffic after dropping a dollar that didn't take no more than a minute to do. I say follow what I've seen in Deleware and Pennsylvania and build what we need and use tolls and EZ passes to pay for them. Traffic isn't going to be too bad right off the bat simply because these additions won't be replacements. People will continue to use what we currently have, but the additions would take out traffic that would otherwise cause heavy traffic. Not everyone will use the third crossing opposed to the HRBT and vice-versa. Sometimes I think the whole "toll-booth" issue is blown up more than what it really is. True there are dumb people in Richmond (road projects in Richmond, toll booths on our current bridges and highways to pay for additions, c'mon y'all how much more ignorant can those actions/proposals get?) but if people really need or want it, they WILL pay for it. I don't see people making alternative travel routes to avoid the $12 toll fee on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

That is true, sprawl is basically inevitable but I don't thnk we should encourage or accelerate it. Honestly we should have the Newport News airport help Norfolk out before we consider a super airport out in the wilderness. Doesn't the state realize that we already have 2 airports? Haven't they heard of working togeter and being effiecient and flexible? I'm sure our 2 current airports can handle the job.

I highly doubt an airport would replace oceana if it closed for several, simple, obvious reasons: 1. It will be too expensive to convert the base 2. Too many people over there beotch about jet-noise. (My biggest annoyance in that issue is why those people decided to live there if they didn't like jet noise. It's common sense!) 3. Highway access is too far 4. Traffic is already too heavy on I-264 My dad used to work at the airport and the airport does have long term plans to support any and all growth. Of all the expansions they planned, only one so far has been necessary to do so far and that is obviously the additional garage and arrivals terminal. There are plans to add concourse C whenever it is needed but knowing that not even all 30 current gates are being used and that U.S airways could be gone in a few short years at best, concourse C won't be needed right away. Finally the additional runway to be parallel to the current main one would be done only if the airport's 200 daily flights increase to at least 300, maybe more. I don't know how soon that will happen if ever within the next 10-15 years. Honestly, building the ariport in Isle of Wight seems to make no sense to me. First it is too far from even the outter edge of the dense metro area. No one in either the southside or penninsula will have any convience. Then it will be very expensive to build. Increase of traffic to small 2 lane roads will not help. Building high-speed rail or mass transit will be too costly and disputed because it will no doubt anger citizens and businesses in its path. Saying that it is thinking for the "long-term" is a lame excuse for really in the end just wanting more growth and sprawl so the state can make more tax money. The last thing I want to see is VA lose its character of water, plains, hills and mountains and look like a megalopolis that happens to be a state.

On that end that is true but I think Norfolk in their minds thought doing residential developments in downtown could lose its style of being a downtown and turn into a suburban office park. Like we all know, high-rise residential prjoects were not likely in America's downtown's in the 70's and 80's. On the other hand they probably thought they were working on residential projects for downtown through the entire Ghent area (which to me doesn't count).

So buying back all that land and then developing on it or getting developers to work on it, waterside, Omni hotel (now known as the Sheraton), Dominion Tower, Sovran Bank Tower (now known as Bank of America), World Trade Center, Norfolk Southern Tower, BB&T tower, former Southtrust Bank tower and many other properties all existed before 1990 but not in 1980, a full 15+ years ago and they don't count as effort? Then in the 1990's we see more action from the city in the form of Harbor Park baseball stadium, Nauticus, MacArthur Center Mall and yada yada yada. From what I can remember, I learned Norfolk has been busting it's ass to re-develop downtown since the 1960's everything from buying properties and tearing down buildings all the way to convincing private investment today. There's one notable thing I learned from both of my economic classes and it is you cannot build a genuine downtown within a decade. It took decades upon decades to make it what it is now. One of my economic's professor's told the class one time, Town Center is still suburban sprawl based on it's lack of character and it's similarity to that new shopping plaza near your neighborhood. "Slapping a high-rise office tower, a high-rise apartment building, and a high-rise hotel along a grid of streets is hardly the business-centric and retail icon of a downtown."

Yeah I guess as long as other cities don't take it personally or the wrong way (which I doubt. I do sense Va. Beach still being pissed that Trader is coming to downtown rather than Town Center. Remember that one Va. Beach official saying "Downtown Norfolk isn't any better traffic-wise..." That is definitely an inner anger about one of the reasons why Trader decided not to go to Town Center.) On a little more hypocritical manner, remember Va. Beach saying they were very concerned about Norfolk offering incentives to Trader but Va. Beach did the same by offering a $13 million parking garage. Va. Beach loses only 500 jobs to Norfolk but isn't Va. Beach the one that took thousands of jobs as well as population from Norfolk in the last 2 decades? hmmm...

maybe but then again, i think almost every city around here are more about themselves than their neighbor. I think Norfolk is kinda selfish but then again, they also seem more vocal on unity and teamwork than other cities so i guess it depends on the topic or issue at hand lol

[/qu I think they are looking where to put and thats why they where talking about putting it next to harbor park. Then taking scope out and building high rises there. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Even if imploding Scope was a consider option, we would still be held back by the problem where to put people who use Chrysler Hall for several years. I also saw the 2010 Norfolk Downtown plan and I think their suggestion for the new arena across the street is too small. I park in the garage located there and while you could put the PROBABLY fit the arena on that block, you would need to find a place to build a garage and in reality, I don't want a downtown lookin' like a place full of garages.

True that! Right now Norfolk International Terminals (NIT)is growing insanely fast simply due to the fact that imports can be moved around the country quicker and cheaper due to our highways, railways and location and not to mention the terminal having the world's 8 largest shipping cranes. But it true, growth is fast and Norfolk Southern has begun renovations and expansion to its rail line parallel to Terminal blvd. More trucks clog Hampton blvd and Terminal blvd than ever before. If we don't expand our highways, make a much needed third crossing, we will lose business just like what is happening in California (which is why we are growing and they are losing) due to lack of expansions on railways and terminals. The mayor said (NIT) is set to become the East Coast's largest shipping terminal when expansion is done to the terminal in 8? years or 2008? something like that, i cant exactly remember but I know an 8 is in there.

Don't take me the wrong way here but I honestly think a 20,000-seat arena is too big. There aren't very many 20,000 seat arenas in the NBA (Chicago and L.A. both come in at around 24,000 for basketball). I think 18,000 to maybe 19,000 is a better fit for our region but then again, if history has anything to say about it, 20,000 could be better in the long run since Scope was considered a big arena back in the day and look now, it's too small for events. So we'll see what happens with the arena, as long as the city is looking in the long-run rather than the short-term. Just out of curiousity (and sake for a conversation), what is the likelyhood of Va. Beach making an arena in Town Center and how do you think that would affect either Norfolk, Va. Beach or the region in general in getting a team? Would both Norfolk and Va.Beach making arenas be a good thing or bad?

Yeah they have been doing that for a while now and really that is the reason why New Orleans and Charlotte landed NBA teams, they both simply got favorable views for mainly already having an arena to fit their needs IMMEDIATELY. Neither city obviously would have forced the league to wait 3 years to construct an arena. I know the city is actively trying to have it next door to Harbor Park but I can't help but feel that I think it should replace Scope at that same location. I understand though 'cause traffic is horrible out there on Brambleton and St. Paul's Blvd throughout the day plus it could mean relocating Chrysler Hall which would probably be even more costly. Oh well, it doesn't hurt to dream right?

Yeah plus, aside from probably being cheaper to build I think you can get more use out of a 19,000-seat arena than a 40,000-seat baseball stadium (i.e. trade shows, conventions, concerts year-round, etc.)

Personally I think the NBA is a better fit for Norfolk. This region seems more ready and more willing to support an NBA team than a baseball team.