baobabs727

Interesting article in today's business section of PilotOnline regarding the performance of Norfolk's Nordstrom. It is only doing one-third (1/3) of the national average on a per sq ft basis. http://hamptonroads.com/2013/10/cause-worry-norfolk-nordstrom

Bobby Huber has found a new home at Steinhilber's.

Welcome To Hampton Roads: A Community Of Histo-Cultural Significance: Hampton Roads proudly lays claim to the world-renowned, one and only Virginia Opera and Virginia Symphony (the first of which performs regularly/yearly in Richmond and NOVA, and the second of which received rave reviews from The New York Times for its performance at Carnegie Hall), The Virginia Ballet Theatre, and The Virginia Stage Company. Additionally, there is the massive, 7 week-long Virginia Waterfront International Arts Festival, For Arts Sake, The Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show, The Stockley Gardens Art Show Spring/Fall and The Neptune Festival And Art Show. And need we be reminded of the world-renowned Chrysler Museum and Historic Houses, the nationally-renowned The Jean Outland Art Library, The Hermitage Museum and Gardens, The Contemporary Arts Center of Virginia, The Battleship USS Wisconsin, The National Maritime Center--Nauticus, The Mariner's Museum, The one and only Virginia Zoo, The Norfolk Botanical Gardens, The one and only Virginia Aquarium (and Marine Sciences Center), The Children's Museum of Virginia, The Ferguson, The Harrison, The Sandler, The Wells, The Roper, Chrysler Hall, The Cousteau Society, A.R.E., The Peninsula Fine Arts Center, The Virginia Air and Space Center, The Norfolk History Museum, The (General Douglas) MacArthur Memorial, The Casemate Museum, The Virginia Living Museum, The Virginia Maritime Center, Upper Wolfsnare, Francis Land House, Adam Keeling House, Adam Thoroughgood House, Lynnhaven House, Broad Bay Manor, Cape Henry Light, The Dewitt Cottage, First Landing, etc, etc....etc. Additionally, Hampton Roads lays claim to Williamsburg (and they gladly accept) and its unparalleled, histo-cultural points of interest.

This is nothing more than a hatchet job on VBTC wrapped in a promotional campaign for DTN, masquerading as an informed, cautionary epistle. Haven't we had enough of what 40 years of sibling rivalry hath wrought?

A valid query, and one which makes a point that I had intended to bring forth in my post. Apparently, the article's writer was not sophisticated enough to compare apples to apples. The MacArthur store may be 15 percent or so larger than the Richmond and Durham locations; however, MacArthur's Nordstrom is also certainly some 25-30 percent smaller than most of the main-line stores(and that is not even considering some of the beheamoths in Seattle, etc. ) Indeed, the sales figures quoted (along with that 40 million dollar gold standard number) were for annual sales per unit--and not per sq ft. Yes, and what about comparing same store sales open less than 2 years, less than 5 years, etc.? We all know that these anchor stores need between 5 and 7 years to hit their stride or to find their niche. In essence, the only valuable piece of information to be gleaned from this piece of business journalism is that year over year sales growth is more than healthy at MacArthur's Nordstrom.

There are many exciting changes going on at MacArthur Center as Taubman freshens things up a bit. H&M is coming, EQ3 is building its largest showroom in America on the 3rd level, Apple is opening at least 1 store there, Dell is coming, Express Men and NY and CO will open soon. Recently, California Pizza Kitchen made a bang with its stunningly beautiful build-out in the space vacated by Castaldi's. As for Nordstrom, they have been right up there in sales growth nationally year over year since 2000. I have even heard an unsubstantiated rumor that the Durham and Richmond locations are not outperforming MacArthur's Nordsrom. Plus, have you laid eyes on the former pair? They can't hold a candle, aesthetically speaking.

Respectfully, I am a little surprised that you seem to have missed my point, especially given the heads-up I offered you. Besides believing that we should demand only the very best (that which we rightly deserve), I typically prefer that people tell me the truth--the unvarnished, whole truth. Please re-read my post and then read Ms. Shapiro's article (which she has since acknowledged was conceived in response to my inquiry) linked by erdogs. Query: Why should it take the blunt market assessment of a corporate executive from New York City to educate us on our own retail fate?! Ridiculous! Ms. Shapiro did a brilliant job of bringing out the facts in a non-confrontational way. The article speaks for itself. The contrast in tone (not to mention in content) between the Brooks Brothers executive and Mr. Divaris could not be more stark. Folks, this whole thing just fails to pass the sniff test. We were misled. Plain and simple. You may not really care, and that is your right. But let us not seek to accommodate Mr. Divaris' penchant--either by spin or omission--for re-writing history. The printed marketing materials, the promotional signage, the VBTC website, Mr. Divaris' own press releases: They all said "Brooks Brothers." He now says that the "346" concept is somehow better for us. Trust me when I tell you that he would not be saying anything of the sort had Brooks Brothers not rained on his retail parade. Indeed, he may be entitled to his own opinion, but he is not entitled to his own set of facts.

My sentiments, exactly. As for the rest of you who seem so willing to settle, so unwilling to challenge our region's development leaders, I offer you the following: (Excerpt from an email I sent to Mr. Divaris 19 May 2006. No response received to date. And please remember, he was my source from almost the inception of this discussion forum. Note that while I was attempting to empathize with his plight and to take the high road, I did put that analogy before him for serious consideration and discussion.) "Mr. Divaris--....Well, I was finally prompted to write to you again after having discovered last week that media reports (and actual early promotional signage?) referencing a Brooks Brothers store were--ahem--slightly off target. To make a not-so-veiled reference to my email of March 2005--: What LOFT is to Ann Taylor, _______(Blank) is to Brooks Brothers. Yes, I am disappointed; however, I am trying to take solace in the fact that the parent company committed to Town Center in some form. Are you at liberty to fill me in on the details? Thanks." (Excerpt from an email I sent to Carolyn Shapiro on 1 June 2006. Of course, she penned the aforementioned article of 13 June 2006 on this very subject.) "Ms. Shapiro--I'm a huge fan of Town Center and of Norfolk and Virginia Beach development, in general. Over the past decade or more, I have experienced both elation and deep disappointment with regard the local retail and development scene. Unfortunately, I write to you today as a concerned and somewhat frustrated development wonk. Specifically, I'm writing to you to ask you to investigate the story behind Brooks Brothers and Town Center. As you may know, the original announcement from Mr. Divaris indicated that Brooks Brothers had chosen Town Center as their point of entry into the Hampton Roads retail marketplace. Promotional signage at the future store location soon followed. These signs were dark blue and sported the usual Brooks Brothers logo. At no time that I can recall did Mr. Divaris let on that we would receive anything other than the classic Brooks Brothers store, one replete with fashionable men's (and sometimes women's) suits, dress shirts, ties, slacks, etc. A big step up from the Men's Wearhouse, for sure! So, imagine my surprise when one day during a "drive by" I spied the Brooks Brothers "346" signage being installed over the main doors. Huh? 346? What is a 346, you ask?? I had no idea, but I was determined to find out. In fact, I went home and Googled this 346 creature straight away. The hits were scarce, but what I was able to locate caused me some heartburn. Apparently, the 346 concept is a new one for Brooks Brothers. This concept involves a line of "casual" clothing obviously marketed to a different (read: lower) demographic than the clothing found at the classic Brooks Brothers unit. Ironically, the only detailed article I could find on 346 (* http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/business/...rs/14351923.htm ) featured a Wichita developer actually bragging that Brooks Brothers had reversed course there, deciding to provide his development with a full scale Brooks Brothers store rather than the 346 concept the company had originally intended to build. The developer went so far as to mention that the reason for the change was the retailer's favorable impression of their own tour of Wichita and of the presentation of the demographics for that MSA. My goodness! What irony! So, might we infer that Brooks Brothers took another look at our own demographics and decided to dump their full scale (read: upscale) store and replace it with this lesser 346 concept?? I sure hope not, but I fear there is truth in this supposition. Anyway, I emailed Mr. Divaris about this issue nearly 2 weeks ago, but I have not received any response. This is unsual for him. I must tell you that I have met with Mr. Divaris in person and have communicated with him and his staff by email on several occasions over the past few years. I have always found Mr. Divaris to be open, honest and generous of spirit. However, I do feel a bit betrayed by this latest development. I simply want to know what he knew and when he knew it? I would also like to hear from Brooks Brothers on their decision to build a 346 store instead of the originally announced Brooks Brothers store. I do thank you for your time and hope that you will give serious consideration to my request for an investigative article (or at least an inquiry). Thanks." (Finally, an excerpt from my thank you note to Ms. Shapiro today) "Ms. Shaprio--I wrote to you a couple of weeks ago about the

Yes, but only marginally so. I lived in Williamsburg for four years, so I do have some interest in how your neighbors are doing up I-64. I visited NN quite a few times prior to Patrick Henry's most recent renovation and was not particularly impressed. While I am certainly glad to see and hear about developments in your neck of the woods, I agree wholeheartedly with Urban's comments relative to NN's selling of the Asheton project (both to the general public and to prospective commercial tenants) as decidedly mixed use. Indeed, I fear that NN officials have caught the dreaded spin virus from Chesapeake (RE: Chesapeake Town Center). This Asheton thing will end up becoming a nice residential enclave with a smattering of inconsequential direct service retail. Having said that, I do like the Meridian concept.

Has anyone noticed the signs for "Flats" and "Lofts" along the area just south of Laskin, bordering the Harris Teeter property along both the east and west sides of Baltic Ave? Looks exciting, but I couldn't stop to see if there was a web site listed on the signs.

I don't think we will have to worry 'bout that as long as the "right people" are in control there.

My source just laughed when I asked him about this the other day. They are desperate to get a piece of the CBD action, for the demographics are absolutely first-rate. In essence, he said that Wal-Mart and Target have been fishing around the CBD for quite a long while, with Wal-Mart having offered one landowning group some pretty impressive sums of money for one parcel (which shall remain nameless). Suffice it to say that this particular parcel is well spoken for.

Have you guys taken a gander at the transportation proposals/initiatives/funding mechanisms set forth by the two gubernatorial candidates? What a joke! The bottom line truth is that until we start electing politicians who are willing to make the hard choices on transportation, our future economic security will be in great peril. There appears to be no light at the end of this tunnel! (Heck, there'll be no tunnel period! LOL)

Meyera is the mayor of Virginia Beach, not Norfolk or Hampton Roads. She's the best advocate they've ever had, period. Mayor Faim, too, is a great advocate for Norfolk. Both have a duty to serve the interests of their respective citizenry. As much as some would not like to hear it, sometimes what is good for one is not the best for the other. That's life, folks. I think the cities (and we) need to agree to disagree on some issues and move on toward common ground on others where we can. With respect to the history of Norfolk-Virginia Beach relations, there is not enough room in this thread to accomodate that disussion in full. Suffice it to say, Russ, that both sides have said and done things they might regret. I do seem to recall Norfolk's holding the water supply over Virginia Beach's head for a time. Course the Kellams engineered Norfolk's ever-shrinking territorial status (for which they've never forgiven the V.B elite), and I also recall the "Norfolk element" comments by some prominent folk of the P.A. County variety a long while back. Please, let's not dredge up old issues and agree to admit that things have progressed a bit since that time. Until then, with due respect, I'll add Virginia Beach and Meyera to the things you don't like--along with Richmond, Richmonders and Ukrops--which you more than dislike. Can't we all just get along?!

Even though she is a politician and therefore susceptible to the changing winds of public opinion (pressure groups/media), Meyera is a bit more cosmopolitan and sophisiticated than most of the rest of the council. She was one of those on Council who pressed very hard for creating a truly iconic structure to replace the Pavilion. Did anyone see her public comments on the Peformance Theater ground-breaking concert under the tent? She was very eloquent and passionate about the entire experience, not only in terms of the transforming power of the arts, but also relative to the potential nighttime spill-over for Town Center businesses! Sometimes I think she's the only one on Council who actually gets out and lives! She's also a past-president of the National Council of Mayors where she received rave reviews for her leadership. I'm not promoting her politics, per se, (she obviously doesn't need me!) but I do wish that the citizens of Virginia Beach would think twice before tossing her out in favor of someone like Reeve, McClannan or Dean.

You have to remember that this is the lady who, while referring to the architect's presentation of the initial renderings of the new Virginia Beach Conference Center, asked said architect (a partner in the world-renowned firm of Skidmore, Owens and Merrill), "What exactly IS it?" The poor man looked rather stunned by the question but was polite nonetheless. Surely, he must have thinking: "Where on Earth have I landed? Who IS this country hick? Get me back to Chicago!" Good ol' Meyera chimed in just in time with something like: "This is not Williamsburg! People need to open their minds a little bit here!"

I am just trying to soak it all in right now, for I know that there will come a day when things slow up a bit--perhaps as a result of continued Fed tightening of the money supply, etc. (ie...higher interest on construction loans) However, any local lull in development activity should be short-lived, for we continue to grow our job base, personal income and general economy faster than the national average.

While I don't have a specific start date, I know this to be a relatively near term event. Divaris has been putting out feelers for tenant prospects, and the leasing sign has been up on the property for a few months now. I, for one, can't wait to see that HQ demolished! Details on the FX property are few and far between; however, I understand that they will be "on board" so to speak.

.........Oops!!

I don't have a date for an official announcement. However, there is a Divaris Real Estate sign up at the property on the Cleveland side announcing "Town Square." If I hear anything more, I'll let you know.

The only thing Mr. Divaris told me was that the HQ property would be developed long the lines of "office towers, mixed use, high-rise development, with a residential and retail component...and with high-end finishes and site plans complimenting Town Center...." The HQ property will be known as "Town Square." The FX owner's plans are trending toward something like or complimenting "Town Square." I think it's gonna be a while yet before we get the real 411 here. In the meantime, we have plenty to look forward to! (Gee, I wonder if VDOGG is gonna get us for veering off-topic here! )

From what I have gathered, the real excitement may be centered around the former HQ and FX properties. Apparently, Mr. Divaris has convinced them to invest the big bucks to emulate what is going on at Town Center. Let's hope it all comes together as planned. Unfortunately, it appears that the owner's of the prized Hannaford/Kroger/Pizza Hut properties are content to hold on to the past in the form of strip malls and parking lots.