ric75
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Posts posted by ric75
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Nope, that won't happen either because Richmond area leadership will spend the next 5 years debating on how to even do that and by that time, all bets will be off the table. This is, of course, unless Richmond learns its lesson, which I highly doubt based on Richmond's record. Why is it that this city can't get its act together? Gee, this is a city of a lot of talk and no action. At least, Richmond is talking though, because before no one was even talking. Progress is progress, but it is still not an excuse for Richmond's pathetic handling of this situation. I thought Richmond would have had more class. You know, I don't care too much about baseball - this issue, to me, is about principle and somehow Richmond leadership seems to be able to ruin virtually anything that comes its way. Incredible!...and very embarrassing!
Want to talk about class? How do you like the league not allowing us talk to any other teams until they feel like it? From this mornings Times Dispatch article interviewing IL President Randy Mobley...
He also said any franchise that talks with Richmond officials without permission is subject to a $25,000 to $50,000 fine from Minor League Baseball."There will be a time when we will grant them consent," he said. "But it's going to be when we're 100 percent certain we're going down the path [to Gwinnett] for 2009."
Sounds pretty fishy. Either the Braves and the IL are acting like spoiled brats throwing a temper tantrum or this "move" to Atlanta is just a ploy to get more money and a faster time line out of the RMA in their panic to keep the Braves in town. Here's a link to the full article... New team will have to wait
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Thanks for the reply. This is going to stray off-topic but now that we've started it I have to wonder if people in the burbs are aware of or willing to acknowledge all the positive developments that have occurred in the City just in the last 5 years or so? I've seen a ton of improvement in the short amount of time that I've been here and am really excited about the direction we are going... then again I'm not tainted by past perceptions and thats one thing the City has to work on. I don't think public perception matches current reality. The reality is downtown is becoming a bustling place again, with great cultural offerings and distinct, quality restaurants and shops. But I guess with an antagonistic Wilder at the helm and generating the headlines, it's just concreting the opinions of those hard to reach folks who stay out in the counties. I think a true leader could find a way to bridge these gaps but as we've unfortunately discovered, Doug Wilder is not that person.
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Have any of you been reading the reactions to this on the Times Dispatch website? Some people just disgust me. I've only been here around 6 or 7 years now but I've frequently noticed this ugly attitude among county residents where they practically celebrate when things go wrong in the City. Does anyone have any idea why this is? Is this a local phenomenon or is it just a normal suburb vs. city battle? Seems like some people have a looooong way to go before they would agree to any kind of regional approach to moving the area forward.
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Old Burt turned 80 over the weekend, so I'm going to ease my way out of here and yield to younger perspective. I'll pop in occasionally as "poster emeritus" and you may be sure I'll be lurking around. Meanwhile, keep me informed and entertained, please.
A belated Happy Birthday to you burt! I sure hope you know you are one of if not the the most valued posters here and offer a perspective on Richmond most of us don't have. The board certainly wouldn't be the same without you!
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RIC75 I dont use the city or county parks but I still pay taxes to build them and they do me no good at all. It goes around with everything you can think of that is used for taxpayers money. Believe it or not but all the other cities that have a minor league team are owned by the city and not the team. So if I was the city I would buy the Richmond Braves from the Atlanta Braves just like all the other cities do. Believe it or not but I am no longer a Braves fan but am now a Nationals Fan. I hate the fact that they spent all this money for research and plannig for the ballpark and then say that they are going to leave Richmond. I really hope the Columbus Clippers come ot Richmond so that they are only 2 hours away from the MLB team. Id really love to see the Clippers here in Richmond.
The Park System as far as I'm aware brings in more people on a smaller budget and people aren't charged admittance. If a team wants to come here that can for the most part support itself and manages to raise attendance I'm all for it but the Braves as they stand now show no propensity for bringing in crowds. A better comparison would be the Performing Arts Center which has been criticized by some for taxing many to support the few but it at least helps to contribute to the overall draw of downtown to visitors. The Diamond did not and it had no synergy with the surrounding area. Perhaps Bill's Barbecue saw a rise in business on game evenings but that's probably about it. I supported a Shockoe Bottom stadium that didn't mean leeching tax dollars from the surrounding neighborhood businesses for years to come but the devlopers couldn't be swayed on that idea either. It seems that Richmond is looked on as a city for handouts. We need to change that image and start attracting responsible, self-supporting franchises and developments.
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OMG I AM SO FRICKEN FURIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!I knew this would happen and is exactly why I am leaving Richmond cause sports around here gets so much crap. We aint never gonna be able to support a real sports team till the day I die and is exactly why I want to leave Richmond. You would think with close to 1.2 million people we would be able to support sports here in this town. I dont want a AA or A level club cause the stadium is going to look like a cardboard box and isnt that big. I hate AA and A stadiums cause there is no upper decks. I am gonna just move out of Richmond and head to a city that has a real sports team. Atlanta GA here I come. Im sick of this dump that has no sports teams that are worth a dam. Im going to Atlanta and worship the A-Braves just like you see at Fenway Park. I am sick of this bull crap and on the news they said its gonna effect the economy. Of course it is the city is the ones who let this crap happen. Like I said I live in a below average city where nothing gets done and all we do is talk talk talk.
Bon voyage Downtowner and the RBraves... you won't be missed. Seriously people, what do the Braves bring to Richmond? Why do you think a city even needs a sports franchise to have an identity? This is completely ridiculous how people are getting upset over this. It means NOTHING except that area taxpayers will have more money to spend on businesses that can manage to stay afloat on their own instead of leeching off the tax base. This move is long overdue. Let some other sucker locality spend tens of millions to build them a ballpark and let Richmond spend its money continuing to improve downtown. If the demand for a baseball team was there this issue wouldn't even exist but the fact of the matter is, in a metro-area of 1 million plus a baseball game brings in 3,000 (thats THOUSAND) on a good night. Why should all the people who obviously don't want to watch baseball subsidize the hobby of this minority? The Braves at first supported the idea of rebuilding on Boulevard and now, after the city has spent time and money putting a new plan together, we find the Braves have been courting another locale basically behind our backs. Let the jack***es go and be done with it.
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Yeah Richmond blogs were talking about that last week. Velvet was good for one thing, holding up the Di mural... now that that's gone I hope a mini-flood comes and sweeps that building into the James so someone with an inkling of class can rebuild there. Between sketchy Santa standing on the street corner, the Humvees, and the spotlights (which I used to be ok with) they are getting on Richmond's last nerve.
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More conventions means good news for Richmond hotels...
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DEUCES WILD was abandoned at the old WILDCATS location. The owner of BIG DADDY'S had too much else going on, and the space was too small for the big response he was getting. I don't know what the new plan is, but it's not from BIG DADDY'S this time around.
FALLOUT is indeed next to ELEMENT. I think it's between MARS BAR and ELEMENT, actually. And journiyin, I tried for a bit to find a website for FALLOUT without any luck, either.
Fallout is run by the same folks that own Mars Bar and seems to be exclusively and industrial/goth club. Tried getting in once and was turned away I assume because I didn't fit the look
I think they already have their clientelle so marketing doesn't seem to be a priority. I'd be interested to hear what may be going on in the old Wildcats building. -
That was the old ST. SOMEWHERE, I believe -- and it was something else before that, and that name is better known (just not to me). I've tried to get in touch with the owner, with no success, for clients in the past. The only thing I've heard is that it was on the market some time ago for an outrageous price. Since then, I haven't heard anything about the owner resurfacing.
I wish I could, though. I have a number of people that have wanted to go in there.
That's too funny nhughes. There have been several times when friends and I are in the Bottom and have talked about looking into the place to open a business. The location is great and we love the rooftop deck! I wonder why the owner is MIA? It's a shame (and quite stupid) that an owner would sit on an ideal location like that and let it degrade. I suppose they are meeting the city requirements for vacant buildings though, otherwise the city would be on them. I wish they were in violation of a code so they'd get the motivation to do something with that property, whether it be renovate it, lease it, or sell it.
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The Bubble Bar (don't remember the exact name) is open in the old RIVER CITY DINER space on Main Street. It was opened by a former partner from ALADDIN EXPRESS at Laurel and Broad near VCU. It is a Mediterranean hookah bar/restaurant, rather than Moroccan (unlike COUS COUS, which is decidedly Moroccan).
If you are referring to the spot to the right of BIG DADDY'S, then you're talking about GOODFELLAS. There is an empty space to the left that isn't slated for anything that I'm aware of. GOODFELLAS is still on, and it has been moving along nicely. You can already see the completion on the facade and the deck.
PAPA NINGO is still on for the larger spot, and I'm helping them get someone in to take over their current location (no secret, since they are just moving next door). The construction on the larger spot has been delayed due to unforeseen delays from the city, as usual with any project I have ever heard of in the city.
There is a space at 1717 East Franklin Street that I am leasing out for a client. You'll see my sign on it if you go down there. It's a fully equipped, high-end sushi restaurant right now. No telling what will go in there at this point, although I have some groups working on Asian-fusion concepts that are the most likely candidates at the moment. This space is right beside JULEP'S, and has a beautiful wooden facade. I had taken note of it a few years ago, even before I knew the owner of the building. I'll let you know what's going in there once we have someone firm, and they give me permission to let it out there.
Wow thanks for the great update nhughes. Very informative! I was under the impression things had slowed down or even stopped at Goodfellas so I'm glad to hear that things are still progressing. I'm excited to hear that the space on Franklin has garnered some interest. I've seen newspaper and old permits in the window for what seems like years now. And you're right about the facade. Gorgeous! Can't wait to see what this becomes. What used to be a pretty desolate stretch of the Bottom is getting a little action with the expanded Papa Ningo and this new establishment by Julep's.
The restaurant in the old River City Diner building is called "Bubbling". Some friends and I ate there a few weeks ago. I can't highly recommend their cous-cous however friends raved about the falafel and gyros and I did enjoy a hookah filled with a tasty apple tobacco. A rare treat for me! They really skimped on ambiance though and hope they can stay around long enough to make improvements.
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Hey folks, I am new to this site and am enjoying the Richmond restaurant talk. Everyone really seems to know their stuff and have enthusiasm. Quick question after reading about LuLu's... What's going on with the rest of the 17th Street area in Shockoe Bottom. I have heard things about a pianao bar and the fireman's themed halligan's but don't know what to make of it all. Any news?? Thanks for the great posts
Halligans was open to the public the night of the Grand Illumination. They will be opening soon I believe but I don't have an exact date. From what I've heard, the piano bar is a no-go, or has at least been delayed a good while. The owner of Big Daddy's and now BPM has apparently run into money issues. Last I saw that space had a "For Rent" sign in the window. Good Fellas is another project of his at the corner of 18th and Main. Work has been done in there however recent activity (or lack thereof) indicates that project may have been put on the backburner as well. Further up Main towards Tobacco Row, a new coffee shop is going to be opening.
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I read recently that the present McDonald's is being demolished and a new, much larger one will replace it on the original site as well as on adjacent property. Some nearby businesses were bought and closed to facilitate the erection of a new McDonalds in the 2700 block of West Broad.
Well I'm not a huge fan of McDonald's (though you can't beat the 99 cent double cheeseburger) but it will be nice to see that area spruced up a bit. I wonder how big it's going to be? With the Children's Museum and Science Museum right there I'm sure it is or soon will be a popular stop for families. Hopefully they put in a cool Play Place
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I was driving down West Broad today near the Science Museum and noticed an area where demolition is occurring. Looking in my rear view mirror I realized that the McDonald's was no longer there so I'm assuming that the one at 2700 W. Broad has been ripped down. Anyone have the scoop on that? Are they putting in a newer/nice replacement or is it a new owner altogether?
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How was the noise level at 27, ric75? When it's packed with people sound reverberating off the high tin ceilings can be very annoying. But I agree that the food on both my visits was exceptionally well prepared, delicious and well served.
Burt, all the tables were full when we were there with folks sitting at the bar as well but the noise level didn't seem too bad. I wouldn't consider it a quiet/romantic place to dine however I wouldn't put it anywhere near the noise level of Sine at night either
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Finally visited 27 on Broad St for my company Christmas dinner last night. I don't have the ability to wax poetic about food as many reviewers here can however everything I ordered was amazing! I had the scallops wrapped in bacon as an appetizer. The glaze on the scallops was delicious and they were grilled to perfection. For my main course I had the beef ravioli in a tomato/walnut cream sauce. I was scraping the plate to get every last morsel! Finally I topped it off with dessert which was a delicious chocolate/hazelnut gelati. It was a great experience and considering the quality of the food I was very impressed with their prices. Check them out when you get the chance!
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Saw this a while back and got reminded of it again today when I visited the CNN.com frontpage. A little writeup in Southern Living about our beloved town...
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Some info on the proposed marina from Richmond.com's "Ask the Mayor"...
I am concerned that the City's proposed public marina will be so small that it will be unable to cover its operating expenses unless it is leased and combined with the neighboring Rocketts Landing marina. Who will be doing the feasibility study?George B. Pinckney
Fan District
The City of Richmond's permit application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is for the public 73-slip marina at Intermediate Terminal. The feasibility study will be completed by the City with the cooperation of Langley McDonald, the marina design engineering firm.
If approved, the marina will be a public-private joint venture between the City, which would oversee and approve of the use of the dock, and the WVS Corporation, the developer of The Villages at Rocketts Landing. WVS has submitted a separate joint permit application to construct an approximate 100-slip private marina. These two marinas would be managed as a single entity with one harbormaster and shared amenities such as a fueling station. The City's public marina, which could be ready as soon as Spring 2009, will promote new recreational boating opportunities to the Richmond region and new tourism opportunities by attracting cruise ships from Hampton Roads as well as boaters traveling the Intracoastal Waterway.
Mayor Wilder wishes to thank the public for its overwhelming outpouring of concern and support through "Ask the Mayor." Your feedback is important and Mayor Wilder wants you to know that your views will be taken into consideration as issues are examined. Please note that the mayor refrains from responding to specific questions relating to employment, personnel issues, private business proposals or policy matters within the jurisdiction of the state and federal levels of government.
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Haha wow that was what I was thinking down to the T.
I've wanted to see a Circuit City flagship store downtown as well.. something along the lines of the Toys 'R Us or Virgin store in Times Square... but smaller in scale of course
How could we go about suggesting this? -
Richmond Home sales down 20%, much worse than the national average of 8%
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...10-24-0200.html
Perhaps this will cool prices (which have been steadily increasing) down a bit and allow me to enter into the market! There's already a surplus and considering the new mega-developments going on in the exurbs, I would think prices will have to be corrected a bit.
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Here's an idea on Regional cooperation. Have Hanover, Goochland, and Powhatan Counties begin creating more vineyards and convince Richmond-area restaurants to serve up their products. Not only would that create a regional pride, it would offer some of Richmond's outlying counties an economic alternative to suburban sprawl.
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In all likelihood, Greensboro simply offered the more generous incentive package. That's a huge part of how cities bring in business these days. I'm not too concerned either way. Our airport continues to draw record numbers of passengers each month and as long as we see healthy growth, new flights and airlines will come with it.
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A coming soon banner for Urban Flats is now hanging on Lady Bird Hat Building.
Very cool! So which restaurant will be making use of the Canal Walk itself? Highwater or Urban Flats? I thought they were going to have tables set up outside like they did when Ripple was there last summer but so far I haven't seen anything.
Edit: Nevermind. I found my answer in burt's post in the Toad's Place thread
I think they already have their clientelle so marketing doesn't seem to be a priority. I'd be interested to hear what may be going on in the old Wildcats building.
Richmond Dining-Out scene
in Richmond
Posted
Style had a much more favorable review last week that I don't think got posted here.
Beauty and the Beef