meegwell

City property approvals... https://richmondmagazine.com/news/news/planning-commission-navy-hill/

That can be said for all legitimate energy companies and many, many other industries. Problem is you, me and everyone else loves the products. The paper you use every day comes with an environmental cost (usually a derivative of energy), the cloths you wear, your leather hiking boots, the wood that makes your house, steel and all metals..etc etc etc....energy is a more obvious one so it's easy for people that lean heavy on environmental politics to attack it...but even many of them come across so hypocritical because they love air conditioning, cars, lights, paper products, and refrigeration. Renewables are expensive, can not be scaled to the level we need, and can not be relied upon to meet high demand peaks whenever and wherever they happens....(want your electricity to stop on a windless night? and no storage nowhere near practical in our lifetime) Renewables also have their own set of environmental issues. We can't force poor people to buy expensive energy to satisfy elites with environmental political agendas. I respect people's positions but lets not fool ourselves, we all LOVE the products that are created at the cost of some sort of environmental impact. ...unless you live naked out in nature eating only from your garden. The appropriate way to form an opinion here is to acknowledge that energy/industry/consumer goods is a trade-off. Compare Dominion's environmental stewardship to that of other similar energy companies and form your opinion there. To compare them to selling cigarettes is extreme....but that is not uncommon in the world of environmental politics. Folks look the other way when it comes to all the plastic stuff they own, - unless its a popular fight that gets them attention and makes them feel good like water bottles or straws - no one has stopped using the gazzillion other common plastic items in their lives because there is not a spotlight on it to make them feel noble. How about all those petroleum based kayaks? We gonna stop using them? Nope! To stop using a/c, plastics, kayaks, etc...would be too inconvenient. Why isn't any environmentalists complaining about open refrigeration in grocery stores? Not popular. Not a "thing", no spotlight on it....but its actually a huge environmental issue. OK veered off topic here enough of my own opinions on that issue Here's to seeing another beautiful tower built downtown to further enhance the City's skyline and overall beauty from a Company that in my opinion is a huge asset (on a net basis) to the City!

This is very true (not warranted part) and sort of an "old school" out-dated view. I saw someone make a snarky comment on bizsense about "VEPCO" not needing a new eyesore...too funny. Dominion is much larger than the local utility company they own and operate here in VA/NC. They have significant operations all over the country of which many are NOT state regulated. From competitive power plants to interstate pipelines and other gas ventures, there is a diverse mix of companies humming along with a variety of traditional state regulated gas and electric utilities...also in many different states....under the Dominion umbrella. These various significant business entities span from northeast to the midwest. Many older Richmond folks don't get this, and can't shake the notion of the company being primarily a VA utility operation (the old "VEPCO". These same people cry "remember 6th St Marketplace!" whenever a downtown development idea pops up... I actually find it entertaining. If they did not hold this ignorance, they wouldn't be able to make their "arguments"...

I would say a parking lot is not at all possible. Why would this type of large multi-state public holding company build a parking lot? I know why you say these things....but there is no reality to this what so ever. I would also say, in my opinion, we will most likely see the matching tower slightly shorter.

It is not full of employees. Final phase of employee relocation happened the last week of August. Employees were allowed to still come and go as necessary (grab stuff left behind for example) but a couple weeks ago there was an official notice that employees not associated with the processes around what comes next for the building are not allowed.

Brent114 - Never had life? It was never real? Now that you can't make up your own facts about it not ever being real, and very real it has always been, you switch gears with "financing is a mess" - I have 30 years of practical and academic experience in finance and accounting, including public projects...where is this mess you speak of all-knowing one? (rhetorical question) Boy this project sure does appear to be alive and well!

Maybe....Dunkin Donuts and Mo's Grill.... getting there...

Wanted to be sure you saw this recent post from @eandslee:

The deal has life and is not dead. I'll just have have to come back and say "I told you so" when the parties make the next move that is actually open for public consumption.

So it is all about your politics as I suspected. See, I don't even really come here to contribute anymore because Brent411 is turning this place into Facebook. It's a shame.

Brent you're not done trolling here yet? Stop being condescending and grow up. That article you got all excited about is a complete joke as many have already pointed out.

Yup that's what I was thinking. There will be bull dozers and wrecking balls lined up at the coliseum before the City Counsel meeting when they vote. Brent just checking on your DOA view here is that still your position?

Stoney unveils $600 million proposal for city schools as part of Coliseum redevelopment richmond.com article but I believe it is a paywall so I am not posting it.

This is an excellent comment. Inner Cities everywhere where hurting bad - remember the crack-influenced violence? Anyone know what mid-town Manhattan was like then? Different times, folks.

Brent114...I can't tell if you are for or against this project... You seem to have very good expertise in municipal bond credit metrics, analytics around profitable touring music and entertainment acts, the financial health and general usefulness other entertainment venues in the City, etc...either that or you just hate Dominion because of some politically-charged view?....I know you can write whatever you want but it's border-line trolling us folks who are genuinely enthusiastic about this project and have a balanced careful view with the underlying hopes that it can be successful....without recklessly throwing around "fake" information as if you have factual data on it (that would be touring act financial data, bond rating scenario analysis, claims of "stealing" from the City (really?), personal attacks ("sophmoric", "high schooler"). Living in a different time or clinging to the past? Claims like "voodoo economics" and "the circus is gone" leads me to believe that maybe you are out of touch with modern entertainment? Ice Capades? That act was big in the 50's-70's. You do know that Disney has around 15-20 shows of Ice entertainment booked within about a months time between Richmond and Hampton Coliseum...as it does every year.... for a reason. Get up to date before you make these comments. I appreciate everyone's input and different views but just reading your quotes on this topic (below) tells me you may want to spend your time elsewhere...but that of course is your choice.