Goats_Gruff

You're right - it needs to be better integrated with the landscape surrounding it inside Town Point Park. Nearly every festival at the park, likely for ABC and security reasons, has the festival boundary located just away from Waterside near the Spirit of Norfolk docking station. Judging from the way parties such as Shamrockin' in Ghent bring loads of people out to patronize the buisnesses on Colley (along with their own beer and food vendors), better integration for Waterside with TPP festivals seems like a no-brainer.

Waterside has already locked the doors to the public bathrooms - change is a comin'!

The pop-up shop idea is a great way to reinvigorate interest in these areas. It is delightful that so much progress has occured since the Better Block events kicked things into motion.

The "FM" sign up on the exterior looked to be made of paper or posterboard...I presume City Council has not yet made the trek down the block to review. Ye olde DQ/Zero's combo on Colley has been undergoing floor and wall remediation the past week or so for the Noodles & Co. remodel. Haven't yet seen any construction on the small outdoor patio that lies just next to it. Workers were also installing, from the labels on the material boxes outside, "acoustical wall panels" on the interior of the building that once housed Garden Gazebo on 21st. I heard that this store was formerly a Roses way way back in the day and one could still see the markings on the floor from the soda counter stools. Interesting to see if the floor will remain after the renovations for whatever it is that is going in there.

Just walked downtown last week to pick up some Norva tickets... The restaurant that occupies the former Jewish Mother space is called "FM" and appears to be a carbon copy of the Jewish Mother. They weren't yet selling tickets out of the restaurant but an employee did say that ticket sales should be starting soon. Glad to hear also that a new beer bar will be opening up DT soon...compared to even just a couple places in Ghent, DT is seriously lacking in the craft beer department.