Glassoul

That happens anywhere. I live in Montreal, which arguably has one of the best public transport systems in North America. Missing buses or a subway train because of them being full is not uncommon during rush hours and that's with the subway running every 3 minutes and buses every 5 (when they're not late). Train service during rush hours here is like every 10 minutes, and they're jammed packed, especially from 7-8 and 4-5. And getting a seat? That is the exception rather than the norm for any time of day on any mode of transport unless you happen to live near the terminus of whatever you're getting onto or you're using it at like 1:45pm, or some other off hour time. That's just one reason why I'm very skeptical that light rail will work in HR, that service will be too infrequent to get people to use it.

No surprise, look who commissioned the original report. Of course we're not using your roads! 3rd crossing would take care of it, but don't hold your breath.

The most logical first extension will be to the Oceanfront and then to NSN.

Well, I wanted to take a lot more shots than this, but the one day I had budgeted a bit of time to go take photos, it rained. So, I was only able to get a few shots which was a bit of a disappointment.

A polished turd? The more I think about what use this building will fulfill, the less upset I am with it. Originally, it was to be an upscale hotel and condo with some possibly some form of medical research and office space. Now it just appears to be a decent hotel and an expansion of the hospital/doctor's office space. In this regard, the building is not as objectionable as to its original purpose.

Gosport was the name of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard prior the Navy's commandeering of it in the Civil War (a couple months after the battle between the Monitor and Virginia) in 1862 when the area surrendered to the Union. Despite the name, it is located on the west bank of the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth.

If it's architecturally significant then it efforts should made to preserve it. If you're trying to save something for the sake of it being "old", that is in my opinion, not justification enough

That's how they came up with Harbor Park, which I think was a very good choice. I voted for "none of the above". Retarded that they spent $75,000 on a consulting firm that obviously doesn't have a clue about the area. Bay Runner? Where does it run along the bay? If this grows into a regional system, that makes it even more moronic. Tide? Huh? We already have a baseball team called the Tides, no thanks. B: How does Tide even invoke the idea of a light-rail system? First Rail.. This also make no sense and sounds completely and utterly stupid.

That's not a unique concept. It's pretty common type of Brazilian restaurant. They're definitely not vegetarian friendly places, lol!

HAHA, Vdogg! Oh ye of little faith. I told you that the funky shape of this building could lead to some really unique interiors. These will sell because they are "real" high-end, unlike a lot of places that claim to be high-end because they have hardwood floors and a front paneled stainless steel appliances. Though the pretentiousness of the website could be toned down some.

Just to add what Sky said, there's actually a sizable market for kind of thing, even in non-affluent areas. It's all commission based, so you can negotiate, like with a new car. Tip, you can almost always knock off 15% off the sticker price, 20% if your buying a lot of gear, or have been a loyal customer. For instance my receiver cost $800 and front/stereo speakers ran $800 for the pair (and they both retailed for 1k each, I also got them to let me pay it off over 18 months with no interest), and I don't consider myself rich. The technology changes, but not often enough that they need huge turnover or to make big markdowns to move inventories. The 5 figure stuff is almost always custom ordered, so they usually only keep a demo unit, which is usually provided by the manufacturer for free or at cost if it's a reputable dealer.

Had a chance to visit Alt Platz Brewery yet? Good news about the Norcom property. Don't expect high-end retailers though, probably something along the lines of a modern strip mall, maybe a bit nicer, but really that would still be a major improvement.

Yes, but the real question we are dieing to know is, how was the food??!!!??

So crazy to see that. I remember when I was doing my psuedo-internship at Painewebber (now UBS) at the Columbus building and all of that was trees and grass. Only the Taco-Bell and VP building were there. Now, the VP building is about to give way.

ditto! Last picture is now my desktop (I have a wide screen monitor), thanks!

Chicago is widely known to be the worst run NHL team in the league. Basically, the family that has owned the team for the last 25 years has sought to make as much a profit as possible off the team with as little investment as possible, so it'll be a good change for Norfolk. If the Blackhawks were in any other city, they would have long ago had to abandon this practice (kinda similar to what happened to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 90's if you're more familiar with that), but because Chicago is such a big market, they can run the team like poo and still make money. Farm systems always have their ups and downs. Hockey is somewhat like baseball in that the minors are especially useful for only one position. In baseball, it's the pitchers, in hockey it's goalies (not that other positions don't develop, but that those are the two positions that need the most work coming out of the US College/Canadian junior leagues). And given how bad Tampa Bay's goalies are, you could see them really focus their draft choices on getting top goalies in the short-term, so probably some potential there to see some NHL talent from that side over the next couple of seasons. Tampa has two of the leagues top scorers with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, so maybe they'll come play a game against the Admirals in Norfolk to mark the occasion. It's just too bad we can't get them to come home to wear a Habs jersey, but a lot of French-Canadians don't want to play in Montreal, too much pressure.

O ye of little faith.

I think his second and third shots are a little over saturated color-wise. But you're right, there is accent lighting on the pre-fab walls, which if they light up at night and reveal that beautiful blue glass is going to really look fabulous.

To get an at large bid, I think they will still need to at least make the semifinals in the CAA tourney, which they should have no problem doing.

You've seen the interior layouts for this building? I think it could appeal to high-end buyers who don't want to live in a high rise. When my wife and I were first dating, she used to live on the 22nd floor of a 36 storey apartment building and hated it; but doesn't mind a 3-4 storey building, which is what were in now (4 floors).

You have to consider the market they're targeting, which I think is largely retired folks. The interiors could be sick in a place like this. I could think of all sorts of awesome interior spaces you could create with a building layout like this and the different types of elements you could use. Also, keep in mind that because the building is old, the tax breaks will be substantial for the owners (and likely one of the reasons the developers kept the building, because they got tax breaks as well).

Noticed they stuck the upscale prison known as Fort Norfolk Plaza on the last page, lol.

On net, they probably should merge, but EVMS would be giving up some freedom with the extra money they receive from the state. Also, as it is with all mergers, egos and vested interests have to be taken care of, and those problems are as much a challenge as the actual merger itself. think you'll probably see a more formal relationship develop between the two schools, especially with regards to funding and joint projects, student body activities, etc. but I have doubts about a full blow merger, whereupon EVMS becomes the medical department of ODU. I just don't see EVMS giving up that much control.

Though not in your photo, they fit in nicely with the condos/townhouses across the street (princess anne).

I think the Calgary light rail system is the most financially "successful" light rail system in North America, but as you point out, like all mass transit systems, it is stilled subsidized. I honestly have a hard time believing that the $250 million it will take to build the Norfolk light rail line, plus the long term funding commitments required to maintain the system will yield a positive cost benefit. I seriously doubt it will substantially lower vehicle traffic, even if they were to expand the line from the naval base all the way to the ocean front. As well, the entire debate about this thing has been around the infrastructure and building costs, but I have yet to see anyone talk about the maintenance, labour, and administration costs associated with it. How is Norfolk going to pay for that long term? With reduced spending elsewhere, or with tax increases?