123fakestreet

I went to a conference at VCU a few years ago and part of it was the guy at Dominion who was leading the new HQ build giving a presentation on the project. This was shortly before they broke ground on the first tower. As of that time it was an open question if Dominion was going to build the 2nd tower - they were public that they had a plan for 2 but we're unsure of they would o the 2nd. The guy giving the presentation said at that time, yes, for sure they would be building the 2nd tower. It was news at the time, not long after it was in the papers that Dominion would build the 2nd one. So I don't think it was a farce. I think it was iffy, then a done deal, then things changed and they canned it. Agree. I think people need to temper their expectations in general. It just leads to disappointment. We all know these projects are constantly getting shelved or scaled back. Don't get too excited when you see some big project, know from the get go it's going to be smaller than what they initially announce. No 2nd tower is for sure disappointing, but look at it this way - we had an old tower and a really crappy lot. We flipped that for a nice new glass curtain tower and a fixed up landscaped lot. We came out well ahead. At least they are doing something nice with the lot, I had anticipated another crap surface lot for monthly parking.

I would guess this is exactly what the RFP was for - we want to keep this property but don't want it to be a blight, what do you propose we do with it?

They have plenty of other offices notably the executives ones on the river. Consolidating those + more people returning to offices + some marginal growth as a company and I could see them building that 2nd tower.

Yeah if they were never going to build a 2nd tower they would just sell it. No 2nd tower is guaranteed, but they are hedging their bets and holding it to make a decision well down the road. They may sell (in which case whoever buys would want to build something themselves), they may build a 2nd tower. But either way I think that's at least 10 years out.

https://www.smbw.com/project/soda-flats/ 404 not found lol. uh oh.

We knew this wasn't going to be any kind of building. This is about as good as we could have expected. Better than selling it to a real estate company that will turn it into a crappy surface lot for monthly parking and sit on it for 15 years.

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/10/17/spy-rock-planning-something-big-in-newtowne-west-neighborhood/ Yes! Major infill. I drive by this lot all the time and wonder why James River Bus Lines hasn't sold it yet. Still need the adjacent former Sears building to be converted into an urban footprint Walmart or Target

Agree. Unfortunately I don't think 3 of those are changing anytime soon just due to inertia. But that crappy little Subway and Chanellos? Honestly boggling that site hasn't been redeveloped years ago.

Yep, that was my exact thought. No problem with CVS, just needs to be an urban one, bring the building up to the corner get rid of the surface lot and put a parking deck in back by the alley.

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/10/07/longtime-hardees-on-arthur-ashe-blvd-closes/ Hardees on AA closing. That thing is an eyesore with an oversized parking lot, hopefully something nice goes in. Next we can get rid of the CVS.

There's no way that's getting torn down. Project has to be on the other side of the block on that surface lot.

VCU was largely a commuter school just 15 years ago, not sure if they are still trying to transition into a more on campus student base with more student housing.

I wasn't aware it was student housing. Same as the Ascend on Broad. I'll take them either way, but would be better if they were luxury condos.

That was my thought when I read it. Eh, some nice up-fill but not a game changer. I think part of it is there is already a decent development there, it's just being altered.

I walked across the site just the other day, I thought they had at least been drilling core samples but I didn't even see any evidence of that. Absolutely nothing has been done.

Progress at Bakery Lofts

Whatever happened to Locks 7 and 8 along the Canalwalk at the old Reynolds building? Progress on former BW3 Apts

Agree. One looks nice, the other looks like a cheap imitation of it.

I missed that the Dominion building across the street was being converted to apts as well. That's good news for new apts but also dominion shedding buildings. Keeping alive my hope they sell off their riverfront HQ (making it a nice neighborhood accessible to all) and all other offices and replace them with that 2nd tower they had planned.

Richmond was doing OK on it's own, now for the first time we have the city and public interest groups coordinating in an actual marketing campaign to bring in new businesses. Hopefully we get some great results. Success also begets success, lots of NOVA people moving down here for better quality of life and working remote. Well once they are here businesses will see the talent pool in RVA and be more willing to relocate here because of it.

Someone said as part of the project they are connecting Manchester St and Duval with a bridge over the canal. Might be for that.

Yeeeeessss! Love this. 20 story glass curtain. This is exactly what I was hoping for on this spot PLUS a 6 story office building. Looks great, shiny new face of the city off of 95, love this project. Great news after disappointing Diamond District stuff. Hopefully it doesn't get downsized, but honestly even if it ends up down to 15 stories this is still great.

Yes

School bus depot gone

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