asies

I think you can have both park/public space and dining areas/boat ramps that draw people there for more than just hiking. Any large development that would occupy that island would be on such large stilts that positive street engagement would be difficult. And don't get me wrong, I love development but amenities attract the people that will bring more development (the more desirable the place, the more demand to live in and build there) and I think a balance that expands the public access to the river while bringing even more amenities is very doable.

According to the master plan for the James River Parks System, Mayo Island is to eventually become a park like Belles Island. The city needs a to find a way to get that property. I think I'd rather see a really cool park with trails here than more development.

Definitely. At least you can see the Wasatch Mountains from the airport, lol.

Comparing airports is an unfair comparison though. Salt Lake International serves not only the entire state of Utah, but southern Idaho, western Wyoming, western Colorado, and eastern Nevada. That is why it became a major Delta Hub.

Just some Thursday musings, but with 14th Street Bridge reconstruction happening in the next few years, I'm even more convinced that the future south-bound Pulse line should run down 9th Street bridge and Commerce before turning down Hull Street. That way the bridge construction doesn't delay a future Pulse line. Commerce offers more opportunities for new development and the northern portion of Hull Street will be mostly built out by the time the line would open. Also, Commerce could better accommodate exclusive bus lanes and mid-street stations and anyone living north of Commerce would still be walking distance to the new Pulse line.

Thanks. I've lived in Richmond since August. I think once construction starts on the Costar Tower, we could see more interest in a new residential tower downtown as well. It would be awesome to see a luxury residential or mixed-use tower on the lot next to the Dominion tower. Richmond is around the same size as Salt Lake City (my hometown) and there construction is underway on a 39-story residential tower that when completed will be the state's tallest. In Salt Lake it wasn't until Goldman Sach's expanded their presence downtown that downtown residential development began to really take off. Costar's expansion downtown could have a similar effect in Richmond.

This is my first time posting here, it felt like a good time to chime in. I have lived in Charlotte, and while Charlotte has some tall pretty buildings it is not a very vibrant city and it is one of the least walkable major cities in America. I know tall buildings are fun to look at, but city life happens at the street level and activating dead space, regardless of the height, is good for a city and its vibrancy. Few markets are seeing new office towers rise, Charlotte is a rare exception there. Across the country most new towers are either residential or hospitality (or a mix of both). It takes several years to plan, develop, and build a new tower so while construction costs are inflated right now, by the time the rest of the Coliseum area is ready for development those costs could come down. Having vibrant healthy neighborhoods is what will bring the "height" to Richmond. The region and city are growing. Companies go where people want to live, and Richmond is becoming a place where people want to be. Richmond's best chance for additional height right now will come from residential projects, not office projects (although the Costar headquarters is a welcome exception). This city needs infill development and the more infill we get, the more likely we are to start seeing more height in new proposals. I'd also add that the city probably dodged a bullet in the Navy Hill project as it is the same developer that is scaling the VCU tower down (incremental growth may not be as sexy, but it tends to have an overall larger economic impact than large signature projects).