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Flood Zone

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  1. Flood Zone
    Per a May 2017 article in the Washington Post: Since it was announced with great fanfare in June 2014, the project has faced repeated delays, some of them related to land acquisition. The company has yet to begin construction or apply for necessary permits. Two top executives left in recent months. Now parent company Shandong Tranlin Paper Co. says it will "adjust business plans" for the prospective Chesterfield plant. The reason for the latest delay sounds like good news for Tranlin: A new technology that the company has been testing in China is working so well that it wants to rethink how it approaches manufacturing elsewhere. An RTD article from around the same time attributed much of the delay to changes in the parent company's executive leadership, as alluded to in the WaPo article. And per an October 2017 report from WTVR, the company then missed its deadline to repay a $5 million grant it received from the Commonwealth. The company instead granted the VEDP a first-position lien on the property, to be released only after the company full reimbursed the Commonwealth, with interest. Beyond that .... Edited to add: Looks like the VEDP took title to the property sometime in 2018 (per the RTD), to be assessed toward the value of the outstanding obligation. In other words, it wasn't a home run ball that RVA gave up, but instead the other side never stepped foot inside the ballpark.
  2. Flood Zone
    Odell Associates. Yeah, we're on the same page - of course the Squirrels aren't actually designing it (Parney is talented, but ....). However, based on the reporting, it's undeniable that MLB modified the design process and "amplified" the Squirrels' input late last summer/early fall, which led to Odell replacing DLR Group. That has to account for some level of delay, at least as far as seeing a rendering would go.
  3. Flood Zone
    That part is on the Squirrels, right? They took over the design aspect fairly late in the game.
  4. Flood Zone
    Perhaps I can see that. I always envisioned it more like the SR equivalent of a three-digit-interstate spur route (i.e., on odd-numbered one).
  5. Flood Zone
    I didn't realize that. It's in the county's May 2019 comprehensive plan, albeit referred to in rather abstract terms.
  6. Flood Zone
    There is movement on this. Phase I, current Powhite terminus to Woolridge, is currently in design. And here's the link to the Phase II study - Woolridge to 360.
  7. Flood Zone
    This is a welcome development. The transition from I-64 West to northbound Parham Rd. is pretty bad* due to both the volume of cars and the tendency of drivers to cut all the way over to get to Mayland Dr. *Pretty bad by RVA standards; we're actually quite lucky in terms of traffic, bottlenecks, etc.
  8. Flood Zone
    New bike and pedestrian path coming to Libbie between Broad and Bethlehem(ish). Currently, this stretch (at least northbound Libbie) is a drag racing strip, with the main objective to beat everyone else to the intersection of Libbie and Bethlehem, where it takes forever to make a left turn. The article mentions the county is also planning a roundabout at Libbie/Bethlehem. I'm not sure I see the point of pouring $4M into the pedestrian/bike project given it's such a short stretch.* I guess it'll be connected to other things in the future; the article seems to suggest this. Presently, the biggest area of need for pedestrian/bike access is Bethlehem. Kids/families walk or ride along the side of the road all the time, and that seems pretty dangerous. But I'm not sure what the county can do about that. *Conceivably, it could help people access the bus line on Broad....
  9. Flood Zone
    Richmond has long been really high on the list of highest eviction rates. This dates to before the pandemic.
  10. Flood Zone
    Been to Texas Inn several times. I'd describe its menu as "endearingly grody." Should do well in that general area.
  11. Flood Zone
    Every experience is different, I guess. I'm a pretty veteran lunch-time walker down there. Aside from the winter or days when there's rain in the forecast, there's always a good mix of people walking or jogging. (To be fair, the Potterfield Bridge has directed A TON of foot traffic its way. But the canal walk still gets a good amount of people, at least in my experience.)
  12. Flood Zone
    Let's say it's somewhere in between "nothing" and "everything they dreamed of." That said, the traffic it gets from people walking, riding bikes, etc. more than justifies it. The canal walk, extended to Brown's Island, has been a great source of recreation for downtown employees.
  13. Flood Zone
    Not ALL surface parking is bad! It's just gotta be the right amount and in the right place and arranged in the right way. For example, the surface parking outside Cafe Zata in Manchester is perfect.
  14. Flood Zone
    Strong disagree, but only for selfish reasons. I've walked through that area countless days during lunch time for the past however many years. So have many other people. And I've seen it used for such creative purposes, like senior HS photos or engagement portraits. That said, I agree with this.
  15. Flood Zone
    @I miss RVA, I’m younger but not much younger, my friend!
  16. Flood Zone

    Near West End

    Flood Zone replied to whw53's topic in Richmond

    "Ugly Dumpling" coming to the former American Tap Room spot at Willow Lawn. Per the article: "Ugly Dumpling’s menu is filled with dishes inspired by Shanghai street food, including steamed buns, dumplings and wontons, as well as fried rice and noodle dishes." Sounds pretty good! My kids love steamed buns and dumplings, so we'll give it a shot. I wish this place well. The spot has been a Bermuda triangle of sorts. Three restaurants have come and gone in the past decade, and nothing has occupied it since before the pandemic, as I recall. The adjoining space has had more success. Trevinia wine bar was there several years (I believe it closed due to a corporate bankruptcy), and, after a brief run as a crab place, it's now a sushi restaurant that is quite good and does nice business.
  17. Flood Zone
    As a wise man from a classic bit of space fantasy once said, "There's always a bigger fish."* History has a long arc. In retrospect, decades from now, someone might be able to pinpoint something that caused RVA to become a considerably larger metro area than it is now. (Not just raw population, but as compared to other metros.) Maybe we've already seen it and noted it: the movement of people down here from NoVa due to the availability of telework options. It will take organic population migration, not just the landing of a big corporate HQ or two, to accomplish that. Takes time. Or maybe not. For now, however, we're going to be small-to-mid-sized, incrementally climbing the list as others decline relatively speaking. RVA will surpass Memphis and Louisville pretty soon, if it hasn't already, and, assuming the continuation of current trends, a decade from now Milwaukee and Providence will be within sight. Moving toward top-40. Progress. *Consider Charlotte. It's grown massively since the 1950s, has the big airport, two major league teams ... and, compared to Detroit, an MSA in decades of free-fall, it's 60% the size.
  18. Flood Zone
    A little? Back when Jack Kent Cooke was agitating for a new stadium (ultimately, but not satisfyingly, what is now known as FedEx Field in Landover, or as he called it, Raljon), Jerry Linquist of the RTD wrote a column jokingly suggesting that Richmond could have the Redskins, and they could play at City Stadium. All you needed to do was airlift 22,000 fans out and a new 22,000 fans in after every quarter. At any rate, sure, having a bigger (much bigger) RIC might help on the margins of decisions like CoStar. But at the end of the day, if there's a viable plan to stay in the DC area, you stay. Too much going for it, including convenience for your executives.
  19. Flood Zone
    Well, I do now! Thanks! Long story short, I would doubt it. The relaunched ABA (once known as the ABA 2000) has had what seems a wild history, and for a spell it was a repository of notable former college players, but it seems this version is more akin to semi-pro ball. Twenty years ago, they were playing in Kemper Arena. Now, they're playing at high schools and small sports complexes. Richmond needs a G-League team.
  20. Flood Zone
    If they choose the empty Dominion tower site, that would be a disaster. We need 7th and 8th down there to be free of impediments, especially when the GA is in session.
  21. Flood Zone
    UNACCEPTABLE
  22. Flood Zone
    No clue how much the Squirrels themselves taking over the lead on the design has to do with it, but the answer probably isn't "none." ETA: Also, every stadium project in history has had escalating costs.
  23. Flood Zone
    I don't know if this counts as a development, per se, but the RTD quotes Lincoln Saunders as anticipating that the groundbreaking for the new ballpark will be "April to June-ish." The article also states that no fees have been assessed by MLB as of yet for 2024 and includes a quote from Saunders that strongly implies MLB is anticipating the ballpark will open in 2026. ETA: RTD article
  24. Flood Zone
    @Rooster your post above is correct. The most recent reporting is that they've juggled around things to prioritize building the stadium. Still some steps needed before they break ground, which, not unreasonably, has many on this board uneasy. That said, I'd be absolutely floored if MLB didn't grant the exemption. Its standards and timelines don't relate to anything in the real world, and the Squirrels have thrived here since day 1.
  25. Flood Zone
    Long ago, I learned the term “coopertition.”* That’s got to be kind of the dynamic for these two airports. They’re not in direct competition because each serves a market of 1.whatever million people (Hampton Roads being significantly but not overwhelmingly larger). Neither is what one would call a huge metro area; neither has a huge airport. That may be lamented, but it is what it is. RIC dominating ORF** would suck for HR people, and vice versa. They may compete for some routes, but ideally it washes out with RIC being attractive enough for some in HR and vice versa. Each is close enough to benefit people from the other. Everyone wins in that scenario. Just my two cents. Love ya all here. * Yes, it’s a nonsense word. **I’m not sure how that’s even realistic.
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