vdogg

I would even go so far as to say entitled. They obviously think Va. Beach is THEIR territory. That's why I'm against giving the "local boys" deference when it comes to other major developments, particularly at the Oceanfront. Make them work for their meal, there needs to be a shake up here soon. We are very quickly heading towards stagnation.

Ok.... This entire statement makes me unreasonably upset. Man this burns me up. He's basically saying Va. Beach isn't good enough for them to spend their money in. If that's the case, they can go ahead and carry their @ss3s over yonder and we can save our significant amount of PPP money for an agreement with another more worthy developer. "Louis Haddad It's a really good question, Rob. It's something that we're considering as we speak, and it's actually even broader than that. Not only are we not willing to dilute ourselves as we get the highest rents in the region here at Town Center. But also there is competition for these dollars. So a new project here in Virginia Beach, we know will be successful. But is that the best use of our dollars when they could be deployed in Charlotte or Atlanta or Charleston or Raleigh, and we have all those opportunities. So not only do we need to see that it would be very accretive to add here. But we also have to be convinced that it's going to be better than competing project that we can do in another region."

At this point I think it's all in City Council's hands. Block 2 option expires very soon. Time to cut 'em loose.

Where? There's no space. I know one piece of land that will be demoed in the next few months but that's no where near big enough without incorporating surrounding properties. All the other cleared land is spoken for. No way that substation provides enough space without 1) condemning nearby properties and 2) reworking the street grid .

No thanks. Life has been a lot more pleasant without having to read her diatribes. I'm just gonna leave her be...

That's exactly what they're doing. They're one of the biggest reasons we can't get anything major done around here. Big city newspaper with small town provincial mindset. Ignore them. *At least we don't have to deal with Kerry Daugherty anymore...

It appears that leasing activity is picking up, with several items listed and updated as of May 1st. The Laskin Road project experienced serious delays, with the original finish date pushed back a year from spring of 2023 to spring of 2024. The Canopy was supposed to begin demolition Dec 2022, so extrapolating, I'll put demolition beginning Dec 2023 as they appear to be trying to time the start of construction with the end of the Laskin rd project.

The bad thing is, the "recession" hasn't even begun yet, at least not technically. There's been some downsizing in the tech sector, but overall the economy is still adding jobs. GDP is still growing. The bank runs are concerning, but it seems that most of that is the result of depositor panic and not any true fundamental change. It seems all too premature to downsize so drastically, unless this was always what they planned to build anyway... What am I missing here? I really wish we could get a view on their internal calculations and see what they're looking at.

One can only hope that we add something to the skyline over 20 stories in the next 10 years. This is getting ridiculous now, it's been a really long time since the last tower was built.

This is terrible. I'm so tired of this happening in our area. We just can't catch a break. I was so looking forward to this project too. Wouldn't it just be better to wait until conditions improve than build something mediocre? Nothing to really look forward to now at Pembroke. Wouldn't be surprised if the multifamily component follows suit.

I think it's time to amend the city charter to reduce the number of instances where a super majority is required. It really hamstrings the approval process and gives the minority on council way too much decision making power on important issues. It's an inherently antidemocratic process and should be used sparingly and in only the most extreme of circumstances.

What a fantastic thing for the community. I know people have varying views of Pharrell as a person, but it is undeniable that him and his organization truly care for and give back to the community. We’re lucky to have something like this here. I think SITW is one of the most successful endeavors Va. Beach has ever engaged in.

Another article, again with Henley being the vocal one. *Maybe Remick is against too, though hard to tell. Given how the pilot digs for any type of opposition they can find, the silence from the rest of the council tells me that they're probably on board. https://www.pilotonline.com/government/local/vp-nw-virginia-beach-rezoning-land-0427-20230427-t2kfzdrlmnc3hmesn3argjlquq-story.html

Unclear. I believe they can move forward with a different operator on the same site, but only after 2 years have passed. I believe a referendum is only required if the site changes.

Actually, I think I may have mislabeled the thread, I might have confused this with Embassy. Changing this to on hold.

Probably complete. I haven’t checked recently. If someone can confirm I’ll change the status.

From the article it seems that Henley is the only one truly against it. If that’s the case, this may be a moot issue. As for public input, you’re always going to have to have that. Any major project requires public input, such is the nature of our representative democracy. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, NIMBYs will always NIMBY. More important than that is the decision makers whom sit in council chambers. I find it highly unlikely that they’re going to pass up 400 high paying jobs. It’s much easier to deny an apartment tower or condo, than it is to deny something that will add to the city’s commercial and industrial tax base.

Lol, my paragraph was nowhere near that long. I'm actually impressed you were able to extract that much information from it. No, what I'm saying is 1) I see value in the green line 2) Suburban sprawl is the anthesis of urban development, and 3) While I'm not against this project or it's jobs, I see value in taking time to see that it's done in the best possible way. Barbara Henley notwithstanding, broken clocks...twice a day...yada, yada, yada.

Danville's Casino license was approved today. Meanwhile, in Norfolk... https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/lottery-approves-danville-caesars-casinos-license/?oly_enc_id=8808E7437578H0S "Virginia’s first casino, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, opened in July 2022 in a temporary space at the former Bristol Mall after receiving licensing approval less than 90 days earlier. In December 2022, developers began construction nearby on the $400 million permanent Hard Rock casino, which is slated to open in July 2024. The $340 million Rivers Casino Portsmouth, which received its license in November 2022, opened its permanent space in January. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s license for the proposed $500 million HeadWaters Resort & Casino on the Elizabeth River in Norfolk is still pending state approval..."

Honestly guys, this one is really tough. I can see both points. All those jobs would be amazing, but the green line is a delicate delicate thing. My concern is that if we allow it to be breached for one development, the floodgates will open and then several developments will soon follow. If that happens, then we’re back to the relentless suburban sprawl of the 70s and 80s, which I don’t think any of us want. This is one of those times where I think VA BEACH is right to take their time and make sure we do this right.

Don't expect anything from that rendering to come to fruition. We might get something decent, but don't expect it to look like that.

Maybe, maybe not. I don't think that Divaris announcing that they have several developments in the work around town center, and bed bath & beyond announcing their bankruptcy, are mere coincidences. I think these two announcements go hand in hand, so it may be more than simply apartments. We may get a mixed use component.

Supposed to start construction next year I believe.

Had to go to Lynnhaven mall to pick up some stuff today and it is absolutely bonkers busy. With the so called "death of retail" and malls closing down nationwide, it's seems that they've only gotten bigger and better. Makes me wonder, what are they doing differently that is allowing them to buck that trend, and can it be replicated elsewhere in the region?

I don’t think I truly had a feel for how massive this project was until today. After driving by the area I must say this is one of the most massive construction sites i’ve ever seen in HR. It will be absolutely transformative. If we can get the Capstone project off the ground the entire area will be unrecognizable.