Richmond's Suburban Developments

[Cadeho]

Manchester's not a suburb and it never was.

I wish they'd redevelop along Jeff Davis and Commerce areas. JD looks so depressing in the city at least and it looks rag-tag in Chesterfield near the city limits.

[avalone]

a little old, i mean if you value your life you just don't go downtown hell you just don't go into southside richmond. i mean back in the early 90's southside richmond past the bridge going towards cloverleif mall towards putt-putt golf it was thriving the mall still had all of it's stores best products was still in business and peaches records was also still there toys R Us And everything else and now there's nothing but crap abonyned buildings. and with the new "lifestyle center" being built way up on route 60 near 288 soon the chesterfield mall area will look like cloverleif is now.

[wrldcoupe4]

Your point about how the Eastern Midlothian corridor has declined over the last decade explains my point about fixing up the older suburbs before going into Goochland and Powhatan perfectly. Chesterfield County is currently working on a redevelopment plan for the Cloverleaf Mall property which will include lots of residential and office and some retail. Strategically it is an awesome location, so it would only be a matter of time before the rest of that area followed suit. ToysRUs has been reused quite nicely by Nationwide insurance. Redevelopment of the older suburbs is something of vital importance to the region, so thanks for providing an example. Chesterfield Towne Center needs to and can be competitive. The mall management announced that it is currently working on a plan along Huguenot which would include upscale tenants. The mall is also planning on redeveloping the former Dillard's men's store. Around the mall, Costco will probably be the anchor tenant for a new development along koger center blvd, near the Lowe's and Best Buy. If the mall and the area around it are agressive, they can coexist with Watkins Centre for the most part.

As for downtown, I've NEVER ONCE felt threatened down there. I'm not really going to say anything more about that comment.

Edited March 16, 2006 by wrldcoupe4

[ric75]

I think one of the major issues with the older suburbs is that people's wants have changed so much in the last few decades that they just won't settle for the smaller homes anymore. There are a few exceptions to that rule, Stratford Hills for example, but for the most part people are looking to move into McMansions or high demand neighborhoods like the Fan. We really start getting into social issues here as well. Where exactly would lower income people move to if all the area neighborhoods are gentrified? And what upper middle-class families would move into these areas to begin the gentrification process? I would be interested in learning how the Church Hill and Jackson Ward changes began.

And as far as the "if you value your life you just don't go downtown" comment, these comments almost always come from people who have no experience down there. I've spent a lot of time downtown myself at all hours of the day or night and I've never felt threatened. Turn off the tabloid, negative focused 6 o'clock news and actually go for a stroll there to find out for yourself.

[Cadeho]

I have asked before why houses are so big these days. I was told it was because of the developers being greedy and wanting more money. Sometimes people don't even fill out these houses. Is it a status thing, or is it for some (like me) we just have too much junk, need space for it?

But smaller is charming. But it doesn't mean that older suburbs can't be demolished and redeveloped with the superhouses or that the commercial strips can't be revitalized with the same types of stores seen in the brand new places.

[TBurban]

I know what you mean Cadeho. Im out in Twin Hickory and theyre building three to four story houses out here. Id say there are 15 neighborhoods within 2-3 miles of eachother. Most of the houses in those neighborhoods either for sale or occupied, but they still continue to build. Ive been seeing dump trucks pass on Nuckols Road for the past 8 years and theyre driving me

[eandslee]

I've been disappointed at the RTD lately because there hasn't been a newspaper release of the renderings of the these new towers yet! I'm really iching to see what they might look like. I wonder if there would be anything on the developer's web site. I'll check. In the mean time, if anyone can locate a rendering, please post!

[eandslee]

I've been disappointed at the RTD lately because there hasn't been a newspaper release of the renderings of the these new towers yet! I'm really iching to see what they might look like. I wonder if there would be anything on the developer's web site. I'll check. In the mean time, if anyone can locate a rendering, please post!

Nope. Nothing on their web site. Rats!!!

[wrldcoupe4]

Yeah I wish they would have put it on the TD website too.... I wonder if the print stories contained the rendering?

I don't think the developers website even has a page the West Broad Village yet...

[TBurban]

If I dont recall when passing by the sign umpteen times a day. Its being built by Unicorp, eh?

heres the site:

Unicorp National Developments Inc.

Edited March 16, 2006 by RVA_tommy

[burt]

I wish Burt

They looked more along the lines of ROTJ and VOTJ stlyes. Really great architecture and they planned it out very nicely. They got the thumbs up last night so construction should begin soon

Tommy amd Coupe. Judging from this and a previous post about renderings on NBC12, then you guys HAVE seen what the new towers are going to look like.

Any way of getting the illustrated NBC story?

[TBurban]

Tommy amd Coupe. Judging from this and a previous post about renderings on NBC12, then you guys HAVE seen what the new towers are going to look like.

Any way of getting the illustrated NBC story?

Im on it, Burt

Edited March 17, 2006 by RVA_tommy

[TBurban]

Found the layout of it, and thats only half of it!!

West Broad Village Layout

Edited March 16, 2006 by RVA_tommy

[TBurban]

West Broad Update

Estimated investment in the entire project is roughly $1 billion, according to Andy Condlin, an attorney for the developer, Unicorp National Develop- ments Inc.

Dozens of neighbors of the development turned out armed with signs and concerns that focused primarily on traffic and office-building heights. They're no Empire State Buildings, but at a maximum of 18 stories each, the office buildings would be the tallest office or residential buildings in the county when including the eight stories of parking they would stand on.

West Broad Update 2

But, county officials say, those buildings could just be the beginning. As the number of large, desirable parcels of land drops and prices rise, developers will build up.

"High-rise office buildings are inevitable in the county's future . . . so this is kind of the beginning of it," Three Chopt Supervisor David A. Kaechele said Tuesday before the meeting where supervisors voted unanimously in favor of a 113-acre residential and retail community that includes the office towers.

Edited March 17, 2006 by RVA_tommy

[burt]

Thanks Tommy for posting the above information and especially for the small rendering. It doesn't show much, but gives an idea of the plan.

[TBurban]

No problem, Burt. I emailed some people from some places, so hopefully theyll respond with renderings

[eandslee]

No problem, Burt. I emailed some people from some places, so hopefully theyll respond with renderings

OOOOO! OOOOOO! I just saw the renderings!!! They're on a video on nbc12.com! Below is a link:

video renderings

Just click on video highlights on the left hand side of the page and then a list of videos will pop up. The video talks about the developers wooing MeadWestvaco to move into the 2 towers. The renderings look awesome BTW! I'm impressed. Still, I think it'd be better if MeadWestvaco moved into new towers downtown. I hold out hope that they will...

[wrldcoupe4]

Short Pump's obituary..

Short Pump, bucolic village dating to colonial times, dies suddenly

It's great

an excerpt:

.....Short Pump is survived for the time being by Midlothian, Ashland, Mechanicsville and a number of towns and villages near urban areas...........

[ric75]

OOOOO! OOOOOO! I just saw the renderings!!! They're on a video on nbc12.com! Below is a link:

video renderings

Just click on video highlights on the left hand side of the page and then a list of videos will pop up. The video talks about the developers wooing MeadWestvaco to move into the 2 towers. The renderings look awesome BTW! I'm impressed. Still, I think it'd be better if MeadWestvaco moved into new towers downtown. I hold out hope that they will...

Ahh well, guess I missed it. eandslee I agree. I believe in better cooperation overall between the City and surrounding counties but in this case it's dog eat dog. Richmond needs this more than the counties and in my completely unbiased opinion, it deserves it more as well.

[TBurban]

The people from Unicorp emailed me back with this!!!

West Broad Village Site Plan

Edited March 19, 2006 by RVA_tommy

[eandslee]

Looks nice, but I wish I could zoom in on it to see all the details. Is there anyway you can provide a link to your flicker account and have this image posted so that we can see the details?

Edited March 19, 2006 by eandslee

[TBurban]

Retail Space: 446,400 sf

Residential Space: 884 units

Office: 600,000 sf

Hotel: 300 rooms

Daycare: 8,000 sf

Community Clubhouse: 6,000 sf

Parking: 7,101 spaces

Larger Scale Master Plan

Edited March 19, 2006 by RVA_tommy

[burt]

The people from Unicorp emailed me back with this!!!

West Broad Village Site Plan

Tommy, that a great site plan. Just wish I could read all the small print! Where are the towers to be located? And what is the road that is the western boundary connecting Broad and Three Chopt?

And where is the John Rolfe Pkway supposed to begin and end?

Thanks.

[eandslee]

Thanks! I downloaded it onto my computer and zoomed in on it. It's a bit grainy, but I got the jist of most of it. Thanks again.

Edited March 19, 2006 by eandslee

[TBurban]

Tommy, that a great site plan. Just wish I could read all the small print! Where are the towers to be located? And what is the road that is the western boundary connecting Broad and Three Chopt?

And where is the John Rolfe Pkway supposed to begin and end?

Thanks.

John Rolfe Parkway is the road you see connecting Broad and Three Chopt

The red buildings on the right; the first two closest to Broad are the towers, and the one behind them is the hotel

Edited March 19, 2006 by RVA_tommy