Richmond's Suburban Developments

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

In practice the misalignment in Short Pump doesn't feel like that big of a deal. It's everyone's OCD kicking in when looking at a map of the highway network.

Can't argue there, Coupe! Agreed - it's probably more a matter of perception than practice. The flip side is that it's another shining example of how other cities/metros at least give the appearance of "getting it right" with stuff like this where - yet again - we seem to fumble at the goal line. Not a good look.

In practice, I have a bigger problem with the fact that 288 stops at I-95 and doesn't continue on east to connect with I-295. I realize that extension/connection would involve a bridge over the river and trying to navigate a rather challenging path (where to put the corridor east of 95?) - but still. I think it would take a little bit of the heartburn away if 288 & 295 at least connected SOMEWHERE (even if they couldn't do it in/near Short Pump, which would have been ideal and was the original plan).

Edited July 18, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Brent114]

3 hours ago, eandslee said:

I don’t think the zoo is considered “way out there” anymore!

Yes it is lol 

As for population decline in Short Pump. …My guess is either the  defined area of what is Short Pump has changed or it speaks to Richmond’s one person per house thing.  This is all speculation,  but hey, it’s a slow news day….  
 

Short Pump’s boom was 15-20 years ago.  The people that bought into the area had children.  Those children have now left the house.  The houses are still occupied (as mentioned earlier, it isn’t like there’s a glut of houses on the market there) but by only 2 people.  The children are in Blacksburg, Harrisonburg or Scott’s  Addition now.  Midlothian started to peak pretty recently 5-10 years ago.  Those kids are still at home.    I believe that Chesterfield has a larger family size relative to Henrico too. 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Brent114

[Flood Zone]

@Brent114, in the tradition of this forum, you should be bestowed some award for that post -- maybe The Thinker Award. That was some pretty darn elegant reasoning.

I'd say among your choices, it's a little from column (a) and a little from column (b). Your point about empty-nesters really seems strong. I don't think it would fully explain the drop-off from 2020, but if you suspect that Short Pump's population may have been inflated a bit in 2020 because college-aged kids were generally at-home due to the pandemic, then maybe it fits.

[I miss RVA]

16 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Yes it is lol 

As for population decline in Short Pump. …My guess is either the  defined area of what is Short Pump has changed or it speaks to Richmond’s one person per house thing.  This is all speculation,  but hey, it’s a slow news day….  
 

Short Pump’s boom was 15-20 years ago.  The people that bought into the area had children.  Those children have now left the house.  The houses are still occupied (as mentioned earlier, it isn’t like there’s a glut of houses on the market there) but by only 2 people.  The children are in Blacksburg, Harrisonburg or Scott’s  Addition now.  Midlothian started to peak pretty recently 5-10 years ago.  Those kids are still at home.    I believe that Chesterfield has a larger family size relative to Henrico too. 

GREAT analysis, @Brent114!! I think you nailed it.

Even if not at its peak, is it safe to say that Midlo is still booming?

Re: Short Pump: there's still some new housing either going up or on the pipeline there, no? Or is all of the new, densification happening farther east along the I-64 and Broad Street corridors? There's been increasing amounts of spillover of growth from Short Pump into both Hanover and Goochland over the past decade or so, no?

Edited July 19, 2023 by I miss RVA

[wrldcoupe4]

That western part of Henrico is largely built out in its initial land use so growth will come from infill density (Innsbroook plans for example)

[Flood Zone]

On 7/18/2023 at 2:56 PM, I miss RVA said:

Beltway: I guess I'm WAYYY old-school on this - I remember before both highways were built how they were originally planned to be a legitimate circular "beltway" to "ring" the city (a la the Capital Beltway or the Baltimore Beltway).

I'm certainly old enough to recall the "Go West, 288!" bumper stickers.

 

On 7/18/2023 at 3:24 PM, wrldcoupe4 said:

In practice the misalignment in Short Pump doesn't feel like that big of a deal. It's everyone's OCD kicking in when looking at a map of the highway network.

Mostly agreed. I don't really care that there's a mile and a half or whatever separating 295 and 288. What has always bothered me is how 295 ends; with a little creativity, it could have been modified to alleviate Short Pump traffic. But that ship has sailed.

The SE quadrant is kind of a bugaboo (as I miss RVA says), but again there's really nothing that could be done without setting aside zillions of dollars or turning back time and federal law. Besides, anyone who wants a bypass can take 95N and then pay whatever it costs to Fly Pochahontas these days.

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, Flood Zone said:

1.)  I'm certainly old enough to recall the "Go West, 288!" bumper stickers.

2.)  The SE quadrant is kind of a bugaboo (as I miss RVA says), but again there's really nothing that could be done without setting aside zillions of dollars or turning back time and federal law. Besides, anyone who wants a bypass can take 95N and then pay whatever it costs to Fly Pochahontas these days.

1.) Yep!! I remember those bumper stickers, too! 

2.)  agreed, @Flood Zone

[I miss RVA]

HCA is still pushing to obtain VDH's approval for their proposed 60-bed acute-care hospital near Ashland. VDH staff rejected the initial application for the hospital this past March. Good details regarding the state of play in Jack Jacobs' reporting.

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/07/20/hca-pushes-for-state-approval-of-hanover-hospital-project-after-denial-recommendation/

[plain]

As an aside, has anyone been out to the Short Pump area lately? I went out there recently and all I can say is wow... there's all sorts of condos and such almost to the Goochland county line 

[I miss RVA]

7 hours ago, plain said:

As an aside, has anyone been out to the Short Pump area lately? I went out there recently and all I can say is wow... there's all sorts of condos and such almost to the Goochland county line 

How much of that development is spilling into Goochland and Hanover?

[wrldcoupe4]

More so spilled into Goochland up to the 288 interchange. I don’t think there has been too much spillover into Hanover. 

[skinsfan]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

How much of that development is spilling into Goochland and Hanover?

Hanover and Goochland prioritize single family homes over the multifamily that Henrico seems to be putting up right now as they run out of space. Goochalnd would be the direct benefactor of the Short Pump spillover due to immediate proximity. But many adjacent parts of Goochland are already occupied by larger home developments on larger lots. Take Kinloch for example. They seem to value quality over quantity in my opinion. Hanover also limits the number of housing units in certain areas by limiting the lot sizes to deter overcrowding in those designated areas.  

[I miss RVA]

32 minutes ago, skinsfan said:

Hanover and Goochland prioritize single family homes over the multifamily that Henrico seems to be putting up right now as they run out of space. Goochalnd would be the direct benefactor of the Short Pump spillover due to immediate proximity. But many adjacent parts of Goochland are already occupied by larger home developments on larger lots. Take Kinloch for example. They seem to value quality over quantity in my opinion. Hanover also limits the number of housing units in certain areas by limiting the lot sizes to deter overcrowding in those designated areas.  

Good information. Thank you so much!

[flaneur]

Midlo is definitely still growing. I grew up there, graduated from Midlo in the 90s, and the changes around the village are huge. The former cow field just west of Winterfield at Midlo Turnpike is full of development with townhomes and retail. I wish it were more urban that it is, but it as least tries with townhomes and sidewalks. We visited both Wongs Tacos and Triple Crossing and they've somehow leveraged a stormwater retention pond into place-making where people gather by the water. There's also a big village master plan that got approved to hone in on the old core and emphasize sidewalks, infill, and development that complements the village core. I hear the long-term plan is to reroute Midlo Turnpike around the area and the current stretch in the village will have diagonal parking and more of a main street feel. There's also a plan to move the middle school so that site right in the village center will be a huge play.  Sycamore Square also has tremendous potential. I wish a Trader Joe's would go in the old Ukrops. Oceano took over the old Crab Louies and has added some nice al fresco dining facing Midlo turnpike. Slowly, but surely, the village as coming together to bolster the "there there" rather than pave over it. It's still way too much car-centric sprawl, but it's better than it could be. And the beloved Apothecary with the good old-fashioned soda fountain is still there dishing out great sandwiches and limeades and serving as a true third space for much of the community. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by flaneur

[Flood Zone]

On 7/21/2023 at 4:55 PM, flaneur said:

I hear the long-term plan is to reroute Midlo Turnpike around the area and the current stretch in the village will have diagonal parking and more of a main street feel.

WHAT? Wow, that would be amazing! 

(I too graduated from Midlo in the 90s.)

[I miss RVA]

Important board of supervisors votes on tap today in Goochland:  Crescent's rezoning request for their spec buildings (lots on this posted previously) near Rockville - as well as Todd Walton and Patrick Dolan's proposed 84-acre business park that would straddle the Goochland-Hanover County line on Pony Farm Road, north of the Oilville-Goochland exit from I-64.

The Goochland planning commission already approved Crescent's Rockville request.

Hanover's planning commission deferred their vote on the Walton-Dolan project on July 20th.

Here's hoping both requests get the green light today in Goochland - and that the Walton-Dolan request is approved in Hanover. Bringing in more jobs and employment opportunities is a very good thing.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/08/01/planned-84-acre-industrial-park-near-oilville-would-cross-goochland-hanover-line/

[Child2021]

The owners of Willow Lawn is seeking rezoning from the County. 

Looks like there's so more eye catching rezoning requests in here too. 

[Child2021]

If you want to take a look at a map of the "Blue Public Hearing signs," here's a link: 

Planning Zoning Signs (arcgis.com)

PLANNING COMMISSION (henrico.us)

[Child2021]

Looks like the Hanover Wegmans project is wrapping up quite nicely. 

Here's a picture of the warehouse: 

[I miss RVA]

11 hours ago, Child2021 said:

The owners of Willow Lawn is seeking rezoning from the County. 

Looks like there's so more eye catching rezoning requests in here too. 

 

10 hours ago, Child2021 said:

Looks like the Hanover Wegmans project is wrapping up quite nicely. 

Here's a picture of the warehouse: 

Between these two finds, @Child2021, some silver hardware is being polished up for you for this week. Better think about installing a trophy case as I believe you're starting to collect quite a few of our prestigious silver loos! 

[skinsfan]

Speaking of Willow Lawn, does anyone know what’s up with this project? IMG_3252.avif

Edited August 2, 2023 by skinsfan
Messed up photo link!

[eandslee]

23 minutes ago, skinsfan said:

Speaking of Willow Lawn, does anyone know what’s up with this project? IMG_3252.avif

Been wondering the same. Have heard nothing but crickets. 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

Been wondering the same. Have heard nothing but crickets. 

Nice rendering - what's this project specifically? I don't recognize it.

[I miss RVA]

Beefing up density in Highland Springs.

Oliver Properties is undertaking a $58 million upgrade and expansion of Highland Woods Apartments and Highland Townhouses with a new-construction infill project that will boost Highland Woods' unit count from 156 to 323.

Oliver is also moving forward with new construction of 99 3-story townhouses on currently undeveloped land next to the apartment complex. According to Jonathan Spiers' reporting in RBS, the new townhouses will range in size from 1,100 sq ft to 1,400 sq ft with rents starting at $1,800 per month.

Nice to see new development in Highland Springs!

From Wednesday's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/08/02/highland-springs-apartment-community-set-to-double-in-size-with-58m-project/

[I miss RVA]

Some movement on the much-discussed redevelopment of the former Genworth campus (6600 block W. Broad Street at I-64):

Baltimore developer Gireenberg Gibbons is under contract to purchase the 45-acre campus.  No POD has been filed with Henrico County yet - so we don't know what might be in the works for the campus' redevelopment.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/08/03/genworths-broad-st-campus-under-contract-to-be-sold-to-baltimore-developer/