VCU Developments

[burt]

That's interesting, 540, about the building at 734 West Broad.

The fifth rendering in the PDF file is an aerial of the VCU campus between Belvidere and Harrison Streets. Siegel Center is out of range in the rendering, but you can see the Broad/Belvidere dorms and other buildings like the Fine Arts school.

The north side of West Broad almost looks like a wall of institutional/residential/commercial buildings. But I can't discern, for example, the old Richmond Glass Company (former Ashland Interurban station) at Laurel Street, nor is it possible to guess which is the 734 W. Broad building.

Here's blake's pdf site again so you won't have to scroll up several postings:

http://www.fmd.vcu.edu/wg1.pdf

Has anyone heard how funding is going for the VCU Anderson Gallery replacement that was announced for the s/w corner of Broad and Belvidere?

And whatever happened with The Belvidere mini residential tower that was supposed to rise over the gas station at the n/w corner of Grace and Belvidere?

Edited July 16, 2010 by burt

[burt]

3,650 freshmen arrive and begin moving into dorms at VCU's Monroie Park Campus.

See related videos, stories and slideshows.

From today' RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/aug/22/vcuu22-ar-465946/

[Brent]

That's a really nice clip. They found some great students to interview.

[burt]

http://www.richmondb...icine-building/

Looks like the new VCU medical building is still on track. There's a nice new rendering with the (basic) info.

Here's a story with picture from today's RTD (08/24/10) showing demolition in preparation for the new building shown in the rendering above on VCU's Medical Campus:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2010/aug/24/b-bldg24-ar-469615/

[eandslee]

Here's a story with picture from today's RTD (08/24/10) showing demolition in preparation for the new building shown in the rendering above on VCU's Medical Campus:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2010/aug/24/b-bldg24-ar-469615/

It's sad when they consider this a skyscraper at only 12 stories.

[burt]

Zipcars are now available for hourly rental on VCU's Monroe Park academic campus as well as at the Medical campus downtown.

Also, bus service looping through the Monroe Park campus is being tested.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2010/aug/26/vcuu26-ar-473569/

[burt]

There's more about this building on Canal between Foushee and Adams Streets in the Richmond Developments thread, but since it relates primarily to VCU student housing, I'm placing this story here.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...pt26-ar-473446/

Note the story reports that another student housing facility is planned for the south side of West Grace between Laurel and Shafer Streets.

Edited August 26, 2010 by burt

[540_804]

Interesting info (possibly already mentioned) but according to the VCU SGA facebook page, the Laurel and Grace parking deck will have an IHOP! Too bad i'll be graduating before it opens. =(

[Brent]

IHOP? That's awesome. I love that national retailers and restaurants are finding downtown Richmond a safe market !

[burt]

IHOP? That's awesome. I love that national retailers and restaurants are finding downtown Richmond a safe market !

Chain or not, IHOP restaurants are great breakfast places. And I've been to many of them across the USA. I bet a quarter the new one near VCU will do land office business.

Another of my breakfast favorites is Shoney's at Parham and Broad in Richmond. I make a point of going there for their bountiful buffets when I'm in Richmond. There is also a Shoney's at Glenside and Staples Mill near the Amtrak suburban station.

And I ALWAYS stop off at a Bill's Barbeque, at least once per visit, for their delicious chocolate pie and a glass of ice cold milk. Mmmmmmmm.

Edited September 5, 2010 by burt

[JSI]

Here's a PDF on the new dorms and parking decks.

http://www.fmd.vcu.edu/wg1.pdf

Construction has started on the parking deck at the corner of Laurel & Grace.

[540_804]

Zipcars are now available for hourly rental on VCU's Monroe Park academic campus as well as at the Medical campus downtown.

Also, bus service looping through the Monroe Park campus is being tested.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2010/aug/26/vcuu26-ar-473569/

My Zipcar application was just approved last night.

Just waiting on the ZipCard (allowing me access to the cars) to arrive in the mail.

I really wish there was a local office here to cater to VCU students. As it is setup, the ZipCard can only be sent to the billing address. For students who are not originally from the area, that can mean having the Zipcard sent to the permanent address and then having to have it forwarded to their Richmond address. With a local Zipcar office, you can sign up online, and, after approval, go to the office to pick up the card immediately.

Either way I'm very excited. Hopefully this program is successful enough to be expanded in Richmond.

[540_804]

I just received this in an email from VCU:

Installation will begin for the new School of Medicine tower crane on Friday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. The contractor will shut down all traffic and pedestrian lanes of Marshall Street between 12th and 13th streets. This closing will not affect the Gateway valet or 13th Street. The assembly of the tower crane will go 24 hours a day. Portable light plants will be used for illumination of the site and work areas. Once the tower crane is assembled, the assist crane will be dismantled. This work will be completed by Monday, Dec. 6, at 5 a.m., at which time Marshall Street will be reopened.

[Shakman]

I just received this in an email from VCU:

Could someone so kindly post a few photos of the Medical School's tower crane for those no longer living in Richmond? Purddy please?

[wrldcoupe4]

I can confirm it is up and running. Don't have a photo though...

[burt]

Could someone so kindly post a few photos of the Medical School's tower crane for those no longer living in Richmond? Purddy please?

So, Shak! Where are you living these days?

When you need a Richmond photo fix you can always depend on Ryan Ramsey.

His November gallery is a bit redundant with repeated shots of certain projects but brilliant nontheless. There are no pictures of the new VCU crane yet, but I bet a quarter he'll include a few in his December gallery.

http://richmondcitywatch.com/

Click "Gallery" in the top bar to see all the monthly photos.

Edited December 9, 2010 by burt

[540_804]

I don't have pics and not really sure of where to go for consistent updates, but I did notice that a portion of the new VCU garage on West Grace street (east of Belvidere) is now vertical. If I recall, its already quite a bit taller than the townhouses that it stands next to.

It seems to be using the same construction method as the new 7th and Franklin garage(giant pre-cast components).

[Shakman]

So, Shak! Where are you living these days?

When you need a Richmond photo fix you can always depend on Ryan Ramsey.

His November gallery is a bit redundant with repeated shots of certain projects but brilliant nontheless. There are no pictures of the new VCU crane yet, but I bet a quarter he'll include a few in his December gallery.

http://richmondcitywatch.com/

Click "Gallery" in the top bar to see all the monthly photos.

I now live in Frederick, MD or near the city. Very interesting environment as compared when I lived in the Museum District. Instead of smelling car fumes, I now smell cow dung... The development I currently live in is the last "frontier" and civilization... then it is all farm land afterwards.

I did recently go to richmondcitywatch to find a photo. I am sure will see some current updates soon. I was suppose to come down to Richmond this weekend, but work scrapped that idea. Maybe next weekend.

[Brent]

The construction fence is up around the new student housing site on Grace Street!

[burt]

Joseph H. Seiple is coming "home" to VCU -- this time as Dean of the VCU Arts School. He succeeds Richard Toscan who retired in July.

Seiple, who is highly respected at VCU, will take up his new position on March 15th. The University sculpture program is ranked #1 among public art graduate schools in the country by US News & World Report.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...-art-ar-766119/

I hope the replacement for Anderson Gallery at its new site on Belvidere at Broad is on the top of his to-do list.

Edited January 11, 2011 by burt

[Brent]

Joe wasn't gone long. I'm thrilled for Richmond, saddened for Savannah...

Seems like just yesterday I was talking with him at Kroger. He told me he was leaving VCU and I couldn't believe it. I knew 2011 was going to be a good year!

[540_804]

Some highlights of the most recent "Periodic Update" from the Office of the President:

Measuring the economic development impact of VCU

The headline from the study is impressive: the annual impact of VCU in Virginia is estimated to be $3.6 billion, supporting more than 43,000 jobs.

Link to study: http://www.president.vcu.edu/pdfs/Edited_VCU_Impact_FY2010_final.pdf

the Carnegie Foundation has elevated VCU to “Very High Research Activity” status, which combined with its “community engaged designation” makes VCU one of about 40 public universities in the country to achieve both distinctions.

VCU continues to enhance its green credentials by recently earning a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design gold rating for the Cary Street Recreation Center.

The 212-space Laurel deck is expected to be complete this coming summer. The Henry Street, 750-space parking decks under construction across Belvidere Street are also on schedule for a summer opening.

Progress is on track with the new School of Medicine Education Building. Foundation work continues until early June when the steel will start to go up.

Those, of course, are just some of the highlights. The full text is available here.

[burt]

I like the design a lot! So it's going in front of (towards Broad?) where the BP gas station/residential proposal would go?

Here's the image from the article Henry linked above:

Joe Seipel who was The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at VCU during his career at the University from 1985 until 2009 has been lured back to VCU's Fine Arts Department after a brief association with Savannah College of Art & Design. He is now Dean of Arts at the Monroe Park Campus..

Among the things he speaks of in an interview in the current Style Weekly is his excitement about VCU's proposed Institute for the Contemporary Arts.

The picture of the rendering above was Gwarthmey Siegel & Associates architectural design for a museum to replace Anderson Gallery on the southwest corner of West Broad and North Belvidere Streets.

Seipel does not elaborate nor offer any details about the proposed Institute for Contemporary Design in the interview. Could the above rendering be it?

Edited February 9, 2011 by burt

[burt]

Here is the Style Weekly interview with Joe Seipel. (Reference the story immediately above.)

http://www.styleweekly.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=9B6FFC446FF7486981EA3C0C3CCE4943&nm=Articles%2FArchives&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=21985FF9E0DA46F0AD3E7125EFE27256

[540_804]

A few pictorial updates on the new parking deck at Grace and Henry:

Its progressing rapidly.

The other deck (across Henry) is moving pretty fast as well.

My only 2 complaints/comments:

• The extra-tall first floor space is just begging for some type of non-parking activity. Maybe light commercial or retail use (like a coffee shop/deli).
  
• I really wish the top floor had some type of setback. It looks kind of imposing against the rest of the street.