VCU Developments

[wrldcoupe4]

Couple data points to ponder: At 314,000 sf for the new dental school, it’s just slightly smaller than Gateway Plaza (18 stories) and about the same size as Williams Mullen tower (15 stories) and Costar’s existing bldg (9 stories). Also, this site is currently about 3 acres, and most city blocks in Richmond are about 2 acres. 

[I miss RVA]

31 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Couple data points to ponder: At 314,000 sf for the new dental school, it’s just slightly smaller than Gateway Plaza (18 stories) and about the same size as Williams Mullen tower (15 stories) and Costar’s existing bldg (9 stories). Also, this site is currently about 3 acres, and most city blocks in Richmond are about 2 acres. 

Thanks, @wrldcoupe4 -  good to have some numbers to work with. Yeah - the parcel size is the height killer here, unfortunately. One of the pluses of the CCP proposal (the original one, not the truncated piece of junk) was that, if memory serves, in included re-establishing Clay Street west of 10th. Is is safe to say that with VCU piloting the plane, any thoughts of Clay Street "reappearing" have effectively been kiboshed?

Particularly if the dentistry school flies solo on this parcel - these numbers don't say height to me. They say to me flat, wide, bulky - less than 10 floors. Think CoStar's original building at best. Now, if in fact the school is planning on replacing Sanger and doing it on that block, that would change the equation a LOT.

Either way - particularly based on Coupe's numbers - I just don't see any kind of decent height being realistic here.

Edited June 29, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Shakman]

A courtyard in the middle of the block could help with more overall height.   

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Shakman said:

A courtyard in the middle of the block could help with more overall height.   

Very true, though I still wish to goodness we could get the heck out of this awful paradigm of "one building  per block". I realize that all comes down to who owns what property - and developers generally tend to assemble as much property as possible on which to build. The problem is, it lends itself to a lot of wide, flat (even if bulky), definitely shorter buildings - and literally a single building occupying a city block (unlike the old, traditional Financial District along E. Main Street where a square city block could contain anywhere from two to four highrises). Much as we talk about the great need for population density, I SOOO wish RVA could get back to the development style of BUILDING density.

Avery Hall in Manchester is a GREAT example. They are putting up what is essentially "multiple" buildings on a parcel that's probably a similar size to the Block D parcel ( @wrldcoupe4- by chance would you have access to data to compare those two blocks?) ... If you look at the renderings, even though the project "officially" calls for two residential towers - they are essentially physically putting up a 17-story building and two 16-story buildings sitting atop a common four-story deck with integrated parking. One property owner, multiple buildings. Density of both people AND structures.

That's how buildings used to be constructed in downtown RVA (and for certain, it's the same way in other, much larger cities where property values are out of the cosmos expensive)... I'd like to see this kind of construction (what Avery Hall is doing) downtown instead of "one building per block".

[Shakman]

I totally agree with you.   Multiple buildings on a block gives a more urban feel.  Especially when each structure on the block has a different facade or even use.

[Child2021]

Construction crane for VCU info tech center was disassembled today.

[123fakestreet]

11 hours ago, Child2021 said:

Construction crane for VCU info tech center was disassembled today.

That thing went up fast. I go down Broad pretty often, don't think I ever saw the start and drove by yesterday and it was basically done.

[I miss RVA]

11 hours ago, 123fakestreet said:

That thing went up fast. I go down Broad pretty often, don't think I ever saw the start and drove by yesterday and it was basically done.

Very narrow footprint - and only seven stories. Guess the construction crews really made light work of this building.

[Brent114]

[Rooster]

26 minutes ago, Brent114 said:

I like this one - a great use of a small space, and looks pretty cool

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Brent114 said:

Great photo, @Brent114-- silver hardware worthy, no question.

Love it! For a small building in an even smaller space, it's VERY "big city". 

[ancientcarpenter]

13 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Beautiful building. I would love for that blue area to be an open balcony/terrace with plants - would add such a comforting vibe to that area! Beautiful, dense development. I'm honestly shocked they decided to make that investment in such a small footprint. 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Beautiful, dense development. I'm honestly shocked they decided to make that investment in such a small footprint. 

Thing is, that's how it used to be done in the old days (as in before our time) -- a lot of dense development on "micro-parcels" - that's how cities were built for the most part until the Sun Belt boomed and developers got into the habit of land-banking and then just plunking one building down on a super block. That's my biggest concern for the future of development in Monroe Ward - land banking would lead to a lot of buildings like the Otis - wider than tall, few floors but density made up on HUGE floor plates - that consume an entire city block without adding much height at all to the district. I'd rather see developers put individual buildings up on individual parcels and jam-pack buildings into the district. That's one of the things I love about the Pinecrest/Parc View building - it's tall (16 stories) and pretty big - but it's on only about a quarter to a third of the entire block, doesn't waste space with plazas or greenspace around the building, and it's vertical. That's what I want to see a LOT more of in Monroe Ward in the coming years.

Anyway - I'm thrilled that VCU put the tech center on a shoebox-sized parcel on W. Broad. The parcel's small size forced them to go vertical. Imagine this building on a larger parcel being 2 or 3 stories max - short, squat, wide and flat. YUCK!

This building does SO much for the streetscape there. I'll be interested to see if the esteemed Dr. Slipek pooh-poohs it because it's "too tall" for the adjacent building. 

[whw53]

RTD : VCU to demolish 8 buildings, making way for new projects

https://richmond.com/news/local/business/real-estate/vcu-to-demolish-8-buildings-making-way-for-new-projects/article_c1e1e46c-5174-11ee-bc94-d318d6ddb519.html

 

Nothing new here really - 5 structures along Hermitage , 3 at Broad\Belvidere impending demo ahead of Athletic campus and Arts Innovation centers. To de demoed this fall. 

 

 

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, whw53 said:

RTD : VCU to demolish 8 buildings, making way for new projects

https://richmond.com/news/local/business/real-estate/vcu-to-demolish-8-buildings-making-way-for-new-projects/article_c1e1e46c-5174-11ee-bc94-d318d6ddb519.html

 

Nothing new here really - 5 structures along Hermitage , 3 at Broad\Belvidere impending demo ahead of Athletic campus and Arts Innovation centers. To de demoed this fall. 

 

 

Maybe we've known this previously, but an interesting nugget: appears that VCU's gorgeous new Arts Innovation building will be known as the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation. Looks like CoStar purchased the naming rights.

Hmmm... wonder if part of the innovation includes the introduction of the practice of measuring by means of CoStar Feet^TM to the curriculum?  

Edited September 14, 2023 by I miss RVA

[ancientcarpenter]

11 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Hmmm... wonder if part of the innovation includes the introduction of the practice of measuring by means of CoStar Feet^TM to the curriculum?  

I've heard of politics teaching selective history but corporations teaching selective math is where I draw the line!

Really wish VCU would do something with the Belvidere and W. Leigh st vacant block. 

[Shakman]

Yes for demolishing all those structures.  Looking forward for the Innovation Center to be build.  The facade is really nice regardless whose mathematics is used.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Shakman

[Child2021]

Soil testing ongoing at the new arts center.

[eandslee]

10 hours ago, Child2021 said:

Soil testing ongoing at the new arts center.

Great report!  Thanks!

[rjp212]

New Arts Center to begin construction this fall with expected completion in early 2027.

https://arts.vcu.edu/community/news/a-rising-star/

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/costar-center-for-arts-and-innovation-to-soon-begin-construction-at-vcu/

[eandslee]

1 hour ago, rjp212 said:

New Arts Center to begin construction this fall with expected completion in early 2027.

https://arts.vcu.edu/community/news/a-rising-star/

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/costar-center-for-arts-and-innovation-to-soon-begin-construction-at-vcu/

This will be fun to watch!  Thanks for posting the timeline for construction!

[I miss RVA]

4 hours ago, rjp212 said:

New Arts Center to begin construction this fall with expected completion in early 2027.

https://arts.vcu.edu/community/news/a-rising-star/

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/costar-center-for-arts-and-innovation-to-soon-begin-construction-at-vcu/

We'll definitely need to keep eyeballs and cameras trained on this site. Hopefully, there will be a VCU construction cam. Love the "big city" look of this new building.

[I miss RVA]

Yet another feather in VCU's cap as a "go-to" university (and an institution that boosts RVA as a "go-to" city): VCU ranked 86th nationally by the National Academy of Inventors for utility patents granted. This comes on the heels of VCU being ranked in the top 50 of public U.S. research universities. The school ranked second in the Commonwealth in utility patents granted with 17, behind UVA, which clocked in at 52nd. George Mason was the only other Virginia school to make the top 100, landing at 91st.

Pretty heady stuff - and it's all yet another plus for Richmond!

From VCU.edu:

https://news.vcu.edu/article/2023/09/vcu-ranks-in-top-100-for-patents?axios_adlink=1&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_richmond&stream=top

[I miss RVA]

@RVABizSenseMikehas reporting in today's RBS that a new taco restaurant is planned near the southeast corner of Laurel and Broad.  Long-time Richmonders (and ex-pats) will remember the building at 727 W. Broad as the location of Metro and then Rockitz, which were in the building over the decades going back to the '80s. Undoubtedly, the new taco place is in a great location with VCU all around them. Particularly with the new tech center just a few doors up the street on Broad, they should have plenty of business. Wonder if they'll do deliveries?

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/10/27/new-taco-shop-to-open-in-long-dormant-asado-space-on-broad/

[Child2021]

Construction tralier in the Public Safety building lot.