VCU Developments

[I miss RVA]

38 minutes ago, whw53 said:

What's VCU got planned for the old dental building site then?

The Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Building, Library and Innovation Center. From the rendering in the VCU One plan, it looks like it could be as much as 13 stories tall. Now - keep in mind - the VCU One plan is now going on something like five years old - and no doubt there have been some tweaks and updates to individual planned projects. But this is what they had published in their plan.

Edited March 5 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

Can’t open it to read it but would love to read the details of this article:

https://richmond.com/news/local/business/real-estate/vcu-building-construction-residence-gladding-johnson-scherer/article_7fdb4a2e-e52e-11ee-867f-93a6c21417d7.html

[ancientcarpenter]

9 minutes ago, eandslee said:

Can’t open it to read it but would love to read the details of this article:

https://richmond.com/news/local/business/real-estate/vcu-building-construction-residence-gladding-johnson-scherer/article_7fdb4a2e-e52e-11ee-867f-93a6c21417d7.html

Heads up to anyone clicking that link, looks like the site got hit with scam bot pop ups that lock  your browser - do not call that number that pops up. This is a common scam to get access to your computer and info. 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

Can’t open it to read it but would love to read the details of this article:

https://richmond.com/news/local/business/real-estate/vcu-building-construction-residence-gladding-johnson-scherer/article_7fdb4a2e-e52e-11ee-867f-93a6c21417d7.html

@eandslee -- Check your e-mail.  

Edited March 19 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Here are a few takeaways from the Richmond Times-Dispatch article:

• The planned new dorm would be built at 700 W. Grace Street (NW corner of Grace and Pine) -- and it would rise (according to the article) on the site of the current VCU Safety and Risk Management building. (More on that in a minute).
• The new dorm would have between 1,000 and 1,250 semi-suite and apartment style beds - a bit smaller than the 12-story, 1,500-bed Gladding Residential Center at Laurel and W. Main.
• VCU now controls the entire block (north side of W. Grace) between Laurel and Pine streets.
• The school had previously announced plans to build an honors college on Grace Street, one block to the east, between N. Pine and N. Belvidere streets. Those plans have been shelved, and the proposed new dorm building could be built with enough academic space to include the honors college.
• VCU has indicated it wants to turn the entire stretch of W. Grace Street that runs through the university into the Monroe Campus' "main street." (This makes me think of Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, N.C., on the campus of UNC.)

The specs (size, height, footprint, design, etc.,) of the building has not been determined yet and are still being worked up. IF the dorm is limited to just the footprint of the building currently occupying the corner at 700 W., Grace, then we could expect some probably decent height. HOWEVER - since the school controls the entire block fronting Grace, my guess is that even if the new dorm doesn't take up the entire stretch between Pine and Laurel, it will have a significantly large enough footprint to tamp down on overall building height. (SEE GRAPHICS BELOW).

What's more, if it comes in at only 250 beds shy of the Gladding building, we could still see something pretty impressive, since the Gladding building has a VERY large footprint, taking up the entire block of W. Main between Laurel and Pine and almost the entire depth of the block between W. Main and W. Cary. Admittedly, the design of that building also incorporates a huge courtyard, surrounded on three sides by 12 stories of residential space. HOWEVER - the W. Grace Street site is only a half-block deep, and is bordered on the northern edge by the alley between Grace and Broad. So even absent a lot of courtyard space, the footprint is already significantly smaller than that of the GRC on W. Main. That said - we still could get something pretty impressive for that part of the campus.

The article also mentions that the school is looking to build mixed-use facilities along W. Grace that would place residential and academic space above first-floor retail, restaurants and services. That's a great idea if for no other reason than it could invite a lot of places like a Subway (or other similar fast-food places), a small grocery - even small retail (which I know we've seen elsewhere on W. Grace and along W. Broad). This is good planning.

Either way - this is very promising and I can't wait to see what happens with this. Amendment of the school's six-year-capital plan is on the VCU board of visitors' agenda for its upcoming meeting on Friday - so we should hear more then. @RVABizSenseMike - any chance anyone from your office will be covering this? Inquiring minds most definitely want to know.

Below are graphics to give an indication of possible size of developable footprint:

GRAPHIC 1: W. GRACE STREET SITE: Yellow indicates the site of the current VCU Safety and Risk Management building. Orange indicates the remainder of the block controlled by VCU.

 

GRAPHIC 2: COMPARISON TO GLADDING RESIDENTIAL CENTER SITE: Yellow indicates the footprint of the Gladding's center (including courtyard) on W. Main. Orange indicates the approximate size of the developable amount of land (half a block deep) on the W. Grace Street site.

Edited March 24 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

FOLLOW UP:

Here's Jack Jacobs' reporting in today's RBS. Not a lot of new detail - however, Jack reports that this proposal -- to be called "West Grace Street Housing Project" -- is expected to be approved by the board of visitors, after which the school will make it part of the facilities plan and issue an RFP.  The project will be added to the university's six-year capital plan - so it's anyone's guess as to which biennium will see funding, much less construction. No idea if the school has any incentive to fast-track this, given all the other capital projects in the pipeline. Needless to say, VCU is going to have construction cranes up over the central city for quite a few years to come.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/03/20/vcu-planning-new-dorm-with-up-to-1250-beds-on-west-grace/

[RiverYuppy]

This is going to be an awesome addition and I'm excited to see the downstream effects of this.  On the other side of Belvidere a 15 story apartment geared towards students is supposed to house ~500 people.

This new dorm is going to house ~1,250 people. 

The Johnson Hall renovation is expected to bring another ~440 beds online. 

That's nearly 2,200 beds coming online in the next few years. That's almost equal to 1% of the entire city's population!

This could lead to some pretty big changes in neighborhoods that are dominated by VCU students, such as Carver, Randolph, Jackson Ward, Oregon Hill, and The Fan (between Harrison and Lombardy).

It will open up those neighborhoods more to professionals looking to rent or buy in the city. It will bring more workers and businesses closer to Downtown. This will create more desirable spaces for professionals close to downtown, making it more likely for there to be demand for tall apartment/condo buildings in the Monroe Ward/Downtown. All this will be good for VCU too. 

The only people who lose here are the landlords renting out dilapidated houses to students for $1k/month/room. 

Edited March 20 by RiverYuppy

[I miss RVA]

8 minutes ago, RiverYuppy said:

This is going to be an awesome addition and I'm excited to see the downstream effects of this.  On the other side of Belvidere a 15 story apartment geared towards students is supposed to house ~500 people.

This new dorm is going to house ~1,250 people. 

The Johnson Hall renovation is expected to bring another ~440 beds online. 

That's nearly 2,200 beds coming online in the next few years. That's almost equal to 1% of the entire city's population!

This could lead to some pretty big changes in neighborhoods that are dominated by VCU students, such as Carver, Randolph, Jackson Ward, Oregon Hill, and The Fan (between Harrison and Lombardy).

It will open up those neighborhoods more to professionals looking to rent or buy in the city. It will bring more workers and businesses closer to Downtown. This will create more desirable spaces for professionals close to downtown, making it more likely for there to be demand for tall apartment/condo buildings in the Monroe Ward/Downtown. All this will be good for VCU too. 

The only people who lose here are the landlords renting out dilapidated houses to students for $1k/month/room. 

Yep - roughly 2,200 beds in the immediate downtown (Monroe Ward) and Academic Campus areas along W. Grace and W. Franklin streets.  This will indeed make a big difference downtown.

[I miss RVA]

As @Child2021 mentioned yesterday, groundbreaking for the amazing CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation is set for next month, with demolition of existing structures on the site to follow, according to Jack Jacobs' reporting in today's RBS. Interesting fact in the article: at 213K sq feet, the new arts and innovation center at Belvidere and Broad will be one of the university's three largest academic buildings, along with the forthcoming School of Dentistry and the McGlothlin Medical Education Center, both of which will be on the downtown MCV campus. 

Another interesting tidbit: the number of floors of the new arts and innovation center is still being worked out. My concern is that I doubt we'll see MORE height than what we might glean from the rendering. If anything, given construction costs that are still elevated in the wake of the pandemic, I suspect we might see fewer floors and larger floor plates - which is more cost-friendly to build. Dunno... I'd be happy if what we see in the rendering - nine "official" floors but the equivalent of a 10, 11 or 12-story building - is what we get, because I don't foresee any kind of increase - only a potential reduction.

Either way - exciting times - and indeed, we'll have us another boom crane rising over the city in the not-too-distant future.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/03/25/vcu-to-start-demolition-this-spring-for-253m-art-and-innovation-center-at-broad-and-belvidere/

[ancientcarpenter]

[Flood Zone]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

Dunno... I'd be happy if what we see in the rendering - nine "official" floors but the equivalent of a 10, 11 or 12-story building - is what we get, because I don't foresee any kind of increase - only a potential reduction.

I'd be happy if what we see in the rendering is anywhere close to reality, regardless of size. I'm skeptical because the ICA didn't really pan out IMHO.

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Great photos, @ancientcarpenter. When did you go over to the Outpatient Hospital and snap these shots?  Of course, you know the drill - and you're the first out of the blocks this week with some RVA/UP Silver Hardware. Look for the delivery truck from our warehouse and polishing center soon.  MAZAL TOV!!

Good to see the Public Safety Building finally (more or less?) starting to be taken down. Looking from this vantage point toward the planned City Center district - and the first thing that jumps out to me is that the current location of the temporary GRTC transit hub is - unquestionably - the absolute BEST location for the permanent hub for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being location and proximity to the heart of City Center. Given that the current transit hub site and the Public Safety site are the two finalists in contention for the location of the permanent hub, the advantages of the current location as the nexus of GRTC's downtown routes are many and are readily apparent. 

1.) LOCATION - the current site is one block closer to the heart of City Center, which will be the first part of the district's redevelopment that (hopefully SOON) will be built out - and, as such, the transit hub can integrate seamlessly into the overcall City Center redevelopment much more easily than if it were located a full block farther east.

2.) TRAFFIC/TRANSIT FLOW: 8th Street (southbound) and 9th Street (northbound) as the prime entry/exit points makes THE MOST SENSE, particularly given that both streets directionally serve the Manchester Bridge. What's more, 10th Street is not a through-street and, going through the congested MCV/VCU Health complex, is not a good fit for transit flow. Add to it that -- depending on actual downtown routing -- the north/south PULSE line COULD (theoretically) include a station at the transit hub (utilizing east/west Leigh Street and the north-south functionality of 9th and 8th streets respectively.) This is particularly critical since GRTC plans to route the PULSE across the river via the Manchester Bridge. (SEE GRAPHIC BELOW SHOWING DIRECTIONAL TRAFFIC FLOW AROUND TRANSIT HUB)

3.) SLIGHTLY SMALLER FOOTPRINT/MORE DENSE DEVELOPMENT: Since GRTC/the City/CVTA have announced plans to build a PROPER transit hub as part of a larger overall mixed-use development with potentially two (or more) high-rise buildings to include 500-plus apartments, a possible hotel and/or office use -- plus ample commercial/retail space -- the slightly smaller footprint of the current site (vs the Public Safety site) would allow for more compact - and thus taller and denser - development, making the transit hub redevelopment potentially very impressive visually as well as functionally. This transit hub has tremendous potential to be a smaller version of the iconic Block 37 transit hub in the heart of downtown Chicago. And again, connecting this location (the current GRTC site) with what (hopefully SOON) will be a burgeoning City Center redevelopment to the west will bring a tremendous amount of synergy to the area by combining the strengths of both developments.

4.) PUBLIC SAFETY SITE BECOMES FREED UP FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT: If the City/GRTC/CVTA build the transit hub on the current site, the Public Safety Building site then becomes freed up for private developers to come in and make a significant investment in downtown Richmond. The City would do well to sell off the property to developers who could potentially transform the block into something epic. The net result would be a win-win for the city in terms of money made on the property sale plus the tax revenue collected from any major development built on the block. I'd MUCH prefer this block be redeveloped privately - perhaps something akin to what has been previously proposed, perhaps with greater emphasis on residential than office space (though I'd like to think that at least SOME office space would/should be included). A large-scale mixed-use private development in this block - with the transit hub one block to the west - would be a huge addition to downtown RVA and could make a big difference in creating the "larger" City Center district that's been envisioned, particularly if E. Clay Street is completely reopened between 9th and 5th streets (even better if it were also opened between 9th and 10th).

Not like I know anything - just my rather tarnished two shekels. Still - from an urban planning perspective, I think this makes the most sense.

 

Edited March 25 by I miss RVA

[ancientcarpenter]

59 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

Great photos, @ancientcarpenter. When did you go over to the Outpatient Hospital and snap these shots?  Of course, you know the drill - and you're the first out of the blocks this week with some RVA/UP Silver Hardware. Look for the delivery truck from our warehouse and polishing center soon.  MAZAL TOV!!

Good to see the Public Safety Building finally (more or less?) starting to be taken down. Looking from this vantage point toward the planned City Center district - and the first thing that jumps out to me is that the current location of the temporary GRTC transit hub is - unquestionably - the absolute BEST location for the permanent hub for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being location and proximity to the heart of City Center. Given that the current transit hub site and the Public Safety site are the two finalists in contention for the location of the permanent hub, the advantages of the current location as the nexus of GRTC's downtown routes are many and are readily apparent. 

1.) LOCATION - the current site is one block closer to the heart of City Center, which will be the first part of the district's redevelopment that (hopefully SOON) will be built out - and, as such, the transit hub can integrate seamlessly into the overcall City Center redevelopment much more easily than if it were located a full block farther east.

2.) TRAFFIC/TRANSIT FLOW: 8th Street (southbound) and 9th Street (northbound) as the prime entry/exit points makes THE MOST SENSE, particularly given that both streets directionally serve the Manchester Bridge. What's more, 10th Street is not a through-street and, going through the congested MCV/VCU Health complex, is not a good fit for transit flow. Add to it that -- depending on actual downtown routing -- the north/south PULSE line COULD (theoretically) include a station at the transit hub (utilizing east/west Leigh Street and the north-south functionality of 9th and 8th streets respectively.) This is particularly critical since GRTC plans to route the PULSE across the river via the Manchester Bridge. (SEE GRAPHIC BELOW SHOWING DIRECTIONAL TRAFFIC FLOW AROUND TRANSIT HUB)

3.) SLIGHTLY SMALLER FOOTPRINT/MORE DENSE DEVELOPMENT: Since GRTC/the City/CVTA have announced plans to build a PROPER transit hub as part of a larger overall mixed-use development with potentially two (or more) high-rise buildings to include 500-plus apartments, a possible hotel and/or office use -- plus ample commercial/retail space -- the slightly smaller footprint of the current site (vs the Public Safety site) would allow for more compact - and thus taller and denser - development, making the transit hub redevelopment potentially very impressive visually as well as functionally. This transit hub has tremendous potential to be a smaller version of the iconic Block 37 transit hub in the heart of downtown Chicago. And again, connecting this location (the current GRTC site) with what (hopefully SOON) will be a burgeoning City Center redevelopment to the west will bring a tremendous amount of synergy to the area by combining the strengths of both developments.

4.) PUBLIC SAFETY SITE BECOMES FREED UP FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT: If the City/GRTC/CVTA build the transit hub on the current site, the Public Safety Building site then becomes freed up for private developers to come in and make a significant investment in downtown Richmond. The City would do well to sell off the property to developers who could potentially transform the block into something epic. The net result would be a win-win for the city in terms of money made on the property sale plus the tax revenue collected from any major development built on the block. I'd MUCH prefer this block be redeveloped privately - perhaps something akin to what has been previously proposed, perhaps with greater emphasis on residential than office space (though I'd like to think that at least SOME office space would/should be included). A large-scale mixed-use private development in this block - with the transit hub one block to the west - would be a huge addition to downtown RVA and could make a big difference in creating the "larger" City Center district that's been envisioned, particularly if E. Clay Street is completely reopened between 9th and 5th streets (even better if it were also opened between 9th and 10th).

Not like I know anything - just my rather tarnished two shekels. Still - from an urban planning perspective, I think this makes the most sense.

 

Great write-up. Wow, I had only heard of the GRTC transfer hub and never actually seen it. Didn't even realize I was taking a picture of it there. From someone to takes the bus almost daily: love the news of keeping it in the dense city area with high density development on top.

 

I took these pictures this morning from the 12th floor of VCU's new building at 1001 E. Leigh St. "VCU Health Adult Outpatient Pavilion"

[Flood Zone]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

Add to it that -- depending on actual downtown routing -- the north/south PULSE line COULD (theoretically) include a station at the transit hub (utilizing east/west Leigh Street and the north-south functionality of 9th and 8th streets respectively.) This is particularly critical since GRTC plans to route the PULSE across the river via the Manchester Bridge.

Perhaps this point belongs more fittingly in the transportation thread, but I have two concerns with running the N/S Pulse straight up/down 8th and 9th. Although that theoretically makes the most sense, given the ultimate destination to and along the Manchester bridge, here's my concerns: (1) 8th Street (southbound) is a pretty bad by Richmond standards during the PM rush hour, especially when the GA is in session, and that won't be cleared up unless and until Dominion gives us back full functionality on its side of 8th Street; and (2) I'm skeptical they'd run the thing up 9th Street (northbound) where it is adjacent and therefore very close to the state capitol complex. But I don't know anything specific to this, so who knows. 

Edited March 25 by Flood Zone

[I miss RVA]

45 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

Perhaps this point belongs more fittingly in the transportation thread, but I have two concerns with running the N/S Pulse straight up/down 8th and 9th. Although that theoretically makes the most sense, given the ultimate destination to and along the Manchester bridge, here's my concerns: (1) 8th Street (southbound) is a pretty bad by Richmond standards during the PM rush hour, especially when the GA is in session, and that won't be cleared up unless and until Dominion gives us back full functionality on its side of 8th Street; and (2) I'm skeptical they'd run the thing up 9th Street (northbound) where it is adjacent and therefore very close to the state capitol complex. But I don't know anything specific to this, so who knows. 

Indeed, @Flood Zone - we probably should move this over to the transportation thread. Interestingly, I had actually thought of posting my response to @ancientcarpenter (with photo) over there but it would have lost responsorial context being posted in a different location. Nonetheless, we could certainly move this over to continue our discussion. 

However, since we're here, a quick response. Re: 8th and 9th streets: Very good points all the way around, @Flood Zone.  At this point, GRTC hasn't yet finalized the downtown portion of the north/south PULSE routing. When they posted requests for input to help with determining locations of the transit hub several months ago, they showed the north/south PULSE line taking two potential routes through downtown: 8th and 9th (direct route between Leigh Street and the Manchester Bridge), and 1st and 2nd streets from Leigh to Broad, then sharing the east-west routing along Broad before picking up 8th and 9th to/from the bridge. (SEE BELOW).

It's worth noting that the City Center SAP favors the direct Leigh Street, 8th/9th street route.

My thought regarding the transit hub is that IF - and that's the biggest word in the English language - but IF GRTC selects the 8th and 9th street routing, I'd argue that it would be all the more reason for the hub to be built out at the current site to bring 8th and 9th streets fully into play as well as potentially integrate a PULSE station in/at the hub.

If they DID include a PULSE station in/at the transit hub, perhaps the name of the station would be; "CITY CENTER/GRTC TRANSIT HUB". Or maybe there's someone the hub could be named after. How about: "CITY CENTER/JOHN MARSHALL TRANSPORTATION CENTER" (Since it's almost adjacent to the John Marshall House) ... something like that.

Edited March 25 by I miss RVA

[Child2021]

Ready, set, and go?

 

[eandslee]

53 minutes ago, Child2021 said:

Ready, set, and go?

 

Fence is up!  Nice pic!  Thanks!

[I miss RVA]

On 3/29/2024 at 6:26 PM, Child2021 said:

Ready, set, and go?

 

Great shot, @Child2021. Man - this new VCU/CoStar building is SO going to transform the intersection of Belvidere and Broad.

Love the photo with the Parcview Commonwealth so prominently in view, particularly with the sun reflection off of the windows. REALLY sweet picture.

You know that that means, my friend. Some OFFICIAL RVA/UP Silver Hardware coming your way. Well done! Really good eye - it's an outstanding shot. Mazal Tov!

Edited March 31 by I miss RVA

[ancientcarpenter]

Not 

[eandslee]

9 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Not 

This sucker is taking forever to get demolished!

[I miss RVA]

58 minutes ago, eandslee said:

This sucker is taking forever to get demolished!

Right?     

[Shakman]

13 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Right?     

Maybe all the port-a-potties are clogged.

Edited April 16 by Shakman

[Child2021]

Earthmovers and men were on the site of where the Co-star / VCU project is going to. 

[Gexckos]

Hourigan posted on their Linkedin and Instagram page yesterday about the project. There's a link in their post to the project page on their website with a description and renders. The renders are the same that were shared on here a few months back, but technically they're new because they include VCU and Costar signage that wasn't present before.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hourigan_highereducation-construction-vcu-activity-7186061479467528192-HnZR?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

 

 

[I miss RVA]

22 minutes ago, Gexckos said:

Hourigan posted on their Linkedin and Instagram page yesterday about the project. There's a link in their post to the project page on their website with a description and renders. The renders are the same that were shared on here a few months back, but technically they're new because they include VCU and Costar signage that wasn't present before.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hourigan_highereducation-construction-vcu-activity-7186061479467528192-HnZR?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

 

 

Gotta say - it's looking really sharp. Can't wait to see this beauty get underway.