Scott's Addition Development

[123fakestreet]

8 hours ago, rjp212 said:

Concept plan for the Wells Fargo at the corner of N. Thompson and Broad. (With Charlotte in the background )

this is great density but really wish it was going up a few blocks at Cutshaw & Sheppard instead.

[I miss RVA]

@RVABizSenseMikehas reporting in today's RBS that The Ace - the big eight-story, 295-unit apartment building on Arthur Ashe Boulevard at Leigh Street has finally broken ground and is underway. A great nugget in Mike's reporting: just a block or so south of The Ace, the six-story Outlier apartment building is close to breaking ground. Mike's story didn't indicate how close the project is to getting underway, but that all systems appear to be "go". So we could see two buildings rising within a block from each other on Arthur Ashe over the next couple of years.

Indeed, a tremendous change to this important gateway to this part of the city.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/10/02/d-c-developers-break-ground-on-the-ace-a-98m-mixed-use-project-on-arthur-ashe-blvd/

THE ACE

 

THE OUTLIER

Edited October 2, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Rooster]

windows are filling in fast on the building next to the hoff... Isnt it supposed to have a courtyard/pool overlooking the hoffs rooftop? 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Rooster said:

windows are filling in fast on the building next to the hoff... Isnt it supposed to have a courtyard/pool overlooking the hoffs rooftop? 

Great photo of the Soda Flats, my friend!! You've earned some silver hardware to take home for this week!  Well done!

Man - the Soda Flats is looking a LOT beefier than the renderings depicted. What a great addition to that part of W. Broad Street, especially considering all the other construction either already happening or about to happen within a few blocks. (the N. Chasen & Son redevelopment over on Marshall, the Outler and the Ace on N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.)

[I miss RVA]

Good story last week in the Times-Dispatch about proposed further redevelopment of the 3600 Center building (the former Seaboard Building) at Roseneath and Broad. Since this building was only a couple of blocks from where my father worked (3412 W. Leigh) when I was a kid we'd occasionally eat at the Hot Shoppes cafeteria that was located on the first floor at the eastern end of the building on the Broad Street side. My mom loved the Hot Shoppes that was downtown at 7th and Grace in the old May Company building.

Good to see things happening with this behemoth (which, if you'll notice, was designed architecturally to resemble a caboose - appropriate since it was built as the old Seaboard Air Line (later Seaboard Coast Line) railroad headquarters.

From Thursday's Richmond Times-Dispatch:

https://richmond.com/news/local/business/real-estate/massive-scotts-addition-building-looks-for-revival/article_a1174944-6857-11ee-962a-339efade2417.html#tracking-source=in-article

[whw53]

POD dropped today for the 3200 W Moore block - the Hoffman project announced earlier this year for the entire or near-entire block. This is directly beside the Otis project. 

https://energov.richmondgov.com/EnerGov_Prod/SelfService/richmondvaprod#/plan/8cea6f89-a187-46cd-b278-cc72805ad4e7?tab=locations

The POD gives us a first look-

 

 

[I miss RVA]

11 hours ago, whw53 said:

POD dropped today for the 3200 W Moore block - the Hoffman project announced earlier this year for the entire or near-entire block. This is directly beside the Otis project. 

https://energov.richmondgov.com/EnerGov_Prod/SelfService/richmondvaprod#/plan/8cea6f89-a187-46cd-b278-cc72805ad4e7?tab=locations

The POD gives us a first look-

 

 

Okay!! Good to see this moving forward.

Here's the location overview for perspective:

[eandslee]

Looks like the tower crane at Soda Flats is coming down today. This is a photo from Reddit r/rva.  I’m not too disappointed because there will be at least two more cranes going up in and around that area soon with at least two major projects having just started:

Edited October 28, 2023 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

8 hours ago, eandslee said:

Looks like the tower crane at Soda Flats is coming down today. This is a photo from Reddit r/rva.  I’m not too disappointed because there will be at least two more cranes going up in and around that area soon with at least two major projects having just started:

Yep - we could see several cranes popping up in Scott's over the next year or so if stuff starts taking off. The Ace, the Outlier, the multiple buildings on the N. Chasen & Sons property on Marshall... if all of these are going vertical at the same time, we're gonna have to keep eyes peeled and cameras ready, because it's gonna be quite the show.

Oh - and BTW - outstanding photo, my friend - earning you another lovely piece of prestigious RVA/UP commemorative silverware (complete with certificate of authenticity!) with which you can adorn your home. Ummmm... how are you explaining all these silver loos to the Missus?

Edited October 29, 2023 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Axios Richmond has as one of their stories an update on paving and new sidewalks in Scott's Addition. Since I couldn't link to the specific blurb (it was 2nd in the list) - it was easier to just copy/paste what they said in their write-up.

Check it out:

Newly paved roads and sidewalks, raised crosswalks and bike lanes are coming to Scott's Addition.

Driving the news: The city last week began repaving parts of Scott's Addition as part of a $1.2 million improvement project that will also bring other pedestrian- and bike-friendly amenities to Richmond's hottest entertainment district.

Why it matters: Residents can expect road closures plus intermittent no parking zones during construction, weekdays from 9am-6pm through Dec. 15.

Zoom in: Nearly all of Scott's Addition from Arthur Ashe Boulevard to Bellville and Broad to Patton will be repaved, with the exception of around six blocks due to ongoing development construction, DPW director Bobby Vincent said at a recent Second District Community meeting.

Meanwhile, bike lanes will be added to the following streets, DPW tells Axios:

• Marshall.
• Moore.
• Norfolk.
• Sheppard.

And ADA-compliant, raised crosswalks will be added on Roseneath, Clay and Leigh streets.

Worth noting: The Scott's Addition development boom over the last decade is the reason it has taken the city so long to repave the roads in the former industrial district, Vincent said at the Second District meeting.

• It's also the reason there aren't more sidewalks in the neighborhood, particularly near older buildings that are ripe for redevelopment.
• "It makes no sense for us to go in and put in a sidewalk" for it to be torn up by a developer in a few years, Vincent said.

This makes sense - not replacing sidewalks and doing significant street work in blocks where major redevelopment/new construction projects are likely to occur. I know a lot of folks (especially RBS readers) complain about the, admittedly, lamentable situation with sidewalks in Scott's. Either way, glad to see there's movement on this. It's important, since Scott's is rapidly transforming from the run-down, worn-out industrial neighborhood to one of the hottest, trendiest, fastest growing higher-density urban-core neighborhoods in the city.

Corollary - the same approach needs to take place in Manchester as well, for the exact same reasons.

Edited November 8, 2023 by I miss RVA

[ancientcarpenter]

[I miss RVA]

6 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Oooooooooooh!!! The Soda Flats is reallllllllllllllllllly lookin' good here.

Great photo, @ancientcarpenter-- btw, let Mrs. Ancient Carpenter know that you'll be bringing home some OFFICIAL RVA/UP silver hardware. 

[I miss RVA]

@RVABizSenseMikehas reporting in today's RBS that the Circuit Arcade Bar  - which pioneered the influx of entertainment-themed bars in Scott's Addition has closed. The owners -- Robert and Ingrid Lupica -- recently sold the real estate at 3121 W. Leigh to Dodson Development Group. According to Mike's reporting, Robert Lupica indicated at the time of the sale that the property would likely be redeveloped. This appears to be a very similar situation to what happened a few blocks away with Tang and Biscuit. Should be interesting to see how this parcel gets redeveloped and how far down the road this happens.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/11/20/the-circuit-arcade-bar-powers-down-in-scotts-addition/

[ancientcarpenter]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

@RVABizSenseMikehas reporting in today's RBS that the Circuit Arcade Bar  - which pioneered the influx of entertainment-themed bars in Scott's Addition has closed. The owners -- Robert and Ingrid Lupica -- recently sold the real estate at 3121 W. Leigh to Dodson Development Group. According to Mike's reporting, Robert Lupica indicated at the time of the sale that the property would likely be redeveloped. This appears to be a very similar situation to what happened a few blocks away with Tang and Biscuit. Should be interesting to see how this parcel gets redeveloped and how far down the road this happens.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/11/20/the-circuit-arcade-bar-powers-down-in-scotts-addition/

 

Long time coming - it was obvious the owners were preoccupied with other business and/or selling since the establishment was running on fumes - most games not working, beer and wine out of tap, employees not caring (and rightfully so, owners were taking their tips), etc.. Great piece of property ripe for high denisty development.

 

RBS comments section makes sense: Scott's living atmosphere is popular because of the entertainment. As the entertainment sells out for living spaces it will lose lots of entertainment charm. Such is the circle...

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, ancientcarpenter said:

 

Long time coming - it was obvious the owners were preoccupied with other business and/or selling since the establishment was running on fumes - most games not working, beer and wine out of tap, employees not caring (and rightfully so, owners were taking their tips), etc.. Great piece of property ripe for high denisty development.

 

RBS comments section makes sense: Scott's living atmosphere is popular because of the entertainment. As the entertainment sells out for living spaces it will lose lots of entertainment charm. Such is the circle...

Yep - that could very well happen. Hopefully, though, not all the entertainment venues will sell out. Hopefully more will come in -and hopefully (if costs aren't too prohibitive) they won't be limited to proprietors/developers who are looking ONLY to get into adaptive reuse deals and who would fill some of the commercial/retail spaces in the new residential buildings. I believe at least one reader in the RBS commentary section mentioned exactly that. Dunno how that would shake out because getting into a brand-new space MAY be cost-prohibitive (which is why, I'm sure, some of the adaptive re-use locations are preferable, not to mention aesthetics, etc.)

Still - hopefully as more apartment buildings get built in Scott's I do hope that we'll see really good uses of the ground-floor commercial spaces (as opposed to a bunch of empty and/or unfinished storefronts). Would be great to see entertainment establishments settle into these newer buildings - along with other establishments common to up-and-coming revitalizing urban-core neighborhoods such as a pharmacy, small grocer, 7-11 (yes I know all three are up there at the AA. Blvd & Broad intersection - but still) - you get the idea.

Edited November 20, 2023 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

On 6/6/2023 at 5:10 AM, wrldcoupe4 said:

DC developer Hoffman is planning a $133M, 400k sq ft, 6-story project on the block next with the big parking lot next to Handcraft building.  
https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/06/06/d-c-developer-hoffmann-planning-133m-mixed-use-project-in-scotts-addition/

UPDATE

@RVABizSenseMikehas reporting in today's RBS that Hoffman has filed a POD for this project with the city for their proposed 367-unit apartment building in the 3200 block of W. Moore Street - just east of the Otis. And - we have what is - I believe - the first official rendering of what the new building will look like.

GREAT comment from our friend Bruce:

Bruce Milam

 2 hours ago

“And the beat goes on” as Cher would sing. I’m in this business and still find the number of units in the pipeline remarkable. Land, labor and material costs are at an all-time high and are pushed even higher by the cost of money but developers and financiers recognize the need for future housing in the City. I thought it had peaked last year but ‘24 appears to be amazing after a brief catch of breath in ‘23.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/11/28/d-c-developer-hoffman-files-plans-to-transform-entire-city-block-in-scotts-addition/

Edited November 28, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Child2021]

Absence of motion? | Richmond Free Press | Serving the African American Community in Richmond, VA

Key things: 

Henrico County’s $2.4 billion Green City development was announced two years ago but has yet to break ground.

In May, Leonard Sledge, the city’s director of economic development, ticked off a list of items that were supposed to be completed by December but now will wait until next year.

The result has been to push back the start of the development that is to feature offices at least one new hotel and a mix of retail and restaurants and several thousand new apartments, condos and homes.

Mr. Dibella refused to accept what he was offered once the plans became available, the Free Press has been told.

Ultimately, by late September, with both sides dug in and the stadium stalled, Lincoln Saunders, the city’s chief administrative officer, settled the matter, knowledgeable individuals have told the Free Press.

Reminder: things like this do take time, and will not not happen overnight. 

[eandslee]

What a complete sh!t show!  The City can’t get anything done!  Seems nothing has changed.  I agree with Dibella that the new baseball stadium should be large enough to meet AAA standards, which seems to be part of the reason why the project is delayed (according to this article).  Regardless, this stadium will NOT be ready for 2026 and it might not be ready for 2030!  
 

Sad to also read that the City Center developer selection has stalled as well. That project may never get off the ground at this point. These two projects are just too much for the City to handle (it can’t even handle one project, much less two!). And here I was thinking that Richmond was different now. Hmmm…jokes on me!

[Brent114]

There is plenty of blame for the city….but people not working for the city are also delaying.  ALL parties are bickering and the financing has become more of a challenge because of interest rates.  The city has no control over either of those things.  
 

Meanwhile the county that gets a pass has done  nothing  on Green City either, which was announced before this Diamond District development.  
 

All signs point  to the fact that neither of these developments is needed.  There is no market pressure to get them done quickly, or at all. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Brent114

[eandslee]

2 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Meanwhile the county that gets a pass has done  nothing  on Green City either, which was announced before this Diamond District development.  

Henrico isn't getting a pass - I think they're going slow too, but at least the process is moving...and you hear about it in the media!  Furthermore, Henrico has established EDAs for GreenCity.  What's taking the City so long for the DD?  Why is the City silent on what's going on?   Why are they not moving the process forward...even tasks that are in their control and independent of anyone or any entity not a part of the City?

[Brent114]

Because not a single one of those buildings in the renderings has an interested tenant.   Diamond District is a vision board.  That’s it.   
 

There’s no pressure to get it done because no one is asking for it.  If there were interested parties clamoring for it, it would happen.   I work with the city all the time, on real projects with financing and everything, there is no feet dragging at all. 

[Downtowner]

On 12/2/2023 at 4:43 PM, Brent114 said:

Because not a single one of those buildings in the renderings has an interested tenant.   Diamond District is a vision board.  That’s it.   
 

There’s no pressure to get it done because no one is asking for it.  If there were interested parties clamoring for it, it would happen.   I work with the city all the time, on real projects with financing and everything, there is no feet dragging at all. 

MLB is asking for it. Please stop the the blind talk. Yes companies and stores probably won’t come anywhere for a long time anywhere in the country. While not in rva or Virginia you got Walmart and all sorts of major chains shutting down stores due to the lawlessness. The blind talk has to stop from everyone. I guess nobody ever committed a crime ever then. I’m sick of the ones like Brent who make blind comments like this. Dude you may as well have no where to shop or do anything. we will make sure we are just another bedroom community with nowhere fun to go. Sorry other people want fun things to do. Just let that quality of life suffer due to your selfishness. It’s like when you say the coliseum is fine okay we will just let you have your selfish ways then. I’m so tired of it. End of rant everyone just get sick of the crap we get with these types of projects. Everyone wants the quality of life to suffer for those who like sports or anything fun. I would love to have nice stores fun stores fun things to do. Not everyone loves small little tiny bands on a stage with a 5 gallon bucket or a hat on a stool looking for money. Again sorry for the rant the small narrow vision of Richmond will always be its demise.

[Brent114]

After you clam down, zoom into the rendering provided in the link (a few posts back).  Not a single building in the rendering, aside from the ball park, has an intended purpose or perspective tenant. 

None of this is real.  It’s a best case scenario vision board.  And that is  all well and good.  People here tend to get ahead of themselves though.  When a vision doesn’t materialize everyone freaks out.   None of this was promised.  Hopes go up, and if a year later structures aren’t rising  people start acting like city council is stuck outside of City Hall pushing a door that reads “pull”. 

Something eventually will happen with this land.  Maybe it will be even better than what is depicted here.  But there’s no rush to build office buildings that may sit empty, certainly not with interest rates north of 7%..  

I’m very pro development (10 years or so of my posts will prove that).  I tend to not get distracted by by wishful thinking and only chime in on posts about things not yet settled (Navy Hill, Diamond District, Green City) to manage people’s expectations.   I only get cranky about it when people baselessly blame City hall for a lack of market demand. 

 

[I miss RVA]

13 minutes ago, Brent114 said:

After you clam down, zoom into the rendering provided in the link (a few posts back).  Not a single building in the rendering, aside from the ball park, has an intended purpose or perspective tenant. 

None of this is real.  It’s a best case scenario vision board.  And that is  all well and good.  People here tend to get ahead of themselves though.  When a vision doesn’t materialize everyone freaks out.   None of this was promised.  Hopes go up, and if a year later structures aren’t rising  people start acting like city council is stuck outside of City Hall pushing a door that reads “pull”. 

Something eventually will happen with this land.  Maybe it will be even better than what is depicted here.  But there’s no rush to build office buildings that may sit empty, certainly not with interest rates north of 7%..  

I’m very pro development (10 years or so of my posts will prove that).  I tend to not get distracted by by wishful thinking and only chime in on posts about things not yet settled (Navy Hill, Diamond District, Green City) to manage people’s expectations.   I only get cranky about it when people baselessly blame City hall for a lack of market demand. 

 

Clam? 

Is that because everything's moving at a snail's pace? 

(Just kidding - sorry, my friend, i couldn't resist injecting a touch of humor into an otherwise slow Monday afternoon).

In seriousness, I agree with you  % on all points here, @Brent114. Well said.

Edited December 4, 2023 by I miss RVA

[wrldcoupe4]

To be fair, there wasn't to be any office space phase I of the project, so office demand has basically zero impact on the project commencing.

As a refresher, Phase I was to consist of the stadium, about 1,200 residential units (rent and purchase), a 180 key hotel, and retail space (plus parking for all of the above). Future phases would include office.

Hotel demand is strong, so not really an issue there. Retail space will fill at that location. Residential demand isn't like it was a year or two ago, but also shouldn't be an issue at this project.