Greater Church Hill

[123fakestreet]

8 hours ago, plain said:

If anything, they should make some kind of street grid with dense mixed-income housing, with mixed housing types 

EDIT: Speaking of the former Dove Court, what happened to the homes that was supposed to be built just to the west of there, where the old school or whatever was? Did that project get stalled or something?

Everyone loves the Fan. No idea why they don't just build row houses in traditional city blocks and make it an actual neighborhood in an actual city. If people want big lots move to the suburbs. That goes for every larger SFH home development in the city, not just low income housing.

It's a big mud pit. There is some excavating equipment there but doesn't look like anything is going on. 

[I miss RVA]

7 hours ago, 123fakestreet said:

Everyone loves the Fan. No idea why they don't just build row houses in traditional city blocks and make it an actual neighborhood in an actual city. If people want big lots move to the suburbs. That goes for every larger SFH home development in the city, not just low income housing.

Agreed, @123fakestreet. I've never understood the design concept of making essentially suburban-style apartment complexes. Would MUCH prefer rowhouses and a restoration (or establishment) of a proper street grid. As you said - make it into an actual neighborhood.

Only thing I can think of is cost. No idea if doing the suburban-style complex is somehow less expensive than tight rowhouses. Obviously building parking lots around buildings sprinkled around together is probably a LOT cheaper than rebuilding or establishing traditional city blocks. No idea...

And I also agree - same should apply to SFH. Leave the suburbs in the suburbs, and let's build city neighborhoods in the city. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a tough nut to crack because of the last couple of rounds of annexation involved absorbing parts of Henrico and Chesterfield that were at the time they were annexed (particularly in 1942 and 1970) anywhere from almost rural to traditional "Beaver-Cleaver" suburban - with detached SFHs (and in some cases garages) on separate lots of various sizes on streets that had no sidewalks - only drainage culverts separating the residential property from the roadway. The house I grew up in (we bought the house in 1965 when I was 2 1/2 years old) was like that. NO sidewalk, just ditches on both streets.

Our neighborhood was in the part of Chesterfield that was annexed into the city in 1970. I vividly remember when the city widened Forest Hill Avenue shortly thereafter, installed sewer and water lines and built sidewalks. As I recall, spent a LOT of time looking out of the living room window watching the construction.

 

Edited April 10 by I miss RVA