Shockoe Bottom

[whw53]

A-Plus stores of which these were both have actually been owned by 7-11 since 2018 in what one of 7-11's largest acquisitions . Previously they were owned by Sunoco. Their plan is to eventually rebrand all of them I think - it's been slow moving. If you wonder why i knw this i used to work at a convenience store and read csnews.com every so often in solidarity or at least a lingering fascination with my employment history.

Another side note - Sunoco corporate got into our region about 10 years ago by purchasing Mid Atlantic Convenience Stores - which was a Richmond based franchisee. They previously were Circle K stores under that entity.MACS operated somewhere in 300-500 stores of various branding.

Edit - not the largest acquisition. 7-11 acquired the Speedway c-store chain in 2020. 3500 locations.

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by whw53

[plain]

3 hours ago, whw53 said:

Now i wish someone would grab that Exxon lot. 

 

Agreed with everything but this. While it is a prime piece of property and that gas station is notorious for trouble during the weekends, it's one of the only gas stations around there (the other is the one on Main St right where the bend is at). It's a very busy place and should remain unless another one can be built very close by, like on 18th or Oliver Hill Way (both north of Broad).

[I miss RVA]

More density coming to the northern portion of the Bottom at the foot of Church Hill: California-based attorney Tom Vogele is planning a five-story, 20-unit apartment building behind the historic Branch Public Baths building at 18th and E. Broad streets. According to Mike's reporting, two adjacent buildings at 1805-09 E. Broad, will also be converted into 11 apartments bringing the total of the development to 31 units. AND - just a block east, local architect Bill Laffoon is planning a (potentially) five-story, 36-apartment infill at 1906-10 E. Broad. 

Truly great synergy coming to this northern node in the Bottom, particularly given the proximity to the Bakery Lofts building, which is well along the way under construction. The two Broad Street developments definitely help create a fine gateway into Church Hill. Now if only we could convert the Lake of Parking Lots along 18th Street into some high-density developments!

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/02/14/old-branch-public-baths-building-planned-for-apartment-conversion/

 

[rjp212]

Looks like a SUP for 5 townhomes has been filed for 220 N 20th St.   

 

[I miss RVA]

40 minutes ago, rjp212 said:

Looks like a SUP for 5 townhomes has been filed for 220 N 20th St.   

 

Nice!! Wonder if these will be 2 or 3 stories?

[eandslee]

Stole this photo of the Bakery Lofts parking deck from Twitter:

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, eandslee said:

Stole this photo of the Bakery Lofts parking deck from Twitter:

Sweet find!

I guess construction's not dead in Richmond after all!

[ancientcarpenter]

15 hours ago, eandslee said:

Stole this photo of the Bakery Lofts parking deck from Twitter:

What's the address for this? I rarely go to Shockoe nowadays even though I bike through it (canal side) but I'm more looking out for cars and cobblestones!

Seems like Shockoe is growing! Love it.

[I miss RVA]

8 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

What's the address for this? I rarely go to Shockoe nowadays even though I bike through it (canal side) but I'm more looking out for cars and cobblestones!

Seems like Shockoe is growing! Love it.

17th and E. Grace, I believe.

I'm loving all the growth in Shockoe, too. Can't wait to see how things will develop once the economy shakes out and we get inflation back under control and bring the interest rates back down. An end to the war in Ukraine would go a long way toward improving global economic stability - which would have a good ripple effect on domestic economic drivers that are putting the kibosh on construction.

Edited March 10, 2023 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Yet MORE infill on the way for the northern portion of the Bottom!

Mike has a good story in today's RBS about a developer who is planning five townhomes on a narrow parcel at 220 N. 20th Street. Each of the 1,400-sq ft townhouses will be 3 stories tall and contain 3 bedrooms - and the property is nestled in an area teaming with new apartment buildings and/or conversions either built, under construction or on the way. This is a really nice development for that part of the Bottom.

No actual renderings are available yet - through the developer did provide conceptual drawings that give us an idea of what he's looking to build. The developer has filed for an SUP (area is zoned light industrial) and the buildings must pass muster with the CAR as the parcel is within the boundary-drawn Shockoe Valley O&HD.

Neat project - I can't wait to see this get underway.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/03/27/townhome-infill-eyed-for-small-lot-in-shockoe-bottom/

[I miss RVA]

Good article by Jonathan Spiers in today's RBS about the city trying to narrow down a location for the National Slavery Museum. I just hope and pray they don't put it in the Main Street Station train shed. The city already is planning for part of the first floor of the shed to be used as an entry/informational portal tot he Shockoe Bottom Heritage Campus. There are two reasons I personally oppose using the trains shed:

1.) The museum should be a stand-alone structure with an iconic design that draws attention to itself - much the way the Smithsonian does in D.C. It has the potential to be a truly national-level (and I would argue even INTERNATIONAL-level) attraction that will be a huge draw for tourists. An iconic structure -- and not something tucked into something already existing -- is the way to go. I realize that cost is always a factor - but here's an opportunity to really do it up right - we don't need to fumble this one by trying to do it on the cheap.

2.) The train shed has already been used countless times for everything EXCEPT what it SHOULD be used for - transportation!! While the horse long-since left the barn on ever running trains into the shed again (as once was the norm prior to the station closing in 1975) - I STILL wish the city could go forward with long-held plans to establish MSS as a multi-modal transportation hub. I realize there are plenty of reasons why getting Greyhound established at MSS likely won't ever happen (even though it's been part of city master plans going back to, if I remember correctly, the 1980s) - I've still held out hope that MSS would become a major transit hub in the manner that the city has CORRECTLY envisioned for decades. I've always envisioned MSS as the rail hub of the entire Commonwealth - as well as a hub for interstate bus service - AND - a secondary hub for GRTC, particularly as a terminus for airport express bus service. (Rail would be nice, but I won't hold my breath on that one.)

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/05/04/city-vetting-locations-for-planned-slavery-museum-in-shockoe-bottom/

Edited May 4, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Wahoo 07]

City releases years-in-the-making Shockoe area plan - Richmond BizSense

The city has released its Shockoe plan.  While I haven't read it yet, I'm sure it will generate a lot of discussion.  Solving the flood problem will certainly help the neighborhood's long-term development prospects.

[I miss RVA]

4 hours ago, Wahoo 07 said:

City releases years-in-the-making Shockoe area plan - Richmond BizSense

The city has released its Shockoe plan.  While I haven't read it yet, I'm sure it will generate a lot of discussion.  Solving the flood problem will certainly help the neighborhood's long-term development prospects.

I've given the plan a very cursory look on the City's website (see below) -- and at first blush I REALLLLLLY like what I see. This revised/updated version is a lot meatier than the previous version in quite a few areas (and I really liked the previous version as well) - and at least from a top-down view looks to be even MORE pro-development than the older version. So far, I'm super impressed with the update - because it's clear as day that the planners are fully embracing the new urban development paradigm of density, and -- THANKFULLY -- they are also embracing the concept of height! SOOOO glad to see the potential for some of the old shackles to development finally being jettisoned. It's about bloody time!

Check out the conceptual rendering for the development that's apparently still in the pipeline for 18th and Main. Recall, the city approved the developer's SUP request a couple of years ago - but the project has been sitting dormant - perhaps because of the economy. Interesting that the city included a conceptual drawing of what very well could go on that corner (and it's obviously something the city would like to see built there) in the SAP.

Imagine THIS beauty at 18th and Main. WOWWW...

You can view the current/updated version of the Shockoe Area Small Area Plan HERE:

https://richmond.konveio.com/shockoe-small-area-plan

[Child2021]

Bakery lofts update

 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Child2021 said:

Bakery lofts update

 

Lookin' great! Thanks, @Child2021for the update and photo! Methinks I've got two large silver boxes to dole out by the end of the week. I'm behind on my dispensing of trophies to award winners, so I'll try to clean that up over the weekend.

The Bakery Lofts are coming along really well!

[eandslee]

5 hours ago, Child2021 said:

Bakery lofts update

 

Is just me or does the site look the same as it did 2 months ago?  Work went fast on the parking structure, but work seems to have slowed since the parking deck was built…or that’s the way it seems to me. 

[Brent114]

Work defiantly slowed down.  
The site has remained active though.  They are drilling piers now which maybe takes a long time?  I dunno. 
 

[asies]

This is common right now, as concrete is more abundant than lumber right now so the parking podium comes up quickly followed by a lull before construction resumes. The project on Monument Ave near I-195 sat idle for at least a month after the parking podium was built, but construction resumed, and it looks like they are framing the third floor right (I teach at TJ and pass it every day driving to work).

[I miss RVA]

28 minutes ago, asies said:

This is common right now, as concrete is more abundant than lumber right now so the parking podium comes up quickly followed by a lull before construction resumes. The project on Monument Ave near I-195 sat idle for at least a month after the parking podium was built, but construction resumed, and it looks like they are framing the third floor right (I teach at TJ and pass it every day driving to work).

That makes sense.

Now - one thing about Bakery Lofts - I might be wrong, but I don't think there's any lumber being used on this project - it's 12 stories tall and, like it's sister building in Scott's (the Icon - also 12 stories and constructed by the same developer) - I think this baby is supposed to be all pre-fab concrete.

 

[Icetera]

4 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Work defiantly slowed down.  
The site has remained active though.  They are drilling piers now which maybe takes a long time?  I dunno. 
 

The drill was not there last week so good to see this progress now.

[I miss RVA]

With the draft Shockoe Small Area Plan having been released in mid-May, nice to see what I hope will be just the first of many developers to jump on board to request upzoning for their properties. According to @RVABizSenseMike's reporting in today's RBS, a rezoning request to TOD-1 was filed last month for a 2-acre parcel at 1700 Venable Street, just south of the Leigh Street Viaduct. A vacant, former printing/shipping/mailing warehouse currently occupies the site. According to Mike's reporting:

(The property) is owned by an entity tied to David Campbell of Middlesex County. Campbell’s rezoning application states that the parcel is “ripe for a higher-density, mixed-use (development).”

Music to my ears! By chance, could any of our Richmond.gov website gurus kindly link us up to see the actual rezoning request?

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/07/25/shockoe-small-area-plan-spurs-tod-rezoning-request-on-venable-st/

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by I miss RVA

[ancientcarpenter]

49 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

With the draft Shockoe Small Area Plan having been released in mid-May, nice to see what I hope will be just the first of the developers to jump on board to request upzoning for their properties. According to @RVABizSenseMike's reporting in today's RBS, a rezoning request to TOD-1 was filed last month for a 2-acre parcel at 1700 Venable Street, just south of the Leigh Street Viaduct. A vacant, former printing/shipping/mailing warehouse currently occupies the site. According to Mike's reporting:

(The property) is owned by an entity tied to David Campbell of Middlesex County. Campbell’s rezoning application states that the parcel is “ripe for a higher-density, mixed-use (development).”

Music to my ears! By chance, could any of our Richmond.gov website gurus kindly link us up to see the actual rezoning request?

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/07/25/shockoe-small-area-plan-spurs-tod-rezoning-request-on-venable-st/

 

 

 

 

RBS has been a bit of dud these last couple weeks: I was hoping they had something big they were working on. Feels like it's just been small stories of local shops opening (cough advertisements cough).

This is a bit of fresh air. It ain't fancy with a drawing or official news or anything concrete but it is catching the eye. That area in "north shockoe" really is ripe for development. Easily accessible, walking distance to allow...next to some good stop. Definitely up-and-coming. 

I wonder if the city will ever announce a new jail and demo the existing building to allow more development. That would jump start a lot there...just as much as a grocery store!

[I miss RVA]

16 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

RBS has been a bit of dud these last couple weeks: I was hoping they had something big they were working on. Feels like it's just been small stories of local shops opening (cough advertisements cough).

This is a bit of fresh air. It ain't fancy with a drawing or official news or anything concrete but it is catching the eye. That area in "north shockoe" really is ripe for development. Easily accessible, walking distance to allow...next to some good stop. Definitely up-and-coming. 

I wonder if the city will ever announce a new jail and demo the existing building to allow more development. That would jump start a lot there...just as much as a grocery store!

This is one of the traditionally slower news cycles in the development world, if memory serves. Plus - there's a TON of stuff in the pipeline that has to work itself through to construction. Lots of projects underway. Not surprised we aren't seeing a lot of announcements at this time. It'll pick back up soon enough.

[whw53]

I don't think anyone is really waiting around for the Shockoe Plan tbh - it's a nice  exercise to keep planning-types occupied but gosh they've dragged it out for what like 5+ years now ..and most of the land use goals were already laid out in R300. 

Edited July 25, 2023 by whw53

[Flood Zone]

20 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

wonder if the city will ever announce a new jail and demo the existing building to allow more development.

That IS the new jail -- it was built about a decade ago. Given the last one stood for 50+ years, I don't know about demo'ing it....

Also, I don't know about RBS being a bit of a dud lately .... I, for one, cannot wait to see what oversized house was sold at an obscene price to an unknown out-of-town investor.