Shockoe Bottom

[I miss RVA]

18 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

I, for one, cannot wait to see what oversized house was sold at an obscene price to an unknown out-of-town investor.

Well said!!! 

[RVABizSenseMike]

We certainly notice a bit of a mid-summer slowdown every year (feels like half the town is on vacation right about now) but there's some big stuff we're chasing that will hopefully be ready for press soon. 

[I miss RVA]

26 minutes ago, RVABizSenseMike said:

We certainly notice a bit of a mid-summer slowdown every year (feels like half the town is on vacation right about now) but there's some big stuff we're chasing that will hopefully be ready for press soon. 

Thanks, Mike! Good to know the RBS radar does have some big blips showing up on it. Looking forward to seeing what these biggies are.

[eandslee]

4 hours ago, RVABizSenseMike said:

We certainly notice a bit of a mid-summer slowdown every year (feels like half the town is on vacation right about now) but there's some big stuff we're chasing that will hopefully be ready for press soon. 

Good to hear!  Don’t know about everyone else, but I’m seriously waiting with bated breath!!  Bring it on Mike!

[I miss RVA]

On 7/25/2023 at 3:48 PM, RVABizSenseMike said:

...there's some big stuff we're chasing that will hopefully be ready for press soon. 

@RVABizSenseMike-- what with the announcement of the 10-story (9 stories in RBS Floors^TM) apartment building for 6th and E. Franklin last Thursday - and NOW - the amazing Sauer redevelopment, including the gorgeous 12-story centerpiece building - you weren't kidding, were you!

[eandslee]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

@RVABizSenseMike-- what with the announcement of the 10-story (9 stories in RBS Floors^TM) apartment building for 6th and E. Franklin last Thursday - and NOW - the amazing Sauer redevelopment, including the gorgeous 12-story centerpiece building - you weren't kidding, were you!

...or were those the  even the "big stuff?"  Might there be a possibility of more?

[I miss RVA]

46 minutes ago, eandslee said:

...or were those the  even the "big stuff?"  Might there be a possibility of more?

We can only hope! Mind you, the Sauers' development in particular looks like it's going to be REALLLLLLLLLLY big. That video is showing a LOT more than what was released earlier today - and if there's any credence to what that video shows they're looking to build - then... WOW is all I can say.

Truthfully, the apartment building at 6th and Franklin is no small deal either.

Now - at least to MY warped mind - we gotta get all this stuff actually BUILT. It's exciting to see and it looks great on paper - but the proof of the pudding will be when shovels of dirt are turned, cranes pop up and buildings rise. All of these projects that keep entering the pipeline NEED TO HAPPEN.

Edited July 31, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Brent114]

Speaking of things happening, after fits and starts it looks like the hotel at 18th and Grace is about to take off again (the parking deck has been sitting here all lonely for a month or more now).   There’s a huge rebar pad at the 17th street side of the lot (with tons of rebar sitting on site).  We may be just a few cement trucks away from the stairwell and elevator shafts rising. 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Brent114

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Brent114 said:

Speaking of things happening, after fits and starts it looks like the hotel at 18th and Grace is about to take off again (the parking deck has been sitting here all lonely for a month or more now).   There’s a huge rebar pad at the 17th street side of the lot (with tons of rebar sitting on site).  We may be just a few cement trucks away from the stairwell and elevator shafts rising. 

Wait - you mean the Bakery Lofts apartment building?

[RVABizSenseMike]

2 hours ago, eandslee said:

...or were those the  even the "big stuff?"  Might there be a possibility of more?

The Sauer phase II was definitely a massive one. 

I'm working on a few other things that I think UP will be especially stoked about, but I don't want to over-promise. Stay tuned. 

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, RVABizSenseMike said:

The Sauer phase II was definitely a massive one. 

I'm working on a few other things that I think UP will be especially stoked about, but I don't want to over-promise. Stay tuned. 

Thanks, Mike!

   agreed regarding the impact of the Sauers development. I'd go so far to say that if all the stars, suns, moons and planets were to align correctly, this Phase II build-out could actually end up being EPIC for RVA. Regarding the future goodies - hmmm... we'll be nice and not hold your feet to the fire. We'll (try to) be patient over here. Hoping we'll see these things revealed sooner rather than later.

And BTW - before I forget, you are WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY overdue several of these prestigious trophies! Mind you, I'm not sure how you'll explain to the wife how it came to pass that you're lugging home a full-size (faux) Sterling Silver(plate) portable loo. I wish you best of luck in convincing her how it can be integrated into your home to enhance the resale value. 

Either way - humbly - we thank you. Heartfelt wishes of MAZAL TOV to you on winning this immensely valuable, exceptionally prestigious and highly sought-after RVA/UP award!

Edited August 1, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Brent114]

Here’s the aforementioned rebar pad…

 

[wrldcoupe4]

That's a good sign.

[I miss RVA]

Sweet! Glad to see the Bakery Lofts back underway.

[Brent114]

A big ass crawler is going up at the apartment “tower” on 17th and Grace.   I guess that means prefab construction which means it will go up fast. 

[eandslee]

1 hour ago, Brent114 said:

A big ass crawler is going up at the apartment “tower” on 17th and Grace.   I guess that means prefab construction which means it will go up fast. 

Great report!  Disappointed that we won’t see a tower crane, but glad to hear that this project is moving forward and I’m looking forward to seeing the tallest building in Shockoe Bottom get built!  Just a little post-mortem gift from the late Louis Salomonski. 

Edited October 12, 2023 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

Great report!  Disappointed that we won’t see a tower crane, but glad to hear that this project is moving forward and I’m looking forward to seeing the tallest building in Shockoe Bottom get built!  Just a little post-mortem gift from the late Louis Salomonski. 

Yep - these are the same folks who built The Icon in Scott's Addition - and they used a jumbo-sized crawler crane (no boom crane). Either way - we get a 12-story building at 17th and Grace fairly soon!!

Now if only we could somehow get that gorgeous 12-story building at 2nd and E. Marshall. **heavy sigh** 

[I miss RVA]

The Richmond Planning Commission has officially adopted the new Shockoe Bottom Small Area Plan. There's a lot to digest - some of the language has been changed from the final draft version presented in May (I haven't gone through them yet to compare and find the changes). The latest changes - OF COURSE - were at the behest of preservationists. I guess the good news is, they stated openly that they didn't get everything they wanted and that there were "differing opinions" on how rezoning should be handled. This because the city and others correctly continue to push for increased density - which inherently means, increased building heights.

One of the takeaways in Jonathan Spiers' reporting is that much of Shockoe Bottom is to be designated as "Destination Mixed Use" (this is lifted directly from the Richmond 300 Plan) - meaning, building heights of AT LEAST five stories is recommended. Something I find lacking, however, in the new SAP is actual proposed rezoning. It shows existing zoning - but doesn't lay out specifically how rezoning will take place. Again, when I have time, I'll have to sit down and look through both the May version and the current, adopted version. Without digging through it, I can't say definitively, but my gut reaction is that I don't feel as positive about the current version as I did about the May version - particularly since the perservationists apparently made a ton of noise with the city and pushed hard to water the plan down.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/11/21/shockoe-area-plan-adopted-after-four-year-effort/

You can review the plan online or download it from the RVA.gov site:

https://www.rva.gov/sites/default/files/2023-10/10272023_ShockoePlanFinal_reduced_0.pdf

Edited November 21, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Brent114]

Speaking of the Bottom…

 

This is throwing the scale off nicely.  It’s hard to get a photo but from North bound I95 this is already towering over the nearby buildings 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Brent114

[I miss RVA]

10 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Speaking of the Bottom…

 

This is throwing the scale off nicely.  It’s hard to get a photo but from North bound I95 this is already towering over the nearby buildings 

The Bakery Lofts are coming along VERY nicely!!

Your timing is perfect on this photo, @Brent114-- I was wondering if we might get any photo updates as to construction progress. You must've read my mind.

That said - you know the drill. Mazal Tov!!! Your collection of 2023 trophies is getting pretty robust there, my friend. . Well deserved.

[Brent114]

Traffic was low on the James River Bridge this morning, I was able to snap a photo…

Edited November 23, 2023 by Brent114

[I miss RVA]

6 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Traffic was low on the James River Bridge this morning, I was able to snap a photo…

Wow - it's really coming along!

Very cool that you had the opportunity to snap the awesome pic. Man - look at all the (relatively) new construction in this photo. 

BTW - this great shot also gets rolled into your silver hardware for this week. (I figure you wouldn't want to have to schlep two silver loos home at the same time... )

[Brent114]

The I95 corridor is filling in nicely.

It’s  hard to get a photo of those units under construction over at Allen and Leigh but they are towering over the houses in Carver (this little neighborhood has its own name but it escapes me). 
 

 

 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Brent114 said:

The I95 corridor is filling in nicely.

It’s  hard to get a photo of those units under construction over at Allen and Leigh but they are towering over the houses in Carver (this little neighborhood has its own name but it escapes me). 
 

 

 

Holy wow!! The Bakery Lofts (or whatever they're being called these days) is really progressing. So cool that it's so prominently visible from I-95.

Great photo - and you know the drill. More hardware coming your way. Very much deserved.

[I miss RVA]

@RVABizSenseMikehas reporting in today's RBS that Commonwealth Catholic Charities are looking to construct a mixed-use/income-based residential building on their property at 809 Oliver Hill Way next to the Leigh Street Viaduct, and has filed a request to rezone the parcel to TOD-1. Additionally, the adjacent site at 807 1/2 Oliver Hill Way is under contract to South Carolina-based James Doran Co., which is planning an 84-unit income-based apartment project. Commonwealth Catholic Charities has not finalized project specs as of yet but they have indicated they want the development to be mixed use with residential. Charles Hall, CCC's VP of housing, said the city's Richmond 300 Master Plan - and the recently adopted Shockoe Bottom SAP - both of which call for higher-density development as the catalyst for development.

Mike has a great quote from Hall:

“We’re trying to follow the master plan and create a more dense, walkable, livable part of the city,” Hall said. “It seems like that whole stretch and the neighborhood’s just growing up, per se.”

The rezoning request has not yet been added to the Richmond Planning Commission's agenda for review.

This definitely merits monitoring. 

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/12/21/nonprofit-eyes-mixed-use-transformation-of-2-acre-oliver-hill-way-site/

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by I miss RVA