Jackson Ward / Gilpin

[whw53]

HJWA is a club - despite what they think, they don't actually approve anything. The land was sold and the new owner had a different vision - far from a 'bait and switch'.  Not sure about zoning change - it has been zoned R-63 since 2007.

Edited August 5, 2022 by whw53

[Icetera]

36 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

The land had houses on it before and everyone agreed that the best way to build generational wealth is through home ownership. Also, community wants more people invested in the community instead of more and more renters coming in - that's not to say Jackson Ward is against apartments, we have a ton...but this land was particularly planned and agreed for home ownership.

Given the proximity to the interstate and dire need for more apartments in the city, apartments seem like a better fit.  Looks like this worked out for the best and hopefully one day that surface lot can be developed as well.

[ancientcarpenter]

1 hour ago, whw53 said:

HJWA is a club - despite what they think, they don't actually approve anything. The land was sold and the new owner had a different vision - far from a 'bait and switch'.  Not sure about zoning change - it has been zoned R-63 since 2007.

 

Historically, the City Council and the district's rep takes into account what the community votes on. It's a very important voice for the community. Same with Fan, Byrd Park, Mary Munford, etc. 

 

Quote

Given the proximity to the interstate and dire need for more apartments in the city, apartments seem like a better fit.  Looks like this worked out for the best and hopefully one day that surface lot can be developed as well.

 

•  

Nobody says Jackson Ward can't use more apartments. Nor did HJWA say no to apartments ever. The problem is that they are ALL low income apartment units there. The community was happy to work with BHC but BHC refused to do anything but low income housing. 

 

The parking lots are ridiculous as well. Just not needed in the middle of the city.

It's not a "develop apartments or don't" conversation. Many layers to it and lots of gray areas. 

 

This is a prime example why conversations can be tough. Without context, people just say "how can you be against building more! it's an empty lot!" 

Edited August 5, 2022 by ancientcarpenter

[upzoningisgood]

@ancientcarpenterThanks for the context

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

The parking lots are ridiculous as well. Just not needed in the middle of the city.

I agree with you on this point.

[Brent114]

I suspect these parking lots signify a desired demographic shift.  The powers that be want JW to grow but they also want it to become more middle class.  A young black woman who drives to Goochland for work is more desirable than one that takes the bus to her job at Kroger.  

No shade on either woman, people need to live and all people (and work) have value. 
 

The downtown office  jobs probably aren’t coming back (CoStar notwithstanding).  People will be driving to work from downtown Richmond for the foreseeable future.  I’ll take hidden lots (this one won’t really be visible) if it means more people living downtown. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Brent114

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Brent114 said:

The downtown office  jobs probably aren’t coming back (CoStar notwithstanding).  People will be driving to work from downtown Richmond for the foreseeable future. 

That's a good point - you're probably right - and it's something that's very troubling to me. And it raises questions -- yet again -- about that elephant-in-the-room-sized problem RVA faces - "market size". (Yes, another of my "we're still too small kvetches" - but it honestly begs questions).  Is this a problem to which RVA -- because of our not-YET-large-enough market size -- is PARTICULARLY vulnerable? (In the same way OUR projects tend to get truncated or cancelled outright if economic factors aren't close to 'perfect' whereas in other - admittedly LARGER markets - this doens't happen as much...)  IS this something that will be somewhat unique to Richmond vs other cities for the foreseeable future (at least until we reach whatever size is necessary to prevent this) - or are other cities having similar transformations of downtown office space? It seems like other select cities (I won't bother naming them - we already know which ones I ordinarily reference) seem to have NO problem whatsoever building and filling boatloads of nice, tall office towers - and they have very large workforces that commute into the central city every day. I shudder painfully at the thought of RVA's downtown office market hitting such a nadir that we end up with "reverse commuting" of downtown residents to centers of employment. That's NOT how it's supposed to go in big cities. Oh - but I forget... we're not actually a true 'big' city - we just do a good job of faking it and making it kinda look like we are (which unfortunately, a lot of folks apparently are 100% a-okay with. I think it sucks, personally). 

Either way - I'd like to know what this portends for the future and if RVA stands out from other cities with this kind of problem. Post-pandemic-paradigm-shift notwithstanding, are we particularly vulnerable to this kind of transition whereas other cities might not be?

Edited August 5, 2022 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

13 hours ago, Brent114 said:

The downtown office  jobs probably aren’t coming back (CoStar notwithstanding).  People will be driving to work from downtown Richmond for the foreseeable future.  I’ll take hidden lots (this one won’t really be visible) if it means more people living downtown. 

I don't believe this to be necessarily true.  I think that when CoStar starts building, it will be a sign to others that downtown is a good location to grow your company and that others will follow their lead.  Downtown Richmond is an attractive place to be (and it's only getting better every day), so I can't imagine that jobs will not grow within the confines of downtown.  Just my opinion.

Edited August 6, 2022 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

44 minutes ago, eandslee said:

I don't believe this to be necessarily true.  I think that when CoStar starts building, it will be a sign to others that downtown is a good location to grow your company and that others will follow their lead.  Downtown Richmond an attractive place to be (and it's only getting better every day), so I can't imagine that jobs will not grow within the confines of downtown.  Just my opinion.

Perhaps something that lends credence to this: aside from the state and medical buildings constructed during 2019-through 2021 (into 2022) up on and north of Broad, the last two major NEW high rises built downtown were both office buildings: Gateway Plaza and Dominion. And the next one will be CoStar. So perhaps all hope's not lost. While I'm very heartened and excited by all of the converstions to residential of so many legacy stock high rises in the old Financial District and City Center (including the Hotel John Marshall, the former VEPCO building and several in the core of the old Financial District along E. Main), I HAVE wondered - WHERE did all the companies that used to do business in these buildings go? Did they all go to the James Center? Riverfront Plaza? Suburbs? Did some leave town altogether - or did some go out of business (or, more likely, get absorbed by that unspeakable (a la Voldemort) Borg Collective city some 248 miles to our south and west?)

And aside from the conversion of the former Miller & Rhoads department store into the Richmond Hilton and the conversion of the former 700 Building into a hotel/mixed use building, there has not been one single MAJOR hotel project built downtown since the '80s, when the Richmond Marriott, the Omni at the James Center and whatever it's now being called on Canal Street across the street from Dominion's tower all went up in a span of a few years. I don't consider small-scale renovations/takeovers by boutique hotels or even the newer hotel in Shockoe Slip (was that a Courtyard by Marriott??) to be a MAJOR hotel. I'm talking something large scale -- preferably high rise -- hundreds of rooms - which is why I was so hopeful for one component of the Navy Hill proposal to somehow find legs and rise - the 572 room 25-story Hyatt Regency. (From what we know so far, that hotel is still an integral part of the actual City Center SAP)

(I will unashamedly admit, I'll finally feel like RVA (and particularly downtown RVA) has "arrived" at some point of significance when we FINALLY get a Hyatt Regency - I've wanted one of those downtown for DECADES...)

Edited August 6, 2022 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

So does one have to be "registered" with the City in order to get updates about active filings? Does the planning department update this same link when there's something new - or is the link changed? I've been keeping an eye on this - and a zoning confirmation letter should have been sent to the developers of The Admiral two weeks ago today. By THIS account, nothing appears to have happened, as in, no letter has been issue (and the ball is in the city's court). Mind you, I'm not a registered user so I have no idea if I'm somehow 'blocked' from being able to refresh and get updated information or not.

Anyone have any insight?

 

[ancientcarpenter]

No update here... and I'm pretty involved in this area for dev updates. Must be some back-alley conversations with the city - city doesn't want to just rubber stamp 12 stories in a neighborhood that barely has 6 or 7 right now. 

 

Great things take time but time needs to hurry on up!

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

No update here... and I'm pretty involved in this area for dev updates. Must be some back-alley conversations with the city - city doesn't want to just rubber stamp 12 stories in a neighborhood that barely has 6 or 7 right now. 

 

Great things take time but time needs to hurry on up!

AMEN, brother! 

QUESTION: do you honestly think it's about height? I realize that -- quite sadly -- SOME folks in this city get downright - AHEM - "retentive" (keeping it clean, folks!) in their opposition to height, ESPECIALLY in places like JW. But for the love of God, is this property within the actual "drawn boundaries" of the actual JWHD? If it's outside the boundaries and meets zoning requirements (or received an SUP) then all the claptrap needs to stop.

Please keep your ear to the ground since you're right there and let us know if you hear ANYTHING. I'm REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY concerned about how long it's taking this thing to get off the ground. RVA's track record with delayed projects is utterly abysmal. Usually uber-delayed projects either get SEVERELY truncated or circular-filed altogether. This one is causing me a lot of anxiety, all things considered.

Edited August 25, 2022 by I miss RVA

[whw53]

The POD has been approved and their were no rezonings or SUPs needed as project at 12 stories was by-right in B4 zone.   Certificate of Zoning compliance is not a rezoning - more of a clarification statement from city and is probably at the request of certain financial interests behind the project that are doing due diligence etc. 

Edited August 25, 2022 by whw53

[wrldcoupe4]

They could also have set up a deal to sell the site. It's a common due diligence item.

[I miss RVA]

58 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

They could also have set up a deal to sell the site. It's a common due diligence item.

This might sound like a silly question, but as a layman: is that for financial reasons/at the behest of the lender?

[wrldcoupe4]

Which part? Potentially selling or having this letter?

[I miss RVA]

16 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Which part? Potentially selling or having this letter?

Potentially selling.

[wrldcoupe4]

I don’t know that there is much debt on the land/parking, so probably not.  Some people entitle and then decide to try to sell vs developing. That may not even be the case here. 

[ancientcarpenter]

Posted this in Monroe since the question came up "who owns most property in Jackson Ward"

 

Read this long article...it's very good. And it's from 2011!

  

3 hours ago, Downtowner said:

 I know the name but can’t think of it at the moment the guy who owned the majority of properties in Jackson ward.

His name is Ron Stallings. Family inherited hundreds of properties from their father.

I would highly recommend this long read...it's very good:

https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/son-of-jackson-ward/Content?oid=1442610

 

 

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Posted this in Monroe since the question came up "who owns most property in Jackson Ward"

 

Read this long article...it's very good. And it's from 2011!

  

His name is Ron Stallings. Family inherited hundreds of properties from their father.

I would highly recommend this long read...it's very good:

https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/son-of-jackson-ward/Content?oid=1442610

 

 

Good article - and of course, by the one and only, the legendary Professor Ed Slipek. (Who else do you know can bring that level of detail in recounting the history of people and places?) A really good read. 

[eandslee]

@I miss RVAwill be sitting on cloud nine this morning after he reads this!!  What was known as The Admiral will break ground within the next 60 days!  Also, it won’t be called The Admiral…a new name is in the works. The best part is despite losing a partner from Philadelphia, SNP will still build it to 12 stories!!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/09/15/snp-to-go-it-alone-on-12-story-jackson-ward-apartment-tower-after-6m-buy/

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

34 minutes ago, eandslee said:

@I miss RVAwill be sitting on cloud nine this morning after he reads this!!  What was known as The Admiral will break ground within the next 60 days!  Also, it won’t be called The Admiral…a new name is in the works. The best part is despite losing a partner from Philadelphia, SNP will still build it to 12 stories!!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/09/15/snp-to-go-it-alone-on-12-story-jackson-ward-apartment-tower-after-6m-buy/

Fellow insomniac, you beat me to it 

Needless to say, this is incredibly exciting. In the next 60 days is awesome. So glad the specs haven't changed and that we're still at 12 floors. At long last

[eandslee]

3 hours ago, RVA-Is-The-Best said:

Fellow insomniac, you beat me to it 

Needless to say, this is incredibly exciting. In the next 60 days is awesome. So glad the specs haven't changed and that we're still at 12 floors. At long last

Woke up at 3:00am and just couldn’t go back to sleep. What’s the first thing I think of when I woke up?  Get onto RBS and check out the latest development news!  LOL!

[123fakestreet]

4 hours ago, eandslee said:

@I miss RVAwill be sitting on cloud nine this morning after he reads this!!  What was known as The Admiral will break ground within the next 60 days!  Also, it won’t be called The Admiral…a new name is in the works. The best part is despite losing a partner from Philadelphia, SNP will still build it to 12 stories!!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/09/15/snp-to-go-it-alone-on-12-story-jackson-ward-apartment-tower-after-6m-buy/

Obviously the height is great but it's right next to the Convention Center and 1 block in from Broad, will really help extend the "urban core" of downtown out a another block.

[Downtowner]

6 hours ago, eandslee said:

@I miss RVAwill be sitting on cloud nine this morning after he reads this!!  What was known as The Admiral will break ground within the next 60 days!  Also, it won’t be called The Admiral…a new name is in the works. The best part is despite losing a partner from Philadelphia, SNP will still build it to 12 stories!!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2022/09/15/snp-to-go-it-alone-on-12-story-jackson-ward-apartment-tower-after-6m-buy/

i have to remind myself @I miss RVAis in a different time zone. My first thought is you mean he hasn’t said anything yet? He’s going to be ticked to death knowing this bit of great news.