The Fan / Museum District

[ancientcarpenter]

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/02/15/d-c-firm-wants-to-build-221-apartments-on-former-dominion-parking-lot-in-the-fan/

 

 

 

Well, here it is: Answer to my question from a few weeks ago. As happy as I am that we are creating more density, it is a bit of a let down that they don't have retail at the bottom. 

Also, this is pretty funny:

Developer: “The buildings there provide a really exceptional canvas, and I think our team has imagined a unique concept for the project identity that people will enjoy,” she said.

Also Developer: We have chosen Walter Parks

 

I really feel RBS should have just stopped the developer in their tracks when they made that quote and said "c'mon... I can't put that in the article... have you seen the design?" 

Edited February 15 by ancientcarpenter

[Flood Zone]

47 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

have you seen the design

"Oh, yes, that's a fresh design from the Urban Contemporary Boredom collection."

[ancientcarpenter]

53 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

"Oh, yes, that's a fresh design from the Urban Contemporary Boredom collection."

You just don't understand. This building will be different tones of gray and there will be some white. And wait, there's a special surprise: we will take one of the walls and color them dark red. That's right, dark red. You heard it here first. 

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/02/15/d-c-firm-wants-to-build-221-apartments-on-former-dominion-parking-lot-in-the-fan/

 

 

 

Well, here it is: Answer to my question from a few weeks ago. As happy as I am that we are creating more density, it is a bit of a let down that they don't have retail at the bottom. 

Also, this is pretty funny:

Developer: “The buildings there provide a really exceptional canvas, and I think our team has imagined a unique concept for the project identity that people will enjoy,” she said.

Also Developer: We have chosen Walter Parks

 

I really feel RBS should have just stopped the developer in their tracks when they made that quote and said "c'mon... I can't put that in the article... have you seen the design?" 

Great density for that part of the Fan - and given that this (more-or-less) pie-shaped parcel is wedged up against the Downtown Expressway, this is EXACTLY what we were hoping for when the potential for development was announced a year or more ago.

One interesting note from @RVABizSenseMike's reporting: the developers are looking to break ground late this year. Glad to hear that!

Just to make note of the specific location (in case folks might have forgotten - and frankly, I (with my Swiss-cheese/collander-like memory) needed a refresher) - it's the orange wedge on the RBS graphic.

Edited February 15 by I miss RVA

[Shakman]

3 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

You just don't understand. This building will be different tones of gray and there will be some white. And wait, there's a special surprise: we will take one of the walls and color them dark red. That's right, dark red. You heard it here first. 

Maybe they should call the development 50 Shades of Gray Square.

Edited February 15 by Shakman

[Flood Zone]

5 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

This building will be different tones of gray and there will be some white.

"No, I don't have seasonal affective disorder. I just live in a Walter Parks building."

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, Flood Zone said:

"No, I don't have seasonal affective disorder. I just live in a Walter Parks building."

The doctor might respond:

"As a Richmonder, it seems to me that like you're suffering with symptoms of the blues because of all the greys..."

[I miss RVA]

"Richmond, uhhh... Devil's Triangle here... the Texas Inn has landed..." (with apologies to Neil Armstrong)

@RVABizSenseMike has reporting in today's RBS that David Saunders has reached agreement with the owner of Izzy's Kitchen to take over the building at 2901 Park Avenue in the Devil's Triangle area of the Museum District, where he will open Richmond's first location of the famous Texas Inn diner.  Izzy's is expected to close next month, and Saunders will begin converting the building into Texas Inn's fourth Virginia location, joining two spots in Lynchburg and one in Harrisonburg. Interesting that Mike's story indicated that this would be Texas Inn's "first" RVA location - which leads one to believe that Saunders might be looking at some point down the road to open a second location if this spot is successful.

This is great news, and I feel certain this will quickly become yet another iconic Richmond tradition that becomes woven into the fabric of the city. VERY glad to see this moving forward. Once the restaurant is open, y'all are gonna HAVE to stop by and sample some of their offerings and report in on how good it is.

(Photo courtesy of @RVABizSenseMike & RBS) 

From today's Richmond Biz Sense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/02/20/lynchburgs-texas-inn-strikes-deal-to-take-over-museum-district-restaurant-building/

Edited February 20 by I miss RVA

[Brent114]

I like this location.  This area of town could use some food that isn’t trendy and expensive. 
 

it should be very lively on Saturday mornings (like Moore  Street but with patio seating ). 

Edited February 20 by Brent114

[whw53]

There just isn't a demand for retail given the low density nature of the Fan\Museum District and more ppl choosing to shop online and eat in.  This is one of the reasons the city recently nixed the retail requirement in the TOD-1 district a couple weeks ago. It will allow developers to count amenity space and residential fronts in some cases as street-active uses. Market's not offering up anything else.

Edited February 20 by whw53

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, whw53 said:

There just isn't a demand for retail given the low density nature of the Fan\Museum District and more ppl choosing to shop online and eat in.  This is one of the reasons the city recently nixed the retail requirement in the TOD-1 district a couple weeks ago. It will allow developers to count amenity space and residential fronts in some cases as street-active uses. Market's not offering up anything else.

Very true about the Museum District NOT having as much density as we might think it does. I wonder what how the increasing density of adjacent areas like Scott's will impact this business or other similar business types that might look to the Museum District as a potential target?

[Flood Zone]

3 hours ago, Brent114 said:

I like this location.  This area of town could use some food that isn’t trendy and expensive. 

I do, too. Although I've never thought of Bandito's as trendy or expensive!

15 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

Very true about the Museum District NOT having as much density as we might think it does.

It has what you might call "strolling density." Very walkable, and you're bound to hit something fairly interesting within two or three blocks.

This particular area, at least to me, has the feel of a slightly packed town. It's ... well, not quaint, but interesting.

[whw53]

O sorry I missed Texas Inn post was more a comment in response to new development at Grayland and Robinson and comments about lacknof retail

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Flood Zone said:

I do, too. Although I've never thought of Bandito's as trendy or expensive!

It has what you might call "strolling density." Very walkable, and you're bound to hit something fairly interesting within two or three blocks.

This particular area, at least to me, has the feel of a slightly packed town. It's ... well, not quaint, but interesting.

I loved that part of the Museum District - a bit more than 30 years ago, my first wife and I lived in the apartment building at the northwest corner of Park and Sheppard. We could see the 7-11 from our 3rd floor windows (oy vey did that place get hot in the summer...) So we lived literally one block west (and across Park Avenue) of the location that's becoming the Texas Inn.

[Brent114]

Banditos is neither trendy nor expensive but it is themed. That theme being salty fillings wrapped in tortillas. 
 

I’m just glad this isn’t some lame oyster bar or tapas rip off place.  Can a fella get some string beans in Richmond?!? 

[wrldcoupe4]

String beans? Lol

[Flood Zone]

10 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

String beans?

Home-cooked string beans are excellent! Maybe there's a market inefficiency here in that regard.

(I do miss Morrison's Cafeteria. Stay memories of loving their green beans.)

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Flood Zone said:

Home-cooked string beans are excellent! Maybe there's a market inefficiency here in that regard.

(I do miss Morrison's Cafeteria. Stay memories of loving their green beans.)

When I was growing up in Granite (on Forest Hill Avenue) - we had a pretty big chunk of property that had enough room that my dad had a huge (and I do mean HUGE) vegetable garden (that was nestled in among our six large apple trees). One of the things he grew was - you guessed it - string beans! My mom would make a pretty awesome pot of string beans -- fresh from the garden. Not even Ukrop's had produce THIS good. 

[wrldcoupe4]

lol don’t get me wrong I love string beans. It was just random and gave me a chuckle. 

[ancientcarpenter]

 

Progress on the Museum District apartments next to the highway!

[eandslee]

4 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

 

Progress on the Museum District apartments next to the highway!

Looks good - love to see construction movement!  This one is going to look great driving up and down I-195!  Thanks for posting the pics!

[I miss RVA]

I'm amazed by how quickly this one went from proposed (and opposed)  to improved (and approved) to demo and site work to breaking ground. Honestly, this project has been on rocket skis and has really been moving much more quickly than SO many other RVA projects.

Edited March 12 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

This could just as easily go in the "Scott's Addition" thread - but since it's on the Museum District side of Broad Street, I'm posting it here.

@RVABizSenseMike has reporting in today's RBS that a mystery buyer appears to have purchased the former Wells Fargo bank branch property at Thompson and Broad, next to the I-195 expressway. What the new owner intends to do with the property remains unknown. No plans of any kind have been filed with the city. Nonetheless, that the property has been purchased definitely feels like a step in the right direction. As the economic climate continues to improve - and particularly if we get the anticipated prime-rate cuts this year - perhaps we'll see/hear some good news regarding redevelopment. 

NOTE: this parcel is zoned TOD-1 - so we could potentially see something sizeable rise there. Our dear friend Bruce is suggesting (in the comments to this article in RBS) that the site is of similar size to the Hardee's site on Arthur Ashe - and would be perfect for a hotel similar to what Shamin is planning on the Hardee's parcel. Interesting idea - though I wonder how many hotel rooms Scott's/the Museum district needs. Then again - the really successful cities generally have no shortage of hotel rooms. My best guess is that we'll see a residential or mixed-use building going up there.

Either way - glad to see progress on this.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/03/15/mystery-buyer-lining-up-former-wells-fargo-site-across-from-scotts-addition/

[I miss RVA]

@RVABizSenseMike has reporting in today's RBS about a local couple who are adding a small injection of density to a corner of the Museum District. Doty and Steve Tribble have been converting a 1980s-era office building into 11 apartments at 111 N. Thompson Street, a half-block south of Broad. This corner of the Museum District is beginning to light up with redevelopment - and this site is directly across the street from the former Wells Fargo bank branch property that's been snapped up by a mystery buyer (a property that has all manner of potential as a TOD-1-zoned parcel).

For the Tribbles, this conversion project will be their biggest to date. The apartments are expected to be ready for occupancy in the next few months.

Very exciting times along the edge of the Museum District adjacent to Scott's Addition.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/04/02/former-tribble-electric-owners-look-to-recharge-museum-district-building-with-office-to-apartment-conversion/

[Shakman]

Great to see more density coming to the Museum District. 

 

Hmmm.  Maybe those breeze blocks should be removed and replaced with something more appealing?  Perhaps demo the entire structure and build new? Just my opinion.

Edited April 2 by Shakman