City Center / Virginia BioTech Park

[I miss RVA]

Tucked away amidst the City Council's approval vote for the amphitheater, the kerfuffle and vote for a redux of the casino vote and  amendment and continuation of the Avery Hall SUP measure - the council introduced legislation on Monday to authorize VCU to begin demo of the Public Safety building in Block D (per their license/back-out agreement). Plenty of detail to all of this, and I'll turn it over to Jonathan Spiers' reporting to do the heavy lifting.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/06/14/city-setting-stage-for-vcu-health-to-demolish-public-safety-building/

Edited June 14, 2023 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

2 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Tucked away amidst the City Council's approval vote for the amphitheater, the kerfuffle and vote for a redux of the casino vote and  amendment and continuation of the Avery Hall SUP measure - the council introduced legislation on Monday to authorize VCU to begin demo of the Public Safety building in Block D (per their license/back-out agreement). Plenty of detail to all of this, and I'll turn it over to Jonathan Spiers' reporting to do the heavy lifting.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/06/14/city-setting-stage-for-vcu-health-to-demolish-public-safety-building/

I just hope something substantial ends up being built on that block.  Such a prominent place in the skyline - needs something that makes a statement.  Another Sanger Hall-type/size building and the new Dental school might do the trick. 

Edited June 14, 2023 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, eandslee said:

I just hope something substantial ends up being built on that block.  Such a prominent place in the skyline - needs something that makes a statement.  Another Sanger Hall-type/size building and the new Dental school might do the trick. 

I'd like that as well - but I'm not holding my breath.

Honestly - what was originally proposed really filled the bill visually of what we want - a tall office tower (if based on 15-foot floor plating - and including the equivalent of two floors for mechanicals, etc.) we'd be looking at a 330-foot-tall tower (in regular - not CoStar^TM feet).  PLUS the block would have been COMPLETELY filled with a variety of buildings, including one 9 and one maybe 10 stories) -- very much a "New York" kind of block - no "pedestal" buildings (typical in the South) where one single tower takes up a lot of the space in a block and is otherwise surrounded by a big plaza or green space (I HATE pedestal towers!!!)

With a dental school - I'm not counting on anything "epic" like we would have seen with the original Block D proposal. Yes - something Sanger Hall size would be the best bet - which wouldn't be bad at all, tbh, but it would not be game changing. I don't think we'll see anything quite the size of the outpatient hospital (17 stories) - and certainly not the size of the planned new inpatient facility (18-plus stories).  If we get something as much as 14 stories, I'll be pleasantly surprised. Again - I'm not holding my breath.

[blake_p]

General Assembly Building

[I miss RVA]

11 hours ago, blake_p said:

General Assembly Building

Great photos!

The shot looking west on Broad from 12th Street - man - the G.A. building really combines nicely with both Old City Hall and the courts building a couple of blocks farther west to make a sweet - and imposing - looking street scape that even plays well to that parking deck (which is a colossal waste of space to have ONLY a deck there and NOTHING mixed-use above it).

My biggest lament - the positioning of the PULSE station. WHY on earth is is curbside there? Is should be positioned along the median!!!

Edited June 18, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Child2021]

[eandslee]

1 hour ago, Child2021 said:

What’s going on here?  I’m looking at the big parking lot in front of JSR…but what’s going there?  Maybe I forgot or missed something. 

[I miss RVA]

51 minutes ago, eandslee said:

What’s going on here?  I’m looking at the big parking lot in front of JSR…but what’s going there?  Maybe I forgot or missed something. 

New bio-tech building, maybe? What's the actual address? I thought there was a new tech/labs building going up somewhere on the biotech/research campus.

[Child2021]

It's for the new tech and biolabs. 

[eandslee]

7 hours ago, Child2021 said:

It's for the new tech and biolabs. 

Is there a rendering or article on this?  I just can’t (for the life of me) remember reading anything on this.  I mean, I might have, but my old-man brain isn’t working apparently. 

Edited July 18, 2023 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

5 hours ago, eandslee said:

Is there a rendering or article on this?  I just can’t (for the life of me) remember reading anything on this.  I mean, I might have, but my old-man brain isn’t working apparently. 

I'll have to dig through my photo archives to see if there was a rendering. (Yes, I'm the nutcase who actually downloads, saves and catalogues EVERY photo, every rendering, every map, etc., that comes down the turnpike on our forum - and I have a complete backup of the entire archive on an external drive -- and a triple-redundant backup on a large-capacity thumb drive -- in case something, God-forbid, crashes so we don't lose our library/archives)- I THINK there was a rendering, and I remember an article a couple of months ago -- can't remember if it was in RBS or in the RT-D.

Edited July 18, 2023 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

2 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

I'll have to dig through my photo archives to see if there was a rendering (yes, I'm the nutcase who actually downloads, saves and catalogues EVERY photo, every rendering, every map, etc., that comes down the turnpike)- I THINK there was a rendering, and I remember an article a couple of months ago -- can't remember if it was in RBS or in the RT-D.

Well, I thank you for being the “nutcase” that does this good Sir!  I’m really having a hard time keeping it all straight. Must not have been anything very significant…I seem to remember those quite easily. 

[Shakman]

17 hours ago, eandslee said:

What’s going on here?  I’m looking at the big parking lot in front of JSR…but what’s going there?  Maybe I forgot or missed something. 

Go to page 10 of this thread.  Posted by RVA-Is-The-Best.

[I miss RVA]

Just now, eandslee said:

Well, I thank you for being the “nutcase” that does this good Sir!  I’m really having a hard time keeping it all straight. Must not have been anything very significant…I seem to remember those quite easily. 

Very happy to oblige, kind sir!

[Icetera]

I am curious what they are doing at that corner as I recall the structure as being on the back half of the lot.

[whw53]

I don't think we've seen the new version of this project. Didn't Activation scrap that original 5-6 story project we saw renderings for like 2020 or 2021 and go back to the drawing board on this.

Edited July 20, 2023 by whw53

[wrldcoupe4]

Think that’s right. 

[I miss RVA]

Unrelated to this specific project:

Just throwing this out to everyone: when exactly was the city expected to select from the four finalists the development group to handle the City Center project? It's mid-July and I thought July was a benchmark on the city's timeline (unless I'm mixing it up with something related to the Diamond District).

Edited July 20, 2023 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Okay folks... I'm not sure how much to read into this, HOWEVER:

Some news coming out of the Tar Heel State: Machete Group, which is one of the heavy hitters as part of Richmond Community Development Partners, is apparently attempting to win a development contract in Cary, N.C. In their pitch, they tout a big project they are working on in Richmond. That big project is, of course, City Center.

Now - while their sale-pitch docs don't specifically state that they have been selected as the developer for City Center (it says they're a finalist), they do show renderings of their Richmond proposals in a manner that COULD lead one to believe that they have won the bid. (PERSONAL NOTE: Recall, RCDP was my "1b" choice, edged out only slightly by Gateway City Center Partners.)

So while this does not in any way confirm any specific claim that this group has won the Richmond bid, it IS very interesting that they're including City Center in their pitch to the Town of Cary as if they are, in fact, going to build City Center.

Below is a NEW -- to my knowledge, never-before seen on RVA/UP -- rendering of Machete's/RCDP's proposal for City Center - and it certainly lends credence as to why this design was Ed Slipek's top choice and my co-favorite proposal.

ALSO - the pitch to the folks in Cary provided some project details that I don't believe were specifically made public here:

• Machete Group is saying this initial section of City Center would be built in three phases, beginning in 2025 with anticipated completion in 2031. I'm guessing 2024 would be dedicated to completely clearing out the blocks that are to be redeveloped - and getting rid of the Coliseum.
• They are also touting nearly 900 residential units (875 to be exact), a 500-room convention hotel, 270K of Class A office space and 100K of commercial/retail space, and a 3,500-seat entertainment venue.
• While not specified/detailed, it does appear that at least two (and possibly three) of the four high-rise buildings planned might be in the 30-plus story range.
• Price tag: $901 million.

Again, folks, take all of this with a grain of salt - but Machete Group is touting this as one of their developments in their attempt to win a contract in North Carolina - and if they DON'T yet have the bid for City Center in their pocket, I'm curious to know why they would be touting this project in a manner that COULD lead one to believe that it will, in fact, be built?

NEW RENDERING - AERIAL VIEW (NOT SEEN BEFORE)

 

PAGE FROM MACHETE GROUP'S SALES PITCH TO CARY, NC 

Edited July 27, 2023 by I miss RVA

[ancientcarpenter]

Wow, big find there @I miss RVA. Gold port-a-potty nomination for sure here.

 

I haven't read the details of your post yet but I do have some reservations: While I love that they are touting and showing off this, I would be hesitant yet optimistic. I have worked with sales guys before. I've seen a sales guy lock in a small sale of $1k a month client that is month-to-month. This is a small sale considered at my company. He bragged it as a "$60k sale" because technically if the client sticks with us for 5 years that's how much money it would bring in. Rolling of the eyes was all around the office. The deal never even went through. Classic sales guys.

 

I do love it though. That Roman style ampitheater raised above ground looks really cool. I am really looking forward to that... maybe some Roman style architecture too? Exciting times! 

[Flood Zone]

6 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

I do love it though. That Roman style ampitheater raised above ground looks really cool. I am really looking forward to that... maybe some Roman style architecture too? Exciting times! 

That's the federal district court building, right?

[ancientcarpenter]

25 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

That's the federal district court building, right?

Well, looks like someone didn't drink their coffee this morning. I should have known that... I worked across the street from it for years. Silly me.

 

But now I can't unsee an outdoor Roman theater .... 

Edited July 27, 2023 by ancientcarpenter

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Flood Zone said:

That's the federal district court building, right?

Yes - that's the federal court building at 8th and Broad.

[I miss RVA]

4 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Wow, big find there @I miss RVA. Gold port-a-potty nomination for sure here.

 

I haven't read the details of your post yet but I do have some reservations: While I love that they are touting and showing off this, I would be hesitant yet optimistic. I have worked with sales guys before. I've seen a sales guy lock in a small sale of $1k a month client that is month-to-month. This is a small sale considered at my company. He bragged it as a "$60k sale" because technically if the client sticks with us for 5 years that's how much money it would bring in. Rolling of the eyes was all around the office. The deal never even went through. Classic sales guys.

 

I do love it though. That Roman style ampitheater raised above ground looks really cool. I am really looking forward to that... maybe some Roman style architecture too? Exciting times! 

WOWZERS, @ancientcarpenter!!  A GOLD port-a-potty for yours truly? Holy moly! Wow - my humble thanks, kind sir!

Wow - does this mean we now have an even HIGHER level of prestige attached to our port-a-potty awards?

Either way - it is very gratefully accepted, and it's even more humbling to be the inaugural recipient of the GOLD version! (And it's my first-ever port-a-potty trophy!!)

Edited July 27, 2023 by I miss RVA

[ancientcarpenter]

2 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

WOWZERS, @ancientcarpenter!!  A GOLD port-a-potty for yours truly? Holy moly! Wow - my humble thanks, kind sir!

Wow - does this mean we now have an even HIGHER level of prestige attached to our port-a-potty awards?

Either way - it is very gratefully accepted, and it's even more humbling to be the inaugural recipient of the GOLD version! (And it's my first-ever port-a-potty trophy!!)

 

My inability to spot existing buildings aside (that are no roman amphitheaters), this is some good digging. Very interesting that these plans were never made public.

Any chance you can email that company and ask them for more renderings and more plans? Maybe we can get even more! That would be platinum port-a-potty possibly.