City Center / Virginia BioTech Park

[Shakman]

4 hours ago, Downtowner said:

Maybe add some residences for five more floors make it a hotel and residences type tower. I think they could push it. 

Maybe a 100 ft sky garden on top of the tower which could double as a decorative top.

[I miss RVA]

26 minutes ago, Shakman said:

Maybe a 100 ft sky garden on top of the tower which could double as a decorative top.

Exactly! I'd love to see SOME kind of architectural feature built in that could add 100 feet or so to the building.

Maybe something like Philadelphia's Comcast Technology building? Without the spire on the side, it's an otherwise flat-roofed building.

[Flood Zone]

If only it appeared in the middle and not on the side, that finger like appendage is sticking up in a fashion that the building could well have served as First Union's headquarters back in the day....

In this board's 12 Stages of Height, we're well within the Hope Stage. At some point will come Anger when the rule of thumb kicks in and we're looking at 20% less than rumored, and then will come Bargaining when we start calculating CoStar Feet. But for now we're doing good!

Edited September 5, 2023 by Flood Zone

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Flood Zone said:

If only it appeared in the middle and not on the side, that finger like appendage is sticking up in a fashion that the building could well have served as First Union's headquarters back in the day....

In this board's 12 Stages of Height, we're well within the Hope Stage. At some point will come Anger when the rule of thumb kicks in and we're looking at 20% less than rumored, and then will come Bargaining when we start calculating CoStar Feet. But for now we're doing good!

Good stuff! Well said! When we begin calculating in CoStar Feet^TM you KNOW we've hit rock bottom and need some SERIOUS 12-step intervention.  I can see it now:

(Any one of us): "Hi... I'm Joe Shlabotnik, and I'm an RVA height-o-holic..."

(Other meeting attendees, in unison): "HI JOE!!!"

Edited September 5, 2023 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

I know these are just conceptual drawings, but I like the concept drawing of City Center Gateway Partners best, but love the height of  Richmond Community Development Partners:

 

[Virginian11]

Anyone know when these would actually break ground once selection is made?

[eandslee]

8 minutes ago, Virginian11 said:

Anyone know when these would actually break ground once selection is made?

Good question!  No one knows, but hopefully it won’t be 5 years from now with full build-out after 15 years!! 

[I miss RVA]

41 minutes ago, eandslee said:

I know these are just conceptual drawings, but I like the concept drawing of City Center Gateway Partners best, but love the height of  Richmond Community Development Partners:

Same here. The Gateway Partners concept SOOO looks like something you'd see here in Chicago. VERY "big city".

But I'm with you - RCDP has vaulted to the top of my "hope we get THIS one" list with the chance at a 40-story, 450-foot-tall building.

AND - again, as you said, it's only conceptual sketchups - but if you look at the two taller of the three other high rises proposed - (the tower fronting Leigh Street close to 7th - and the building proposed for 7th and Clay) - both appear to be in the neighborhood of 30 stories (which is the floor count I came away with from one of the residential buildings in the Gateway mock-up) - and prior to upgraded floor count for the hotel, the two buildings being referenced were to have been the tallest in the development. And they're pretty robust! If the color rendering of the RCDP proposal is any indication, the building at 7th and E. Clay could be iconic in its own right as a very dark -- black or dark grey cladding with dark windows - VERY different from what we've been seeing in RVA in recent years.

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Child2021]

I really hope the City Center area developed before 2030, I think the plans currently presented would be wonderful for that (other than VCU health taking it all over). We could be getting a new court house, federal building, city hall, and hotel.  

But I got to admit that I will miss the current city hall, as it's been around for decades. 

[eandslee]

1 minute ago, Child2021 said:

I really hope the City Center area developed before 2030, I think the plans currently presented would be wonderful for that (other than VCU health taking it all over). We could be getting a new court house, federal building, city hall, and hotel.  

You and me both, man!  This is a huge opportunity to rebuild every old state and city building in the downtown area, which is long overdue...and the hotel...oh, the hotel which could be a nice iconic signature tower downtown!  That is...IF the city can get its act together, which I don't have a lot of faith in.  There's no reason why we still don't know anything about the status of this development yet.  Are the developers who submitted plans still on board with what they proposed?  Honestly, City Center should already have a groundbreaking date!  Why the big delays from the city?  Huge red flags to me.  My inkling is that this development is probably as good as dead, unfortunately.  All the city's resources have been used up to get the baseball stadium built.  Frustrating.

[I miss RVA]

6 minutes ago, eandslee said:

You and me both, man!  This is a huge opportunity to rebuild every old state and city building in the downtown area, which is long overdue...and the hotel...oh, the hotel which could be a nice iconic signature tower downtown!  That is...IF the city can get its act together, which I don't have a lot of faith in.  There's no reason why we still don't know anything about the status of this development yet.  Are the developers who submitted plans still on board with what they proposed?  Honestly, City Center should already have a groundbreaking date!  Why the big delays from the city?  Huge red flags to me.  My inkling is that this development is probably as good as dead, unfortunately.  All the city's resources have been used up to get the baseball stadium built.  Frustrating.

I know the two events probably aren't related, but it SO seems, "appears", "feels" like things have just ground all the way to a halt following the departure of the esteemed Maritza Pechin. Not that the process wasn't taking long enough as it was - but man, it just seems like absolutely NOTHING has happened since she bolted the city planning department for that federal job. No idea if she could influence things at all one way of another - and the timing is probably coincidental. But still...

[I miss RVA]

Jonathan Spiers has reporting in today's RBS that the city is looking to budget $3 million to demo and dispose of the Coliseum, even as progress with the City Center redevelopment has been inching along at best (and at worst, completely stalled/stagnated).

The funds for demo would be included in the 2025 fiscal year budget, which begins July 1. According to Jonathan's reporting, no timeline for demo has materialized at this point, but city officials continue to assert that it can be done prior to the deadline for the Richmond Economic Development Authority to sell the property to whichever developer is going to actually undertake the City Center project.

Of course - despite announcing four finalists a  year ago - no decision has been made yet as to which development group will get the project. The city says "negotiations are ongoing" - and the expectation is that the city will get a deal done before the November deadline. Council member Ellen Robertson has publicly requested an update on where things are with City Center. The Coliseum is in her district.

I just wish the REST of City Council would join in and start clamoring for not just updates - but some actual movement. Selection of the winning development group was supposed to have happened LAST SUMMER. And look at how small the footprint we're talking about, relative to the entirety of the overall City Center redevelopment, which essentially mirrors the overall footprint of Navy Hill. What we have here is merely Phase 1. And there's been this little progress on it. What gives?

Ugh... don't get me started. As I've said previously, I can't help but at least "feel" if not outright "believe" that Maritza Pechin's was SUCH an intense driving force behind all of these initiatives (City Center, the Diamond District) - that everything has just simply ground to a halt following her departure. Yes, I know economic conditions have had an impact - but it just seems like after she left, any/all progress on any/all of these projects just flat out stopped. 

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/04/16/richmond-budgeting-3m-for-coliseum-demo-amid-stagnant-city-center-project/

Edited April 16 by I miss RVA

[Downtowner]

4 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Jonathan Spiers has reporting in today's RBS that the city is looking to budget $3 million to demo and dispose of the Coliseum, even as progress with the City Center redevelopment has been inching along at best (and at worst, completely stalled/stagnated).

The funds for demo would be included in the 2025 fiscal year budget, which begins July 1. According to Jonathan's reporting, no timeline for demo has materialized at this point, but city officials continue to assert that it can be done prior to the deadline for the Richmond Economic Development Authority to sell the property to whichever developer is going to actually undertake the City Center project.

Of course - despite announcing four finalists a  year ago - no decision has been made yet as to which development group will get the project. The city says "negotiations are ongoing" - and the expectation is that the city will get a deal done before the November deadline. Council member Ellen Robertson has publicly requested an update on where things are with City Center. The Coliseum is in her district.

I just wish the REST of City Council would join in and start clamoring for not just updates - but some actual movement. Selection of the winning development group was supposed to have happened LAST SUMMER. And look at how small the footprint we're talking about, relative to the entirety of the overall City Center redevelopment, which essentially mirrors the overall footprint of Navy Hill. What we have here is merely Phase 1. And there's been this little progress on it. What gives?

Ugh... don't get me started. As I've said previously, I can't help but at least "feel" if not outright "believe" that Maritza Pechin's was SUCH an intense driving force behind all of these initiatives (City Center, the Diamond District) - that everything has just simply ground to a halt following her departure. Yes, I know economic conditions have had an impact - but it just seems like after she left, any/all progress on any/all of these projects just flat out stopped. 

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/04/16/richmond-budgeting-3m-for-coliseum-demo-amid-stagnant-city-center-project/

we also are losing leanord sledge. Whoever is the next mayor need to make big time hires for this city and smart hires. I think people are leaving because this administration is over with and onto the next one.