Capitol / Financial District / Shockoe Slip

[whw53]

Timmons Group is not a developer, they are an engineering firm that focuses on site design outside of the building footprint. They also have a regulatory dept  that assists with permitting and planning - that is almost certainly their involvement here.

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, whw53 said:

Timmons Group is not a developer, they are an engineering firm that focuses on site design outside of the building footprint. They also have a regulatory dept  that assists with permitting and planning - that is almost certainly their involvement here.

Good to know. Then would Granger (the property owner) necessarily be acting as "developer" or is this someone else coming in as a third-party to develop an apartment building on behalf of Granger?

I'm kinda confused because the filing doesn't detail much.

[wrldcoupe4]

Or Granger has a purchaser that is planning to develop the site. They used to own the John Marshall Hotel as well but ultimately sold to another developer who did the redevelopment.

[I miss RVA]

30 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Or Granger has a purchaser that is planning to develop the site. They used to own the John Marshall Hotel as well but ultimately sold to another developer who did the redevelopment.

That's true. Question: wouldn't the purchaser file the POD with the city? Or is Timmons perhaps acting on the behalf of a potential purchaser i laying the groundwork ahead of any exchange of property? Is this something that would happen as a matter of routine for a pending sale?

Edited June 5, 2023 by I miss RVA

[wrldcoupe4]

It could be a lot of things. Perhaps demo of the deck is a closing contingency. 

[Child2021]

Fencing is up at the site that's expected to be converted to apartments, I believe it's genesis properties. 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Child2021 said:

Fencing is up at the site that's expected to be converted to apartments, I believe it's genesis properties. 

If you happen to notice demo underway, would you be able to  ??

[whw53]

RBS: 9-story apartment building planned to replace crumbling downtown parking deck

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/07/27/9-story-apartment-building-planned-to-replace-crumbling-downtown-parking-deck/

Edited July 27, 2023 by whw53

[Shakman]

1 hour ago, whw53 said:

RBS: 9-story apartment building planned to replace crumbling downtown parking deck

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/07/27/9-story-apartment-building-planned-to-replace-crumbling-downtown-parking-deck/

Only 9-stories?   I was hoping for more floors but at least this shows there's demand Downtown.

[Brent114]

Looks like 10.  At least double digits…

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Looks like 10.  At least double digits…

I'm not sure why it's being described as a "nine-story" building. Including ground level commercial/retail space (likely fronting integrated parking levels) and the "rooftop"-level gym and other amenities, this building clearly tops out at 10 stories, particularly on the Franklin Street side.

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by I miss RVA

[plain]

Agreed with the previous 2 posters. That math isn't mathing at all lmao

[I miss RVA]

3 minutes ago, plain said:

Agreed with the previous 2 posters. That math isn't mathing at all lmao

It really doesn't. And if you look closely at the schematic, the ground-level is slightly "taller" than the other levels, which is pretty standard for high-rise buildings (though I have a little heartburn referring to 10 stories as "high-rise"). Either way - it's eight occupied/residential floors, one floor for commercial/retail space and one floor for a gym and other amenities. Lessee... 8+1+1 = 10, last time I counted on my fingers.

[RVABizSenseMike]

Not to get caught in semantics but just to explain how we arrived at the 9-story figure: The plans describe the building height as 8 stories above grade, and the roof isn't technically listed as a story so based on plans, there would only be 9 full stories of living area. That said, I do understand how the roof could be seen as a "story" but in this instance I leaned on what the plans described. 

[I miss RVA]

12 minutes ago, RVABizSenseMike said:

Not to get caught in semantics but just to explain how we arrived at the 9-story figure: The plans describe the building height as 8 stories above grade, and the roof isn't technically listed as a story so based on plans, there would only be 9 full stories of living area. That said, I do understand how the roof could be seen as a "story" but in this instance I leaned on what the plans described. 

Thanks for the clarification, Mike. Makes sense - though I will say when seeing it on the skyline once it's built - or standing on the street corner and looking up at it (say from 6th and Franklin) and counting floors, the eyeball will see it as 10 stories. 

[Brent114]

Here at UrbanPlanet we don’t care about being technically correct, we care about height lol.  I’m gonna tell everyone it’s 10  

 

Thanks  for the clarification.  An undercount (layman’s understanding of submitted designs) seems pretty common in business reporting.  Always wondered why.   It’s like when the RTD reported that the new children’s hospital  had “topped out” even though we all knew there was still an additional 1-2 stories (heigh equivalent anyway) of mechanical rooms yet to be built.  

[plain]

I guess it could've been worse. They could've fooled us with some CoStar height lmao

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Here at UrbanPlanet we don’t care about being technically correct, we care about height lol.  I’m gonna tell everyone it’s 10  

 

Thanks  for the clarification.  An undercount (layman’s understanding of submitted designs) seems pretty common in business reporting.  Always wondered why.   It’s like when the RTD reported that the new children’s hospital  had “topped out” even though we all knew there was still an additional 1-2 stories (heigh equivalent anyway) of mechanical rooms yet to be built.  

Wellllllllll - TECHNICALLY it's correct to say it's 10 stories, regardless of how it's couched by the developers in their filing. Anyone with eyes can simply count -- vertically -- windows or places where there would be windows. Those rooftop terraces count as floors, and I have no idea why the developer isn't counting it. Let's recall that it was RBS that reported that the developer of Parc View at Commonwealth had added an additional floor during the design/planning phase - taking it from 15 stories as originally announced - to 16 stories. Counting the rooftop atrium/terrace or whatever those things are called, if you count from the ground going up - you get ground level retail, 14 floors of residences, one floor of that rooftop portion - a total of 16 floors.

With this apartment building, it's the ground floor with retail, eight levels of residences, one level of the rooftop portion - 10 floors.

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, plain said:

I guess it could've been worse. They could've fooled us with some CoStar height lmao

Hmmm... 
Man - we already have "actual feet" and CoStar Feet^TM... and now I suppose we'll have to have "actual floors" and RBS Floors^TM

Edited July 27, 2023 by I miss RVA

[wrldcoupe4]

Interesting on the bottom mentions Greenville approvals. 

Also a quick note as the article ties it in. I think the Genesis deal to buy 8th and main and convert to apartments is dead. It’s being marketed for sale again. 

[I miss RVA]

16 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Interesting on the bottom mentions Greenville approvals. 

Also a quick note as the article ties it in. I think the Genesis deal to buy 8th and main and convert to apartments is dead. It’s being marketed for sale again. 

I was wondering about that when I read it. I thought you'd said that the deal was a no-go for the Genesis folks.

Wonder what will become of that parking deck at 7th and Cary? I'd SOOOO love to see that little fella get knocked down and a nice 300 or 400 unit apartment building rise there on that corner.

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

10 hours ago, plain said:

I guess it could've been worse. They could've fooled us with some CoStar height lmao

CoStar height/CoStar feet will never not be funny

Edited July 28, 2023 by RVA-Is-The-Best

[BigBobbyG]

Wait what are CoStar Feet? Is there something misleading about their new towers planned height?

Edited July 28, 2023 by BigBobbyG

[I miss RVA]

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

CoStar height/CoStar feet will never not be funny

And now we get to add "actual floors/RBS floors" into the mix - equally funny!

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, BigBobbyG said:

Wait what are CoStar Feet? Is there something misleading about their new towers planned height?

CoStar Feet came about because of how, in December 2021, when CoStar first announced plans for the new tower, they listed the building's height at 512 feet - indicating that the structure itself would be a 512-foot-tall building, making it the tallest in Richmond. Local media from RBS to the Times-Dispatch to the local TV news operations were reporting it as the tallest building in Richmond.

Except... that wasn't correct. After some considerable pushback on our part in our community here - and, if I remember correctly,@RVABizSenseMikegot involved and actually pushed CoStar for information - and it was later clarified, first in RBS, then later by other news outlets, that the building would indeed rise 512 feet -- ABOVE SEA LEVEL -- but that the structure itself would be only 425 feet tall, making it the only the second-tallest building in Richmond, behind the James Monroe Tower (449 feet).

Thus... CoStar Feet^TM was born. I forget who, specifically, in our community coined the phrase. Ice, maybe? I honestly can't remember. But needless to say, the terminology stuck and we've been applying it liberally ever since.

Edited July 28, 2023 by I miss RVA