Diamond Area / Hermitage Rd Corridor / Ownby District

[wrldcoupe4]

2 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

More reporting on the ballpark/Diamond District - this time related specifically to the ballpark and the Squirrels. Man - not sure what the disconnect between the city and the ballclub are - but apparently DiBella was in the dark about the city making an announcement on Monday night that the timeframe for the opening of a new facility was being pushed back by a year. Sounds like MLB IS willing to work with everyone - PROVIDED - there is documentation proving funding/financing in place, a ballpark design AND a construction time-table - NONE OF WHICH CURRENTLY HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC IF, IN FACT, THEY EXIST!

I get that the developers and the city have had to make adjustments due to changes in the economic situation - but that the three primary "proofs" that MLB is requiring in order for an extension to be put in place apparently aren't yet available is very troubling. Not sure who this falls upon - the developer, the city or both?

From yesterday's Richmond Times-Dispatch:

https://richmond.com/sports/flying-squirrels/per-letter-from-mlb-it-wants-more-evidence-that-richmond-will-be-building-ballpark/article_aeeea224-e369-11ed-92c4-33ebef89e9c2.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

Sense of building the stadium is the developers obligation, there’s no way they are going to pay for the design to be completed until they have all of their agreements of the city buttoned up.

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Sense of building the stadium is the developers obligation, there’s no way they are going to pay for the design to be completed until they have all of their agreements of the city buttoned up.

Thanks, Coupe. So... help me understand this process a little better - the design portion is dependent upon the developer and the city reaching all of the financial (and other) agreements first? Meaning - the developer isn't required to provide some kind of design specs to the city prior to finalization of any/all provisions?

[Brent114]

I really am trying to warm up to this development.  I was getting closer to being on board and then I had some free time one Saturday a few weeks ago. 
 

I went up to Alexandria to aimlessly walk around.  I parked near the Carlyle Crossing development and walking though (only pedestrian in sight) there reminded me why I’m so repulsed by these big redevelopment projects.  It’s all easier to take when they come quickly and are financed cleanly.  But alas…

 

The city is exerting far too much effort on what at best will be a shiny turd.   Meanwhile ignored  parts of the city are redeveloping themselves, slowly but surely while the city is jumping thorough hoops to rebuild something that already exists.  While distracted, gas stations, drive-throughs and car washes are filling in all around the Diamond ensuring that despite the effort (and now public money) there will be no spillover effect. 

[I miss RVA]

36 minutes ago, Brent114 said:

While distracted, gas stations, drive-throughs and car washes are filling in all around the Diamond ensuring that despite the effort (and now public money) there will be no spillover effect. 

That nauseating "Scott's Walk" monstrosity is an affront to this entire district. Unfortunately, it got in before the area was upzoned to TOD-1. No idea if TRP would have altered their approach had upzoning already been in place. My guess is they MIGHT have - proof of that is in the 7-story apartment building proposed to rise on Ellen Road just BEHIND this horrid monument fo car-centric wasteful, suburban style strip retailing. And - I believe this apartment building entered the pipeline well after that entire swath was upzoned to TOD-1.

Of COURSE, TRP duplicated the clownishness with a similar strip-retail development proposed for a PRIME intersection - Cowardin and Semmes avenues in Manchester - right at the dividing line between Manchester and Swansboro. I sometimes think these folks never met a Sheetz or a WaWa they didn't like. 

Edited April 26, 2023 by I miss RVA

[BigBobbyG]

Here's an interesting tidbit of news that I'm not sure was public knowledge or not. I was sending emails of support and to expedite the process to get the diamond district started to all of the councilmembers and the mayor when I received this reply back.

"Thanks for your email.  City Council is expected to vote on the diamond development legislation on Monday 5/8.  Your position has been received and duly noted."

I know in the RBS article they mentioned that its going to Organizational Development Standing Committee this Monday but I hadn't heard that the council would be voting on it the following week. Hopefully that means they are showing a little bit of urgency now with all of this.

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, BigBobbyG said:

Here's an interesting tidbit of news that I'm not sure was public knowledge or not. I was sending emails of support and to expedite the process to get the diamond district started to all of the councilmembers and the mayor when I received this reply back.

"Thanks for your email.  City Council is expected to vote on the diamond development legislation on Monday 5/8.  Your position has been received and duly noted."

I know in the RBS article they mentioned that its going to Organizational Development Standing Committee this Monday but I hadn't heard that the council would be voting on it the following week. Hopefully that means they are showing a little bit of urgency now with all of this.

This IS news! I wonder how this will impact other agenda items - such as the SUP for the apartment building at Grove & Thompson? (PRAYING that the SUP gets QUICKLY approved - and NOT tabled to a future meeting...)

[wrldcoupe4]

I’d be shocked if they didn’t continue at at least once. 

[I miss RVA]

58 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

I’d be shocked if they didn’t continue at at least once. 

Wait - continue WHICH measure? The Grove Avenue SUP? Or the Diamond District vote?

[wrldcoupe4]

Diamond District. 

[BigBobbyG]

13 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

I’d be shocked if they didn’t continue at at least once. 

Yeah you’re probably right. Though personally I’m hoping they are getting enough pressure to just approve it immediately.

[wrldcoupe4]

Totally agree 

[I miss RVA]

13 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Totally agree 

!!  Same here.

[Child2021]

 Stadium deal for the Squirrels requires serious oversight

Here's a more in depth analysis about the Stadium. 

[I miss RVA]

26 minutes ago, Child2021 said:

 Stadium deal for the Squirrels requires serious oversight

Here's a more in depth analysis about the Stadium. 

Solid piece in the RT-D with a lot to think about and chew on. As always - calling on any/all of our CRE gurus - most especially @wrldcoupe4& @upzoningisgoodto weigh in with your thoughts on what was detailed in this article and offer your crystal ball view on how you see things progressing. As a layman, I find this stuff to be well above my pay grade, and Coupe & Upzoning - the two of you are always able to boil these things down into language that's easy for us non-experts to understand. How do you see this shaking out?

[Flood Zone]

40 minutes ago, Child2021 said:

 Stadium deal for the Squirrels requires serious oversight

Here's a more in depth analysis about the Stadium. 

Fascinating look at the insides of this thing. Much more informative than "Oh no, will MLB grant us an extension?!?" (of course!).   

[I miss RVA]

10 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

Fascinating look at the insides of this thing. Much more informative than "Oh no, will MLB grant us an extension?!?" (of course!).   

 !!!   Fully agreed.

[BigBobbyG]

Man, after reading all of that it does sound pretty messy, at least what I can understand from it. I’m definitely looking at it from a laymen’s perspective as well. 
 

This is purely an emotional take but man do I hope when 2026 or 2027 comes around I’m still able to take my family to a squirrels game. I’m so sick of common city experiences (like going to a sporting event) getting exported to the counties or even worse us as a metro losing them entirely. 
 

 

[Urbs42]

1 hour ago, BigBobbyG said:

Man, after reading all of that it does sound pretty messy, at least what I can understand from it. I’m definitely looking at it from a laymen’s perspective as well. 
 

This is purely an emotional take but man do I hope when 2026 or 2027 comes around I’m still able to take my family to a squirrels game. I’m so sick of common city experiences (like going to a sporting event) getting exported to the counties or even worse us as a metro losing them entirely. 
 

 

I used to think there is no way this doesn't get done. Now I feel like it will take a miracle. 

[I miss RVA]

3 minutes ago, Urbs42 said:

I used to think there is no way this doesn't get done. Now I feel like it will take a miracle. 

Unfortunately, back in September we didn't anticipate seven months of "a whole lot of nothing" happening. I realize the economic conditions have been changing, particularly with rising interest rates - but at least SOME measure of alacrity would have been helpful in the seven (now almost eight) months since last September's announcement. 

[eandslee]

Here are more details of the construction timeline for the new baseball stadium.  Bottom Line:  Construction will not start until August of 2024!

https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/richmond-baseball-stadium-deadlines-made-public/

[wrldcoupe4]

Interview with the mayor:

https://www.nbc12.com/2023/05/01/richmonds-mayor-we-want-flying-squirrels-be-here-long-term/

[I miss RVA]

58 minutes ago, eandslee said:

Here are more details of the construction timeline for the new baseball stadium.  Bottom Line:  Construction will not start until August of 2024!

https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/richmond-baseball-stadium-deadlines-made-public/

Here's the timeline (from the article). Takeaway: They're expecting then a construction timeframe of 16 months. Is that on the aggressive side, given that previously weren't they looking at something more like 18 months? (Or am I not remembering this correctly)?

• Schematic design: May-August 2023
• Design development: August-December 2023
• Construction documents: November 2023-June 2024
• General contractor design budgeting, bidding and materials procurement: August 2023
• Demolition of Sports Backers Stadium, mass grading, environmental remediation: February-April 2024
• Groundbreaking for new stadium: April 2024
• Ballpark construction: August 2024-December 2025

[I miss RVA]

54 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Interview with the mayor:

https://www.nbc12.com/2023/05/01/richmonds-mayor-we-want-flying-squirrels-be-here-long-term/

Interesting takeaway - according to the mayor, downtown's residential population has grown by 45% since 2010. Mind you - the numbers were very thin to begin with - so the totals are only so impressive if that's the case - but still the rate of growth is very robust and really good to see. If we can keep this pace going for a decade or two, we could hit that magic 30K downtown population figure my urban planning professors at VCU said as far back as the early '80s was needed to build a sufficient critical mass of residents in downtown to make the district a vibrant, vital, 24-7-365 kind of place.

Edited May 2, 2023 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Y'all know I'm 100% opposed to this on every possible level.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/05/02/diamond-district-adjacent-historic-district-proposed-for-expansion/

[ancientcarpenter]

7 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

Y'all know I'm 100% opposed to this on every possible level.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/05/02/diamond-district-adjacent-historic-district-proposed-for-expansion/

 

So, in summary, developers can demo these warehouses but these new historic designations would encourage them to do renos of existing structures because they can apply for historic tax credits? Essentially crippling hurting the potential for high density high rise potential in most of this area since developers would be more inclined to just go down the reno route instead of "demo and build up?" Am I understanding this correctly?

Edited May 2, 2023 by ancientcarpenter