MacArthur Mall REDEVELOPMENT (Proposed/Planning) City of Norfolk

[urbanvb]

Dillards is closing in September.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/08/12/macarthur-center-dillards-set-to-close-in-september/

Edited August 13, 2023 by urbanvb

[baobabs727]

--------

[NFKfloodcaptain]

On 8/9/2023 at 11:07 AM, baobabs727 said:

 

I suppose if YOU are satisfied with this so-called "plan" ...in so much as it...DUH...entails controlling yet another mall--2 of 2 total--in hopes of one day doing sumthinarutherwithit, that is all that matters.   

My statement was absolutely not a position of satisfaction actually. 

[baobabs727]

4 hours ago, NFKfloodcaptain said:

My statement was absolutely not a position of satisfaction actually. 

Ok, cool, but the other guy/gal was correct. As an aside, I've never supported municipalities playing the role of real estate investor or developer.  Government is poorly suited to expertly execute on such endeavors.  It's also not their natural role.

Edited August 17, 2023 by baobabs727

[mintscraft56]

The city better not mess this up. Though saying that is almost equivalent to the chances of an elf delivering me piles of gold in my sleep.  

[urbanvb]

Dillards closing September 4.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/08/28/macarthur-center-dillards-will-close-sept-4/?lctg=44A7143FE489A49ED4B71457B1&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.pilotonline.com%2f2023%2f08%2f28%2fmacarthur-center-dillards-will-close-sept-4%2f&utm_campaign=Inside-Business&utm_content=curated

[zeppelin14]

This mall freakin sucks, yet city council wants to keep on operating it as a mall with no further plans. Imbecile's.

[Norf Native]

Here we go again.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/11/28/whats-next-for-macarthur-center-ideas-include-convention-center-mixed-use-development/

 

[carolinaboy]

17 hours ago, Norf Native said:

Here we go again.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/11/28/whats-next-for-macarthur-center-ideas-include-convention-center-mixed-use-development/

 

Convention center, casino, mixed-use are all better options than a dead mall. Do this right by having residential to bring more full-time residents downtown. A convention center to bring customers for downtown businesses and hotels. A casino to make it "an exciting place". Keep some retail tenants facing the streets. Then upgrade Scope and Chrysler Hall. All great things to help re-energize downtown.  These are all things the City can do. I would bet a new convention center and casino in the heart of downtown would interest hotel developers.

[HRVT]

4 minutes ago, carolinaboy said:

Convention center, casino, mixed-use are all better options than a dead mall. Do this right by having residential to bring more full-time residents downtown. A convention center to bring customers for downtown businesses and hotels. A casino to make it "an exciting place". Keep some retail tenants facing the streets. Then upgrade Scope and Chrysler Hall. All great things to help re-energize downtown.  These are all things the City can do. I would bet a new convention center and casino in the heart of downtown would interest hotel developers.

I think the best use there would be to entice a research company to set up shop there. Specifically one who specializes in urban development studies.

There would be no shortage of work.

[mintscraft56]

Looks like NATO and the Navy are looking into a bigger presence downtown. Thats cool. A military downtown lol. 

[lammius]

2 minutes ago, mintscraft56 said:

Looks like NATO and the Navy are looking into a bigger presence downtown. Thats cool. A military downtown lol. 

Great.  So a fortified bunker downtown?  

[BFG]

3 hours ago, HRVT said:

I think the best use there would be to entice a research company to set up shop there. Specifically one who specializes in urban development studies.

There would be no shortage of work.

I’ll be the first to apply. I could make six figures to suggest projects that’ll never come to fruition. 

[BFG]

My fiancée and I walked through downtown tonight and went in MacArthur. It was fairly busy for a dying mall, but I noticed several pop-up shops and art galleries. With it only being a short walk from Neon, Norfolk should heavily consider more studio spaces as part of MacArthur 2.0. Something to bridge the gap between Neon and Selden Arcade. 

One of the former big box stores would make a nice soundstage. 

[vdogg]

On 11/29/2023 at 10:29 AM, lammius said:

Great.  So a fortified bunker downtown?  

I think some barbed wire and tank traps will spruce Granby right up don't you?

[mintscraft56]

53 minutes ago, vdogg said:

I think some barbed wire and tank traps will spruce Granby right up don't you?

Wait till they start digging trenches! 

[HRVT]

On 12/9/2023 at 9:48 PM, BFG said:

My fiancée and I walked through downtown tonight and went in MacArthur. It was fairly busy for a dying mall, but I noticed several pop-up shops and art galleries. With it only being a short walk from Neon, Norfolk should heavily consider more studio spaces as part of MacArthur 2.0. Something to bridge the gap between Neon and Selden Arcade. 

One of the former big box stores would make a nice soundstage. 

This time of year, you could put a cardboard sign saying "retail" up and people would flock. Literally every retail outlet is swarmed. I bet if you go back in February, the place will be dead and many/most of those pop up shops will be gone.

As for MacArthur 2.0, I don't think that's something to worry about. Demolish the whole thing (or at least most of it). Connect back some city blocks. You can have maybe an element of some ground floor and even up to 2nd floor retail with perhaps connecting bridges to cross some streets but otherwise, completely reimagine that area. That is a HUGE footprint to be taken up by a basically dead mall and the last thing Downtown Norfolk needs is Newmarket Mall 2.0 or anything resembling that.

 

[HRVT]

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/norfolk-state-of-the-city-event-macarthur-centers-future-could-be-discussed/?fbclid=IwAR0YMf6Z_Vfwszs2UCYJfewgWjjrYTRQeceM5SYAvgBdnGHAedoQt2bmAjE

Obviously details to come but these appear some grand plans. 400 room hotel and potentially three high-rises!

[Arctic_Tern]

Like the buildings+promenade, hate that both parking garages are staying. Those eat up so much good real estate and stick out like a sore thumb. This city continues to be incredibly unambitious 

[vdogg]

15 minutes ago, HRVT said:

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/norfolk-state-of-the-city-event-macarthur-centers-future-could-be-discussed/?fbclid=IwAR0YMf6Z_Vfwszs2UCYJfewgWjjrYTRQeceM5SYAvgBdnGHAedoQt2bmAjE

Obviously details to come but these appear some grand plans. 400 room hotel and potentially three high-rises!

Those look like VERY tall buildings by Norfolk standards. At least 2 of those would easily clear tallest in the city. I refuse to get excited, been burned too many times before. Still waiting for 78 at St. Paul’s to get off the ground… This is, however, the first semi-exciting SoC we’ve had in years though, so at least that’s progress.

[urbanlife]

15 minutes ago, Arctic_Tern said:

Like the buildings+promenade, hate that both parking garages are staying. Those eat up so much good real estate and stick out like a sore thumb. This city continues to be incredibly unambitious 

I agree with you about the garages, since they do eat up a lot of real estate, but an argument for keeping the garages is that they are expensive to building and these towers will probably rely on them heavily so that the towers themselves won't need garages, which reduces construction costs. Looking at the rendering and Google Maps, it is possible that the southern garage along City Hall Ave could one day be redeveloped if the demand is there. The other garage will probably always be there because it doesn't seem like there is much opportunity to reconnect anything to the northern part of downtown in that area.

[HRVA]

Unless there’s actual names behind the proposal, I have to assume this is all conceptual. I will wait to see if there’s any additional details to come out but I’m pessimistic about a substantial redevelopment happening anytime soon. 

[HRVT]

1 hour ago, vdogg said:

Those look like VERY tall buildings by Norfolk standards. At least 2 of those would easily clear tallest in the city. I refuse to get excited, been burned too many times before. Still waiting for 78 at St. Paul’s to get off the ground… This is, however, the first semi-exciting SoC we’ve had in years though, so at least that’s progress.

Trying to gain a rough count, they appear to be 25 stories or so. Now, they also look incredibly generic so it could just be an illustrative example to show a general look. But if this gets built in any way resembling these pictures, thats HUGE.

[Urbanlooker]

Yeah this looks absolutely great but very generic which makes me think it's conceptual and not alegit proposal from a developer yet. Especially with the lack of firm details being presented. So I will not be holding my breathe but I definitely hope this or something even bigger happens. 

[baobabs727]

2 hours ago, Arctic_Tern said:

Like the buildings+promenade, hate that both parking garages are staying. Those eat up so much good real estate and stick out like a sore thumb. This city continues to be incredibly unambitious 

Are we talking full demo of the 3 story structure?