Near West End

[I miss RVA]

UPDATE:

Here's updated reporting on the planned massive Willow Lawn redevelopment. The signature building looks like it will be 10 stories with 15-foot floor plates bringing the height to 150 feet (maybe 14 foot plates and the height inclusive of the mechanical box on top?) Most (if not all) of the other buildings are slated for six stories. So it could be worse. Could be better - but who knows. Things might change by the time this project eventually gets underway and starts being developed, and it'll be awesome to see not only the mall property repurposed for some significant density and legit urbanization but also (and particularly) the replacing of the vast sea of parking with residential and mixed-use buildings. Would be cool if the PULSE station could be moved to be part of the development, but that might be asking for too much.

Article includes some nifty renderings of architectural "concepts" of what might be developed. No actual renderings of what will be constructed are available as final designs are still being worked out.

From Friday's Richmond Times-Dispatch:

https://richmond.com/news/local/business/real-estate/henricos-willow-lawn-shopping-center-plans-major-redevelopment/article_cccdbd2e-69cf-11ee-be31-67867b8700d1.html

Edited October 15, 2023 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

The Richmond Planning Commission has approved the apartment building planned for the 4600 block of W. Broad (just east of Willow Lawn). Jonathan Spiers has reporting in today's RBS that the planning commission approved a slightly scaled down version of the building that will replace the 60-year-old Commonwealth Building. The developer - based in part on "concerns" (read: kvetching) from the adjacent Monument Avenue Park neighborhood - agreed to shave off one floor - reducing the building height from 7 stories to 6. Ugh... WHY is it always - ALWAYS - about height in this town? ARGGGHHH!!! 

Jonathan also reported that the developer indicated that the height reduction made for a "better project" - and became doable once the adjacent one-story Pro Printing building was acquired. That building will be razed. Maybe our gurus could clarify - but this sounds like by "better" the developer means "it pencils" - because it sounds like he might have made the swap for larger -- but fewer -- floor plates. I'm just a layman, but it sounds like for the developer it's economies of scale. Dunno - but that's just my guess.

Anyway - I was just recently wondering what had become of this development. Glad to see this one starting to move forward!

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/12/05/6-story-broad-st-apartment-project-east-of-willow-lawn-advances/

Edited December 5, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Flood Zone]

15 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

The developer - based in part on "concerns" (read: kvetching) from the adjacent Monument Avenue Park neighborhood - agreed to shave off one floor - reducing the building height from 7 stories to 6. Ugh... WHY is it always - ALWAYS - about height in this town? ARGGGHHH!!! 

Strongly disagree in this instance. This property is really, really, really close to people's homes.* I completely get it. 

Plus, it's shaving off one floor. If that's what needed to be done to move it along, one floor isn't much of a sacrifice. I'm reminded of the now-late Sandra Day O'Connor, whom I was fortunate enough to meet almost 20 years ago. She stressed then the importance of "soft concessions," as they are what make the world go 'round . This would certainly qualify in my mind.

Of greater concern to me, the rendering here is awfully ugly. Still better looking than what is currently there, but that is not much of a standard.

Finally, in my many, many trips past the current building over the years, I noticed it used to house the "Professional Bartenders Academy." I hope The Academy, wherever it is now, is thriving and still teaching future bartenders the tools of the trade.

*I know you're broadly referring to "this town," but it should be noted that this building will back right up to a residential neighborhood.

[Brent114]

I’m happy to see this moving along!

 
I was upset to see the reduction (population density leads to better amenities in the city).  I know people here hate NIBYS but I’m glad that they the are reason for the decrease in floors and not a lack of demand  

May we all live long enough to see the adjacent houses razed and replaced with something more dense.    I guess they can stay for a few more decades but like Ballston, these houses  can coexist with 20 story towers.   

Edited December 5, 2023 by Brent114

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, Flood Zone said:

Strongly disagree in this instance. This property is really, really, really close to people's homes.* I completely get it. 

Plus, it's shaving off one floor. If that's what needed to be done to move it along, one floor isn't much of a sacrifice. I'm reminded of the now-late Sandra Day O'Connor, whom I was fortunate enough to meet almost 20 years ago. She stressed then the importance of "soft concessions," as they are what make the world go 'round . This would certainly qualify in my mind.

Of greater concern to me, the rendering here is awfully ugly. Still better looking than what is currently there, but that is not much of a standard.

Finally, in my many, many trips past the current building over the years, I noticed it used to house the "Professional Bartenders Academy." I hope The Academy, wherever it is now, is thriving and still teaching future bartenders the tools of the trade.

*I know you're broadly referring to "this town," but it should be noted that this building will back right up to a residential neighborhood.

Oh - definitely. In truth, I get it as well - and yes, it does back right up against SFH's in the block immediately south. And you're correct - I was speaking more generally -- just an overall lament not aimed specifically at this project.

True - one floor isn't that big of a deal - and it sounds like the developer isn't scaling back the overall project (meaning trimming units). My guess is that by acquiring the little one-story building adjacent to the old Commonwealth Building, perhaps he's going with larger floor plates with a bigger overall footprint - and just swapping that to drop the height from 7 floors to 6. And as has been discussed here elsewhere - fewer - but larger - floor plates make construction a little less expensive than smaller - but more - floor plates. It costs more to go taller, which is probably why SO often in RVA a lot of residential buildings are a lot wider than they are tall, whereas in other cities (larger, greater demand, higher land value) the buildings tend to be taller than they are wide.

The rendering is absolutely awful. It looks very preliminary and I'd be willing to guess that if there was something more detailed, it might look better. We can only hope the building itself looks far better than this really bare-bones rendering.

[I miss RVA]

38 minutes ago, Brent114 said:

I’m happy to see this moving along!

I know people here hate NIBYS but I’m glad that they the are reason for the decrease in floors and not a lack of demand  

but like Ballston, these houses  can coexist with 20 story towers.   

1.) Same here. I was just thinking about this project a few days ago, wondering whatever had become of it.

2.) Agreed. Far better that demand isn't the reason the project got slightly shaved.

3.) AMEN!!! I couldn't agree more, @Brent114. I realize that, unfortunately, that's not a popular opinion in this beloved burg of ours, but still... you're right as rain about this. 

[Rooster]

I like the idea of the live-work spaces. Are there any examples of that already in Richmond? makes sense in an era where alot of buildings are adding residential floors above first floor commercial space...

[Flood Zone]

22 hours ago, Brent114 said:

I know people here hate NIBYS

There are NIMBYs and then there are NIMLBYs (not in my literal back yard), which would be the case for two or three of these houses.

[Brent114]

2 hours ago, Flood Zone said:

There are NIMBYs and then there are NIMLBYs (not in my literal back yard), which would be the case for two or three of these houses.

Yes.  And their backyards end at the alley.   The land north of the alley is not their backyard.   Broad Street certainly isn’t. 

[Flood Zone]

15 minutes ago, Brent114 said:

Yes.  And their backyards end at the alley.   The land north of the alley is not their backyard.   Broad Street certainly isn’t. 

All true. "Literal" was used for effect, not ... well, literally. My point only being that this is closer than most. 

(One could say, so what, there's already a 3-story building there. Sure, although this is something different.)

[eandslee]

3 hours ago, Flood Zone said:

All true. "Literal" was used for effect, not ... well, literally. My point only being that this is closer than most. 

(One could say, so what, there's already a 3-story building there. Sure, although this is something different.)

But the city rezoned this land as TOD (up to 12 stories).  A building at only 6 stories does not measure up to this land’s potential!  So, in that regard, it’s a disappointment. 

[Flood Zone]

Just now, eandslee said:

But the city rezoned this land as TOD (up to 12 stories).  A building at only 6 stories does not measure up to this land’s potential!  So, in that regard, it’s a disappointment. 

Up to, though. It has the potential for 12 stories, but that doesn't make it desirable for that spot. I pass by there every day, and I just don't see how 12 stories there would be in anyone's interest.

[Icetera]

On 12/6/2023 at 4:53 PM, Flood Zone said:

Up to, though. It has the potential for 12 stories, but that doesn't make it desirable for that spot. I pass by there every day, and I just don't see how 12 stories there would be in anyone's interest.

Currently, perhaps not, but things are about to get much more dense just two blocks Northwest.  There is also a Pulse stop next-door and a grocery store across the street (an amenity I would love to have).

[Flood Zone]

24 minutes ago, Icetera said:

Currently, perhaps not, but things are about to get much more dense just two blocks Northwest.  There is also a Pulse stop next-door and a grocery store across the street (an amenity I would love to have).

Certainly. I'm happy about all; I live a stone's throw from WL and am overjoyed by what the general area is becoming.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, the property being discussed is rather sui generis in that area. The same alley to which Brent114 refers is where those people place their recycling bins on Thursdays. It's really, really tight.

 

[I miss RVA]

An update on developments in red-hot Westhampton:

Construction is underway on the five-story mixed-used building -- the final piece in the overall Westhampton Commons development - at Libbie and Park avenues, next to the already redeveloped former Westhampton School building. RBS has reporting today that investment firm Brockenbrough, the non-profit Red Gates Foundation and accounting firm Bryan Brothers will relocate their offices to the new building, joining anchor-tenant Bon Secours in the commercial portion of the building, which will comprised the first two floors. The top three floors will have 53 apartments. 

Interesting nugget: the developer said that the building was fully pre-leased prior to the start of construction. Pretty cool, all in all!

From today's RIchmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/12/13/wealth-management-firm-nonprofit-joining-bon-secours-at-upcoming-westhampton-commons-building/

[eandslee]

8 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

An update on developments in red-hot Westhampton:

Construction is underway on the five-story mixed-used building -- the final piece in the overall Westhampton Commons development - at Libbie and Park avenues, next to the already redeveloped former Westhampton School building. RBS has reporting today that investment firm Brockenbrough, the non-profit Red Gates Foundation and accounting firm Bryan Brothers will relocate their offices to the new building, joining anchor-tenant Bon Secours in the commercial portion of the building, which will comprised the first two floors. The top three floors will have 53 apartments. 

Interesting nugget: the developer said that the building was fully pre-leased prior to the start of construction. Pretty cool, all in all!

From today's RIchmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/12/13/wealth-management-firm-nonprofit-joining-bon-secours-at-upcoming-westhampton-commons-building/

Below was my favorite quote from the article.  This quote clearly speaks for itself, so Class A office space is not dead in Richmond. In fact, if it is the right location and done the right way, it’s in very high demand!

 “Demand for class A office space at Westhampton Commons has been so high that I’m convinced we could have filled this building multiple times over,” Guillot said in an email.

“The headlines declaring that office space is dead are misleading.… For the right location with a mixed-use design and walkable amenities, demand for class A office space is very strong,” he said. 

Edited December 14, 2023 by eandslee

[wrldcoupe4]

He’s definitely correct. 

[I miss RVA]

56 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

He’s definitely correct. 

Glad that's the case. Coupe, a couple of questions:

1.) How does downtown once again become one of those "right locations"? Or has that ship sailed for the foreseeable future?

2.) While demand is great, I get the feeling that any office development in the near term is going to be of the small-scale variety - meaning - we shouldn't hold our collective breath waiting for something akin to the failed Block-D-type of development to come along (meaning, a 20-(or more)-story office building to grace the downtown skyline anytime soon. Safe to say that unless something changes in a positive manner, the CoStar tower is gonna be the "last of the Mohicans" (so to speak) for any kind of office development of significant size (particularly height) downtown? Also - is it correct to say that the only thing that would solve this would be to lure a real heavyweight to either fully relo, lock-stock-and-barrel to RVA - and specifically downtown - or to open an HQ2 downtown? I get the feeling that anything of any decent height in City Center will come from the proposed big hotel (if that group wins the bid) and big resldential towers. Didn't seem like there's a ton of office space planned though. All of which goes back to point 1: how do we make downtown a high-demand "gotta be there" kind of place?

[Flood Zone]

RBS story on a planned 4-story development to replace the current Westhampton Pastry Shop building (which also houses two other businesses; those spots have been a revolving door for years).

We'll see if it becomes a reality as 4 floors. The plan includes 25 covered parking spots, which is a good idea, albeit will probably also be a kind of tight one. That said, (1) although this area is very walkable for us, I'll kind of miss the soldier-of-fortune parking lot on the Libbie side of the building; and (2) I wonder if some sort of parking arrangement will be worked out with The Grill next door, because it's a certainty some of its patrons will use those spots on Sundays or at night.

[I miss RVA]

It's a pretty sweet looking project - and really fits the neighborhood. Hoping the rezoning process will go smoothly and that approvals will come quickly.

Check it out!

Renderings and map courtesy of Richmond BizSense:

Edited December 18, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Flood Zone]

"Ugly Dumpling" coming to the former American Tap Room spot at Willow Lawn.

Per the article: "Ugly Dumpling’s menu is filled with dishes inspired by Shanghai street food, including steamed buns, dumplings and wontons, as well as fried rice and noodle dishes." Sounds pretty good! My kids love steamed buns and dumplings, so we'll give it a shot.

I wish this place well. The spot has been a Bermuda triangle of sorts. Three restaurants have come and gone in the past decade, and nothing has occupied it since before the pandemic, as I recall. The adjoining space has had more success. Trevinia wine bar was there several years (I believe it closed due to a corporate bankruptcy), and, after a brief run as a crab place, it's now a sushi restaurant that is quite good and does nice business.

Edited January 31 by Flood Zone

[I miss RVA]

(NOTE: This could just as easily be posted in the "Libbie Mill/Westwood" thread)

@RVABizSenseMike has reporting in today's RBS that the property at 4400 W. Broad is back on the market after the second out-of-town developer walked away from the project due to changing capital markets and interest rates. Our good friend Bruce Milam is the broker handling this property - and he's confident a new developer who can jump in and build the proposed 340-unit residential project will be found. Apparently there's very little legwork that would need to be done with the county. The SUPs are in place, permits are in place - and Bruce describes the property as "almost shovel ready". 

Sorry to see yet another hiccup with this parcel - it's been primed for redevelopment now for the past couple of years. Still - Bruce is bullish on the entirety of that stretch of W. Broad exploding with development over coming decade. He said the following in the comments section to the article:

"This entire strip along Broad Street from Scotts Addition to I-64 will evolve into a corridor of high density mixed use over the next ten years as the car dealerships and old retail is replaced. I watched it happen on Leesburg Pike in Tysons Corner and it’ll happen here on a smaller scale."

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/02/28/6-acre-broad-st-site-back-on-the-market-after-second-contract-falls-through/

Edited February 28 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

"This entire strip along Broad Street from Scotts Addition to I-64 will evolve into a corridor of high density mixed use over the next ten years as the car dealerships and old retail is replaced. I watched it happen on Leesburg Pike in Tysons Corner and it’ll happen here on a smaller scale."

Would love to see this area morph on an equal scale, not a smaller one.  As if they’re saying, “Oh look at Richmond growing, but on an itsy bitsy scale…isn’t she just cute [pinches cheeks]?  She’s just the miniature version of DC and will perpetually live in its shadow!”  Can’t roll eyes hard enough.

[I miss RVA]

13 minutes ago, eandslee said:

"This entire strip along Broad Street from Scotts Addition to I-64 will evolve into a corridor of high density mixed use over the next ten years as the car dealerships and old retail is replaced. I watched it happen on Leesburg Pike in Tysons Corner and it’ll happen here on a smaller scale."

Would love to see this area morph on an equal scale, not a smaller one.  As if they’re saying, “Oh look at Richmond growing, but on an itsy bitsy scale…isn’t she just cute [pinches cheeks]?  She’s just the miniature version of DC and will perpetually live in its shadow!”  Can’t roll eyes hard enough.

I thought that as well when I read Bruce's comments. What was the term we came up with for this very thing a couple of years ago - "Richmond scale", right?  The obvious inference that "Richmond scale" is unquestionably smaller and, thus, not nearly as robust, impactful or impressive vis a vis the "normal scale" kinds of developments seen in NOVA, Nashville, Austin, the Carolina cities, etc. 

I'm 100% with you on that, @eandslee. I kinda did have a tad of heartburn upon reading that.

[Flood Zone]

19 hours ago, eandslee said:

"This entire strip along Broad Street from Scotts Addition to I-64 will evolve into a corridor of high density mixed use over the next ten years as the car dealerships and old retail is replaced. I watched it happen on Leesburg Pike in Tysons Corner and it’ll happen here on a smaller scale."

Would love to see this area morph on an equal scale, not a smaller one.  As if they’re saying, “Oh look at Richmond growing, but on an itsy bitsy scale…isn’t she just cute [pinches cheeks]?  She’s just the miniature version of DC and will perpetually live in its shadow!”  Can’t roll eyes hard enough.

As someone who lives there, and who supports all the area projects (this, WL, etc.), I will add that I would most certainly not like to see this area morph on an equal scale to Leesburg Pike.