Belmont @ Freemason Progress

[varider]

I'm curious to know how many of these have been leased. I'm wondering if Norfolk's apartment market is strong enough to keep the demand high with all of these new apartments coming online. Every time I look at CaveMan's pictures I'm amazed at how dense our city is becoming. It's so cool how much development is going on in Norfolk at one time, and even better is how much we have to come. Light Rail was the best thing that ever happened to Norfolk.

[willy]

Lord I hope they do something with that parking garage.

[urbanlife]

Lord I hope they do something with that parking garage.

[mistermetaj]

This is starting to remind me of the ugly town houses they built on Granby St. across from the school. The water color renderings showed promise, but the final product looked cheap and suburban. Fast forward to Belmont at Freemason, it looks like nothing has changed. Norfolk needs to stop with the stucco and demand bricks and stone when developers try to build in a "classic" style. These buildings are starting to look out of place in an urban setting. I'm extremely disappointed. They aren't even contextual with Freemason (redbrick is needed for that). This is just getting bad bad bad.

[vtfan18]

Something we haven't discussed with this project is how the built environment will effect the pedestrian experience or in this particular case, the light rail commuter. Stay with me here...This project is massive in scale, relatively unpermeable with its small windows, and monotonous with its repeated massing/design. Vibrant pedestrian friendly streetscapes and neighboorhoods are those with interesting architecture that draws people in, makes people want to stroll, window shop, etc. One reason I like large all glass store fronts and residential design with lots of glass and oversized windows (mostly modern, wink wink!). It draws people in, enhances the pedestrian experience, creates a sense of place, reminds us that people live there or activity is taking place instead of just being a lifeless structure.

Now consider the HUGE missed opportunity the developer had to market this property and sell the idea of TOD. Light rail will run through the middle of this complex. Potentially thousands of light rail riders will pass through this stop on a daily basis. How much more interesting would it have been to be able to ride through and see people sitting out eating dinner on oversized balconies or to see into the units through large curtain wall glass and view hip cool living spaces? Instead you'll pass through and be greeting with a massive structure that feels more like riding through a back alley saying, "I wonder what those units look like?" Seriously imagine if those apartment were more contemporary like that of the Residence Inn. It would have been a compeltely different experience. Just some food for thought...

[CaveMaN]

Something we haven't discussed with this project is how the built environment will effect the pedestrian experience or in this particular case, the light rail commuter. Stay with me here...This project is massive in scale, relatively unpermeable with it's small windows, and monotonous with it's repeated massing/design. Vibrant pedestrian friendly streetscapes and neighboorhoods are those with interesting architecture that draws people in, makes people want to stroll, window shop, etc. One reason I like large all glass store fronts and residential design with lots of glass and oversized windows (mostly modern, wink wink!). It draws people in, enhances the pedestrian experience, creates a sense of place, reminds us that people live there or activity is taking place instead of just being a lifeless structure.

Now consider the HUGE missed opportunity the developer had to market this property and sell the idea of TOD. Light rail will run through the middle of this complex. Potentially thousands of light rail riders will pass through this stop on a daily basis. How much more interesting would it have been to be able to ride through and see people sitting out eating dinner on oversized balconies or to see into the units through large curtain wall glass and view hip cool living spaces? Instead you'll pass through and be greeting with a massive structure that feels more like riding through a back alley saying, "I wonder what those units look like?" Seriously imagine if those apartment were more contemporary like that of the Residence Inn. It would have been a compeltely different experience. Just some food for thought...

[mistermetaj]

Something we haven't discussed with this project is how the built environment will effect the pedestrian experience or in this particular case, the light rail commuter. Stay with me here...This project is massive in scale, relatively unpermeable with its small windows, and monotonous with its repeated massing/design. Vibrant pedestrian friendly streetscapes and neighboorhoods are those with interesting architecture that draws people in, makes people want to stroll, window shop, etc. One reason I like large all glass store fronts and residential design with lots of glass and oversized windows (mostly modern, wink wink!). It draws people in, enhances the pedestrian experience, creates a sense of place, reminds us that people live there or activity is taking place instead of just being a lifeless structure.

Now consider the HUGE missed opportunity the developer had to market this property and sell the idea of TOD. Light rail will run through the middle of this complex. Potentially thousands of light rail riders will pass through this stop on a daily basis. How much more interesting would it have been to be able to ride through and see people sitting out eating dinner on oversized balconies or to see into the units through large curtain wall glass and view hip cool living spaces? Instead you'll pass through and be greeting with a massive structure that feels more like riding through a back alley saying, "I wonder what those units look like?" Seriously imagine if those apartment were more contemporary like that of the Residence Inn. It would have been a compeltely different experience. Just some food for thought...

[vtfan18]

The original two renderings for the Belmont Tower were as you said and marketed as a major TOD. However, the NIMBYs of freemason fought to bring down the height and the business activity claiming it would disturb the neighborhood with the amount of people and cars it would bring. This was not the fault of the developer, but the city requiring this watered down version we see today. Yes, this is a huge missed opportunity. Lets hope the city learns from this.

[mistermetaj]

I'm not even referring to the height of the structure. It doesn't need to be a tower. To be more specific, double hung windows for this project in my opinion just kill it. Just like the double hung windows used at Pier Pointe Condominiums that sit on the pier next to the battleship. Norfolk also needs more pedestrian activity on multiple levels such as balconies and rooftops. A better design would have taken into account social interaction, green space, and the pedestrian scale for this particular site.

[vdogg]

Wow, tough crowd. This one really doesn't look that bad to me. Honestly, it could have turned out worse (Patrick Henry place anyone ). I really didn't have high expectations for this one so I guess it was kind of easy to exceed them.

[lil-bear]

It's not that bad, but it does look a little Disney like! They should have made it mixed-use, but oh well. We have density!!!!

[Sky06]

A view of Belmont plus light rail path:

[Sky06]

Entrance to construction site. Hope it's no indication of quality.

[Chesapeake Pirate]

Wonder where they prosecute the bad spellers ?

[willy]

It's amazing how much different this project looked back in '07.

[CaveMaN]

The apartments fronting Bute Street are apparently open now...there's a sign on the main building stating so- I guess they did "Open in June".

[varider]

[Telmnstr]

The apartments fronting Bute Street are apparently open now...there's a sign on the main building stating so- I guess they did "Open in June".

[mlsimons]

Yea those are done. Wish I knew how many people are willing to plunk down $1700/mo for a 2 bedroom apartment.

Co-worker said over near his place in ghent, there is stuff open everywhere. They are planning to move from their $800+ a month 1 bedroom to a pimped out 2 bedroom for $1K as soon as the lease is up.

Building I'm in is getting more Navy people. Go go housing allowance. Just hope they don't up the rents like it's been rumored. Hope they don't all see $$ signs in their eyes over the light rail garbage.

[Telmnstr]

I don't see what's so wrong about a housing allowance... I mean, Its just money for the servicemen to use for rent (if they choose). So essentially you can say its just part of their income. And as long as the base keeps growing, you will see servicemen needing to rent in Norfolk, and yes that will drive rents up. But that sounds like simple supply and demand economics.

[CaveMaN]

I don't see what's so wrong about a housing allowance... I mean, Its just money for the servicemen to use for rent (if they choose). So essentially you can say its just part of their income. And as long as the base keeps growing, you will see servicemen needing to rent in Norfolk, and yes that will drive rents up. But that sounds like simple supply and demand economics.

[brikkman]

What's wrong with it is that all of us are hard working americans. I'm not in the military, so my job doesn't give me an extra 1,000/month for rent... it comes out of my hourly rate. Those of us in the area not affiliated with the military get discouraged by this because it gives them the ability to actually pay a lot for rent...which causes all the apartments to jack up their prices full well knowing navy folk can afford it based on their military allowances. Those of us who aren't military, have a far harder time coming up with these ridiculous sums of monthly rent money.

Also, as I understand it, housing allowances are not taxed, but my hard earned hourly wage sure as heck is...

[urbanlife]

What's wrong with it is that all of us are hard working americans. I'm not in the military, so my job doesn't give me an extra 1,000/month for rent... it comes out of my hourly rate. Those of us in the area not affiliated with the military get discouraged by this because it gives them the ability to actually pay a lot for rent...which causes all the apartments to jack up their prices full well knowing navy folk can afford it based on their military allowances. Those of us who aren't military, have a far harder time coming up with these ridiculous sums of monthly rent money.

Also, as I understand it, housing allowances are not taxed, but my hard earned hourly wage sure as heck is...

[CaveMaN]

If it bothers you that much, you should either join the military or move to a non military city...seriously though, you are complaining about a government branch that is struggling to recruit new people and keep them there for the long term.

[urbanlife]

They'd probably have an easier time keeping people in if those people didn't make an extra hundred thousand bucks in their first 4 years. Why stay in when you have all that money to live on your own & then go to school for free on the GI Bill?

I was just expressing my opinion on why I think most people dont like the idea of allowances...it hurts those of us trying to make it on our own without government aid, which is all the allowance is.