Richmond's Canal Walk

[burt]

I agree about the state deck at 14th and Main. It should be available for free or at a low cost to people wanting to come downtown. One of the biggest complaints I hear from people is about having to pay to park. If there's a free or very low cost option, it could be beneficial.

Isn't there lots of empty space on Main between 14th and 15th across from the new deck where another parking facility could be built?

[wrldcoupe4]

I personally would rather see some nice urban infill over a deck there.

[Icetera]

Meanwhile, the City has banned, effective today, parking on both sides of Main Street from about 17th to 21st Streets from 4PM 'til 3AM. Apparently residents and business owners have complained about traffic and cruising in the Bottom. It was mentioned in the report that a 100-space lot would soon be ready in the area, but did not identify its location. Presumably it is Cathedral Walk.

Is the State's new garage at 14th and Main available for after-dark parking?

From what I have seen, that new parking garage is sealed shut with a large, solid, metal door at night. What a waste.

[ric75]

From what I have seen, that new parking garage is sealed shut with a large, solid, metal door at night. What a waste.

Yep. The State needs to contract a company to take care of towing, surveillance, and parking fees so that this deck can be open on weeknights and weekends. It's an ideal location to access Shockoe Bottom, Shockoe Slip, the CBD, and Cnal Turning Basin and would get plenty of business IMO. Shockoe Bottom is hurting for a real parking garage. Those eyesores on 18th only hurt the area. Someone needs to snap up the lot on the corner of 18th and Main and put a builidng there.

[Icetera]

Yep. The State needs to contract a company to take care of towing, surveillance, and parking fees so that this deck can be open on weeknights and weekends. It's an ideal location to access Shockoe Bottom, Shockoe Slip, the CBD, and Cnal Turning Basin and would get plenty of business IMO. Shockoe Bottom is hurting for a real parking garage. Those eyesores on 18th only hurt the area. Someone needs to snap up the lot on the corner of 18th and Main and put a builidng there.

I agree, I hate that surface parking lot at such a valuable corner.

[JSI]

BlackFinn MySpace

[burt]

BlackFinn MySpace

Thanks, JSI.

Hahaha. Now I think I understand what the word "Metrosexual" means -- a beautiful person who wears the latest styles and loves to mingle.

It looks like BlackFinn Richmond will be the next Have a Nice Day Cafe.

Check out http://www.blackfinnrichmond.com for a nifty video.

From all I can gather after studying the myspace carefully ( ) opening is scheduled for May 17th.

[ShadyGrove]

Hi folks,

I've been enjoying checking in on this board every now and then for months now, thought I'd finally chime in...

My wife and I went down to the riverfront for the first time in a while friday night and I've got to say I was amazed at how well things seem to finally be coming together. We went early (~7) to Blackfinn and it was already packed. There were more people standing around drinking than eating, but I didnt see any empty tables the couple hours we were there. The place looks great and the plaza there is spectacular. Afterwards we walked along the canal - music from Friday Cheers booming along the canal. The power plant building and smokestack is alot more impressive than it looks from the bridge. Our waiter told us a club was going in there soon. I forgot what he called it (it wasnt Blanc Bleu) but he was very upbeat about the future of the area. As you walk along the side there is about 20-30 feet between the plywood wall of the walk and the side of the building - seemed perfect for an eventual stretch of kiosks or some light retail. And what's that amazing building directly across the canal (city side)? I know Alcoa's industrial complex wraps around it (and hides it from the front) but it looked totally empty to me. A conversion of that one would complete a scene that could rival any European capital.

Well, maybe I'm getting carried away. First, the "two canal walks" have to be connected! As soon as you pass the power plant you have to criss-cross a series of stairs and paths to emerge east of Alcoa on the other side. I didnt think it was that bad - it's not very far - but my wife was kind of creeped out. I like Burts idea of a trolley, but the walk has to be fixed first. Does anybody know what Alcoa is thinking? Are thye just ignoring all this stuff happening around them? In the short term there should at least be some effort to improve the existing path - more lighting/landscaping/something. There were lots of people on both "sides" but I didnt see many of them crossing over.

When we got to the other side I was amazed to see actual people crowded around. I've been down there many times over the past several years and am usually the only one there. Way to go Toads! There were hundreds of people streaming over to see Carbon Leaf, cars lining up for Mortons valet parking, Sine's patio was overflowing, foot traffic going through "These Four Walls", plus the regular traffic on Cary. I thought I was in another city. And what'll it be like when people are actually living in Vistas and Highwaters open?

We've waited 8 years since they built the canal walk on promises of future development. This is the summer when we finally get to see some of it! So all of you - go out to eat, see a show, drink plenty of beer, and take a cab home - its your civic duty!

[Cadeho]

I attended the grand opening of the Canal Walk and I was... get your pads and pencils everyone... OPTIMISTIC about the whole canal while many people were complaining more needed to have been built from the start. I guess they were used to suburban developments that give you the bada and the bing. Everything that's happened so far I saw then and then some things haven't happened yet. I'm glad you had a good time. And the building you're referring to, is it our favorite Italiante Villa by the Haxall millrace?

[ric75]

Welcome ShadyGrove. I was tempted to make a post after my ventures downtown Friday night as well but never got around to it. I have to agree whole-heartedy though... leaving Friday Cheers and walking down the Canal Walk past Blackfinn was quite an experience. Without a doubt it was the most people I had ever seen on the CanalWalk and it was 9pm on a Friday! Lots of folks were heading in the opposite direction towards Blackfinn and I helped direct a group of people down the Canal to Toad's Place for the Carbon Leaf show. That area truly is coming together and I hope that Shockoe Bottom will soon be able to merge into all that as well. Looking forward to seeing the completed Main Street Station Plaza and how that helps brighten the area.

[burt]

Thanks Shady and ric75 for being on the spot Friday night.

Shady, the Italinate building across from Blackfinn is what some of us like to call our "boutique hotel". My trolley would run along the canal in front of it before heading west on a chipped-out-of-the-hill right of way to Tredegar. Maybe instead of cutting across Alcoa's parking lot, it could climb to a track on top of the flood wall between Vistas and the hole at 12th Street. How would THAT be for river views?!! From there, it couild descend down some sort of ramp to the boutique hotel and continue west.

Several of us have pushed for a water connection between Haxall and Kanawa -- either via an extension east thru the hole in the flood wall, thence via locks to a new turning basin in Alcoa's lot. Then a new alignment to connect with the present canal near Toads. OR, connect the two canals by a boat lift over the flood wall. The latter would probably be less expensive and more attention-grabbing, but alas! no body listens to us.

It sure was good to hear about all the people traffic out in the area. See what you can find out about BLANC BLEU, please.

[wrldcoupe4]

Very nice post and welcome ShadyGrove. The italianate building you speak of is still owned by Alcoa, though I'm not sure if it is still in use by Alcoa. I imagine Alcoa is aware of their situation on the Canal, but relocating their facilities would definitely be a complex endeavor. Throw into the mix news of Alcoa's plan to spin off its Consumer Products division (Reynolds) and it only gets more complex (that facility is used to make Reynolds Wrap... on a hot summer day you can walk by and see huge spools of it through an open door!) Eventually, I'm confident that those parcels would be opened up to redevelopment. I don't think we'll see any possibility of a canal linkage until this occurs.

[Shakman]

Actually that facility packages the already made foil spoils and distributes them to stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Coast via truck. There is also another facility across the river which takes the packaged materials via rail. This facility is located next to Lengends. I would hope Alcoa could build upon that and move their canal operations there but canal side center has great highway access for the trucks.

[wrldcoupe4]

It takes the larger spools sent from across the river and breaks them down into the size necessary for consumer packaging, packages them, and send them out. I may be wrong but that was my understanding.

[journiyin]

It takes the larger spools sent from across the river and breaks them down into the size necessary for consumer packaging, packages them, and send them out. I may be wrong but that was my understanding.

Its all shiney to me. Would be nice to see them open a new plant across the river and unify their operations to allow more room to fix the flooding problem and open the canal up.

[Shakman]

Its all shiney to me. Would be nice to see them open a new plant across the river and unify their operations to allow more room to fix the flooding problem and open the canal up.

It's all a waste of land to me. I wonder if something can be worked out to relocate both facilities further down south along I-95 into one massive complex. Drinving down Commerce St, I have seen lots of areas that can house such a complex.

I would like to see the facility maintian its presence in Richmond, but not on two different waterfronts.

[wrldcoupe4]

Reynolds also has a facility further south maybe as far as Chesterfield on the eastern side of I-95... I wonder if there's available land nearby that would allow them to consolidate there?

[journiyin]

Reynolds also has a facility further south maybe as far as Chesterfield on the eastern side of I-95... I wonder if there's available land nearby that would allow them to consolidate there?

Would that be in the same area as the UPS distribution location?

[wrldcoupe4]

Not sure, the Reynolds location is here

[JSI]

It seems like they have been planning this for years, I'm glad they are finally about to begin:

Groundbreaking for the Richmond riverfront section of the Virginia Capital Trail scheduled.

I ran by this morning and could see they have already started. They recently put down some mulch also that looks nice.

[Cadeho]

So that's what that was in James City County... I liked seeing bikers use the trail along the road.

[ric75]

It seems like they have been planning this for years, I'm glad they are finally about to begin:

Groundbreaking for the Richmond riverfront section of the Virginia Capital Trail scheduled.

I ran by this morning and could see they have already started. They recently put down some mulch also that looks nice.

Seems like our stretch is going to be fairly short but I'll take it. How will this tie in with the Canal Walk down in the Bottom? I'm assuming people will be able to bike all the way to where they connect? I hope they have a nice plaza-like area at the connection with Richmond maps and info and a place to store your bikes. I'm assuming that eventually the Cathedral Walk will extend all the way to this point am I correct?

[JSI]

It's looks like they are very close to being done at the Cathedral Walk. I was down there today and they are done with landscaping, parking lines and they were power washing. Looks like a new traffic light has been put up for pedestrian crossing at Main St. as well.

I'm very excited about this because I'll be getting married at Main Street Station on September 15th and everything should be complete

[wrldcoupe4]

Congrats! And it looks like your guests won't have to play frogger trying to cross Main St afterwards!

[Cadeho]

Congrats JSI! That's an unusual place for a wedding... will the paper be present?