Fulton / Rockett's Landing

[Shakman]

On 4/18/2023 at 9:00 AM, rjp212 said:

More details today on this project in RBS.   One of the commentors said they were ugly, but personally I love the look of them and appreciate a variety of architecture it brings to the market.

They also have a website up now.  https://www.fultoncrossingrva.com/

 

A port-a-potty looks better than this.

[ancientcarpenter]

On 4/19/2023 at 11:11 AM, Shakman said:

A port-a-potty looks better than this.

Seriously, please stop putting stained wood on homes. It looks horrible after a year because ain't nobody got time to be re-staining and glossing that stuff every year, especially as it's usually in an awkward hard-to-read spot of homes.

Just build a bunch of row homes. Timeless. Historic. Solid. Beautiful. And they use space really well. 

Ugh, drive ways. Really? This is a suburban mentality from the developer. What a waste. 

[I miss RVA]

4 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Seriously, please stop putting stained wood on homes. It looks horrible after a year because ain't nobody got time to be re-staining and glossing that stuff every year, especially as it's usually in an awkward hard-to-read spot of homes.

Just build a bunch of row homes. Timeless. Historic. Solid. Beautiful. And they use space really well. 

Ugh, drive ways. Really? This is a suburban mentality from the developer. What a waste. 

Brick rowhouses are probably cost-prohibitive for this developer. They look nice but probably are at least double the cost.

Edited April 21, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Brent114]

Once again, I like the look of these.  A lot. 

There are some chalet style apartments near the Libbie and Patterson  intersection (across from the old Pizza Hut ) from the 70’s  or 80’s.  They are stained wood and white stucco  and still look great, swanky in a Scorpio medallion nestled in a bush of chest hair kind of way.   I love those vibes lol 

[Brent114]

…the 35 year old woman in a tennis skit drinking a glass of Chardonnay….

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, Brent114 said:

Once again, I like the look of these.  A lot. 

There are some chalet style apartments near the Libbie and Patterson  intersection (across from the old Pizza Hut ) from the 70’s  or 80’s.  They are stained wood and white stucco  and still look great, swanky in a Scorpio medallion nestled in a bush of chest hair kind of way.   I love those vibes lol 

I like the style, too - especially for this part of the city. It's quirky and cool - or, as John Cleese of "Monty Python" fame often said - "And now for something completely different!" 

[Flood Zone]

On 4/21/2023 at 11:40 AM, Brent114 said:

…the 35 year old woman in a tennis skit drinking a glass of Chardonnay….

Used to live down the street from the Chalet. Always found the design fascinating, but in my experience you either had 23 year old dudes drinking Ice House or 65 year old ladies throwing cats at you and not much in between. 

[I miss RVA]

56 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

Used to live down the street from the Chalet. Always found the design fascinating, but in my experience you either had 23 year old dudes drinking Ice House or 65 year old ladies throwing cats at you and not much in between. 

Jesus - 65-year-old ladies throwing cats at you - that there is a mental image I now can't "unsee". 

[Brent114]

1 hour ago, Flood Zone said:

Used to live down the street from the Chalet. Always found the design fascinating, but in my experience you either had 23 year old dudes drinking Ice House or 65 year old ladies throwing cats at you and not much in between. 

I mean…that sounds kinda perfect,  to be honest:) 

[I miss RVA]

6 minutes ago, Brent114 said:

I mean…that sounds kinda perfect,  to be honest:) 

Totally does. Both - the 23-year-olds chugging Ice House and the older cat ladies hurling felines. Spot on, I must say,. 

[Icetera]

On 4/21/2023 at 11:16 AM, Brent114 said:

Once again, I like the look of these.  A lot. 

There are some chalet style apartments near the Libbie and Patterson  intersection (across from the old Pizza Hut ) from the 70’s  or 80’s.  They are stained wood and white stucco  and still look great, swanky in a Scorpio medallion nestled in a bush of chest hair kind of way.   I love those vibes lol 

I was just commenting how much I love that project while on a ride the other week.  We really need more like it.

[I miss RVA]

Per @RVABizSenseMike's reporting in today's RBS, the Richmond Economic Development Authority held a closed-door meeting last week to discuss the fate of the old Intermediate Terminal Building at 3101 E. Main Street as well as the disposition of former training facility for the Washington Commanders at 2701 W. Leigh, and the 9-acre swath of downtown that includes the Richmond Coliseum (which is the focal point of Phase I of the City Center redevelopment). Stone Brewing has long had plans for the Intermediate Terminal building. As for the former Commanders' training camp site - the mayor wants to convert it to green space - as if RVA doesn't have enough green space already. Personally, I say put the property up for sale for developers and let's get that section of Leigh Street redeveloped into some good density. RVA isn't Midtown Manhattan, which is choked with concrete, glass, steel and asphalt rendering it in desperate need of pockets of green space. RVA needs more development at this point - let's get our priorities straight on this one.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/08/28/city-eda-ponders-disposition-of-intermediate-terminal-building-other-properties/

[123fakestreet]

46 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

the mayor wants to convert it to green space

 

Ugh, as if there won't be that huge park in the DD a block away, AND the newly completed park a couple hundred feet away in front of the Children's Museum. Just stupid, but people will support it because no one wants to be against green space.

[ancientcarpenter]

43 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

Per @RVABizSenseMike's reporting in today's RBS, the Richmond Economic Development Authority held a closed-door meeting last week to discuss the fate of the old Intermediate Terminal Building at 3101 E. Main Street as well as the disposition of former training facility for the Washington Commanders at 2701 W. Leigh, and the 9-acre swath of downtown that includes the Richmond Coliseum (which is the focal point of Phase I of the City Center redevelopment). Stone Brewing has long had plans for the Intermediate Terminal building. As for the former Commanders' training camp site - the mayor wants to convert it to green space - as if RVA doesn't have enough green space already. Personally, I say put the property up for sale for developers and let's get that section of Leigh Street redeveloped into some good density. RVA isn't Midtown Manhattan, which is choked with concrete, glass, steel and asphalt rendering it in desperate need of pockets of green space. RVA needs more development at this point - let's get our priorities straight on this one.

From today's Richmond BizSense:

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/08/28/city-eda-ponders-disposition-of-intermediate-terminal-building-other-properties/

I respectfully disagree.

That area of RVA desperately needs green space. There are no parks or green spaces for people to enjoy. Fan has Byrd Park and VMFA that are walkable to. This area does not.

[Flood Zone]

35 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

As for the former Commanders' training camp site - the mayor wants to convert it to green space - as if RVA doesn't have enough green space already. Personally, I say put the property up for sale for developers and let's get that section of Leigh Street redeveloped into some good density.

Although green space is blah, the article hints perhaps as to why - the property is owned by the state, not the city. At any rate, I'm only half-kidding, but how about keeping it a football stadium? Put some bleachers in where the terraced seating is on the south end of the property, maybe do the same for the north side, put a track around the field, and voila ... we have a new Sports Backers Stadium!

(Despite being a big sports fan, I've never seen the allure of attending training camp. It's hot! And there's limited shade! And there really isn't much to do other than watching drills, which gets old. Best hope of anything fun is to depend on the negligence of the security personnel. That's how my then-9-year-old son got within 5 feet of Chase Young a couple summers ago. That man is one continuous muscle.) 

[Shakman]

20 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

I respectfully disagree.

That area of RVA desperately needs green space. There are no parks or green spaces for people to enjoy. Fan has Byrd Park and VMFA that are walkable to. This area does not.

It will become full off weeds and dog crap.  More "organic" growth with the help of "organic" fertilizer.  -joke

I'm not against parks but I think a mixed-use development with a pocket park would be better here than just a park.  There's enough room for both.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Shakman

[wrldcoupe4]

1 hour ago, ancientcarpenter said:

I respectfully disagree.

That area of RVA desperately needs green space. There are no parks or green spaces for people to enjoy. Fan has Byrd Park and VMFA that are walkable to. This area does not.

They just built a green space at the science museum and the ballpark project will have acres of it. 

[Brent114]

The training camp is already a park.  It’s a done deal.  This weekend’s Iron Blossom festival proves that it’s a good space for big events.   So what the city is saying is that it is a park and  will remain one.  Good. 
 

Unless the state and the DMV are planning on vacating the area, there’s no point in plopping down a single, sad apartment building.  The old training camp is already integrated into a park-like setting. It’s attractive and finished.  Move  on to something more worth the time and energy.  60% of Richmond needs to be redeveloped (the entire south side).  This block is done, and is very attractive. Energy here is waisted. 

[plain]

33 minutes ago, Brent114 said:

The training camp is already a park.  It’s a done deal.  This weekend’s Iron Blossom festival proves that it’s a good space for big events.   So what the city is saying is that it is a park and  will remain one.  Good. 
 

Unless the state and the DMV are planning on vacating the area, there’s no point in plopping down a single, sad apartment building.  The old training camp is already integrated into a park-like setting. It’s attractive and finished.  Move  on to something more worth the time and energy.  60% of Richmond needs to be redeveloped (the entire south side).  This block is done, and is very attractive. Energy here is waisted. 

100% agreed with this. This particular plot is already designed as and will continue to be a park. There's plenty of development that is already popping up or about to start popping up in the area. Plus there's still plenty of land (and parking lots) ripe for development nearby.

[123fakestreet]

1 hour ago, Brent114 said:

The training camp is already a park.  It’s a done deal.  This weekend’s Iron Blossom festival proves that it’s a good space for big events.   So what the city is saying is that it is a park and  will remain one.  Good. 
 

Unless the state and the DMV are planning on vacating the area, there’s no point in plopping down a single, sad apartment building.  The old training camp is already integrated into a park-like setting. It’s attractive and finished.  Move  on to something more worth the time and energy.  60% of Richmond needs to be redeveloped (the entire south side).  This block is done, and is very attractive. Energy here is waisted. 

Yes, it's a nicely developed area and doesn't need upgrading while plenty of other places do. Agreed. The issue is that it's not *really* a park right now, but if they designate it as a city park, it will FOREVER be a park, the city is never going to take a park and sell it to a developer.

[I miss RVA]

8 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

I respectfully disagree.

That area of RVA desperately needs green space. There are no parks or green spaces for people to enjoy. Fan has Byrd Park and VMFA that are walkable to. This area does not.

Respectfully have to disagree and push back. Exactly HOW much more green space does RVA "need"? No one will EVER confuse RVA with Philadelphia or New York City, where green space is at a premium. Are we supposed to build green space every third or fourth block? Most legacy cities have large sections of highly-developed land without a speck of green space - and they don't have green space on every other corner. As @wrldcoupe4indicated, the Diamond District will have enough green space to drop in AT LEAST three golf courses. (They're going overkill on green space IMNSHO - but I think that's more a cost-cutting measure than a development feature.)

Mind you, I have no problem with dropping in a few small vest-pocket parks here and there - but a swath this large needs not be wasted on something RVA already has in abundance. Why not do BOTH on that parcel? It's certainly large enough - have some high-density/high-intensity development - AND - bake in a small neighborhood park as part of the development. Best of both worlds. Just don't convert the whole thing into yet another park.

What's more -- can not people travel to green space? Does it HAVE to be right on everyone's doorstep or only a five-minute walk?

I grew up in Granite - which is a bit more than two miles west of Forest Hill Park. In the spring, summer and fall, I would RIDE MY BIKE to go to the park to play tennis, throw a frisbee around with friends, have picnics, etc. I had NO PROBLEM AT ALL with the long bike ride to go to the park. I surely didn't need it right across the street from me. In the winter, my dad would drive us over to the park to go sledding. It never once occurred to me that the park was "too far away" and that there should be a park closer to my house.

I get it - folks want green space - but enough already.

Edited August 28, 2023 by I miss RVA

[Flood Zone]

Respectfully, any discussion about the training facility grounds probably has to begin and end with the RTD article linked in the RBS article.  It discusses the lease agreement with the state, constraints on further development per the lease agreement, hardships to making it a true football stadium (there goes my idea!),  etc. 

[whw53]

Fulton, Rockett's is spoiled with green space being right on the Capital Trail and Chapel Island of theJRPS, Chimborazo, Gillies Creek etc.. This is a prime opportunity to stake some sort of urban connection between Fulton and Shockoe Bottom given the old Echo Harbor tract was claimed by the conservation group. Fine , that may shape up to be a great park and re-alignment of the Capital Trail but let's put some high density housing on it's doorstep. 

Edit - o neverminded, i wasn't following....yea, it was really cool to see the festival do so well there. Maybe keep that green and reduce the green space at the Diamond District. I hate that the green space rendered doesn't leave any depth to the urbanity to either side. It's like one block deep off on BLVD, one deep on Hermitage. Other renderings were more interesting and substancial.

Edited August 28, 2023 by whw53

[Rooster]

lol - never met folks so against parks/greenspace. I know alot of people in Richmond and I swear 100% of them would love to see more parks integrated into the urban fabric. Im a big booster of dense development, but thats why greenspace has to be intentional - we can have our cake and eat it too. Its not like the burbs where greenspace surrounds every house. Quality of life? literally cooler temperatures? better air quality? proting healthy activities? generally grounding folks into the natural world? nah - give us another blah apartment block!  Much has been written about the ecological/social/health problems caused by cities not integrating enough greenspace. Theres so much development going on and lots of empty lots to build on it seems like contiguous green spaces is (in most peoples minds anyway) a slam dunk positive. So the linear park in the diamond district is supposed to cross the tracks right about there right? It would be really cool to have that connect to the museums via trails, etc.  I swear its a net draw for regular folks to move to the city. I honestly dont mean to be rude because I love the enthusiasm on this forum and only jump in when I disagree - but until Richmond starts getting a bad wrap for being too beautiful and healthy Ill stand with the Lorax

[majors2410]

It would be a good place for a corporate headquarters of some type.