Va. Beach Town Center project 2

[erdogs]

Does AH tower lean?

These must be the same NIMBYs that write comments in the pilot all the time. They probably don't even notice that the walls in their Colonel style Ranch home on their acre of land aren't square. Someone should tell them that on a windy day it may lean as much as a quarter inch in any direction! OOOOOOOH!

Edited February 6, 2007 by erdogs

[vtfan18]

That is too funny. Yep, and dem tower cranes lays dem little eggs.

[vdogg]

This is what you get when you hire...

Local redneck builders. They do better work faster in Poland, India, Taiwan, China and.... South Korea. I am a VB resident residing in Estonia. They put a pair of buildings taller and more complex than these up in less than 15 months! ha ha ha, this is what you get when you hire locals instead of bidding the project out into the global market!

[erdogs]

The Cosmo apts. at T.C. (hide comment)

I have been inside one of the "Cosmopolitan" Apartments at Town Center and I don't know if the whole 14-story building is leaning or if it is just the flooring in the apartment that isn't level. The person renting the apartment proved it very simply by showing me the water in his fish tank was not at all level. This is proof that either the floor is not level or the building is leaning. I wouldn't be surprised if the 22-story Armada Hoffler is also leaning.

- BRIAN C. - CHESAPEAKE The Cosmo apts. at T.C. (view comment)

Are you kidding me? Maybe the fish tank or the table it's on is leaning.

[vdogg]

Hahaha. This one sounds like one of us, albeit a bit high pitched.

Tall buildings in Hampton Roads???? (hide comment)

You have other coastal cities with large skyscrapers, such as San Diego, Boston, Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa. My question is why does Hampton Roads have miniscule skyscrapers compared to those cities? Is it because Hampton Roads has always had weak military-dependent economy or something. It seems like on a national-level Hampton Roads can't get anything right, except to attract the military. There is also no big sports arena in HR. Maybe it is a government conspiracy dating back to the Cold War to keep Hampton Roads' economy low-key- for strategic reasons. However, with the Cold War over, Hampton Roads has yet to grow up, unlike Orlando, Las Vegas and San Antonio cities that were also "dead" during the 70s and 80s that are currently experiencing an explosive economic boom. It all seems like, Hampton Roads is performing the opposite setting itself to become another decaying "rust belt" metro-area (i.e. Buffalo, New Orleans and Milwaukee). In other words, why is Hampton Roads' dying?

LOL at the Cold War conspiracy theory.

Since when was New Orleans in the rust belt?

[urbanvb]

Just a couple of night shots. I had to try out my new camera.

A new smoothie shop.

[okinawatyphoon]

Nice, but very sterile looking.

[vdogg]

Pics look great to me. Thanks guy.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Nice. I love how the Westin looks behind the retail (although I wish the retail portions less-resembled an Outlet Mall a-la Williamsburg...). Great shots!

[vdogg]

The State of Town Center

Future developments for the town center include another tower similar to the Armada Hoffler building on Central Park Avenue. The first floor, Divaris said, would be residential, with office space above it.

Divaris said this project has a slight advantage over the Wachovia Center development in downtown Norfolk.

"Whilst our costs for building the office tower are about the same, we don't have the extra burden of the parking costs," he said.

The town center has 3,200 free parking spaces.

Also in development is Two Columbus Center, a five-story, 270,000-square-foot tower with retail on the first floor and four floors of office space, Divaris said.

The second Columbus tower would be built next to the Hilton, which is on Town Center Drive and Virginia Beach Boulevard. One Columbus Center is on Main Street and Town Center Drive.

[Padman]

A "five story tower?" Reminds me of what was the old White Tower hamburgers building on Hampton Blvd (one story). Maybe a big spire is planned for it? Anyway, it's all good. Nice that the AH tower will have a comparable neighbor.

[vdogg]

A "five story tower?" Reminds me of what was the old White Tower hamburgers building on Hampton Blvd (one story). Maybe a big spire is planned for it? Anyway, it's all good. Nice that the AH tower will have a comparable neighbor.

Yeah, there are 2 buildings planned. One being the actual office tower, with residential on the first floor and office above (interesting mix) and the other and office building (I refuse to call it a tower) , with retail on the bottom floor and 4 floors of office above. Judging by his comments it sounds like Divaris views Wachovia Center as direct competition for the larger tower. 270,000 sq ft is awfully big for a 5 story building, I wish they would just add that to the main tower. All in all, that's going to become a very dense little corner.

[Padman]

It's interesting that Mr. Divaris would see downtown Norfolk as his competition when it is probably really the Newtown Rd., Lynnhaven Mall and Greenbrier areas that are his true competition. Now it's true that a few lagal and financial firms wanted to be closer to clients in the affluent North Beach/Alanton and other high end development in eastern VB, but I would think that Norfolk is the true regional center, especially when you include Chesapeake, Suffolk and Isle of Wight, where the real income growth is poised. The future looks good for Town Center, but it is still a suburban wolf in urban clothing.

[vdogg]

Virginia Beach has a very large class B market when compared to class A space. Norfolk has the class A space which is what the large firms want. That's not to say Va. Beach can't do more class A in addition to the AH tower, but Norfolk has a much more established presence in that category.

On a side note, this is the first time i've heard any details, however small, about that second tower. They must be getting ready to announce. Makes sense since they're almost done with phase 3.

[Padman]

That second tower is real. It's more than a gleam in their eyes. I think we can count on it.

[urbanlife]

sweet, two new buildings. Cant wait to see renderings and a game plan for beginning construction on these.

I actually figured something smaller would go on that little parking lot east of the Columbus Center. It is good to get a mix of building sizes, no point in having just options for really tall or really short. These inbetween buildings are important for density.

And hell, if something good ever came of the shopping center to the east (planet music and so ons), that would create a really cool pocket of dense development in a giant suburban city.

If you can't tell I am really excited about this news. My suburban hometown becoming more dense....never thought I would hear myself say that.

[odumonarch]

Finally VB gets the second one, but in my opinion it will be smaller than the AH one standing. Market's been cooling off recently so it's not sure if the city can afford to have empty space in the 2nd one. But hopefully construction starts later this summer or the end of year depending on how much they go on the Westin, it took longer than expected.

[vdogg]

Finally VB gets the second one, but in my opinion it will be smaller than the AH one standing. Market's been cooling off recently so it's not sure if the city can afford to have empty space in the 2nd one. But hopefully construction starts later this summer or the end of year depending on how much they go on the Westin, it took longer than expected.

The second tower is an office tower. The office market is heating up, it is the condo market that is cooling. I don't think they'll have too terrible a time filling it. There prob. won't be any new companies from out of the area though.

[metalman]

The Town Center website has has this blurb in the leasing section for months. I hope they add to it soon!

"Tower Two

Construction is set to begin on the new 20-story second high-rise office tower at the Town Center of Virginia Beach with occupancy set for Summer 2008. The office component of 287,000 square feet over 12 floors will be above a 800 car parking garage. In addition, there will be 80,000 square feet of retail stores complementing the tenant mix at the Town Center.

The office tower will offer class

[urbanvb]

I inquired as to the location of the new tower from and I was quite surprised. I will paste the response here:

The new tower will be built where the Beacon Building is situated (holy cow Batman! )

Construction can only begin once the Beacon has moved which will be

early next year. We expect construction to be underway by mid 2008.

We will also build a high rise office with retail in the large parking

lot (corner Constitution/Columbus). That will follow the beacon Bldg.

In the meantime we will build a 6 storey building, Two Columbus Center,

in the One Columbus Center parking lot, across from Barnes and Noble.

We should start construction of that building later this year.

So I guess the Pilot lot will be 20 storeys. I wonder how tall the building on this lot will be? The lot below is actually larger than the AH tower lot so it's footprint is going to be pretty big.

Edited March 12, 2007 by urbanvb

[vdogg]

I inquired as to the location of the new tower from and I was quite surprised. I will paste the response here:

The new tower will be built where the Beacon Building is situated (holy cow Batman! )

Construction can only begin once the Beacon has moved which will be

early next year. We expect construction to be underway by mid 2008.

We will also build a high rise office with retail in the large parking

lot (corner Constitution/Columbus). That will follow the beacon Bldg.

In the meantime we will build a 6 storey building, Two Columbus Center,

in the One Columbus Center parking lot, across from Barnes and Noble.

We should start construction of that building later this year.

So I guess the Pilot lot will be 20 storeys. I wonder how tall the building on this lot will be? The lot below is actually larger than the AH tower lot so it's footprint is going to be pretty big.

Holy crap! 2 new highrises?! Freakin awesome. Where is the Beacon building btw? I'm drawing a blank. Are they talking about where the pilot building sits currently? I think we might have to make a new thread for this. 2 highrises at TC plus 3 at City Walk and downtown VB is getting very close to reality.

[vdogg]

Awesome! Yep, that's the location. I was just thinking the other day how I wished they would put a tower there instead of more two story retail. With construction this close, expect things to start working their way through the planning commission shortly. This is too exciting.

[spiker3]

Holy crap! 2 new highrises?! Freakin awesome. Where is the Beacon building btw? I'm drawing a blank. Are they talking about where the pilot building sits currently? I think we might have to make a new thread for this. 2 highrises at TC plus 3 at City Walk and downtown VB is getting very close to reality.

I know you found it, but the Beacon Building is the virginian pilot virginia beach headquarters. During the TC boom (not that it's over) AH was desperate to get the building, and the Pilot flat refused every offer, including a $3.8 million one, i believe. I'm curious what it finally sold for, and if that Taco Bell finally sold as well.

[vdogg]

and if that Taco Bell finally sold as well.

I don't see Taco Bell coming up off that location without a fight. That's probably one of their highest grossing stores and the developers would have to offer well above the potential profits they could reap for the forseeable future to get that property.

[erdogs]

So it's going to be atleast a year before anything happens? Nice to see the pilot moving out of that crappy building. I ran gas pipe on that roof about 8 years ago and it was in disrepair then.