Short Pump Developments

[blake_p]

There's also a new bank going in just off the rendering on the lower left.

[burt]

Westmark is where Meadwestvaco has temporary headquarters until their new facility downtown is finished.

Wonder if any large firm is looking to replace Mead WestVaco as a future tenant of Westmark?

[TBurban]

OOOOOOOOHHhhhhhh! OK, I'm sorry - I got my bearings all screwed up. Of course! I don't know why I was thinking WBV. TB, the way you describe driving down 64 with these buildings being on both sides of 64 sounds like that area of town will be totally different when I come back and visit. Wow! Lots of changes! Thanks guys for getting me straight on this.

No problem, Eric There's also site work going on and prepping for foundation laying on the --future--8 story Hilton at Towne Center West.

[crashvt03]

A couple other things worth being noted:

• land clearing is underway at Church & Pump for the John Rolfe Parkway Expansion
  
• the hotel planned for the WestMark Office Park in Innsbrook at the intersection of 64 and Broad has been approved at 11 stories and is to include a restaurant(s)
  
• Whole Foods will be opening early 2009 rather than the late 2008 opening
  
• Trader Joe's will be opening this fall in Short Pump Station
  
• small land clearing for the Corner at Short Pump is underway(Lauderdale and Broad), with the new Kroger relocating there, it will close its store next to Target on Broad
  
• Ukrops will begin remodeling their Short Pump store this summer
  
• planned expansion for Tom Leonard's in Short Pump is to be underway by the end of this year(plans to double the size of current store)
  
• Food Lion Supermarkets in the Richmond area will also begin renovations/expansions by the end of this year
  

Does anybody know why Whole Foods isn't opening until early 2009 now? The building has been up for quite some time now. I realize there is a lot of construction going on near it, but you would think they would want to open the store ASAP instead of just having the building sit there.

[TBurban]

Really awesome rendering of WBV..

[Downtowner]

Wow that is awesome. Good find Tommy!!

[TBurban]

The construction fence is up and foundation work is well underway for the TCW Hilton. Construction and land clearing has also started for the JRP extension.

[burt]

Really awesome rendering of WBV..

Tommy, can you pin point where DAVE AND BUSTERS is going to be in this rendering.

It is going to be a BIG attraction for West Broad Village, IMO. Wish it were over a parking deck on Broad between 4th and 5th.

[TBurban]

Tommy, can you pin point where DAVE AND BUSTERS is going to be in this rendering.

It is going to be a BIG attraction for West Broad Village, IMO. Wish it were over a parking deck on Broad between 4th and 5th.

I don't think it's shown in this angle. It's more toward Short Pump Station, where the new Longhorn Steakhouse is.

[jonn804]

Westmark is where Meadwestvaco has temporary headquarters until their new facility downtown is finished.

Meadwestvaco is in the building closest to I-64. The other building is occupied by Philip Morris (HR and IS departments).

[Cadeho]

I wish we'd build decks in the middle of blocks downtown. The other day I drove through there and even more of old Three Chopt is gone!

[TBurban]

A Short Pump Update:

Towne Center West--strips of more stores are popping up as well as two new outparcels, Kan Pai and Tutor Time. Foundation work on the Hilton continues and will pick up this weekend. Construction has overall picked up again.

West Broad Village--it's flying up all over. Wachovia and First Market Banks outparcels are getting facades,as well as the 5 story mixed use buildings. The second garage facing W Broad is well underway. Construction on the aLoft is underway as well. Townhomes and larger outparcel contruction will begin within the coming weeks.

John Rolfe Parkway--land is fully cleared from W Broad to Church Rd and beyond. Leveling and roadwork to commence fuly this summer.

295 Flyover and the Pouncey Tract Bridge-- Flyover project starting to get paved across. Pouncey Tract bridge opened 4 lanes a couple weeks ago, much better flow of traffic.

Short Pump Town Center-- AmFamFit opened up last week, new center is really nice! Fountains have been added to the lake bordering 64 and SPTC. Sierra Suites construction update:

Short Pump Corner--La-Z-Boy opened up along with Mattress store, Allen Allen Allen and Allen and at&t. Shopping center completed..located between Shell Station and Staples along Broad.

Short Pump Station--now leasing exclusively. Trader Joes supposedly coming this fall.

The Corner at Short Pump--Lauderdale and Broad, no activity/news what-so-ever.

Westmark Office Park--8 story hotel approved, luring chain. Two restaurants will accompany hotel in outparcels. Bank outparcel almost completed.

Wilton Square--Silver Diner getting its silver put on. Other strip mall of stores getting facade.

**All developments located with approx a mile of one another.

[jbjust]

I was shocked when I saw how small the Trader Joes space appears to be. It doesn't seem nearly big enough for a grocery store.

Maybe they'll be so successful that they'll have no choice but to open another one downtown?

[wrldcoupe4]

Trader Joe's are usually under 15k sf.

[Shakman]

What is the height of A-Loft? The West Broad Village and A-Loft websites make no mention of the height. The A-Loft website indicates that the structure will contain 135 guest rooms and a meeting room. Also mentioned, the hotel is to be devlivered by December 1, 2008. If the date holds true, this will go up very quickly. What is the current stage of construction?

[burt]

That is a very comprehensive Short Pump report. Thanks Tommy.

[AFA2012]

• the hotel planned for the WestMark Office Park in Innsbrook at the intersection of 64 and Broad has been approved at 11 stories and is to include a restaurant(s)
  
• Westmark Office Park--8 story hotel approved, luring chain. Two restaurants will accompany hotel in outparcels. Bank outparcel almost completed.
  

Has the hotel been reduced to 8 stories or is it still at 11??

[TBurban]

The height of the aLoft will be 5 stories due to the fact that it's along the row of the 5 story mixed use buildings. The other hotel on the outparcel that has yet to be named will be 8.

The hotel planned for WestMark is finalized at 8 stories due to strict height limitations according to the latest press release at the beginning of June.

[Cadeho]

I was shocked when I saw how small the Trader Joes space appears to be. It doesn't seem nearly big enough for a grocery store.

Maybe they'll be so successful that they'll have no choice but to open another one downtown?

HA! That's got to be the funniest idea I've heard all week.

[wrldcoupe4]

Trader Joe's in or close to downtown isn't that far-fetched. Rumor has it that Whole Foods seriously considered a city location for their first store in the region, but chose West Broad Village instead.

[Cadeho]

Like Brandy said, almost doesn't count. I don't think we'll see a day when new places to the region start out downtown. They'll either be in Short Pump or Midlothian or both first. Then they'll be like... well we guess there are other places in the Richmond area. How about Richmond? Well we're close enough to be called Richmond, in some places.

[burt]

Trader Joe's are usually under 15k sf.

Wonder if there's enough space on a reconfigured ground level of the John Marshall to accommodate a Trader Joe's?

[NYCJSW]

Well, if I were locating a retail business to this area I would pick Short Pump and the Midlothian area way before downtown. Putting something downtown now is too much of a gamble. Lets face it, a lot of the momentum downtown had has been lost as far as a place to go for entertainment. The Canal Walk just has not created the foot traffic the area needs. Go down there on a Saturday when there is not a festival and the area is dead. I put most of this blame on the city. They could never get any type of plan together. Same thing with the Braves and the Boulevard area. Dave and Busters along with other venues could of ended up downtown but the city has got to hang a carrot out there first. Once you got a few establishments down there to create enough foot traffic the area would take off. But who wants to be the first one to take the big risk? Dave and Busters has a sure hit being located in Short Pump. This is why I thought the baseball stadium in this area would have really helped. But for some reason a lot of the businesses downtown did not want the stadium - too much traffic they claimed.

[burt]

Well, if I were locating a retail business to this area I would pick Short Pump and the Midlothian area way before downtown. Putting something downtown now is too much of a gamble. Lets face it, a lot of the momentum downtown had has been lost as far as a place to go for entertainment. The Canal Walk just has not created the foot traffic the area needs. Go down there on a Saturday when there is not a festival and the area is dead. I put most of this blame on the city. They could never get any type of plan together. Same thing with the Braves and the Boulevard area. Dave and Busters along with other venues could of ended up downtown but the city has got to hang a carrot out there first. Once you got a few establishments down there to create enough foot traffic the area would take off. But who wants to be the first one to take the big risk? Dave and Busters has a sure hit being located in Short Pump. This is why I thought the baseball stadium in this area would have really helped. But for some reason a lot of the businesses downtown did not want the stadium - too much traffic they claimed.

There's a lot to what you say, NY. But the music scene downtown is certainly booming. The National, Toad's, Capital Ale Music Hall and dozens of clubs in the Slip and the Bottom attract a lot of young people to the area. Richmond CenterStage, beginning in Fall of '09, will appeal to a large, mature clientele. Miller & Rhoads condos as well as at least two newly reconfigured big developments in Tobacco Row plus other residential options are bringing even more suburbanites and new professionals downtown. Artists have revived Broad Street between Belvidere and 2nd. A number of good to excellent restaurants have opened. And let us not forget Douglas Jemal. He is a Washington developer who, I believe, is on the brink of announcing major transformations in Center City.

Sure, there's a lot more the city can do to attract retail and more activity. But governmental acrimony may be on its way out, replaced by imaginative leadership eager to further revitalize downtown while committing to huge social ills.

For what it's worth, I agree with your ball park sentiments. Maybe it's not too late.

[NYCJSW]

There's a lot to what you say, NY. But the music scene downtown is certainly booming. The National, Toad's, Capital Ale Music Hall and dozens of clubs in the Slip and the Bottom attract a lot of young people to the area. Richmond CenterStage, beginning in Fall of '09, will appeal to a large, mature clientele. Miller & Rhoads condos as well as at least two newly reconfigured big developments in Tobacco Row plus other residential options are bringing even more suburbanites and new professionals downtown. Artists have revived Broad Street between Belvidere and 2nd. A number of good to excellent restaurants have opened. And let us not forget Douglas Jemal. He is a Washington developer who, I believe, is on the brink of announcing major transformations in Center City.

Sure, there's a lot more the city can do to attract retail and more activity. But governmental acrimony may be on its way out, replaced by imaginative leadership eager to further revitalize downtown while committing to huge social ills.

For what it's worth, I agree with your ball park sentiments. Maybe it's not too late.

I agree but have these venues helped the canal walk? The bottom has had a nightlife for a long time. What happened to the idea that the ESPN Zone and other national venues would be coming to downtown by the canal walk to bring that San Antonio vibe?

You've got to get more going on down there or some of these places are not going to make it. I find it hard to believe that the area will support the National and Toad's. I hope I'm wrong and I hope the city does more to make this area the area to go on a weekend. Right now it is not just one of many areas to go bar hopping. I think they should right away get a deal to have the ballpark downtown and make it a really retro looking ballpark. Get it as close to the river/canal area as you can. Make this area a place where on a Saturday afternoon the canal area is lively with things to do. You know - kind of like Short Pump Town Center and the soon to be West Broad Village.