Norfolk Courts Complex Progress

[Urbanlooker]

It looks really nice although i wish it was a little taller even by just a couple floors.

[brikkman]

Is that marble

or marble like?

[757Duke]

I think it's marble. I'm excited that they're reconnecting both sides of Main Street through the complex. It should help with some of the connectivity between downtown and Harbor Park, potentially spurring more development towards that direction.

[zeppelin14]

How will main street be extended since the tall city hall building is in the direct path?

[Ghentite]

I was trying to figure that out too.  I guess they'll have to redirect it somehow.  And I'm wondering what the goal of this is?  To connect it all the way to Harbor Park?  That'd be cool.

[757Duke]

The circuit court building is to be demolished, allowing it to pass through.

[Ghentite]

Yeah, there's still not that much room for a road to pass by the city hall building.

[lil-bear]

Actually, the city plans on extending Main Street to the west side of the city hall tower with a round-a-bout.

[Ghentite]

Wish they'd demolish the City Hall building too, quite the eyesore...

[Urbanlooker]

Yes they need to build a new City Hall

[urbanlife]

Yes they need to build a new City Hall

 

Nah, the City Hall bones are probably fine, they just need to reskin it and redevelop the surroundings.

 

On topic, the new Courts Complex looks really great.

[Ghentite]

Let phase 2 begin  http://norfolkliveblog.com/?p=1072

[brikkman]

I take it back, it doesn't look like a jail anymore. That marble or faux marble did wonders for the building. I was able to see it up close this past weekend.

Impressive.

[urbanvb]

It really is an impressive building. The Norfolk courts are well known for their ability to bring cases to trial very quickly so sometimes high profile cases come here. I'm glad our court will represent well.

[lil-bear]

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/01/norfolk-court-set-open-second-phase-continues

 

Surprised no one else had posted this. Article about the new courthouse to open.

[lil-bear]

OK, so the first step in building phase two is the demolition of the old General District court. I wonder when that will start.

[lil-bear]

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/07/demolition-begin-today-old-norfolk-general-district-courts

 

Ahhhhhh....finally! Once the old General District Courts are gone, the second phase can begin!

[varider]

Pile driver on site for phase II 

[mikeas]

I've been meaning to mention something here but Phase II has several floors of metal framing complete already.  It's pretty well hidden from street view but you can see it coming into downtown off the Berkeley bridge.

[BFG]

Saw a crane earlier this afternoon. Exciting to see so much construction activity downtown.

[mistermetaj]

7 hours ago, BFG said:

Saw a crane earlier this afternoon. Exciting to see so much construction activity downtown.

Arguably more importantly, this marks the first step in re-establishing the grid and breaking up the City Hall super block.  This will be incredibly important as development creeps up north from the court complex throughout St. Paul's quadrant.  Establishing the infrastructure and connectivity to the rest of downtown is as important as any building IMO.

[lil-bear]

Not too sure the city plans on exactly re-establishing the grid. The last plans I saw has Main Street extended a little past St. Pauls Blvd. and ending in a circle at the west side of the city hall tower.

This of course is after the demo of the old courts building.

[lil-bear]

http://pilotonline.com/news/local/demolition-to-begin-today-on-old-norfolk-circuit-court-building/article_a2193c28-1786-5b97-b174-47e1f60acdd5.html

 

Demo is finally starting.

[BFG]

Hopefully City Hall is next...

[carolinaboy]

Yeah.....big opportunity here to redevelop the area as a nice governmental/law/judicial/office area. Get a new Federal Courthouse built in this area to free-up the Granby Tower site for Buddy to build big there....a couple office towers here.....boom.