Portsmouth development

[tombarnes]

I wish I could be more cheerful about the advent of WalMart and IHOP. Sorry...I just can't get excited about either one. It's sad to see these faceless chains inserting themselves into Portsmouth.

[vdogg]

I wish I could be more cheerful about the advent of WalMart and IHOP. Sorry...I just can't get excited about either one. It's sad to see these faceless chains inserting themselves into Portsmouth.

I agree but at the same point in time they need something to revitalize that area.

[citychild]

I wish I could be more cheerful about the advent of WalMart and IHOP. Sorry...I just can't get excited about either one. It's sad to see these faceless chains inserting themselves into Portsmouth.

Well these facelist chains are going to start the revitization of Midtowne, more will come (UNFACELIST )

P-Town has went through alot, and just hearing a WalMart is coming can help boost and improve the surrounding environment. So as you call facelist chains can sometime bring bigger things to that area as other developers SEE that things have improve and change!!!, So bring on the FACELIST retail!!!

[lammius]

Although I typically agree with the sentiment of tombarnes that faceless chain retail/restaurants threaten community businesses, in this case there aren't many of these businesses to be affected. Midtown is pretty much a wasteland. So, Wal-mart et al will bring some new activity into the area.

HOWEVER... Wal-mart et al's notoriously poor "urban" design brings short-life retail boxes that typically have a life span of a handful of years. Once the typical exurban big box has been around for 5-10 years the shine wears off and the buildings/shopping centers decline. People start shopping at the newer, shinier shopping plaza down the street instead. In 15 years the standard exurban shopping center is a dead zone. Unfortunately there are few examples of the contrary.

Furthermore, just the sight of such an exurban development in an urban neighborhood reveals such a crime. Not only does it look bad, but such auto-centric development is difficult to access for so many people in that community. It is not pleasant to cross Frederick Blvd on foot and traverse acres of surface parking to reach the store's front door.

Sorry I continue to lament. Mid-City Shopping Center's long decline and the long-absent old Norcom HS provided a long period in which plans to produce a great new urban or at least peri-urban community could have been developed. Few opportunities to redevelop such a large area in an urban environment ever present themselves. An opportunity to do something large, diverse, multi-use, urban, and exciting was lost. Instead we see SSDP (same sh!t, different parcel)

The best I hope for is that Portsmouth collects a few tax dollars from these new tenants before they desert for the suburbs again.

(cue debbie downer frown & sound effect)

[tombarnes]

New Houses for Old Town*

This article in the Pilot discusses several new houses at the edge of the historic district in Portsmouth. I'm not thrilled with all of the details (the proportions of the balustrade are off), but these houses appear to fit in with the neighborhood. Some might disagree with the idea of historic re-creation, but this may be a case where such buildings are warranted. I will have to inspect them carefully the next time I visit Portsmouth. In any event, it's good to see that Old Town is thriving.

* Sorry about the spelling, but I still have a hard time allowing the superfluous 'e's they put at the end of two perfectly good words.

The Virginian-Pilot

Edited June 26, 2006 by tombarnes

[urbanvb]

The house on the right is amazing. I would have never guessed it was brand new!

[okinawatyphoon]

Portsmouth tackles courthouse project. Edited July 17, 2006 by okinawatyphoon

[rusthebuss]

Portsmouth tackles courthouse project.

I really hope that they build the court complex. They really need to fix their security issues.

[gosscj]

The article said they were negotiating a deal on a parcel of land on which to build the courthouse, but they never said where it might be. Just as long as it's moved from its current location, I'll be happy.

[hoobo]

The article said they were negotiating a deal on a parcel of land on which to build the courthouse, but they never said where it might be. Just as long as it's moved from its current location, I'll be happy.

The article mentioned it is in downtown. It makes sense to stay downtown and keep the working population there. Also, the jail isn't moving yet, so they don't want to bus defendants all over the city. Portsmouth will probably sell the old site as it tries to move the municipal complex off the waterfront. Is Portsmouth looking to build a new jail as part of the proposed courts complex?

[rusthebuss]

The article mentioned it is in downtown. It makes sense to stay downtown and keep the working population there. Also, the jail isn't moving yet, so they don't want to bus defendants all over the city. Portsmouth will probably sell the old site as it tries to move the municipal complex off the waterfront. Is Portsmouth looking to build a new jail as part of the proposed courts complex?

I haven't seen anywhere that they even want to move the jail

[rusthebuss]

They will probably build a tunnel to where ever they build the new court complex.

[gosscj]

The jail suffers from the same conditions as the courthouse because it was built at the same time, plus it is full past capacity. I think the eventual goal is to move all the municipal buildings from that site to clear it for redevelopment, but they obviously don't have the money to do it all at once so the jail will have to wait. As for tunneling from the new structure to the jail... I hope it's a looooong tunnel or the new building won't be at a suitable location as far as I'm concerned.

[rusthebuss]

Portsmouth's Willett Hall may become free-standing venue

[metalman]

Even better...

Four in Portsmouth hatch town center plan

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story...&ran=141222

[urbanlife]

sounds like a sweet deal, love to see some new development in Ptown

[vdogg]

While modest in scale it is definately a step in the right direction.

[rusthebuss]

I just wonder how many of these types of development can this area sustain? Its seems like every city is doing these type of developments.

[okinawatyphoon]

I just wonder how many of these types of development can this area sustain? Its seems like every city is doing these type of developments.

Yeah.....Town Center....haven't heard that one before.

[johnk812]

I just wonder how many of these types of development can this area sustain? Its seems like every city is doing these type of developments.

Only your city should be doing these sort of developments? Your funny. It's plain and simple a trend. Think Disco. It's where these developers see dollars at the moment. I happen to like it because I'd rather see an area redeveloped over open space somewhere being developed for the first time. I say we don't have enough of this sort of development. We have too much suburban development. It's sad to see a city wither away like I have during the '80s and '90s, while the suburbs swallowed the natural landscape. This is exactly the sort of development that should be happening in every city everywhere. I thought this was the spirit of this freakin' website, Dude.

[rusthebuss]

Only your city should be doing these sort of developments? Your funny. It's plain and simple a trend. Think Disco. It's where these developers see dollars at the moment. I happen to like it because I'd rather see an area redeveloped over open space somewhere being developed for the first time. I say we don't have enough of this sort of development. We have too much suburban development. It's sad to see a city wither away like I have during the '80s and '90s, while the suburbs swallowed the natural landscape. This is exactly the sort of development that should be happening in every city everywhere. I thought this was the spirit of this freakin' website, Dude.

What do you mean only my city should be doing this. That is not my point dude. I'm talking regionally if we can keep having these pop up and actually support it! Calm your nerves dude

[GoodNews]

Well I like it and I hope it turns out well for P-Town.

[hoobo]

This isn't really a town center in the true sense of the term: collection of buildings on an un/under-developed piece of land usually in a suburban area (Reston, VB, NN City Center, the proposed Blenheim Park). This is two buildings: one a condo/apt building with shops and another an office building with ground-floor retail. Really no different than Harbor Heights or any of the other mixed-use developments popping up on the other side of the Elizabeth. This is good for Portsmouth especially when coupled with the City's proposed move of the courthouse.

Edited August 1, 2006 by hoobo

[PeninsulaKiddo]

May not be the biggest project, but I like the renderings It has a very European flair to it, I like it and I hope it does spark further redevelopment.

Whether or not the area can support continual developments on a large scale is a good question, but (as it's been said before) I think the area is just catching up to where we should've been in terms of these sorts of developments. At any rate, Portsmouth hit the mark with this one

[tombarnes]

While it may not be the most ambitious or interesting building, I think this will be very good for downtown Portsmouth. Moving the courts complex and jail away from the waterfront should also prove to be a smart development. I just hope that whatever new complex is built for the city buildings will be well thought out and in a downtown location. Portsmouth does have a lot of land with which to work. I agree with your point Russ, but I also think that this one just might work. I don't think that Portsmouth is overbuilt.