Bus Barn Ideas & NO Update at 2/13 BPCL Meeting
Residents of Byrd Park have been on the edge of their seats for some time about the future of the old Bus Barn at Robinson and Cary. Now that RRHA has control of the property, it is expected that there will be some public and/or governmental deliberation before a private entity purchases it for their own purposes. Just what those purposes will be is a matter of much speculation. For anyone interested in the latest details, the next BPCL meeting is the place to be (UPDATE: RRHA rep will not attend BPCL’s meeting until April). Even if you can’t attend, you can make your voice heard here. Below, I will post some of the ideas I’ve heard debated. Please feel free to expound in the comments section.
From Kim Mullooly, Byrd Park Civic League President:
Byrd Park Residents,
As many of you know the GRTC bus location was sold to RRHA. Many neighbors have inquired and want to be informed and heard when it comes to the redevelopment of that property. Matthew Bolster the project manager at RRHA for the GRTC location will be speaking at our meeting on February 13th at 10:00am. Although it is still early in the development of that property (Matthew has actually been on the job for 10 days now) he would be glad to share the plans with us and answer any questions. Please plan to attend the meeting not only to find out the details but to represent Byrd Park as a big voice that wants to be involved in the community around them.
Please tell you neighbors and help pass this information around.
Kim Mullooly
A few Ideas:
An eastward extension of Carytown: Storefronts at Cary and Meadow have been sitting empty since they were built years ago. Same goes for the storefronts at Cary and Randolph. Businesses seem to be closing with great frequency in Carytown. Is it time to expand that shopping district when many blocks look like Halloween jack-o-lanterns due to out of business storefronts? However, the parking situation there would have to be an improvement. Otherwise, what are the indicators that small businesses are going to survive, much less thrive, at Cary and Robinson? Acacia’s waiting list can only support so many boutiques.
Walmart, etc: The size the old bus barn is about the same as a big-box store. Got a favorite? Is there a sizeable store that wouldn’t seem out of place?
A pedestrian mall, a la Charlottesville: Since Byrd Parkers are within walking distance, I can’t imagine many people would balk at this notion (however, retail critique applies here as well). The existing brick structures certainly look like the framework for a beautiful place to stroll and lounge (with a good coat of paint, of course).
Housing: With public housing under threat of bulldozing, low-mixed income housing options will be needed. Enter predictable “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) backlash from surrounding residents.
A school: Many have argued that RPS improvments must begin with new state of the art facilities. Fox and Mumford are overburdened as the go-to elementaries for city dwellers. Maybe a new kid on the block is in order.
Community center with State-funded day-care and after school programs: Hey, a parent can dream, right?
A grocery store: The effects of the past 100 years of fuel and chemical leaks at the bus barn has to raise questions about the suitability of that site for future use. There is a a forecast-ed $1million clean-up planned, but many with intimate knowledge of the site doubt if that will be enough.
More? Add a comment.
UPDATE: The BPCL president informs me that the RRHA representative will not attend their meeting until he has more information to share, perhaps at the April meeting. Hopefully, the RRHA intends to gather input from the surrounding neighborhoods before deciding on the outcome of the site. To ensure that your perspective is taken into account, please contribute your thoughts here, email them to info@RRHA.STATE.VA.US, and keep the issue on the agenda at the BPCL meeting on 2/13. Online and face to face community discussions take time to distill consensus about the concerns/interests in such a significant real estate development. We should use every opportunity to examine the issues and ideas on the table.
Great brainstorming list!
I’d love to see a grocery store on a walkable mall with some green space, a playground and some low-income housing.
With 3 grocery store at the other end of Carytown, I doubt that would be a viable option for the location.
The school system has declining enrollment AND 3 elementary schools in close proximity (Maymont, Clark Springs, John B. Cary), so that is probably out.
I’d guess a walkable mix of residential and retail would be most likely. Charlottesville’s downtown mall is a great environment. Cary Street from Thompson to Belvidere has always reminded me of Magazine Street in New Orleans — a mix of a varying density of housing and retail along a several mile corridor — except less developed as such. Contrary to what I said above, it is worth noting that the old trolley barn on Magazine Street became a Whole Foods.
I would love Love LOVE to see this space turned into a giant farmers market ala the Reading Terminal Market or Pike Place. I think Richmond would be perfect for that.
I would like to see, mix use Commercial and Residential Affordable Housing But not low income . There is a difference…..Much like what is trying to happen At Meadow and Cary and further down Cary Street AND High end residential Thus MIXED USE Even a Big Box is acceptable Target etc…
Seen on twitter:
It’d be interesting to get ahold of anything that they might’ve drawn up.
This may be the premier (re)development opportunity in the entire city considering the size and location of the property. The main roadblock could be increased traffic traffic and accessibility. The Downtown Expressway could provide backdoor access, but the old street grid would not time support a Walmart or Target. I’m hoping for a walkable urban village. It would really compliment and enhance Carytown as a retail destination.
UPDATE: The BPCL president informs me that the RRHA representative will not attend their meeting until he has more information to share, perhaps at the April meeting. Hopefully, the RRHA intends to gather input from the surrounding neighborhoods before deciding on the outcome of the site. To ensure that your perspective is taken into account, please contribute your thoughts here, email them to info@RRHA.STATE.VA.US, and keep the issue on the agenda at the BPCL meeting on 2/13. Online and face to face community discussions take time to distill consensus about the concerns/interests in such a significant real estate development. We should use every opportunity to examine the issues and ideas on the table.
Since posting this item, I’ve had a few conversations about the bus barn. Some feared that it will be the next 6th Street Marketplace style boondoggle. Another hoped and prayed for a Trader Joe’s (which leaves room for parking and other purposes as well). I also heard “wheeled sports complex” (skate park) floated as a way for the city to support youth culture and lasting identification/investment in downtown among those who grow up here.
What strikes me is the amount of speculation and anticipation on the part of both public and private enterprise. This anecdote may seem out of left field, but it ties into the bigger picture. It’s my understanding that in recent years real estate developer, Justin French, bought up many of the properties in the blocks adjacent to the bus barn and has been artificially inflating the values of the houses and unsubtly running off tenants and homeowners to eliminate all obstacles to his sole ownership of prime downtown real estate when the prices of the dwellings go through the roof (assuming that the bus barn becomes something people want to live next to).
In the meantime, drugs and violence have increased dramatically in the area while French’s properties sit dormant and in disrepair. Has anyone else caught wind of this? I’ve heard tell that his properties are listed as “for rent,” but are still condemned or under consideration by zoning officials. The ads show installed marble countertops and maple cupboards, but the materials sit in their wrapping on the floor. I may not be excited to see French cash in on this kind of orchestration that subjugates public people to private profits. However, the success of the eventual bus barn development isn’t a sure thing. There are a lot of competing interests involved, and there have already been victims along the way.
With stories like this contributing to the background of the bus barn conversion, what kind of development would be just and equitable?
(I realize in posting the real estate developer anecdote that I’ll probably have to do some digging to substantiate all of the details. But, if any of you reading this can corroborate the story, that would help also).
We’re for the market idea. A mix of indoor/outdoor, permanent and transient stalls, not just farmers market but crafts, art etc more like the market in the center of Charleston, South Carolina. I think this would really be a great addition to Richmond especially based on the current sucess of the farmers markets in the area. This would be a great location for this markets to come together. Very easily accessable to both city and burbs residents with the highway exits so close.
Please please please stop talking of a big box store! are you all serious? a target/walmart or such like would probably make me move! Don’t we live near the park in the city for a reason? Do you want to see chains everywhere you go? We could all live in a much bigger houses in the burbs if that what we what is chain stores and cookie cutter houses!
I can corroborate Jason’s reporting on Justin French’s activities around the bus barn. And considering French’s other moves lately, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if he announced a deal to take over and develop the entire site.
Despite criticisms I’ve made of his deals elsewhere, I actually wonder whether this would be a bad thing. The biggest danger for that site, for the neighborhood, and for the area development is that it will be unplanned. If that happens, we will end up with another blot on the landscape rather than a legitimate plan that ties together both neighborhood and city interests.
If someone (or several someones) comes in with something resembling actual sustainable and supportable urban planning, Richmond might finally take a step or two forward.
Sarah G: Mega-dittos about the big box store. I put it in there because I know that there will be people lobbying for it and some of those companies will trump urban planning and the public interest with backroom political deals. Not that anything like that would ever go on in Richmond, mind you.
Is Marty Jewell able to read this info…Has anyone made him or his assist aware of the opinions francine.young@richmondgov.com or Marty.Jewell@richmondgov.com
the idea that the city is now in the real estate business makes me very concerned. That piece of property is extremely valuable.. and with our governments track record,,,convention center…6th street..enforcing antiquated laws against the 1st fridays art community explain to me why shouldn’t I be worried. The bottom line is that anything is far better than nothing. I just cannot understand why the city couldn’t sell it off to a proven developer from jump street? We need this done right..which means the city needed to sell it off first and collect that tax revenue.. now all we can do is wait…and watch the red tape….
[...] For more ideas about what should be done with the site, check out the Byrd Park Community Blog… [...]
When/where are the BPCA meetings held?
There’s one this Saturday, 2/13 at the Roundhouse at 10am. The next one is in April, I believe. A post is coming with details.
[...] meeting because RRHA does not not have any information to share. The topic recently resulted in a good deal of critical input on this site. If you were anticipating a forum for your ideas about the bus barn at the BPCL [...]
[...] at the ideas and interests swirling around the bus barn yesterday. The piece was, inspired by the discussion that we hosted here on this this site, as a WTVR producer contacted us to do follow-ups with some of our commenters. [...]