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.

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!

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).

Over the sumr the VCU urban and regionl planing stdnts dvlpd a plan 2 extend carytwn and include a hotel. We have 0 in the fan.

It’d be interesting to get ahold of anything that they might’ve drawn up.

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’d love to see a grocery store on a walkable mall with some green space, a playground and some low-income housing.