The Bus Barn’s Future (as seen on TV)
CBS6′s Mark Holmberg took a look at the ideas and interests swirling around the bus barn yesterday. The local news piece was inspired, at least in part, by the discussion that we hosted here on this site, as a WTVR producer contacted us to do follow-ups with some of our commenters (that’s you! Good job.). Dennis Danvers fielded Holmberg’s request for someone from the Byrd Park Civic League (BPCL) to come forward. The rest is mostly a man-on-the-street run down of ideas. Breaking ground on anything is still a couple years away. The city is still pretty tight lipped. However, there is still time for communities to weigh in. BPCL hopes to have someone from RRHA at one of their upcoming meetings to discuss the matter. Until then, keep making your voice heard here and elsewhere.
Interesting how there’s a few people asking for a Wal-Mart [with a gas station].
I wonder if people want a Walmart or we’ve been programmed to believe that everyone should have a Walmart near them. I guess if you’re not trying to think outside the box big space = big store. I love the idea of a skate board park and some other facilities that offer community activity. But there’s no big business money there and I’m leaning towards thinking Richmond wants the $$$$ not a space they’ll have to set aside funds for upkeep.
Nice observations, Kim. I think the “big space = big box store” notion is ingrained in a lot of people’s thinking. And the city probably does want to offload the property to a business that will pay big bucks and absolve the government of any future responsibility. Both seem like natural tendencies to me.
However, I think people also think of a Walmart or a Target in that location because they don’t like driving outside the city to get the discounted staple items that those stores have to offer. Extending Carytown’s boutiques further East wouldn’t serve the needs of most people in the surrounding area (it can hardly keeps it’s shops open as it is).
Although I do think a big box store should be out of the question (eye sore to say the least), I hope the city finds a way to have the space serve the everyday needs of people who live in the city. Rec centers have been mentioned. Mixed use. Anything but more empty storefronts like we see to the east and west of the old bus barn space.
I hope for an architecturally respectful mixed-use development that honestly engages the many Richmonders of the Fan. It will have to generate tax revenue for sure. Would like to hear more about the Mayor’s design not default plan. That site is about the size of a baseball stadium…
Hi: If I am thinking of the same lot, it is my understanding that VCU has purchased the property. This was told to me by a GRTC operator…
I’d love to see something akin to Roanoke’s International Food Court in that area — a huge variety of cheap ethnic foods under one roof. It would certainly be a huge draw to the Main/Robinson bar crowd, which would be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your point of view. But if Richmond could get lo mein, BBQ, falafel or a turkey sandwich at 2am, you know we’d be all over that.
http://www.roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/eat/wb/12881
Enclosed farmer’s market a la Pike Place?
I don’t know if there is any substance to Michael’s rumor of VCU buying the bus barn (I’ve sent follow up questions to him via email), but it’s an interesting prospect. VCU is expanding all over the city for a long time now. Would another VCU outpost be a good or a bad thing? Do we want to see this space grow the neighborhood? The university? The commercial sector?
Hi: Just to clarify, I called GRTC to see if they still occupy the property inside the office there, as my girlfriend and I had a bet if they did – I said they did since the flyer was still up…
When I called and inquried, the GRTC operator told me that they had completely moved operations from that area (Cary and Robinson, half a block from recycles) to Southside, and that VCU had purchased the property. I even followed up with a, “VCU? Really?” and it was confirmed that I heard correctly…
I was frankly surprised that VCU would have any interest in that property, but if I had to guess (and THIS is the only speculation out of this whole thing), the student body / SGA has been attempting to get a solid VCU transportation throughout campus and the fan going – they already have a number of lines with GRTC (84, 86, 87, etc..) and offer students a free transit pass via GRTC. Those students are able to use it on all lines except Petersburg and Fredericksburg. VCU could be interested in creating their own campus transit system, and doing away with the GRTC “free-ride” cards. Again, this is the only speculation on my part, but I was told, and re-confirmed, by a GRTC operator, that VCU has purchased the property.
i want either a roller skating rink or an open air market! both = awesome.
I was talking to a real estate development pal, who has a couple friends in the city planning dept, and while this is only hear say he did say the plan is to certainly level the area and create a mixed use development a la Cary Place a few blocks east. He didn’t mention VCU though that is a reasonable option from the city perspective
Our city council member, Marty Jewell, recently hosted a small meeting with community members to discuss ideas for the former GRTC property. The goal of is developing this property is to have mixed-use space that compliments the scale of the surrounding neighborhood with a primary interest in housing. Retail, restaurants, and commercial space will be included at varying levels based upon market demand at the time.
I would be highly suspect of any rumored involvement by VCU for several reasons. First, GRTC already sold the property to RRHA, and the next step for RRHA is to put out an RFP (request for proposal) for developers to show their plans for the area. Any sale by RRHA will be publicized, since they are quasi-public. The sale by RRHA has to comply with their mission statement, which says their goal is to provide affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods. Selling a property to VCU would never be in RRHA’s interest, unless it involved housing similar to what is found in RAMZ Hall. RAMZ Hall is owned by a private developer and leased to VCU for housing 170 students (Note: this way the city still collects property tax from the building). VCU would only be interested in rental units, which isn’t at all what RRHA and The City have mentioned–They want some affordable housing (as in priced around $250,000 for a townhouse/rowhouse, not section 8). As for the idea VCU would create their own transit system and house it there, that would go completely against RRHA’s mission, it wouldn’t fit into the largely residential area, and the property is far too expensive for anything other than residential and retail.
There’s plenty of room for a Target/Walmart development in the old Azalea shopping center or near the Diamond. There’s a lot of people in Richmond that drive north, south, east and west to shop at these stores and they shouldn’t have to leave the city to do it. This property is NOT the place for it for a lot of reasons. I think the main danger could come from VCU. I hope they keep their hands off it. This area is crying for a mixed use retail/residential. I hope that includes the some smaller scale retailers like a Marshall’s or an Old Navy where we could be everyday essentials liked shirts, shoes and underwear and I can stop making my weekly trip to Henrico.
Give me a bowling alley of some sort and I’ll shut up. Also I hate my trips to the burbs for electronics
i want either a roller skating rink or an open air market! both = awesome.