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This thread must be communication between Gen X and Yers.
Trust me ... with the forecasts of economic doom on the horizon, the last thing Richmond wants is overbuilding just when it's ramping up.
The next to the last thing you want is a "Downtown Mall."
Does anyone remember life before malls?
Downtown was more like an ... under-the-top Manhattan.
(Not the scary, OVER-THE-TOP thing Manhattan currently is... well ... it's a good thing to have a "Manhattan" ... but only one... please.)
What's needed is encourage a diversity of stores and shops to grow a new an unique "downtown."
Most people ... if you put a gun to their heads and told them to think of an original idea or you'd shoot ... well ... you'd just HAVE to pull the trigger.
Has anyone looked out the window lately and observed that life is not nor ever will be "business as usual" for most Americans? The success of the West End is nothing to get giddy about. I say that downtown Richmond is uniquely poised to use those existing old buildings for new and unique businesses and housing options. Play to your strengths ... don't try to copy what's failed.
You have a ton of university students and grads down there.
Plan around creating life that will enhance and encourage them to keep living, working, and eating there.
Your art scene is one of the top five in the country. Don't run them away with greed and short side thinking.
They will attract money, restaurants, and additional housing. They will attract boutiques that turn into shops and shops that turn into stores. (Think, "Hayes Valley" in San Francisco, the high-end shops in Houston, and the expensive lofts that Portand, Oregon developed around their "Bohemian" downtown scene.)
Also, the '08 housing bust still hasn't shaken itself out.
You might want to consider the rise in urban cities filing for bankruptcy lately .. and the main reason? Over building when things looked good.
Heard about Scranton, PA reducing all its city employees pay to minimum wage? You want to live in a city with disgruntled police and firemen earning $7.25 an hour!!
Maybe the word "Mall" was a bad Idea. I was thinking about just blocking off part of a street. (the difference between a huge cheesy suburban thing that would drain tens of millions of dollars, versus a 50 thousand dollar block off of a street (not building anything but posts, benches, and trash cans)that would only need a couple janitors), but I clearly see your point. it could come crumbling down in a terrible way, and would be unoriginal.
Before I go on, may I ask your opinion of the canal walk?
This thread must be communication between Gen X and Yers.
Trust me ... with the forecasts of economic doom on the horizon, the last thing Richmond wants is overbuilding just when it's ramping up.
The next to the last thing you want is a "Downtown Mall."
Does anyone remember life before malls?
Downtown was more like an ... under-the-top Manhattan.
(Not the scary, OVER-THE-TOP thing Manhattan currently is... well ... it's a good thing to have a "Manhattan" ... but only one... please.)
What's needed is encourage a diversity of stores and shops to grow a new an unique "downtown."
Most people ... if you put a gun to their heads and told them to think of an original idea or you'd shoot ... well ... you'd just HAVE to pull the trigger.
Has anyone looked out the window lately and observed that life is not nor ever will be "business as usual" for most Americans? The success of the West End is nothing to get giddy about. I say that downtown Richmond is uniquely poised to use those existing old buildings for new and unique businesses and housing options. Play to your strengths ... don't try to copy what's failed.
You have a ton of university students and grads down there.
Plan around creating life that will enhance and encourage them to keep living, working, and eating there.
Your art scene is one of the top five in the country. Don't run them away with greed and short side thinking.
They will attract money, restaurants, and additional housing. They will attract boutiques that turn into shops and shops that turn into stores. (Think, "Hayes Valley" in San Francisco, the high-end shops in Houston, and the expensive lofts that Portand, Oregon developed around their "Bohemian" downtown scene.)
Also, the '08 housing bust still hasn't shaken itself out.
You might want to consider the rise in urban cities filing for bankruptcy lately .. and the main reason? Over building when things looked good.
Heard about Scranton, PA reducing all its city employees pay to minimum wage? You want to live in a city with disgruntled police and firemen earning $7.25 an hour!!
Agree w/ most of this post. I'm a big fan of re-using Richmond's wonderful historic building stock in new and creative ways. I think Pantin's thought was not a suburban mall but perhaps a pedestrian only area downtown w/ lots of boutiques and restaurants. I know you're new to Richmond... if you have a chance to visit Charlottesville, they have a downtown "mall" which is really more an outdoor shopping/dining district where they closed off a few blocks to vehicular traffic.
I've heard tons of great things about Charlottesville ("Yogaville"?) and I plan to drink it in. So .... sorry for spouting off about what I don't know. I'm just a bit ... excited.
From what I see, Richmond can be a model city ... a bulwark against homogenous, bland, cookie-cutter corporate stores that drain money out and end up looking like eyesores that have stopped creativity and innovation.
Someone ... was it "Pantin23"? ... mentioned your Canal Walk. You read my mind! YeS. How wonderful that your historic streets and buildings weren't bulldozed. Now quaint shops and stores are like honey to the bees. Yes... that's what I was thinking about your present downtown.
Bars and nightclubs come and go. No one is young long.
But once your history ... your buildings... your neighborhoods are gone ... they are ... gone forever.
I'm curious... what do you ladies and gents think about Economist Nouriel Roubini ... also known as, "Dr. Doom"? He's the expert who accurately predicted the '08 crash and other economic down-turns.
He says we're currently IN"The Perfect Storm" and that the next crash is going to be worse than the last.
1.) Stockton, California bet big and over-built during good times and now they're bankrupt.
(They followed Vallejo, California)
2.) Scranton, PA now has been forced to reduce all their city employees to minimum wage...
(Police and Firefighters earning $7.25 an hour?? Not good.)
Maybe it's time to be wise ... keep stocking nuts in your savings accounts...
BUT GROW ... by paying attention to the current time spirits...
Corporate health is killing us
Our precious food is currently being held hostage by Monsanto!! The largest pesticide producer in the world!! Agent Orange on your spinach?
What about increasing both your beauty and your pocket change by empowering innovative organic food producers ... and encouraging competition in citizen urban landscaping throughout the city ... more locally grown products sold ... more beauty which means more people moving here to enjoy the increased quality of life that also translates into more taxes being raised, and more property values increasing ... but even more ... more unique jobs for citizens and new careers for young people.
But ... "all or nothing thinking" is bad too.
I just wanted to voice my two cents. I now know about this "mall" in Charlottesville that utilizes urban space in non-obtrusive ways. Brings in more big investment?
Rock-on Richmond!
Oh and "Mtaylo24" ...
Quote:
Thats Richmond, the only city that doesn't use its city (if that makes sense)...
... there's a TON of cities that have empty downtowns due to the "white-flight" of the 60s and 70s. Now they're feeling the gas crunch and realizing the problems just moved to another seat. It's the developers who come out the real winners.
High Tech firms have two main types of employees ... the "sober engineers" who like life in the suburbs, and "Creative Types" drawn more to urban life in places like, San Francisco and Manhattan. Which is more fun? You have the unique gift of doing both. Hope you really think about how you'll use your downtown.
Me?
I'm going to shut up because I'm supposed to see a man about a dog anyway.
I've got watermellons to grow ... hedges to clip ... and a little house to paint.
(thanks again)
Last edited by veganwriter; 07-12-2012 at 09:54 PM..
Reason: had to
What about increasing both your beauty and your pocket change by empowering innovative organic food producers ... and encouraging competition in citizen urban landscaping throughout the city ... more locally grown products sold ... more beauty which means more people moving here to enjoy the increased quality of life that also translates into more taxes being raised, and more property values increasing ... but even more ... more unique jobs for citizens and new careers for young people.
Check out the South of the James Market at Forest Hill Park. Here's hoping we revamp the 17th Street Farmer's Market to be as effective one day.
Agree w/ most of this post. I'm a big fan of re-using Richmond's wonderful historic building stock in new and creative ways. I think Pantin's thought was not a suburban mall but perhaps a pedestrian only area downtown w/ lots of boutiques and restaurants. I know you're new to Richmond... if you have a chance to visit Charlottesville, they have a downtown "mall" which is really more an outdoor shopping/dining district where they closed off a few blocks to vehicular traffic.
Problem is you need jobs for the people that come here to be able to afford these crappy apts and town houses they make out of these old buildings. They are overpriced and not good quality living spaces.
Problem is you need jobs for the people that come here to be able to afford these crappy apts and town houses they make out of these old buildings. They are overpriced and not good quality living spaces.
Based on the occupancy rates and rental rates, there are people coming here. Richmond's unemployment rate is below the national average.
Problem is you need jobs for the people that come here to be able to afford these crappy apts and town houses they make out of these old buildings. They are overpriced and not good quality living spaces.
Nice reply pantin23. To add my two cents... I believe closing off 16th and 17th Street has already been mentioned by the City government. It is an ideal location due to the low amount of traffic those streets allow and the already empty space between them allowing for restaurants to set up outdoor dining. Take down the roofs covering that area, add a centerpiece fountain and some nice landscaping and I bet that area would thrive. There are already some popular restaurants along these streets and some vacant buildings waiting to be filled.
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I'm a big fan of re-using Richmond's wonderful historic building stock in new and creative ways. I think Pantin's thought was not a suburban mall but perhaps a pedestrian only area downtown w/ lots of boutiques and restaurants. I know you're new to Richmond... if you have a chance to visit Charlottesville, they have a downtown "mall" which is really more an outdoor shopping/dining district where they closed off a few blocks to vehicular traffic.
Agent Orange on your spinach? 
To add my two cents... I believe closing off 16th and 17th Street has already been mentioned by the City government. It is an ideal location due to the low amount of traffic those streets allow and the already empty space between them allowing for restaurants to set up outdoor dining. Take down the roofs covering that area, add a centerpiece fountain and some nice landscaping and I bet that area would thrive. There are already some popular restaurants along these streets and some vacant buildings waiting to be filled.
