I have just a few minutes to dash off a few lines, but I want to make sure I draft something on the Venture Richmond Developer Forum.
IT WAS AWESOME! There were 22 developers, each of whom gave a short 2-3 minutes presentation on their development - things like location, stage, total investment dollars, etc. Of course the BIG guys were there, like Rockett's Landing, VCU, the Biotechnology Park, Mead Westvaco. But there were just as many developers with smaller scale, and not-so-smaller scale, projects that I was unaware of...and I'm in the business!
The ultimate conclusion: There is a LOT of development going on in the City of Richmond, and a great deal of diverse development, from highly specialized laboratory and science space in the Biotechnology Park, to smaller scale residential condominium developments, to straight commercial spaces. It was really great to hear one of the out-of-town speakers comment on how impressed he was by the breadth and depth of development right here in the River City. YEA!
Only a few very teensie, weensie comments - let's call them constructive criticisms:
1. I know everyone is important and all, and has real jobs they need to get to, but does the morning session REALLY have to start at 7:30 a.m.?
2. If it does have to start at 7:30 a.m., I'd make absolutely sure next time that there are vats and vats of coffee available as of 7:15 a.m. I know this was likely a small, unanticipated glitch, but if I had to be up, dressed, and able to carry on intelligible conversation at that ungodly hour, I really, really, REALLY NEED my coffee.
3. I'm cranky to find out that there were cocktails and good food at the evening session. I should have expected as much, I guess. Next time I'm doing night time.
4. I think the characterization of "Downtown" was pretty expansive. Personally, I wouldn't consider Manchester, Jackson Ward, Carver, Church Hill, and HENRICO COUNTY, for goodness sake, to be "Downtown." But admit I'm being nit-picky. Maybe we can call it Central City, or something like that?
Okay, realistically 1-3 aren't even constructive criticisms of the program. That's just me being a baby because I am not, as in capital N-O-T, a morning person. But again, what a great program! Sign me up for next year now. And rock on, Richmond!
Sorry about the coffee, but it does appear that there was Kool-Aid there.
Posted by: Don | December 05, 2008 at 07:08 PM