VCU Buys Old Ukrop's at Grace and Harrison, In Violation of Written Agreement with Neighborhood Associations [?]

It has been confirmed that the VCU Real Estate Foundation has purchased the old Community Pride/Ukrop's property located at the intersection of West Grace Street and Harrison, in the lower Fan.  This purchase is apparently in violation of a written agreement between VCU and the Fan District Association ("FDA"), the West Avenue Improvement Association, and the Lower Fan District Association.  There will be a public meeting held on Monday, March 30, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the FDA offices located at 208 Strawberry Street, at which time VCU will present its plans for the property.

Now, I have no clue what VCU has up its sleeve, but I'd be willing to bet a dime to a donut it involves multi-story student housing.  And I also predict that the FDA, along with the other neighborhood associations, is going to fight tooth and nail against VCU's march west, whatever their plans for the property.  Because here's the inherent problem if they DON'T fight the battle:  That written agreement becomes completely worthless in any other context.  Contracts have to be enforced uniformly, not willy-nilly.  It's the slippy slope argument.

Personally, I am going to keep an open mind as to whether I think VCU's plans for the property warrant my strong support or vociferous opposition.   But, I do think the decision to purchase the property in contravention of the compact with the neighborhoods has at least a strong whiff of double dealing.  That agreement was EXTREMELY hard-fought by both sides, it's hard to believe no one at the VCU Real Estate Foundation was aware of it.  If they were aware of it, and just ignored it - well, that's pretty daggone outrageous, IMHO.  Unfortunately, I think VCU has earned the suspicion, based on its ham-handed handling of "agreements" with other neighborhood groups.  [Can the Oregon Hill folks please stand up?]

On a purely process view, I think every effort should be made to hold VCU to the terms of its contract.  If there has been a breach of the agreement, VCU should be held accountable.  And if the neighborhood associations decide that they are willing to accept VCU's plans for the former Ukrop's property, I think VCU must be required to reach some kind of negotiated, written agreement with those groups that preserves the remainder of the original agreement's terms.

But that's just one woman's opinion.  It and $.25 won't get you a cup of coffee.  [;)]

Comments

[John]

As someone who was heavily engaged in many of the "VCU Go East" conversations and meetings in the early 1990s, and covered the agreement between VCU and the Fan District Association that drew a very solid line at Harrison Street (with a few pre-existing exceptions) for future university growth, I'd say the issue here is simple: Will the FDA protect the architectural and residential integrity they fought for 20 years ago, and will VCU's Foundation live up to a hard-fought agreement with the community? What the building could become -- whether owned by VCU or not -- isn't the issue.

[Eric]

I don't think VCU is keeping Whole Foods and/or Trader Joe's away. They are here and in an area that is convenient and serves a larger population than Harrison could sustain. Why do we want to contain VCU. VCU recieves many honor and rankings for its Business School, Engineering program, Art School. Leading Medical School. and of coarse Basketball!! Support VCU growth.

[Sam]

This is old news. This purchase was made at the beginning of the year.

[Jason]

has anyone considered that fact that the demand does not exist in that area for a new grocery store, Kroger is just a few blocks away.

Plus a VCU development makes sense right there. Consider this. The following VCU facilities are about a block or two away from the Ukrops parcel:
Capital Garage Apartments
the Siegel Center
VCU Bookstore
The Sports Medicine Bldg
VCU Police
Bowe Street Parking Deck
Ackell Residential Center

[Joe who owns in the fan]

People who live in the fan and are not supportive of VCU are among the worst type of humans. Totally hipocritial to not support the only thing keeping the fan a vibrant and interesting place to live. Please do not forget that the fan was heading down hill very quickly until VCU was founded.

BTW - do research prior to spouting off about putting a TJ or Whole Foods at the old Ukrops location. You have as much chance of one of those (really great) places coming as you do a Hermes store.

[Jason]

The former Ukrops grocery store will never be a grocery store again. Its about 3-4 blocks away from a much larger Kroger that sells booze and smokes and groceries. The area can't support both of them.

Has anyone thought what would happen to the neighborhoods that flank VCU if the new president feels he can't handle neighborhood associations and decides to move VCU to Henrico(Short Pump/Glen Allen)

[Melissa Loughridge Savenko]

Gee, Pauline, I gotta say - I'm not following your logic. Homeless people, beggars and shoplifters are going to loiter in a grocery store parking lot, but not in front of small, ground floor shops? And I'd dare say the Kroger on Allen and Broad seems to do a bang-up business, despite these alleged homeless people, beggars, and shoplifters, which I assume you would believe are in that parking lot as well.

Nope, I think the reason Ukrop's didn't work is in large part because it didn't sell alcohol, which makes huge margins for grocery stores. While I absolutely respect the Ukrop family for their personal committment to a no-alcohol policy, I think it was the death-knell of a smaller, boutique market. HOWEVER, I think an Ellwood Thompson outpost or a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, a company without that same limitation, would do a bang-up business.

But again, this is just one person's opinion. I re-emphasize, I don't know what VCU's plans are, everyone is speculating at the moment, but it does appear incontrovertible that VCU violated the letter and spirit of its 1990 agreement with the surrounding neighborhood associations. Thanks for taking the time to comment. MLS

[Paul]

I'm going to contact all my influential friends and pull some strings. Everybody (well two people) knows I'm in bed with the souless developers that run this town.

[Lauren]

I agree with Paul as well. I want either Ukrops to come back or for another grocery store like Trader Joes or some other market of sorts to come into the space. I do not want to see more student housing and I was a student at VCU not to long ago!

[Pauline]

What's the alternative? A hulking vacant building, is that what you want? You are not going to get a viable grocery store at that location because of the homeless people, shoplifters, and beggars that populate the parking lot. Better to have student housing with small shops on the ground floor.