City of Richmond to Buy GRTC Bus Barn Site in Fan District?

An article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch today announces that the City of Richmond has expressed interest in buying the GRTC Bus Barn property between Cary Street, Robinson and Stafford Avenues.  The parcel is almost seven (7) acres of absolutely prime real estate, on the Fan fringe, within walking distance to Carytown, and with amazing access to Downtown and points north, south, east and west. The property represents a HUGE development opportunity.

My first feeling upon reading the article?  "Uh oh."   I don't want the City developing the parcel, because Lord knows what they'd decide to do with it, and I don't have any faith that it would be something the current neighbors support and accept. Also, are they SERIOUSLY thinking that they could acquire the property for the $3M assessed value?  If so, I'd suggest removing the crack pipe and consulting a commercial appraisal.  In the free market, that property is worth millions more than the appraised value.

I appreciate Dwight Jones' approach that development in the City should be "by design, not by default."  In fact, I COMPLETELY agree with that position.  But the simple reality is the City of Richmond cannot afford to acquire that property, much less develop it appropriately.

In MY ideal world:  The City would have public policy influence on what went up on that property, but private developers would do the ultimate developing.  Does the idea of private developers scare me too?  Absolutely.  Their only motivation is profit, not what's best for the City or the neighborhood.  So you could end up with some ugly, plastic-y faux Fan neighborhood under the rubric of "new urbanism."  [ASIDE:  I've decided "new urbanism" is just code for subdivisions in the suburbs that sorta look like city neighborhoods, with more compact lots, street grids and walking trails.  But the emphasis appears to be on the "new," rather than the "urbanism," which is completely unfortunate]. 

Personally, I'd like to see the old trolley barns redeveloped into some mixed use using historic tax credits, with appropriate and historically sensitive infill development around the existing architecture.

Regardless of who is doing the developing, the public needs to stay on top of this project and make sure it's done well, whatever it is.  As with any historic property, you only get ONE chance to do it right.  And I always think the approach should be the same one advocated in the Hippocratic Oath: "First, do no harm."

Comments

[paul_h]

Isn't there already a major development slated for this property?

[Anonymous]

Disaster waiting to happen if the city buys this, but as long as the cronies get a slice of the pie, who cares what gets built!!

[Trey]

Well stated. I totally agree - the city buying this property would be a nightmare. We need a "tax credit" developer to buy it and do a sensitive urban mixed-use project.