Shockoe Bottom plan requires major commitments

The latest plan to revitalize Richmond's historic but also gritty, flood-prone and at times raucous Shockoe Bottom area won't get far without a major commitment from the city, as well as from property owners and others.

The plan, released this week by Mayor Dwight C. Jones, identifies $70.9 million in infrastructure investments that would be phased over the next 10 to 20 years as well as additional short-term actions including zoning changes, façade-improvement initiatives and strict code enforcement.

The infrastructure projects — some of them funded, others not — include a third phase of renovations to Main Street Station, a 300-space parking deck near East Broad Street, a revamped 17th Street Farmers' Market and general streetscape upgrades.

For their part, property owners could be asked to pay additional taxes for enhanced street-cleaning, security and other services, as well as to enter into development agreements with the city to overcome the obstacles of building in a floodplain.

Charles Macfarlane, a developer and former Shockoe Bottom resident, said he believes property owners will be willing to pay higher taxes or make other commitments if the city shows it's serious about revitalization.

"We've been here before. We've heard a lot in the past," he said. "We're anxious. We're certainly interested."

The Shockoe Economic Revitalization Strategy is offered as "an implementation-oriented strategy designed to provide the tools for creating a distinct place blending historic character with 21st-century amenities."

The plan is aimed at creating a densely developed village on the edge of downtown that has just about everything — tourism, arts and culture, restaurants, history, homes and businesses. The plan also acknowledges the need to address cleanliness and safety, in light of the violence that occasionally erupts from its nightlife and club scene.

The ideas are being met with a mix of optimism and cautiousness.

"I think it's positive news. They need something down there in the Bottom," said Clifford B. Porter, a broker for several strategically located properties owned by the Loving family. "Hopefully this is the start of quality development down there."

Mark Merhige, a principal with The Shockoe Co., said that if nothing else, he's excited about the next phase of renovations to Main Street Station. "Motion is better than (the current) inertia," he said.

City officials have been calling for a comprehensive strategy for the Bottom since early 2009. The study was initiated in response to a developer's proposal for Shockoe Center, a $318 million project that had offered a minor league ballpark as a way to overcome floodplain challenges that essentially have blocked development of city-owned parking lots in the Bottom.

Highwoods Properties eventually withdrew its plan amid questions about its feasibility and a tepid response from the newly installed Jones administration.

Several supporters of that project have noted that some of its key ideas, including a special-taxing district, national retailers and greater building heights, are included in the city-issued revitalization strategy.

The plan focuses on an area totaling 164 acres, with 75 acres considered vacant or underused sites for development.

Three districts proposed

The strategy suggests developing the area into three distinct districts, with each supported by zoning changes:

• an "entertainment/cultural district," generally west of 21st Street and south of East Grace Street, with "transit-oriented" business development near Main Street Station as well as a mix of other uses;

• an "innovation economy district," generally north of East Grace and west of 18th Street, allowing greater building heights to take advantage of the proximity to Interstate 95 and VCU Medical Center; and

• an "urban village," for the more eastern areas of the Bottom, with more residential uses and building heights generally limited to five or six stories.

Main Street Station improvements

Work is scheduled to begin next June on a $28.9 million third phase of renovations to the historic train station.

The metal siding will be removed from the station's two-story shed and replaced with glass. Also, East Franklin will be reopened, allowing traffic to move through the shed between downtown and the Bottom.

The shed, or "concourse" as it's now being called, is envisioned as a home for a city-sponsored welcome center, an initial location for a national slavery museum, as well as some sort of center for creative and innovative businesses. To assist with marketing and leasing, the city has hired Williams Jackson Ewing, which helped redevelop Washington's Union Station.

17th Street Farmers' Market

The historic market would be expanded and redeveloped as an "urban square" to reinforce Main Street Station's position as a driver of the area's "culture, creativity and identity."

The new market is recommended to emphasize food, entertainment, entrepreneurship and history and include a year-round market as well as open areas for seasonal markets and events. The project is estimated at $1.1 million but has not been approved for funding.

"If you got into the Farmers' Market now, it's a mess, and it's embarrassing," Macfarlane said.