Last week, city officials and the developers behind the proposed initiatives to build a mixed-use complex on the 60+ acres along the Boulevard surrounding the Diamond, and to build a new ball field with development around it in Shockoe Bottom, invited area webloggers and others to a presentation on the proposals. I was on baby duty, but the folks at the Church Hill People's News provide some perspective on the presentation -- including some video -- and SLANTBlog's post on the subject has generated a flurry of debate, mostly around the sustainable nature of baseball. The comment section at CHPN also has plenty of food for thought, focused primarily on the development aspects of the proposal and potential impact on Shockoe Bottom.
Richmond BizSense provided details on a late November information session -- a pitch to Shockoe Bottom residents and business owners -- and noted that a new ballpark in the Bottom won't be a reality until 2012 or so.
And local real estate blogger, Melissa Savenko, has gone the extra mile with three lengthy posts that dig into the under examined proposal to redevelop the Boulevard property. While her "Redevelopment on the Boulevard" is essentially a plea for more high-end retail, the sequel, "Redevelopment on the Boulevard - Part II," provides more details on the proposed development itself. She wraps it all up with some musings about whether demolition is green, and whether the Diamond should be adapted for some other use.
