Downtown Richmond tower to bring condos, hotel, market and skydeck
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A rendering of the project from the Cary Street side. Image: Courtesy of LaBella Associates
An unnamed New York developer is planning to build a 400-foot-tall mixed-use tower in the heart of Richmond's downtown.
Why it matters: The development will be reminiscent of something built in Chicago or New York, but still wholly unique to Richmond, the project's design lead tells Axios.
State of play: The tower, first reported by BizSense, is projected to rise on a vacant, state-owned lot at 703 E. Main St. (the block east of Capital Ale House and across from Kabana, RIP).
The big picture: The developer, who doesn't want to be named, wanted to get in on the "tremendous energy" happening in Richmond right now, says Nick Cooper, the Richmond office director for LaBella, the Rochester-based firm designing the tower.
- Among the RVA projects creating excitement for outsiders (and locals), Cooper cited the nearby Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront, CoStar's 26-story office tower, Brown's Island improvements, airport upgrades and CarMax Park, the new baseball stadium that his firm is designing.
Zoom in: Plans for the tower are still evolving, but it will likely include:
- 🏘️ Hundreds of "for sale" residential units.
- 🏨 Hotel rooms.
- 💼 Class-A office space.
- 🛍️ Destination retail.
- 🍸 Restaurants.
- 🛒 A grocery store or upscale market.
- 🌃 A rooftop "skydeck" from 400 or 435 feet in the air (Of note: The Monroe Building, Richmond's tallest, is 449 feet).
- 👩🏻🎨 And very Richmond elements, like murals and glass inspired by the views of Brown's Island.
The goal, Cooper says, is giving the city a "landmark piece of architecture," which will help get "as many people living downtown as possible" so Richmond can become an 18-hour city (basically, mid-plus).
- For Cooper, who's lived in Richmond for more than 20 years, this project is personal.
- He's watched as the city has moved from "a gem that was unknown" to outsiders but beloved by locals, to one developers and residents in bigger cities are clamoring to be a part of.
What they're saying: "We're there. ... The secret is out," he tells Axios. "Richmond is ready for this."
What's next: If everything goes according to plan, the tower should open in 2030.