New Restaurant getting rave reviews
April 30, 2007
Voila! Cafe & Catering Company. Jonathan Wright, RGJ’s resident socialite and eatery blogger, posted a mouth-watering review of Voila. Me thinks I will go eat there today!
Kings Inn may become apartments
April 30, 2007
In a recent neighborhood advisory board meeting for Ward 1, Dan Gustin mentioned the Kings Inn projects is changing, and it may become apartments.
Developers Upbeat about Downtown
April 28, 2007
Despite the softening real estate market, condos are still selling downtown. 74 of the 92 Palladio units have sold (previously 62 had sold a month ago). 90% of the Riverwalk has sold with most of the residents living there, over half of Belvedere Towers is under contract (can’t close until the roof of the two new floors is on), Montage sales are strong. Wingfield Towers has funding approved and plans to break ground this fall. Arterra’s groundbreaking was postponed from Fall 2007 to Spring of 2008.
Property Movement Downtown
April 27, 2007
LINING UP THE DUCKS –
* The parcel (011-450-12) that lies just east of the fire station on 2nd St which is part of the Freight House proposal by the Siena folks, just sold (as of 4/9/07) to an entity called Freight House District LLC with a mailing address in Ventura, CA. Since the Thoma Lofts property is also owned by an LLC with a Ventura address (different one) I suspect that the Siena folks have indeed bought that privately owned parcel and that they are probably still on track to do the Freight House deal with the city.
* The investor group that purchased the old Woolworth bldg last November along with some riverfront parcels by the little park north of the police station) have now purchased the building to the north of Woolworth (parcel 011-061-07) that faces Virginia and currently houses a jewelry/ collectibles store. Wonder what they are up to?
* Also, another investor group has quietly been acquiring properties north of 5th Street between Lake and Virginia. I don’t want to say which properties exactly because I don’t want to jinx their plans, but if you go look at a parcel map you’ll see what I am talking about.
Citizen’s Advisory Committee Meeting full of updates
April 26, 2007
ESSENTIAL MEETING – Usually I just post meetings in the center column but this meeting is extra special, haha. May 1 at 3:00 in City Hall there is a Citizens Advisory Committee with updates on the 10 North Virginia Retail, 10 North Virginia Canopy, Facade Improvement Loans (downtown really needs this), the Post Office project, and the entertainment retail core. I will be there!
