People have been asking me for an update to my post from 5/2/06 ("New Hilton Hotel redevelopment of Miller & Rhoads") which outlined the redevelopment of the old Miller & Rhoads department store downtown into a sparkling new Hilton hotel, along with lots of new condo units (just what we need) and new retail space.
Anyone driving by the site on Broad Street can see that not a whole lot of progress has been made. One would think that the project has just been forgotten.
In fact, the construction has just been delayed a few months due to various factors: the recent rise in construction costs, difficulties in financing, the softening in the housing market, and tax credit issues. The developers expect to have everything in place and to begin construction in December.
And as a side note: This hotel will be a full-service upscale Hilton, but developers are not revealing which sub-brand name they will be using.
(Source: "Downtown Hilton Delayed to December" in 11/8/06 edition of Style Weekly)
I would think the site would be fine for a hotel, Not sure about condos due to teh market, but the locale is ok I think. I sort of like seeing housing development thats in town instead of spreading ever outward. The more redevelopment we have, the more it helps the general area. Also, you so often hear of old housing being turned into business space, its nice to see old business space turned to housing…It keeps things in balance.
UPDATE(2): New Downtown Hilton Hotel
From UPDATE: New Downtown Hilton Hotel, posted here on 11/18/06:And as a side note: This hotel will be a full-service upscale Hilton, but developers are not revealing which sub-brand name they will be using.Style Weekly reported this past Wednesday that
I agreed with LimberWolf. We need to stop helping the suburban attitude and focus on changing the urban environment. Let’s gentrify Richmond. I mean, it has potentials!
R-