I've had two reliable sources tell me not to give up on the John Marshall Hotel project. I was assured it would start by last September. Of course a few other things happened last September and I guess we are all lucky we didn't get sucked down a black hole. Well things have bottomed out, or we've been down so long it's beginning to look like up. My employment situation has changed along with many others. I've even got a colossal debt with no prospects for income. Well there's not much blood in this turnip and debtor's prisons are long gone, so I'm focusing on the positive. Richmond may or may not get a baseball team and may or may not get an urban stadium to brag about, but Richmond BizSense reports that "last week engineers filed permits ... to start renovations on the John Marshall Hotel."
Along with other "white elephants" downtown, or more rather because of them, one of Richmond's great landmarks is going to be restored. I've looked at this relic everyday for the past eight years wishing something would happen there. I've heard stories of days past when Richmond was a vibrant, exciting destination for central Virginia and North Carolina. If you can lay your hands on it, watch "Memories of Downtown Richmond" or catch it on WCVE. If you are like me it opens up the whole world of Richmond Past, Thalheimers, Miller & Rhoads, theaters, streetcars and train stations. All you can see today are the remains of that past, what hasn't been torn down. I think this is a keystone project that is going to change the image of downtown and bring back people who remember a better day.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Along with other "white elephants" downtown, or more rather because of them, one of Richmond's great landmarks is going to be restored. I've looked at this relic everyday for the past eight years wishing something would happen there. I've heard stories of days past when Richmond was a vibrant, exciting destination for central Virginia and North Carolina. If you can lay your hands on it, watch "Memories of Downtown Richmond" or catch it on WCVE. If you are like me it opens up the whole world of Richmond Past, Thalheimers, Miller & Rhoads, theaters, streetcars and train stations. All you can see today are the remains of that past, what hasn't been torn down. I think this is a keystone project that is going to change the image of downtown and bring back people who remember a better day.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
2 comments:
Here's some more info on the project you may be interested in. Style Weekly's Chris Dovi filed this:
http://www.styleweekly.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=A6B8A35C57354B51835EC5BB870A22A9
The Style report is eye-opening, especially the assessment thing.
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