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02/10/2021

City reaches deal for redevelopment of Public Safety Building site

Months of negotiations have reached a proposed deal for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment of Richmond’s city-owned Public Safety Building property.

Ordinances and legal documents reflecting the negotiated deal between the city administration and developer Capital City Partners were formally introduced to the City Council at its meeting Monday evening. The deal will be reviewed in committee and brought back to the council for consideration at a future meeting.

Capital City Partners, consisting of the development team that designed the former Navy Hill plan, has proposed a 20-story, VCU Health-anchored tower and mixed-use office complex that would fill the bulk of the 3-acre property at 500 N. 10th St.

The proposal is a variation of what was known as “Block D” in Navy Hill.

CCP had offered to pay about $3.17 million for the site based on an appraisal that put its “shovel-ready” land value at $8.5 million. The negotiated deal now calls for a sale price of $3.52 million, with CCP assuming responsibility for all demolition and public infrastructure costs.

The deal also requires a 10 percent deposit from CCP, which has already paid it, said Economic Development Director Leonard Sledge, who’s been representing the city in the negotiations since CCP submitted its unsolicited offer to the city in May.

In a presentation to councilmembers Monday, Sledge said the administration opted to negotiate with CCP directly — and forego a formal request for proposals from other developers — based on several factors, including the Navy Hill Advisory Commission’s recommendation to go forward with plans for the Public Safety Building site.

Also considered were public feedback received through the Richmond 300 planning process, the tenants secured for the development, and anticipated real estate tax revenue from the project — projected to total nearly $60 million over the first 25 years.

Slightly smaller project

Previously estimated at $350 million, the development now represents a capital investment of more than $325 million, according to Sledge’s presentation.

The scaled-down project calls for over 90,000 square feet of spec Class A office space, reduced from the original plan for a 150,000-square-foot spec space. The number of structured parking spaces also has been reduced from 1,900 to 1,200, with up to 200 of those to be made available for city employees.

The rest of the proposed development remains largely the same, with 150,000 square feet of administrative and office space for VCU Health; a 125,000-square-foot space with 145 guest rooms for local nonprofit The Doorways; a 65,000-square-foot space with 60 guest rooms for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond; and 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail including a pharmacy.

The development also would include 35,000 square feet of childcare space for VCU employees, with at least 20 percent of childcare slots made available at the same cost for city residents not employed by the health system or university.

The project would relocate the existing GRTC transfer station on Ninth Street to the surface parking lot across Ninth from the building. Plans also call for at least 40 percent minority business participation during construction and in building operation.

Other terms are aimed at providing job training and hiring local construction workers, with CCP required to create a $500,000 fund over five years to support small businesses leasing space in the development, student scholarships, and other forms of community assistance.

Of the 3 acres that would be sold to CCP, about 2.3 acres would make up the development footprint, while the rest would be used to extend and reconnect Clay Street, with that property dedicated back to the city.

Constructed in 1954, the building has been costing the city $389,000 annually to operate and has more than $20 million in deferred maintenance costs. It currently houses offices for the Department of Justice Services and the Adult Drug Court that would be moved to other city facilities.

The negotiated sale price of $3.52 million is based on an appraised value that results from deducting the building demolition and infrastructure improvement costs that CCP would assume. Those costs — about $3.42 million in infrastructure costs and $1.55 million for demolition, as well as risk to the developer — were subtracted from CCP’s appraisal of $8.5 million to produce a final appraisal amount of about $3.17 million.

DPR Construction and Richmond-based Canterbury Enterprises would be the contractors on the project. KieranTimberlake, a Philadelphia-based architect, is designing it along with Richmond-based SMBW.

VHB is signed on to handle site civil engineering and transportation planning, and Waterstreet Studio is handling streetscape and landscape design. Other firms on the project team include Richmond-based Sustainable Design Consulting and Chicago-based Omni Ecosystems.

The Public Safety Building development is projected for completion within 45 months after closing on the property. A development plan would be submitted eight months after closing, and demolition would start two months after that.

CCP is led by Michael Hallmark and Susan Eastridge, who were enlisted to design the Navy Hill plan. Hallmark, of Richmond-based urban planning firm Future Cities, and Eastridge, of Fairfax-based development firm Concord Eastridge, are also behind the proposed $2.3 billion GreenCity development in Henrico County.

02/10/2021

Landscape architects, architects, scholars, and others speak out about the threat to the Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters in Washington.

02/10/2021

The 'Landscape Design Software market' report, recently added by Market Study Report, LLC, examines the industry in terms of the global expanse, highlighting the present & future growth potential of each region as well as consolidated statistics

02/08/2021

Australian-born UAFS groundskeeper works to modernize landscape maintenance

The new director of grounds management at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith is focusing on three big things this year – more trees on campus, a Wi-Fi smart irrigation system and pollinator gardens on campus.

Ben Kleinig, a native of Australia, was announced the new Southeast Service Corporation (SSC) director of the grounds management department at UAFS last summer. Since that time, he has been leading the daily operations as well as planning and executing the long-term management of the landscape and grounds around campus, information provided by the university said.

The SSC has an annual landscaping contract with the university. For fiscal year 2021, that contract is for $901,243, said Rachel Rodemann Putman, associate director for strategic communications at UAFS. SSC employs 16 Groundskeepers, including the Kleinig. All employees are covered by the contract. Some additional services or special projects, if approved, are charged separately, said Alvin Campbell, interim director of plant operations at UAFS.

During the six months he has served as the director of grounds management, Kleinig has worked to build on the success SSC has had since becoming the university’s facilities provider, he said.

“In 2019 UAFS was awarded The Green Star Award through the Professional Ground Manager Society. The program salutes grounds departments for maintaining a well-manicured landscape year-round. UAFS is a member of Tree Campus USA, which recognizes universities that establish and maintain a sustainable healthy community forest,” Kleinig said, noting a few of those SCC accomplishments.

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals, Kleinig said. UAFS achieved its title by reaching the five necessary standards: Maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning project.

Ben Kleinig, director of grounds management at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith
In June 2020, UAFS was named a 2020 Groundwater Guardian Green Site by the Groundwater Foundation for utilizing groundwater-friendly practices and practicing environmental stewardship, a UAFS news release said. UAFS is the only location in Arkansas to hold this designation. Groundwater Guardian recognizes water conservation through efficient irrigation and turf management practices. A program of The Groundwater Foundation, it provides support and encouragement for communities and teams, including cities, counties, watersheds, organizations, agencies, schools, etc., to begin groundwater awareness activities, motivation to continue these efforts and recognition, Kleinig said.

Kleinig, who became an ISA certified arborist Jan. 6, said he and his team are establishing a tree inventory and management plan that will “improve tree health through programmed maintenance and allow UAFS to plan for future tree plantings.” The tree inventory will be completed by a national tree care company in the next two years, he said.

He also said they are taking strides to convert the irrigation system to a Wi-Fi smart irrigation system, which will allow them to make better decisions on watering as well as provide water savings. The irrigation system is being converted each year with a five-year completion goal.
Irrigation water use at UAFS has dropped by 25% from 2017, specifically since 2019, Campbell said.

“This shows the effectiveness of a highly qualified irrigation technician,” he said.

In 2019, irrigation water use at UAFS dropped to a little above 60% what had been used previously.

“That was before the project of replacing older controllers with communicating units to take advantage of the automation saving forecast,” Campbell said.

The cost of irrigation water was $53,519.98 in 2019 for 10,523 ccf. In 2017, the cost was $62,797.70 for 16,403 ccf.

“(We are) installing pollinator gardens and incorporating pollinator plants into the landscape, which will encourage pollinator insects and birds on campus and (be) a great educational tool for staff and students,” he said. “The pollinator garden will be completed in the fall of this year with involvement from students and the grounds department. The pollinator plants is a policy decision that will be incorporated into each new landscape installation.”

Kleinig emigrated from Australia in 2012 after participating in the Rotary Group Study Exchange from Sydney, Australia, and joined SSC in 2016. He has a degree in horticulture with an emphasis in landscape design. He worked in the parks and recreation departments in New South Wales and Sydney, Australia, and served as a horticulturist at the Australian Golf Club, home of the Australian Golf Open. After coming to the United States, he lived in east Texas before coming to UAFS.

“The climate compared to East Texas is slightly different, being cooler and wetter. The weather compared to Sydney is huge. Sydney is a temperate climate never getting too hot or cold,” he said.

But he is enjoying the change of Fort Smith. He likes the local walking trails at the river and Fort Chaffee, local restaurants and the downtown area, he said. And he finds the opportunity to build on the successful platform past grounds managers at UAFS have built exciting.

“The UAFS campus is a beautiful tree lined landscape space with a history of various landscape industry awards. My goal is to continue the rich tradition of the UAFS campus, focusing on sustainability through smart irrigation practices, battery operated landscape equipment and the use of organic fertilizers and pesticides. My background is in landscape design, I see exciting opportunities improving the floral displays and creating student friend landscape areas,” he said.

02/08/2021

The spring semester has already begun for UT's non-credit programs, but it's not too late to get involved. Go to UTnoncredit.com for info and registration. Here are five possibilities to consider: 1. Stand-up comedy: a crash courseReceive the tools n

02/08/2021

The A' Design Awards deadline for submissions is February 28, 2021. Winners will be featured in a post on ArchDaily on April 15, 2021. Enter your work today!

02/05/2021

Stuckeman Landscape Architecture Students Recreate Studio Feel Remotely

Across the world, college students are adapting to the challenges and difficulties of online learning. Now more than ever, it is important to reach out to others and connect — even if it’s remotely.

Some Penn State students are doing just that through the Stuckeman School in the College of Arts and Architecture.

Stuckeman students rely on the studio not only as a place to attend lectures and critiques but also as a place to work. In the past, you might walk past the Stuckeman Family Building and see students working diligently through the night at their desks or catching a break and spending time with their peers. Some might call this “studio culture.”

Dr. Andy Cole, interim department head of landscape architecture, believes studio culture is a central part of the college’s community.

“Studio culture is such an important aspect of training for landscape architects,” Cole said. “It’s here that they interact, share ideas, and offer constructive critiques of each other’s work. It’s an integral means of building community and one that we have tried hard to replicate as best we can in times of COVID-19.”

However, since landscape architecture, architecture, and graphic design are smaller programs, students rely on their classmates. Studio also includes all the resources one may need. It is a collaborative, and sometimes competitive, space for students to create effective designs and generate innovative solutions for their projects.

Maeve Fogarty, the class representative for second-year landscape architecture, also emphasized the studio’s importance.

“Physically being in the studio helps us as a class grow closer as a community,” Fogarty said. “We rely on each other academically, socially, and emotionally.”

However, with students remaining at home during the remote period, that atmosphere is lacking, and second-year landscape architecture students are coming together to recreate that environment.

At least once a week, some students meet over Zoom to catch up, play games, and for a few, meet for the first time. Last semester, they met to help each other learn the new programs. Creating that bond in a small program helps students thrive by encouraging them to reach out when they need support.

“Learning remotely has been a challenge, but as a class, we meet [every week or so] to recreate that studio environment,” Fogarty said. “It has really helped us navigate doing design coursework online and become a closer group of classmates.”

Other years of landscape architecture are doing the same. Alyssa Humarang, the class representative for third-year landscape architecture, connects with her classmates as well.

“From my experience though, my friends and I do Zoom parties where we just catch up and talk to one another or watch funny YouTube videos,” Humarang said. “We sometimes eat lunch or drink tea/coffee together over Zoom like we usually do after class before COVID happened”.

Inside the Stuckeman School in the College of Arts and Architecture, students are demonstrating how adaptive and resilient they are. Even with remote learning, there are still ways to connect and students are finding new ways to do so. It is important to form those connections and to have a support system no matter where you are in the world.

02/05/2021

Community news for Hebron, Andover, Columbia, and Lebanon.

02/05/2021

Geoffrey Baer is here with more on the past, present, and future of a historic West Side garden in this week’s Ask Geoffrey.

02/03/2021

Landscape design tips for southern Oklahoma

Landscape Design Tips

January is a good time to plan for the new gardening season. If it’s too cold, wet, windy, or icy to walk around your yard, walk around inside and check the view from your windows. Make notes of what you enjoyed last year, and definitely make notes of what you would like to change or improve when the weather permits. With the leaves off most trees and shrubs, you can see the bones of your garden including hardscapes and can decide if you need to improve certain areas. Gardens are never finished and are always changing and evolving. Plants you placed in a sunny location years ago may need to be relocated because the trees you also planted have gotten large enough to provide enough shade to require totally different plantings. Gardeners are usually optimistic and look forward to each new season with hope and faith that this will be the best one ever. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when planning a landscape.

• Do a simple plan on paper. It’s a lot easier to use an eraser than a shovel.

• Trees should be used to frame the house and provide a background. They should not block or hide the house. Don't plant too many trees that will get too large, and don’t plant them too close to the house. Be careful what kind of trees you plant (check out OK PROVEN.ORG). For various reasons, definitely stay away from willows, cottonwoods, Bradford pears, sweetgums, silver maples, regular old elms, black walnuts, pin oaks, and sycamores. If trees get so big they won't let any sun in your windows, have roots that will ruin your sewer system, drop limbs constantly, sprout in every nook and cranny, fill your pool with leaves, or get so big they will overhang your roof or blow over on your roof, they are a chore instead of a pleasure and will be very, very expensive to remove and repair the damage they cause.

• Simplicity is the key to good design. You don’t want to have cluttered plantings, ornaments, lots of small beds, or shrubs scattered around the lawn without being part of a larger bed or border. You are going to have to mow or w**d eat around them, and that isn't much fun in August. Use curves instead of sharp angles. They are more pleasing to look at and you can mow around them more easily.

• Border plantings can be used alone or in conjunction with fences to define property lines and achieve needed privacy and lessen noise. This is the perfect place to plant native plants to attract birds and butterflies that you can enjoy from inside as well as from your yard.

• Don’t put all your best plants against the foundation in the front yard where only the neighbors can see them. Plant for your enjoyment by putting plants where they are visible from your windows. A nice bed around the mailbox could be appreciated by you as well your mail carrier.

• Do not plant the typical builder boxwood hedge across the front of your home. It’s known as the dreadful “Green Necklace” look. It is boring, and you surely have better things to do with your weekends than to trim them.

• You don’t have to plant the whole foundation of the house. Foundation plantings were originally used because houses had tall, ugly foundations that needed to be hidden. Groundcovers between small shrubs will tie plantings together. In general, do not depend on a foundation planting of only perennials, annuals, and deciduous shrubs in front of the house. You need a few small evergreens for winter color and interest.

• Keep everything mulched. Mulch not only makes the plantings look better, it keeps w**ds down, keeps the soil cooler in summer, conserves moisture, and improves the soil as it breaks down. Use natural hardwood mulch instead of dyed red or black fake mulches. Not only are they fake and ugly, they are often made from old ground up pallets that can contain harmful chemicals such as arsenic.

• In order to make the entry welcoming, do not put large shrubs near the door. Use larger shrubs or small trees near the corners of the house and gradually taper them to lower ones near the door. Don’t plant shrubs that will get so large they cover your windows.

• When planning your landscape, strive for year-round effect and pick plants that bloom at different times. Choose some evergreens and shrubs with berries for winter interest and to provide food for birds. Plant some things with beautiful fall color as well as some that bloom in spring and summer.

• Select plants that will grow well in your area. Use dependable native plants and Oklahoma Proven Plants as basic plantings and gradually add new things each year.

• Create focal points and centers of interest. These can be outstanding plants, a view, a pergola, or tasteful statuary (definitely not 20 plastic pink flamingoes from the dollar store). The entry is the usual focal point in front; however, it is important to have a focal point in the back yard for your enjoyment, also. Statues, benches, and water features can be used as focal points, but choose them carefully and don’t use very many.

• The most important thing is to have something you enjoy and that works for your family and location. Something as simple as having water faucets readily available with hoses you can get to and a place to keep your tools handy makes gardening easier and more enjoyable.

• Most importantly, remember gardening should be fun and not all work. Don't forget to put a small sitting area under a shade tree so you can take a break and enjoy the lovely view you have created. Stay Safe & Happy Gardening!

02/02/2021

BY TIMOTHY A. SCHULER FROM THE FEBRUARY 2021 ISSUE OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINE. Cities around the country have held design competitions over the past several months, inviting ideas fr…

02/02/2021

The former Weyerhaeuser campus in Washington is under threat, and the The Cultural Landscape Foundation has launched a letter writing campaign to save it

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