The always on-and-off rumors that Ellwood Thompson’s is looking for a space in the East End this time are pointing at the former Duke’s Auto at Broad and 21st. Scuttlebut has the grocery interested, but running into parking complications with the church next door.
Officially, owner Rick Hood says that “Ellwood’s would love to open a location in Church Hill or Shockoe Bottom [but] we do not have a specific location that we’re working on. But certainly open to hearing from anyone who’d like to work w/ us a location.”
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Ahhh I was wondering what would become of Mad Man Dapper Dan’s dealership
We would love to have you locate downtown as we are looking for walkable retail…the downtown residents,workers,hotel guests,and MCV/VCU/GRTC riders already have the “parking issue” solved…We’re just waiting for you to discover us and the possibilities…
I heard that they were going in by VCU somewhere
If you build it they will come!
My Meals on Heels program! They just have to provide incentives to walk there. West Hollywood Trader Joe’s does it by charging for parking.
That would be a great change.
Can someone who attends the church perhaps shed some light on parking?
Are you people serious? Ellwood Thompson’s in the ghetto? Maybe you think that the gentrification has reach it’s peak already. With the level of poverty, and numbers of kids on free and reduced lunch (including the summer), the Church Hill community does not have the disposable income to shop at a store like this. Let’s get real.
Would rather it be Trader Joe’s!
While i really like the idea of them in the area that site seems pretty bad from an access point of view. Unprotected left turns from Broad into their lot paired with delayed rights from 21st. Presumably the issue with the church is their shared busiest time and highest need for parking is Sunday morning. If they could lease forty spaces from that apartment building across Broad that just changed hands and add a door out at Broad they might be on to something.
This would be an excellent addition for this part of the neighborhood.
@9 I agree with some of the traffic issues posed by the location. But something like this may force people to slow down (or the City to make changes). People constantly run or speed through the lights at 21st and Broad and 21st and Marshall. Anything that helps stop that would be a huge positive for those of us who live/walk around in the area.
Hallelujah!!!
“But something like this may force people to slow down (or the City to make changes). People constantly run or speed through the lights at 21st and Broad and 21st and Marshall. Anything that helps stop that would be a huge positive for those of us who live/walk around in the area.”
That light is terrible and for northbound travel on 21st you pretty much have to run the light for any chance to get through the intersection. They really need to close off a few parking spaces and add a left turn lane with right-of-way signalling or reduce lanes and switch to a 4-way stop.
The 21st & Broad intersection has brought me great theater. I love the 18-wheelers who bang a right on 21st coming up the hill begging all the NB 21st traffic to reverse so the turn can happen. Morning ‘rush hour’ is a treat when everyone blocks the box and opposite traffic can’t move. If the fire equipment didn’t need to blow thru there, they’d probably just solve with another damn traffic circle. But I digress. Whatever goes into Duke’s will take a long, long time to happen. It’s an environmental shit show in there. What I can tell you is the developer has told me the billboard lease is month-to-month now and it will get torn down when a tenant goes in. As the gateway to Church Hill and Union Hill, visually cleaning up this corner makes me happy.
Looks like this was submitted to get on 5/22/18 CAR agenda. All great improvements, especially the fencing and, yes, the billboard is going away. https://richmondva.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=6243428&GUID=BF96731B-F542-490F-B4A9-A4A4431776DB
I am sure there will be people from various environmental safety departments looking at the grease pits, years of oil and cleaning solvents, and… wonder if there are any old gas tanks still underground?
I am surprised about them going into such a small building and, the removal of the billboard. There has always been a landmark billboard on that block for decades. They can be seen in vintage photos. 🙁
And as for trucks turning at the intersection. If people would learn how to drive and know that their “front bumper” is supposed to be over or behind the wide solid painted white lines at the intersection. That is why they are staggered… the inside lane ones further back to allow trucks to turn short around the corner. But, people keep driving past the lines into the crosswalk and sometimes, part way into the intersections.
@14 any idea if Ellwood is still looking at this space? Either way, (as one of the neighbors directly across the street), we support those plans 100%.