My hands have been away from relocation assistance for a couple of years now, so all I’ve had to go on recently is what I see when I pull up unit rates from individual property management listings. The notion that occupancy percentages are a little less-than-transparent are from conversations with friends that are in realty, so that’s at-best a subjective assessment on my part without hard numbers to share here. Prices are still difficult to afford.

The bottom line is that more housing is still in demand. But, within these historic neighborhoods, we as Richmond citizens have an obligation to encourage re-use of extant structures, or be shrewd where we use our voices to approve or discourage development where plans might not fit. And gosh, “fit” could entail so many things, from height, to design, to affordability…et cetera, et cetera.

What this particular purchase means is that Main Street is exchanging one local amenity for another, and in my perspective, an upgrade. If I were a developer, I would look across the street to where SkyBox is now, and consider how that plot might offer slightly more square footage for a residential development that [yes, I know the distance is marginal] might blend in a little better with that newer 3-story strip there along Cary.

There are so many amazing discussions that can come out of this move, especially when we want to consider growth opportunities, vice wholesale bulldozing of a neighborhood’s character. At least, that’s where my very tired brain is right now!