In 1884, the Norfolk Southern Railroad added a railroad spur ( a railroad track where cars are parked for loading, unloading, and storage) to the Lambert's Point industrial area and the Norfolk and Western Railroad District was born. The area was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The district partially overlaps the Park Place Historic District to the north and the Williamston-Woodland Historic District to the south.[1]
The area is reminiscent of the beginning stages of Scott's Addition in Richmond and is in the early stages of its redevelopment, and a perfect fit for our new office! The area already has 3 breweries - Veil Brewing, O'Connor Brewing, and Rip Rap Brewing; several restaurants and coffee shops, mixed in with apartments and businesses. The industrial side is still very much active, with many mechanics, factories, and contractors in the area.
The Monument Companies development team is adept at projects involving Historic Tax Credits, and is a driving force behind the redevelopment of the area, and has worked with PermitZIP on many of these projects.
Baylor Building
Located on West 25th Street (just steps from our office), the former Baylor Plumbing and Heating Corp building is being developed to house commercial tenants. The project here is made up of several buildings, including the unique challenge of a historic house that was left intact as the commercial buildings were originally built around it.
Chenman Lofts
Formerly Chenman Scrapmetal, this unique building now includes 43 apartments. The buoys and signage remain from the former business, as well as the building names such as the "Bertha" Building.
2202 Llewellyn
Known historically as C.M. Bayne & Co.'s warehouse and offices, the most recent use was for storage of the nearby Decorum Furniture store. In 2018 Monument bought the property and construction is underway for 25 apartments and 2000 square foot of office space now called "The Depot."
Veil Brewing Company
A Richmond cult favorite recently opened in The Railroad District. This is the third location we've worked on with Veil and the first involving Monument. The three-story brewhouse was formerly the Norfolk Chophouse. The Veil website points out that the new location will be "offering cans/bottles to go, drafts (including guest beers) for on-premise consumption, wine/cider, and a full kitchen featuring an amazing menu from Codex/Chef Ian Hock."
In the same building as the Veil, The Burn Bootcamp will be opening its doors soon as well. According to their website, "we set out to make Burn Boot Camp an even mix of challenging exercises, unique programming, and a fun atmosphere."
Our office on 25th Street allows us the opportunity to watch the construction and transformation on a daily basis. The PermitZIP office is a suite within the Provost Construction space. We are up and running, (and have desks to sub-lease) but don't mind the construction as we get settled! Our new location gives us the opportunity to provide MEP services throughout the Seven Cities/Hampton Roads area, as well as James City County.
Want to learn more about the Railroad District? Check out these great articles!
Businesses planned for Norfolk's Railroad District want to reach beyond hipsters from PilotOnline.com
Apartments, swimming pool planned for The Virginian-Pilot's downtown headquarters from PilotOnline.com
And check out The Legend Property Group for more information on the apartments available in the area.
References: