Hull Street Road Revitalization Plan - College of Humanities and ...
Hull Street Road Revitalization Plan - College of Humanities and ...
Hull Street Road Revitalization Plan - College of Humanities and ...
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<strong>Hull</strong> <strong>Street</strong> <strong>Road</strong> <strong>Revitalization</strong> <strong>Plan</strong><br />
SWOT ANALYSIS<br />
Opportunities<br />
Despite the aforementioned weaknesses, several development<br />
opportunities exist. They include:<br />
• Unused right-<strong>of</strong>-way in the city. This opportunity is particularly<br />
applicable to the Richmond portion <strong>of</strong> the corridor study area.<br />
The amount <strong>of</strong> unused l<strong>and</strong> in the public right-<strong>of</strong>-way provides<br />
the opportunity to widen the road, thereby creating a boulevard<br />
design similar to that already existing in Chesterfield County. A<br />
continuous l<strong>and</strong>scaped median throughout the entire corridor<br />
would establish visual continuity. This would have the added<br />
effect <strong>of</strong> improving traffic circulation via the incorporation <strong>of</strong><br />
turning lanes, <strong>and</strong> enhancing pedestrian circulation by providing<br />
those crossing the street with a safe stopping point. This would<br />
include adding new travel lanes. <strong>Plan</strong>ting l<strong>and</strong>scaping along the<br />
roadway would make it more aesthetically appealing <strong>and</strong> provide<br />
greater definition <strong>of</strong> the change between public <strong>and</strong> private<br />
ownership.<br />
• “Blank slate” for incorporating design recommendations. The<br />
existing conditions <strong>of</strong> the corridor provide the opportunity for a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> relatively easy design recommendations that could be<br />
implemented fairly quickly. The corridor is mature, so very few<br />
recommendations can be made for existing buildings. Despite<br />
this obstacle, many aesthetic improvements could be made to the<br />
roadway or City- <strong>and</strong> County-owned property that would allow for<br />
a more attractive <strong>and</strong> cohesive appearance that would not involve<br />
extended labor or changes to existing policies. These changes<br />
could be made within a relatively short period <strong>of</strong> time <strong>and</strong> possibly<br />
provide the impetus for private investment along the corridor.<br />
• Redevelopment on underutilized <strong>and</strong>/or undeveloped parcels.<br />
There are many <strong>of</strong> these properties along the corridor, especially<br />
within the City <strong>of</strong> Richmond. Vacant structures represent an<br />
obvious chance for redevelopment, even on the smaller parcels.<br />
In addition, there are a number <strong>of</strong> large parcels available for<br />
development/redevelopment, such as the l<strong>and</strong> at the corner <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Hull</strong> <strong>Street</strong> <strong>Road</strong> <strong>and</strong> Warwick <strong>Road</strong> within the City <strong>of</strong> Richmond.<br />
This parcel has been designated a Housing Opportunity Area<br />
(HOA) by the City <strong>and</strong> is zoned for multi-family use. The City<br />
believes this parcel is appropriate for the type <strong>of</strong> higher density<br />
residential development seen in the surrounding community.<br />
Some objectives for housing on this lot are access to the site<br />
without increasing traffic volume along <strong>Hull</strong> <strong>Street</strong> <strong>Road</strong>, creating<br />
an objective method <strong>of</strong> design review, <strong>and</strong> adequate buffering<br />
between new constructions <strong>and</strong> existing residential development.<br />
Figure 10: Pinebrook Estates has redevelopment potential.<br />
• Target businesses suggested by market analysis. Several <strong>of</strong> the<br />
above opportunities were identified through surveys <strong>of</strong> corridor<br />
shoppers; a market analysis was performed to examine the<br />
viability <strong>of</strong> these suggestions. This analysis involved examining<br />
commercial business that were currently in the convenience<br />
trade area <strong>and</strong> comparing this to the amount <strong>of</strong> businesses<br />
that the trade area could support, as determined by national<br />
trends is spending habits <strong>of</strong> various household income groups.<br />
Although these results do not preclude incorporation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
aforementioned commercial proposals, they do highlight some<br />
discrepancy between shoppers’ preferences <strong>and</strong> the corridor’s<br />
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