Butler Williams & Skilling Blog

Like so many other urban areas across the country, Richmond, Virginia’s downtown has seen something of renaissance in recent years.  The economic slowdown notwithstanding, numerous old buildings in and around the city center have been renovated and repurposed into retail space, offices, and high end apartments and condominiums.  One property that seems a perfect fit for revitalization is the old Hotel John Marshall .  Built in 1929, the John Marshall was once a grand luxury hotel, but those days have since passed.  In 1988, the hotel closed for over ten years and was reopened in a limited capacity in 1999.  The building has been largely vacant since the hotel finally shut its doors in 2004. 

In the last few years several different developers have unveiled plans for redevelopment, but construction has yet to begin.  For a myriad of reasons these projects have failed to get off the ground and the building remains essentially unused.  It seems there may now be an additional impetus to get the property back in use; decay.  As reported on by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, on December 30-31 several massive limestone panels fell off the façade of the building crashing over 100 feet to the ground and structures below.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and the authorities acted promptly to make sure the public stayed out of danger.  The incident highlights the need for development of the property and others like it.  We all recognize that when buildings go unattended and are allowed to fall into disrepair, surrounding property values decline.  However, an often overlooked risk is the danger of a major accident due to decay.  Crumbling buildings present both a danger to the public and a potential source of liability to an owner.