Maybe you've been sitting stopped on the bus at Laurel and Broad and wondered, "What's going on with that building?"

The façade of the Richmond Glass Company seems to be in the throes of an unfortunate architectural rash, but no. Developer Justin French is redressing 814 W. Broad St., which started out in the early 20th century as a transit station for the intercity tram that ran from this site to Ashland. These cars could get up to 90 mph — putting them on the low end of what today would be called "high-speed rail." A viaduct straddled Marshall Street, and the cars barreled through forests and over river crossings. It must've been fun. By World War II, the service here ended, and shortly thereafter, this neo-classical façade was covered over by aluminum corduroy (see photo below).

French recently lifted off the sheets and guess what? Pieces of the bedraggled old façade remain, such as the balusters running at the roofline and a Roman-numeral date. The grand stairs leading under the arched entry portal, though, got taken out somewhere along the line; this is where the offices for the Richmond Glass Company are today. (An image of the building in its glory days is below.)

The renovation work is in process, and it's good to see that at a time when a number of larger downtown projects have had to stop dead in their tracks, this one appears to be progressing. Part of the building will be residences for VCU students.

Have a constructive week!

Historical photo courtesy French Consulting Company