RECENT COMMENTS
East End Transformation Charrette announced for early June
The East End Transformation Charrette, announced for for June 1-7, will focus on the 25th Street and Nine Mile Road corridors, previosuly declared by Mayor Jones to be “a top priority for redevelopment and revitalization”. The process will be facilitated by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, “a major leader in the practice and direction of urban planning”.
The tentative schedule has the Opening Event set for Wednesday June 2nd 5-6:30PM at the Robinson Theater on Q Street. A Closing Event takes place the next Monday, with a series of events and open studio times in the duration. The open studio at the Family Resource Center at 2405 Jefferson Avenue will allow continuous access for anyone interested in the process to become informaed and engaged.
The city will be ramping up the volume on this soon; look for more information here soon.
what’s a charrette?
A community-centered planning session. The experts and folks from the city and etc guide the process, but the public is an integral part of everything.
Wikipedia says that:
Oh. Thanks.
This is how we define “charrette” where I am from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Chevette
DPZ (Duany Plater-Zyberk) is HUGE in this field. We’re very, very fortunate to have them working on this project with us.
DPZ is big in this field.
However, to save money, we could simply take a few of the renderings that were done of the Manchester area and Hull Street and say they are 25th Street.
My predictions are: The recommendations will be a few renderings showing “smiling happy people”, lots of trees, new street lights and benches for people to sit on and existing buildings with cheery new awnings.
The city will obtain some block grant money (taxpayer’s money), but not enough to fully implement it to obtain the critical mass or keep the momentum going.
In the end, the new trees die from lack of care (as they have several times between 14th and 15th on Main), the benches get broken (but not removed) and the trashcans don’t get used or are infrequently emptied as the ones in Libby Hill that seem to have their cups runeth over for more than I care to see.
….just a counter opinion observation.
These charettes can cause a lot of unrealistic expectations. It is very problematic that people in the community get the impression that the reports that come out of these have the force of law… if someone wants to do something down the road good but different, a lot of people will have the impression that what HAS to here or there is an elegant park or little building with a red awning.
looks like libby hill res has a clear view of the process.
@5&6: I can agree with your opinion in most case b/c they don’t have the ‘buy-in’ of the area developers. Thus, can not follow through on the vision generated. In this case, (based on a quick scan of the GIS Parcel Mapper) the city is a big property owner in that area via RRHA and the old high school. I’d also reference an article on here a month or a few ago that talked about the large number of properties owned by churches. I think this has a much better chance of execution with those owners, versus a bunch of private developers who might not care about the results of the planning process.
I am curious as to how much DPZ will take into account the feasibility (cost, financing, market, etc.) of various ideas generated.
sound like a whole lot of bullshit to me. This is a complete waste of money and group “think” at its worst. When someone coughs up the cash is when development happens. OOO sunshine, birdies, rainbows and clowns…Give me a freakin’ break!
Doesn’t anyone think it is worth taking time to get your ideas in a formal document that tells the city what the residents in this area want? This is similar to when the city had a charrette for the latest master plan. Accountability is to be had when actual events deviate from the approved plan.
Comment 10 illustrates the concern perfectly. People think the Downtown Plan, with its swaths of mythical green lawns, has the force of law. All of this stuff is advisory only.
Now, if the hospital is going to buy up some of this for an expansion, then that is another story altogether. Then you have something with pockets that can execute!
I think city staff have made clear that the plan is going to be very specific for city-owned property (either RRHA, City of Richmond, or RPS) but very general otherwise. Look for a plan to be created and executed in the vicinity of Richmond Community Hospital, the intersection of Nine Mile and 25th, and Old Armstrong.
There’s no need to get excited about anything else. Plans for the rest of the neighborhood will be very general and largely unenforceable.
To not plan is also to plan, usually for disaster. I say we take a chance and give some direction to the future of the East End. With no plan we are often at the mercy of those who may not have our long term interests at heart.
“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”
– Mahatma Gandhi
Seriously folks, I believe all should stand behind this process. Without process, there’s no improvement. More money and resources are wasted without a comprehensive and collective plan. If we create a shared vision, we can all be better stewards of our resources in an overall effort to helping our community. Of course everyone won’t be happy! That’s democracy and at least we’re given a choice and a voice. Not to mention the fact that this process deems the residents and organizations that serves Church Hill as the BIGGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT stakeholders in the process.
Mr./Ms. Libby Hill resident. Your comment is understood and appreciated. There is no block grants involved exhausting tax payer money. This is one of the few planning processes I’ve seen that the city owns enough parcels of land where policy can actually dictate the responsible execution of the outcomes from the charrette.
I was once a skeptic of many things. It really gets humanity nowhere, stifles positive change and growth in community, business as well as personal relationships. Be happy and blessed that your higher power gave all the ability to have a voice, lungs to have breath and a society that will listen without consequence or inflicting bodily harm.
Let’s go with the process and pray and/or hope that it assists in creating a more vibrant community in our Church Hill.
I love you all! Whether a postive or negative comment, the time and effort used in commenting shows you truley care!
City press release today:
Mayor Jones and Bon Secours Announce East End Planning Initiative
Goal is to build healthier, more vibrant Church Hill/Nine Mile Road Corridor
Richmond, VA – Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Peter J. Bernard, CEO of Bon Secours Virginia, announced today a public design workshop, best known as a charrette, to revitalize the East End and Nine Mile Road corridor. Key contributors to the process are the Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority and Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital.
The charrette will take place June 2 – 7, at various Church Hill and East End locations.
“The goal is the development of a vision to guide transformative social, educational, and physical changes within the East End Planning District,” said Mayor Jones. “This is an important undertaking that can lead to revitalized housing as well as increased educational and economic opportunities.”
The public engagement of East End community members, small business owners, public housing residents, and other stakeholders is expected to provide information for the completion of grant applications for two key federal initiatives – the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative and the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative. Successful applications would result in multi-million-dollar support for city initiatives for neighborhood enhancement along and near 25th Street and the Nine Mile Road corridor.
The purpose of the charrette is to develop specific proposals for design, housing and business opportunities, as well as policy and management recommendations for revitalization.
“The upcoming charrette is different in scope from others we’ve conducted around our health care facilities,” said Peter J. Bernard, CEO of Bon Secours Virginia. “The need for a healthy, sustainable and vibrant community is the impetus for this project. From our perspective, it is not necessarily hospital expansion, but development of a flourishing community that will benefit East End residents.”
Mayor Jones announced an aggressive economic development agenda at his first State of the City address held earlier this year. He has reorganized the Departments of Community Development and Economic Development and made clear his desire to see meaningful development in specific corridors of the city of Richmond. The 25th Street/Nine Mile Road Corridor has been high on the Mayor’s list of targeted development areas.
Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ) has been selected and contracted to conduct the charrette. DPZ is known internationally as a leading proponent of public participatory design and new urbanism. DPZ has held charrettes similar to the East End Charrette in Baton Rouge, LA, Newberg, NY and West Palm Beach, FL.
The public is encouraged to attend the opening session at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 2, at the Robinson Theatre, 2903 Q Street. The closing session begins at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 7, also at the Robinson Theatre.
A children’s charrette will take place on Saturday, June 5, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Family Resource Center, 2405 Jefferson Avenue, while parents and residents attend a parallel workshop.
The design studio, the hub of activity for the planning team, is open to the public throughout the charrette process and is located at the Family Resource Center, 2405 Jefferson Avenue.
Bon Secours Media Contact: Melissa Jones
(804) 762-9400 – melissajones@freeagentsmarketing.com
Department of Economic and Community Development Charrette Contact: Juanita Buster
(804) 646-6361 – Juanita.Buster@richmondgov.com
#15. I disagree. The proposed CDBG (block grant) budget calls for using CDBG money for a revolving loan fund available only to minority and female owned businesses, as well as $10 million borrowed against money for the minority business community in the corridors.