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March newsletter from the Church Hill Association
03/07/2016 7:30 AM by John M
The March issue of the Church Hill Association newsletter is now available (PDF).
Includes: letter from CHA President Bill Dinkin, Richmond Tree Stewards, local photos, a call for submissions, James River Writers, Bellevue Elementary School News, Chimborazo Elementary School News, Real Estate Market Commentary, and more.
The next CHA Membership Meeting will be Tuesday, February 16th, 7:00 PM at St. John’s Parish Hall.
TAGGED: Church Hill Association
@Bill Dinkin: I think your first answer was correct. Church Hill in not a food desert. The problem I have with your answer is that you focused on the Farm Fresh and forgot to mention the Chimbo Market, The Farmers Market and other places selling fresh healthy foods in the neighborhood.
@1 Neighbor… that is because he was focusing on “Church Hill” and Chimbo Market falls in the Chimborazo historic district which is east of 32nd Street. The Farmer’s Market is in Shockoe and will be history soon when the park goes in. You could say the same for Union Market which falls on a border of Church Hill and Union Hill but is actually in Union. We do have Clay Street Market at 30th and Clay which carries produce from Tricycle and has a few food items. Also originally scheduled to close was Blue Wheeler at 31st and Marshall but is now staying open. Apparently this is a dismal place to shop and needs a better business model if they claim to be a Market. Is Night & Day still at 28th and Q Streets?
I remember the old Chek Market prior to 2004 where Buzzy’s is now. Most everything they carried was going out of date or way past it. We only stopped in to get ice cream, chips, or an occasional onion or bell pepper. No canned food. We also use to have Church Hill Market which closed and going to be reopened with a more trendy market only to fall through and is now Anthony’s Pizza.
But all in all, yes, we do need a general store type corner market that keeps canned goods, dry goods, bread, milk, produce, etc… fresh and stocked regularly for just a single or couple item purchase by local neighbors.
Also, there use to be a Happy Mart at 324 N 27th (now Decogram Corp is leasing?) across from Dutch & Co.
Or wish someone had deep pockets to buy the historic 401 N 27th (Wills Grocery Store built 1815 – oldest standing commercial built building in Richmond) which has been gutted to dirt floors and brick walls since 2004. It needs desperately repurposed back to a grocery as it was originally built and the size and dual entrance or windows would be great as a corner grocer. It is also on a bus route and stop right in front of it across from WPA.
Eric, is the building still up for sale? I know it has sort of come and gone over the past few years and that you keep an eye on what is going on there. You are right though – it would be an excellent place for a market!
@4 Liz… bear with me 🙂
Yes, the location, historical background, and layout would truly lend to having it restored back to a grocer. I even have a personal rendering of how it looked when first built with arched windows that were filled in and hidden under the stucco that is hiding the original brick exterior wall structure.
The building will need some TLC to bring it back to its original glory. Currently a catering company is using it to store their equipment. I know that when Charlie Johnson sold it off in 2004, it had gone through a series of owners who are all related to one another. There was an issue of “race” and who they would be willing to sell to, at one time. There were code violations associated with the structure and I believe some may still exist? At that point the owners decided to put it up for sale six years ago for $500,000, ridiculously priced beyond what anyone will pay but bought them some time. The city did a fair value assessment on it which came to be $105,000 – more in line. The HRF (Historic Richmond Foundation) was interested purchasing it to save and stabilize but the city drug their feet on seizing the property and dropping the ball so money was spent elsewhere.
Whew, all that said, the “For Sale” sign disappeared a while back. The condemned building notice for lead paint hasn’t. I am not sure if they are now interested since there has been changes with the corners but I have a feeling the owners want some irrational sense of control of the changes with the gentrification of the block? I am hoping this has passed or I am wrong?
The building was built as a grocery store over 200 years ago. It remained some kind of market, dry goods, and seafood market for a big chunk of its life until after WWII when it became a laundromat and remained one until Charlie Johnson was forced to sell after the building was condemned and at one time on the list for demolition which I stopped.
Here is hoping that possibly someone can confirm if it is still on the market (possibly a new thread on this building related to such interest?) and that bids will come in for purchase and restored as a corner store!