On Friday, May 29, Mayor Danny Avula and the Richmond Economic Development Authority (EDA) announced the execution of a series of major agreements that move the Diamond District project into its next phase and mark another significant milestone in one of the largest redevelopment efforts in Richmond’s history. 

The finalized agreements include:  

• The Sports Backers Purchase and Sale Agreement  – The EDA’s purchase of Sports Backers clears the way for development of the Diamond District’s full street grid and other infrastructure, two public park spaces, and additional vertical development, the first of which will be an affordable multifamily apartment building.  
• The Access Agreement among Diamond District Partners (DDP), Richmond Economic Development Authority, and Virginia Commonwealth University - This agreement gives DDP immediate access to the Sports Backers Stadium site to begin site and infrastructure work, ensuring overall development timelines are met.  
• The CarMax Park Lease between EDA and VCU – The lease is the next major step paving the way for VCU to also play baseball in the EDA’s CarMax Park stadium. The lease would commence once the VCU-Navigators operating agreement is in place.  

“It’s another exciting day in Richmond! The Diamond District is all about creating a thriving new neighborhood with housing, parks, recreation, and economic opportunity for generations to come,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “The best things take time and hard work, but in the end, they’re worth it. I’m so proud we’ve hit this milestone.” 

“This is another key milestone in a very complicated project. I’m grateful to all the partners and staff who have worked – and continue to work – tirelessly on the Diamond District. It’s extremely gratifying to see our forward momentum sustained across administrations as we work collectively to bring Richmond’s vision of a new, vibrant neighborhood closer to reality," said Richmond City Councilwoman Katherine Jordan, 2nd District. 

"Today’s agreements move us from vision to execution. They ensure that the Diamond District advances on a clear, predictable timeline and that the investments we are making deliver real community benefit for Richmonders, the greater Richmond region, and visitors alike. This is the result of years of coordinated, careful work across partners, and I’m proud of the process that brings us to this milestone,” said Angie Rodgers, Director of the City of Richmond Economic Development Authority.  

With these agreements now executed, partners will continue advancing site preparation, infrastructure work, and next-phase development activities in the months ahead. The Diamond District represents one of the largest and most ambitious redevelopment efforts in Richmond’s history, helping position the city for long-term growth, investment, and opportunity. 

At approximately 12:03 p.m., Richmond Police Department officers and detectives who were providing security efforts outside of a high school graduation venue observed an individual who appeared to be concealing a weapon. Officers approached the adult male in the 1100 block of West Broad Street, interacted with him and located and seized the firearm. 

Trevor Richardson, 22, of Richmond, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. The photo of the firearm is attached. His booking photo is not available.

RPD, in coordination with VCU Police and Richmond Public Schools, provides security efforts outside graduation venues as a standard approach to public safety. Part of this effort is checking surrounding parking areas and decks for firearms offenses.

The RPD asks anyone attending the upcoming graduation events not to bring firearms and continues to ask all persons not to store firearms in an unsecured manner in vehicles.

Richardson was near the graduation location but did not approach or enter the venue with the firearm. No firearms were present in the graduation venue, although altercations occurred in the morning ceremony which resulted in a robust public safety response from RPD, VCU Police and RPS.

Anyone with information about people who intend to disrupt an upcoming event is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones also may be used. All Crime Stoppers reporting methods are anonymous.

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has successfully completed the implementation of two major back-office systems designed to improve customer service, operational efficiency and service delivery across the department.

As part of Project Synergy, DPU officially launched Oracle Customer Cloud Service (CCS) and Oracle Field Service (OFS), replacing outdated legacy systems that have supported utility operations for decades. The transition marks a major milestone in DPU’s ongoing modernization efforts.

The implementation also lays the groundwork for DPU Connect, DPU’s new customer portal anticipated to launch this fall. DPU Connect will provide customers with enhanced self-service capabilities and a more convenient way to manage their utility accounts, further improving the overall customer experience.

In conjunction with the system launch, DPU also implemented a new Customer Service and Billing Regulation that aligns with the department’s modernization efforts. The new regulation establishes clear, uniform rules for how DPU manages customer accounts and preserves DPU’s existing payment arrangement structure, allowing eligible customers to enter into payment plans with as little as 10% down and flexible repayment terms.

“These new systems and new regulation position DPU to better serve our customers through transparent and efficient operations,” said Scott Morris, Director of the Department of Public Utilities. “This was an enormous undertaking involving employees across the entire organization as well as many business partners, and I want to thank our teams for their hard work, flexibility and commitment throughout the transition process.”

The new systems and updated regulation will support several long-term improvements, including: 

• Clear understanding of billing and customer service processes 

• Improved customer account management  

• Faster and more efficient field service operations  

• Enhanced tracking and visibility of service requests  

• Streamlined workflows and reduced manual processes  

• Continued flexible payment arrangement options for eligible customers

As part of the transition, customers now have new account numbers, which are 10 digits and will be reflected on bills beginning in June. Customer service representatives can continue assisting customers using either their old or new account number during the transition period, and payments referencing old account numbers will continue to be processed. Customers who use online banking, automatic payments or third-party bill payment services should also work with their financial institutions and other bill payment vendors to update their account information to help avoid future payment delays or issues.

DPU has committed significant resources to ensure the new systems were designed and developed with the customer in mind. There was an abundance of testing, training, dress rehearsals and validations to get the system ready. The last bill validation exercise produced a near perfect success rate of 99.7%.

While the go-live process was successful, DPU continues to monitor system performance closely and work through standard post-implementation adjustments, including dedicated staff on hand to address and fix high level issues. Customers may experience occasional delays as employees continue adapting to the new systems, workflows and updated procedures.

“This modernization effort supports Mayor Danny Avula’s vision of Richmond as a city where all people and places thrive,” Morris said. “By investing in modern infrastructure, technology and customer-focused improvements, we are strengthening DPU’s ability to provide safe, reliable and responsive utility services while enhancing the customer experience.”

DPU thanks customers for their patience and understanding throughout the transition.

For more information about DPU services and customer payment options, visit rva.gov/public-utilities 

New platform will increase transparency, save staff time, and improve the customer experience for requestors  

Richmond, VA — Today, Mayor Danny Avula announced the official launch of the City of Richmond’s new platform for handling Freedom of Information Act requests. The new platform handles the entire FOIA request lifecycle, from the initial request to collecting responsive records, redaction, review, and (if necessary) payment. While other methods for submitting requests are still available (in-person, by phone), the City is excited to offer a more convenient option. 

Residents and members of the media can access the new platform here: rva.gov/foia . FOIA requests for records owned by the Richmond Police Department should continue to be directed to rpd.foia@rva.gov . 

“The City’s approach to FOIA has improved dramatically over the last 18 months. Sharing public information promptly with the media and our residents is a priority that I have made clear throughout the administration. We’ve increased training across the organization, hired a new FOIA manager, and I’ve communicated repeatedly to leadership in my cabinet meetings that FOIA is not only just a legal requirement but a responsibility we need to take seriously. This work takes time and careful consideration to manage properly and now we have the serious technology tools to support that work,” said Mayor Danny Avula .  

“This is so exciting!” said Ross Catrow, Director of the Office of Strategic Communications . “I’ve been on the pilot for the new platform over the last few weeks, and it’s going to be a game-changer for the way the City handles FOIA. Shout-out to our FOIA Manager, who led the City to today’s launch. I’m grateful and proud of her work!” 

The City’s FOIA Library, as required by the ORD. 2025-240, introduced by the Mayor last year, will launch in full in the coming weeks, ahead of the July 1 deadline. The FOIA Library will make frequently requested records and records of public interest easily available, free of charge. Members of the public can preview the library here: go.rva.gov/foialibrary . 

FOIA by the numbers  

Over the last several months, the number of requests the City has taken an extension on has decreased, and the vast majority of the City’s requests are completed on time. 

* Almost all of the late requests from November, December, and February were assigned to the Richmond Police Department, who were facing staff capacity issues when it comes to reviewing records.  

The Richmond Police Department will today launch Operation Safe Summer (OSS), a collaborative effort by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies led by the RPD to suppress violent crime and increase public safety throughout Richmond.

This comprehensive approach, slated to continue through early September, aligns with the ‘Hotspot’ location strategy of Chief Rick Edwards. The Hotspot locations are areas of clustered reports of gun violence. Chief Edwards has devoted focused enforcement and officer visibility in these areas to deter violent crime and Operation Safe Summer will use this research in a targeted approach. Operation Safe Summer will include the following:

State partnership. In collaboration with RPD, Virginia State Police will support by providing State Troopers and patrol cars within the city, focusing on violent crime Hotspot areas in alignment with existing department strategies.

Federal partnerships. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) will work in partnership with RPD combining resources to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime.

Local partnership. The Richmond Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney will work in partnership with RPD in investigative consultations and prosecutions of subjects identified through this Operation. Other groups, such as Richmond Community Mediators, the RPD Chaplain program and the Trauma Healing and Response Network, among others, will all work to contribute to the safety of the public. Richmond Public Schools will be continuing their effective work with key partners like ChildSavers and Communities in Schools to provide resources. The Department of Justice Services is continuing to convene the city’s Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Steering Committee which established the GVPI Hotline of (804) 646-5987.

Community partnership. Meaningful law enforcement engagement with the community is essential to building trust and earning legitimacy and is a core value of the department. RPD Community Pop-Up events provide activities and resources to families as part of the strategy to prevent violent crime. The next event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at 5 p.m. in the Lucks Field community in the 1900 block of U Street. Also taking place every month are Command Staff Community Walks to foster relationships with community members and accept input and feedback. 

Invest in and distribute gun safes. RPD has utilized American Rescue Plan grant funding to make gun safes available for Richmond families who may have a firearm at home and want to store it safely. Individuals can request gun safes by calling (804) 516-0451.

Positive Environments for Youth. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities offers a variety of summer programs for children and youth at no/low cost. Space is still available in many PRCF camps. Additionally, PRCF is bringing back "Late Night Gym," which will begin June 12 and operate from 6 – 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings through August 15 at the T.B. Smith Community Center on Ruffin Road, Luck’s Field Community Center on U Street and Southside Community Center on Old Warwick Road. The gyms will not operate on June 19, July 3 and July 4.

“We have a citywide strategy to help ensure a safer summer for everyone in Richmond,” said Chief Rick Edwards. “We are grateful to our city agencies and community partners for bringing their energy, expertise, and commitment to this effort. Most importantly, the role of the community is essential. By working together, we can make this a safer summer for all.”

The RPD is asking citizens to safely store their firearms and lock their vehicles to support the violent crime reduction work.