Mayor Levar M. Stoney announced today the City of Richmond has acquired the private land on 1305 North 5^th Street – the known location of the historic Burial Ground for Freed People of Color.

Back in February, the city was the only bidder for the property, which was sold at auction for a bid of $145,000. City officials completed the transaction on Friday, April 16 and obtained the title to the property.

The purchased parcel represents 1.21 acres of a two-acre public burying ground established by the City of Richmond in 1816.  One acre was set aside for enslaved people and the other for free people of color. The last reported burial was recorded in 1879.

Over the past 200 years, the cemetery was expanded, referred to by various names, and desecrated -- including grave robbing to supply the Medical College of Virginia with cadavers in the mid-nineteenth century.

In 1960, the city sold the property to the Sun Oil Company with no acknowledgement of the cemetery.  A small gas station was constructed on the property, and in the 1970s a billboard was erected.

The city’s next step will be to identify funding and to issue a request for proposals for a cultural resource management firm to perform additional research and archaeological investigation, with a view toward proper commemoration and memorialization of the site.

“This important acquisition is yet another step in our efforts to reclaim the hidden and abandoned history of the African-Americans who built this city,” said Mayor Stoney. “If we are to truly reconcile the shameful history of slavery and injustice and heal as a city and a nation, we must respect and honor the memories of those who lived and died under this oppression by telling their stories so they will not be forgotten.”

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Agreement will provide opportunity to connect Capital Trail; expand recreational use; preserve iconic James River view from Libby Hill Park

Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC), in partnership with The Conservation Fund, James River Association and City of Richmond, is honored to announce that it has entered a contract to purchase the properties located at 3011 and 3021 Dock Street in the City of Richmond. CRLC is working with its partners to acquire the 5.207 acres to serve the community in multiple ways. This exciting land acquisition will create one contiguous publicly accessible riverfront space and allow for the completion of the Virginia Capital Trail. It will also expand city-owned parkland in Richmond’s East End and enable the establishment of new river access and environmental education programs.  

Located between Great Shiplock Park and the former Lehigh Cement Co. site, the parcel that CRLC has under contract is the only remaining privately owned parcel along the north bank of the tidal James River in Richmond. Once funding is secured to permanently protect the property from development most of it will be transferred to the City of Richmond. This transfer will help create a riverfront park featuring access to the James River envisioned by the Richmond Riverfront Plan.

“The life of our great city, and the health and welfare of our residents, has always been tied to access to our river and riverfront,” said Mayor Levar Stoney, speaking today at Great Shiplock Park. “After the year we’ve been through, that is as important today as it’s ever been. I’d like to thank our partners at the Capital Region Land Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, the James River Association, and all the organizations and individuals who worked so hard to preserve our city’s iconic views and natural beauty for refuge and recreation by our residents for generations to come.”

By acquiring and protecting the properties at 3011 and 3021 Dock Street, CRLC, The Conservation Fund and the City of Richmond will fulfill one of the most referenced components of the local comprehensive plan over the past 50 years. Specifically, the 2009 Richmond Downtown Plan highlights “preserving existing and historic viewsheds towards the river is essential to connecting the city to the river. Future development along the riverfront needs to be carefully considered so that it will not impact significant historic views such as “the view that named Richmond” from the top of Libby Hill Park.” It is noteworthy that this acquisition comes on the 170^th anniversary of the City of Richmond acquiring 7 acres to become Libby Hill Park. It was one of the first five parks in the city and designated by city engineer Wilfred Cutshaw to offer “breathing places” for citizens to take in healthier air.

"For nearly twenty years, Scenic Virginia has advocated for the preservation of The View That Named Richmond through the acquisition of this parcel for parkland," said Scenic Virginia Executive Director Leighton Powell. "Today is the realization of a dream come true, and we and our supporters could not be more thrilled or grateful that the historic view that connects Richmond to its sister city Richmond-Upon-Thames will be protected much in the same way that it has been in England for more than a century."

CRLC has received support for the purchase of the riverfront parcel from The Conservation Fund and James River Association.CRLC is receiving financial and logistics support from The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit organization that specializes in working with local partners to protect land and water resources. The James River Association, a local member-supported nonprofit organization, has also pledged its support for CRLC’s acquisition of the parcel as a financial partner.

“The Conservation Fund is pleased to be partnering with CRLC to protect this critical piece of riverfront in downtown Richmond,” said Heather Richards, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for The Conservation Fund.  “Increasing access to the James River and making trail connections for urban centers has never been more important, as we’ve seen over the past year.  This new parkland will serve the needs of so many Virginians and expand the vital connection between Richmond’s residents and the River.”

“The James River Association is a proud financial partner in the purchase of these five acres along the James River in the City of Richmond," said Bill Street, Chief Executive Officer of the James River Association. "The riverfront parcel has great potential to provide needed access to the James River for outdoor recreation and environmental education experiences in Richmond's East End."

The closing date is scheduled for late Summer 2021. While some funding has been committed and grant writing and fundraising continues, CRLC and The Conservation Fund are seeking the public’s support to raise the capital needed to complete the acquisition in August and transfer the property to the City as soon as possible. Per the terms of the purchase and sales agreement with the seller USP Echo Harbor LLC, the purchase price cannot be made public at this time. It is however based on a fair-market appraisal of the property for its highest and best use.

CRLC intends to coordinate with the City of Richmond to conduct community engagement opportunities to envision uses of the future public open space and park. Community engagement will be conducted in close coordination with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities and will include local stakeholders, community organizations, and the general public.

“Not only are we proud to be adding additional park and open space lands to the serve the many residents and visitors of the Richmond region,” said CRLC’s Executive Director Parker C. Agelasto, “we are honored that this project is filling a critical need within the Riverfront Plan as well as protecting the incredible views from Libby Hill that have been part of a defining landscape for the region over many centuries.”

Background:

The USP Echo Harbor property had historically been Richmond’s busiest port prior to the expansion to Intermediate Terminal and relocation in 1940 to the Port of Richmond off Deepwater Terminal Road. In 2013, the City approved a plan of development containing more than 1,000,000 square feet in a nine (9) story building. Advocates for the Libby Hill Viewshed had expressed great concern that such intense development would irrevocably harm the “View that Named Richmond.”         

In 2012, the City purchased the 1.5-acre Lehigh Cement Co. property for $2 million in order to expand public access to the James River and complete the Virginia Capital Trail prior to the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. The 2001 Richmond Master Plan stipulated that the City should endeavor to “acquire underutilized industrial, institutional or commercial property to provide additional public access to the James River. Any lands acquired should be carefully selected to minimize conflicts between adjacent land uses and new public usage. Do not promote the taking of private property to achieve greater public river access.”

The 2012 Richmond Riverfront Plan seeks to “improve visual and physical access to the river. In addition to creating new view corridors to the James River, preserving existing and historic viewsheds towards the river is essential to connecting the city to the river. Future development along the riverfront needs to be carefully considered so that it will not impact significant historic views such as ‘the view that named Richmond’ from the top of Libby Hill Park.”

Most recently, the newest citywide master plan Richmond 300 looks to “reserve appropriate riverfront and canal-facing sites for public amenities and river-related development such as boating services, picnics, etc.” Such will be the case of the 5.2 acres being acquired by Capital Region Land Conservancy.

About Capital Region Land Conservancy:

Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) is dedicated to the conservation and protection of the natural and historic land and water resources of Virginia’s Capital Region for the benefit of current and future generations. As a nationally accredited land trust, CRLC is the only organization devoted specifically to conservation within the Counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, and Powhatan as well as the Town of Ashland and City of Richmond. We are proud to have conserved more than 12,000 acres of land in this special region. For more information, visit www.capitalregionland.org

About The Conservation Fund:

At The Conservation Fund, we make conservation work for America. By creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense, we are redefining conservation to demonstrate its essential role in our future prosperity. Top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, we have worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect 8.5 million acres of land, including nearly 79,000 acres in Virginia. For more information, visit conservationfund.org

About James River Association: 

The James River Association is a member-supported nonprofit organization founded in 1976 to serve as a guardian and voice for the James River. Throughout the James River’s 10,000-square mile watershed, the James River Association works toward its vision of a fully healthy James River supporting thriving communities. The James River Association believes that “when you change the James, the James changes you”. With offices in Lynchburg, Richmond, Williamsburg, and Scottsville, the James River Association is committed to protecting the James River and connecting people to it. For more information, visit www.thejamesriver.org.

The Stoney Administration has informed the three remaining respondents to the city’s Resort Casino RFQ/P that the city will not consider alternative sites to the primary site identified in their proposals.

“The city has been consistent throughout the Resort Casino RFQ/P process in its evaluation of a single site submitted by each respondent to the RFQ/P. The operator and site go hand in hand,” said Leonard Sledge, Director of the Department of Economic Development.

While the city has concluded its first two phases of community engagement, citizens are encouraged to continue to share their comments on the proposed resort casino projects. Comments can be emailed to econdev@richmondgov.com. The next phase of the city-led community engagement will start in May when the Evaluation Panel shares its recommended operator, location, and terms of the deal. The city has not promoted and is not participating in meetings convened by the three remaining respondents.

Information on the city’s resort casino competitive process can be found at https://www.rva.gov/economic-development/resort-casino.

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The City Treasurer’s Office of Financial Empowerment is proud to announce its 2nd Annual Financial Literacy Fair to be held virtually on Tuesday, April 20, 2019 from 11:30 am – 3:30 pm in in support of Financial Literacy Month. Residents will have the opportunity to learn valuable information about their finances during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a new feature this year, workshops will also be held for the business community. While residents will learn how to better manage their finances during a pandemic, small business owners will learn how to maximize their dollar and benefit from other programs offered by the city.

Topics will be presented in quick, 30-minute segments on many topics, such as Navigating Finances through COVID, Managing Debt During COVID, and Better Living Through Spending Plans. There will be simultaneous sessions created for business owners on topics such as Financing Your Own Business and Navigating the PPP Process. 

All participants will have the opportunity to win raffle prizes both at the conclusion of each workshop and at the close of the event. Prizes will include gift cards and e-cards.

The event will include greetings from Mayor Levar M. Stoney and Richmond City Treasurer Nichole R. Armstead. The fair was originally held in the Richmond City Hall lobby in 2019, but the 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic. The City Treasurer’s Office hopes many Richmonders leave this highly anticipated event more secure in their finances than ever before.

“My team and I greatly look forward to empowering both the residents and businesses of Richmond,” said City Treasurer Nichole Armstead. “Considering the financial impacts of COVID, it is time to equip our residents with additional tools that will empower them to regain control of their finances and firmly re-establish, or establish, their footing in this economy.”

To learn more about this event or to register please visit Zoom at: https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUrdu-grTspE9ZlkOu8twE3VMWkEvsFTboE

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Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced the hiring of a new Director of Housing and Community Development as well as the appointment of a Homeless Services Liaison for the City of Richmond.

Longtime affordable housing and community development professional Sherrill Hampton will serve as Director of Housing and Community Development. 

Dianne Wilmore, the Community Service Manager at the North Avenue Branch of the Richmond Public Library, will assume the role of Homeless Services Liaison.

“Affordable housing and homelessness are two of the most critical issues facing American cities, and the City of Richmond is no exception,” said Mayor Stoney. “The need for experienced and caring individuals to address these issues has only been heightened by the pandemic, and that’s why I’m grateful to have two highly qualified public servants joining our team in this effort.”

Ms. Hampton has more than 25 years of experience in the affordable housing and community development arenas, and has worked in senior management roles in non-profit, governmental, and educational sectors. 

She holds a BS in Social Science from Claflin University and a JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

“As we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic facing an affordable housing crisis not seen before in the city, I am confident that Ms. Hampton’s experience in financing and real estate development along with community outreach and engagement is the right mix of knowledge and skill sets to lead us forward with the implementation of One Richmond: An Equitable Affordable Housing Plan,” said Sharon Ebert, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development.

In her role as Homeless Services Liaison, Ms. Wilmore will to streamline communication and manage the flow of information with the city administration and City Council with regard to homeless services in the region.

Ms. Wilmore is a former Case Manager for the Salvation Army Women’s Shelter in Cleveland and served as a Community Services and Outreach Manager in the East Cleveland Public Library system for 12 years. She is a graduate of the University of Akron.

In addition to her role as liaison, Ms. Wilmore will continue to serve as community service manager at the North Avenue branch, where she has served for seven years. She will report to Reggie Gordon, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services.

“In Diane, we have selected a talented city employee who will take on the additional responsibility of being the primary point person for questions and coordination regarding homeless services,” said Gordon. “Her passion for those in our community who are in a housing crisis will form the basis of a strong partnership with all stakeholders in the homeless services system.”

Council leadership was encouraged by the mayor’s moves to further solidify and coordinate the city’s response to the housing issue.

“These are two steps that our city needed to ensure that the work currently underway in affordable housing and homelessness services is an ongoing priority with the right leaders at the helm,” said Council President Cynthia Newbille. “I look forward to working with Ms. Hampton and Ms. Wilmore to secure support for Richmonders along the entire pipeline of need, from homeless services to transitional housing to permanent residence.”

“We need to be engaged and proactive as a city in our approach to helping our most vulnerable residents secure housing that is both affordable and sustainable,” said City Council Vice President Ellen Robertson. “Finding the right candidate to assume the Housing and Community Development Director role and dedicating a point person in our city to coordinate homelessness services and outreach with our local partners and regional caregivers will significantly improve our ability to make a difference in the community.”

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