May 16, 2011 Vol. 3 Issue 5
Welcome
Welcome to the May 2011 edition of the "Building a Better Richmond" newsletter.
This newsletter will cover a variety of topics and highlight several recent activities of your city government.
ArtBusiness Richmond
In late April, I joined developer Mike Glass, Managing Partner of Becca Group, LLC, in announcing an ArtBusiness Richmond development
of the acquisition of financing for adaptive rehabilitation of 213 East Broad Street and rear adjacent property
of 214 East Grace Street. I would like to thank Bill Skeen and everyone at Virginia Community Capital for being the
primary lender for this project in providing construction and permanent financing. The city partnered in this project
by providing gap financing for the acquisition of the Broad Street property thru our Citywide Revolving Loan Fund,
which began in March of this year.
This public/private partnership has resulted in $3.6 million in adaptive rehabilitation
on Broad Street, the major artery of our City. The project will bring approximately 3,000+ square feet
of commercial/retail space and 21 affordable rental units. And most importantly is that these rehabilitated
properties are located in the city's ArtBusiness Richmond area, and will provide affordable live-work spaces
that can accommodate cultural enterprises along the Broad Street corridor. Arts, culture and entertainment can
be a catalyst for economic development and revitalization. ArtBusiness Richmond will be the programmatic vehicle
for addressing the needs of this area by:
- Transforming under-utilized and distressed properties into viable
commercial and residential spaces that can accommodate new
businesses and residents;
- Nurturing the attraction, expansion and development of arts and cultural
enterprises in the central area of the city;
- Establishing a targeted, place-based framework for economic
revitalization investment and small business development services in the
form of micro-financing and technical assistance;
- Improving the physical character and aesthetics of the district;
- Sharpening the competitiveness of the marketing and merchandising
capabilities of local businesses and entrepreneurs;
- Attracting a healthy and diverse mix of businesses that can adequately
serve the needs of the local residents and visitors alike.
ArtBusiness Richmond will help us reinforce and strengthen the area's emerging identity as a vibrant arts
and entertainment district, which by doing so; we can make this area a true destination for local, regional and international
visitors.
Richmond African Burial Ground Update
In my April Newsletter
, I detailed the unveiling of historic markers along the route of the slave trail, which includes Richmond's African Burial
Ground. In early May, I had the pleasure of announcing that the contractors of J. E. Liesfeld Contractor, Inc., Dwight Snead
Construction Company, and Ty's Hauling and Paving, Inc., have joined together to
gift to the City the removal of the asphalt and gravel from the Burial Ground. The gift from the contactors represents
$123,000 worth of work and is expected to commence later this month.
The 3.4-acre parcel, currently owned by Virginia Commonwealth University, is being purchased by the state and is to
be donated to the city of Richmond. It is extremely generous of these contractors to want to take this step to support the city's
effort to honor and preserve Richmond's African Burial Ground. I patroned a paper authorizing acceptance of the gift to the city,
which Richmond City Council is expected to vote on at the May 23 meeting.
Alternatives to Incarceration
Since taking office, I have pushed for a focus on alternatives to incarceration, and as a result, we have been able to
provide funding for a new mental-health docket. On May 10, the city of Richmond became the third jurisdiction in the Commonwealth
to establish a mental-health docket. For the first 90 days, the court shall convene the docket on the second and fourth Tuesday of
every month, and thereafter according to the volume of cases.
IThe City of Richmond Mental Health Pretrial Docket will enable courts to identify defendants with mental illnesses.
Defendants will be assessed for clinical diagnoses and to determine risks and needs as part of a mental health treatment plan. The
Mental Health Pretrial Docket is not a substitute for Criminal dockets in the General District Courts. Instead, it is intended to
assist in the case management of alleged offenders with underlying mental illness. It is also intended to identify those defendants
who may be suitable for management in the community, rather than detention in the Richmond City Jail.
Green Government
Since I announced my Green Richmond Initiative
last year, we have built our first green roof on a city facility,launched a community garden program, became the first city in Virginia
to build a new compressed natural gas fueling station to service an all new fleet of compressed natural gas refuse trucks, and established the Mayor's Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trails
Planning Commission. These are all tremendous strides, but there is more that we can do.
In order to further our progress, I issued a Green Government Order calling for city agencies and employees to take
actions to create more efficiency and less waste in city government and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from government operations.
Under the Green Government Order, city government will, among other things, create an Energy Management Plan to reduce electricity and
fuel use, implement a Green Procurement Policy, develop an anti-idling policy for city vehicles and implement a telework and Alternative
Work Schedule Initiative designed to achieve a goal of 20% of eligible workers being engaged in telework or alternative work schedules
by the end of this year.
Click here to see a video of this announcement.
The City is also moving forward with
Green: A Roadmap to Sustainability, where over the next twelve months, the city will work with the community in a process to develop a
master plan for sustainability.
RVA Green is the first sustainability plan for the city of Richmond and will involve developing a
comprehensive framework and setting measureable indicators for sustainability including a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and
measures to help the city reach the target. The launch of the City's comprehensive sustainability planning process includes a community forum
scheduled for Thursday, June 9 at 6 p.m. in the Carillon of Byrd Park. I hope you are able to attend.
An Advisory Committee has been named to help the City develop the Sustainability Plan. The website,
www.richmondgov.com/sustainability has been launched to help residents keep track of the planning process and provide input.
I am honored to launch this major sustainability effort for the city of Richmond, as we are committed to sustainability
and we want all city residents to enjoy an improved quality of life, a healthy environment and enhanced economic opportunity.
Mayor's Youth Academy
The Mayor's Youth Academy Summer Works Initiative (MYA)
proved to be very successful in its first year and we are looking to build upon that success. In total last year, MYA was able to serve 442 youth ages 14-19, with 203 employed in both public, private and
non -profit organizations; 67 youth are involved in the Youth Urban Conservation Corps; and 172 are enrolled in the Life Stages program.
The program has a 98 percent retention rate with several of our youth being offered both full and part-time employment.
We are looking to expand the programs offerings this year and I invite you to participate in this special opportunity to help
engage our youth in the labor force this summer by becoming a MYA sponsor. Your donation will make it possible for a young person to gain
workforce and career development skills while earning a modest stipend.
This initiative helps to reduce teen crime, social deviant behavior and create a future emerging workforce. Richmond youth
benefit greatly from this opportunity, but we need the help of the local business community to increase the youth served. By partnering
with the MYA, you can help reduce teen crime, social deviant behavior and create a future emerging workforce. There is no deadline to
become a sponsor for our youth, but it is my hope that you join us today.
To sponsor a youth, please make your check payable to the EnRichmond Foundation and mail it to the Mayor's Youth Academy,
East District Initiative, 701 N 25th Street, 2nd Floor, Richmond, VA 23223. Donations are tax deductible and an invoice will be issued
upon receipt. Thank you for your support and please contact MYA at (804) 646-7491 if you have any questions.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to a partnership with you in making a difference and lasting impact on the
lives of our youth.
Fix Gun Checks
I want to thank the brave family members who stood with me, and State Senator Donald McEachin and State Senator Henry Marsh
in showing our support for the Fix Gun Checks campaign. By standing together on the steps of City Hall, we not only show our support for
the campaign, but we are sending a message to Congress to fix our nation's broken gun background check system.
Fix Gun Checks is a campaign founded by Mayors Against Illegal Guns , a
bi-partisan coalition of more than 550 mayors that calls on Congress to pass common sense laws to help keep guns out of the hands of
dangerous people. Every day, another 34 Americans are murdered with guns.
Close
I would like to thank you for taking the time to view this newsletter. I hope you found it informative and insightful and
that you will share it with others in your family and community.
For more information on the city of Richmond, please visit www.RichmondGov.com.
Thank you.
Dwight C. Jones
Mayor, City of Richmond
