Click here to see the video of the "City of the Future" projects tour in April 2008.

The sign shows above is popping up more and more all across Richmond. It’s all part of Mayor L. Douglas Wilder’s “City of the Future” plan, which is generating more than $300 million for building new schools and making improvements to City neighborhoods, parks, libraries, streets and sidewalks -- without requiring a single increase in taxes.

“This is truly a new day for the City of Richmond, as rarely does any community have the opportunity that now is before us,” said the Mayor.

More than $305 million of City of the Future funding is now in the pipeline, being directed towards areas that will have the broadest benefit for the majority of Richmond’s citizens. These include:

• $149 million to build new schools.
• $42.4 million for new and improved streets, and sidewalks, curbs and gutters that had been neglected for years.
• $16.8 million for major improvements to the City’s parks, community centers and playgrounds.
• $8.8 million to provide state-of-the-art computers in the City libraries.
• $25 million in primary funding for the Carpenter Center, as part of our new Downtown performing arts complex, scheduled to open in Fall of 2009.
• $4 million to renovate The Landmark Theatre.
• $3.9 million to upgrade the Richmond Technology/Vocational Center.
• $4.8 million to enhance the major gateways into the City.

From neighborhood to neighborhood, the City of the Future plan will provide numerous improvements across the City.

Click here to view a summary of projects.

The bulk of "City of the Future" funding comes from expiring tax abatements for more than 3,000 properties over the next 15 years. The remainder comes from a portion of the meals tax and other savings and efficiencies.

Never before has Richmond created a funding source for its projects without first issuing bonds or taxing its residents. The Mayor’s City of the Future plan has changed that.

“We are in a very enviable position, as I am not aware of any other municipality in the United States that has a $300 million reserve with no tax increase,” said the Mayor.