Help decide the future of downtown Richmond’s riverfront

I’ve shared my opinions on the areas I’d like to see be the focus of the riverfront developments, and now more are coming out as the media is beginning to focus on tonight’s forum. I had the opportunity to meet with members of the City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development and the consultant team from the […]

September 14, 2011; 6:03 AM • by Phil Riggan

I’ve shared my opinions on the areas I’d like to see be the focus of the riverfront developments, and now more are coming out as the media is beginning to focus on tonight’s forum.

I had the opportunity to meet with members of the City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development and the consultant team from the architecture firm Hargreaves Associates that is hired to execute the riverfront plans. In addition to the popular plan to restore the VEPCO levee bridge, I’ve spoken with many others who were asked to participate and there are many topics and questions people are focused on:

• Will this be another battle over the Echo Harbour project?
• Will Chapel Island see any developments?
• How does Mayo Island and the other islands around it fit in?
• Will there be a boardwalk built at Pipeline Rapids?
• When will Rockett’s Landing and the Intermediate Terminal be connected to Shockoe Bottom by the Virginia Capital Trail? (See my comparison to the RiverWalk in Montgomery, Ala.)
• Will there be a ballpark built on the southside beside the Manchester Bridge?

Outside of the riverfront plans, remember that the city is already committed to refurbishing the 14th Street (Mayo) Bridge.  Also, there are many people concerned that the river should not be walled off by developments and that we need to have access created for those that aren’t as able-bodied.  There is an ADA-compliant bridge being added to Brown’s Island, but what about other areas?

Also, several quotes and ideas from the Ben Garbarek story on NBC12:

• The area around the Intermediate Terminal is “ripe for development.”
• “It would bring other businesses that feed off the same thing.”
• More walkways and maybe some pedestrian bridges across the river.
• “More restaurants and a hotel along the riverfront.”
• “A nice wide promenade type of thing you could just walk.”

The first public forum will start at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Virginia War Memorial. There will be two more public forums later this year if you can’t make this one and the city hopes to have a plan in place by January, according to NBC12.

September 14, 2011 6:03 AM 0