The Downtown Plan: Creeping Toward Approval

Nothing beats the momentum of a one-week, intensive charrette process involving hundreds of highly engaged residents, unless you're really turned on by the slow drag of the bureaucratic, political process that has taken a week of ideas and turned it into a year of refinement.

Yes, Richmond, there is a proposed Downtown Plan and by the end of April it may transition from the desks of the Richmond Planning Commission into the hands of Richmond's City Council. It's all part of a lengthy approval process which has allowed a broader swath of stakeholders -- residents, developers and builders, policymakers and the like -- to weigh in on the plan's specific recommendations for Richmond's future downtown development.

On Monday, April 7, the Planning Commission will hear from staff from the Community Development department on accomplishments achieved from the previous Downtown Plan. And on Monday, April 21, Planning Commission members will discuss priorities for the implementation of the proposed new Downtown Plan. Both meetings are open to the public and will begin at 1:30 pm in the fifth floor conference room of City Hall (900 East Broad Street).

Comments

[Scott Burger]

True story: I moved here in '92. I was excited about Richmond's potential. I remarked to someone that it would be great when the high speed trains connected D.C. and Richmond. He looked at me and said, You are new here, aren't you? Sure enough, I am still waiting for true high speed rail between D.C. and Richmond. I have not given up, but I think my naivety has worn off at this point. Trani does not care about the City as much as he cares about his own prestige. VCU does some great things for Richmond, but its really its own entity with its own agenda.

[Jason James]

I love how these important meetings (given the degree of citizen involvement in the early stages) take place in the middle of a work day! I too am worried about VCU, and I think it's worth trying to exert pressure even if the laws don't favor the city. Maybe I'm naive, but maybe there's some way to convince VCU that working _with_ the city will be good for them and for Richmond? It's worth a try.

[Scott Burger]

Two things to note: One, VCU remains unchecked. In fact Kaine recently signed into law a bill that allows the to do whatever they want in terms of development. They are exempt from City code AND State oversight. With VCU/MCV having such a big footprint downtown, it's really hard to see regular citizens having any say whatsoever on the future of downtown. Two, in true ol' Richmond fashion, local corporate and civic 'leaders' just returned from a junket to Charleston, SC. They want 'a new partnership'. In the article it says Pantele "revived the concept of mass transit for tourists between the Boulevard and Main Street Station." I'm for mass transit, but from what this says about Pantele, it tells me the focus is still on getting services for tourists and NOT citizens. Richmond needs basics like new and refurbished school buildings, emphasis on green building, and better maintained streets and infrastructure. I am afraid instead we are going to get more corporate welfare schemes like the 'resized' Convention Center and the Center Stage fiasco. I am concerned that this and the Downtown Plan are just going to result in more new taxes on citizens instead of actually empowering citizens.