An email from a reader got me thinking again about the City of Richmond's ambitious plans for a 60+ acre plot of land sitting between I-95, North Boulevard, Hermitage Avenue and a sloppy line of CSX train tracks.
The Boulevard Project, as it's affectionately called, was officially opened for bidding back in January when the city issued a Request for Qualifications -- essentially asking interested developers to demonstrate they had what it would take to transform the placeless acreage into a destination. Since the RFQ was being coordinated by The Staubach Company (Yes, that Staubach.), the concept even seemed viable.
Of course, that was back when the Richmond Braves weren't shopping for new homes in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and when the Richmond Sportsbackers weren't installing Olympic-caliber swimming facilities in Chesterfield. Both the Braves' home field and a proposed Sportsbackers/VCU aquatics center were part of the city's original vision for the land.
But now the Boulevard Project is back on track, apparently. When I contacted the Mayor's Press Secretary, Linwood Norman, he emailed to let me know that the RFQ's had advanced to an actual Request for Proposals. Those are due this Friday.
That's good news. It'll be even better news if the RFPs include a viable vision for what could be a centerpiece development for the city.
Few people who aren't paid to think about such things probably remember that last November's Crupi Report called for the city to "create the first large downtown office park in the nation to spawn a major commercial development." Crupi meant the area surrounding the Diamond on North Boulevard.
The initial park should be designed and built on and around the area that currently houses the current Braves ballpark. It should encompass an area that straddles I-195, Broad Street, and
I-64. The exit off I-64 at Boulevard should be redesigned as a major entrance into the city from the north through the park. The park should have biking trails, ponds and fountains with thousands of trees in the area.
Such a development would help balance the city’s tax reliance on residential property. It could include a technology and trade school. The park would have a major impact on the Fan and Virginia Union, not to mention housing developments, both within the city limits and Henrico and Hanover counties.
But Crupi, bless his strategic soul, didn't stop there. No, he identified the simplest of steps the city could take to change the image of Richmond for thousands of residents and visitors every single day. Do something with the exit ramps that take travelers from I-95 into the city -- clean them up, landscape them and help them introduce people to a more beautiful Richmond. That was the point of my reader's email:
The exit ramp is bumpy, and all I saw was trash and unkempt grass/trees on the deceleration ramp. Once I reach the Boulevard, the first tree I see is dead--I was heading south on Boulevard (prior to the I-95 bridge). Then I notice how dark and dreary it is underneath the bridge. Would it be possible to add lighting underneath there? Lastly, the landscaping in the median of The Boulevard has received almost no attention. Plants are missing, I see what appears to be irrigation equiptment above ground-level (it should be below ground-level), and once again, more trash in the median.
God bless you, Tiny Tim, because that is exactly what Crupi saw. "Invest in enhancing the beauty and attractiveness of the city’s gateways and create a skyline symbol that the area can call its own," Crupi wrote.
Richmond needs to realize that a visitor’s first impression of the community is formed the minute they experience a gateway into the city. It has done nothing to augment that first impression. Below is a map that shows the major road gateways into the city. The key entrances are at N, Boulevard, 5th Street and I-64, and I-95 entrances. These road gateways need to be simple, but aesthetic. They need to be viewed not just in the context of the point of entry itself, but one mile deep into the city as well. Otherwise it is just a “flower box” along the way. There should be one sign that emphasizes Richmond’s assets at each gateway surrounded by natural greenery and aesthetics that require little maintenance [i.e. rock formations, greenery, etc.]. For example, the sign could say simply: “Welcome to Richmond – Virginia’s Capitol City” or “Welcome to Richmond – The River City” or “Welcome to Richmond – Where History Meets the Future.”
And so we come to the crux of the matter. Even as we anticipate (and pray we can celebrate) the arrival of some visionary plans for a mixed-use development to replace the parking lots and warehouses that currently litter this stretch of North Richmond, we wonder why the City of Richmond is unable to make the simplest of investments in the infrastructure and aesthetics that greet us at every corner.
I used to appreciate Doug Wilder for his vision, but sometimes I wish we had a mayor who just got some basic shit done.
Posted by: Jennifer Young | August 08, 2008 at 12:01