Here is the latest for the controversial Victory Rug Special Use Permit (SUP). To see details, you may want to click here to download the PDF.
Update On Victory Rug SUP
3
Category Archives: construction
New Bike Skills Training Area on Belle Isle Opens Saturday
From City press release:
City to Open New Bike Skills Training Area on Belle Isle
Richmond, VA – The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will open its new Belle Isle Bike Skills Area on Saturday, September 29, at 10 a.m. with a celebration that will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, demonstrations, and tours. The public is invited to attend and to bring their bicycles to try out the mountain bike training area.
“I encourage residents and visitors to come discover the Belle Isle Bike Skills Training Area as it is another step Richmond is taking to create bike-friendly, outdoor tourist attractions, as we prepare for the UCI Road World Cycling Championships in 2015,” comments Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “The benefits of cycling are tremendous to our city in many ways, including our efforts to encourage city residents to get active and adopt a healthy lifestyle.”
The new training area is located within the James River Park on Belle Isle across from the Tredegar Street suspension bridge. It includes a beginner and expert pump track, rock gardens, and log and rock skinnies in addition to other features. Bicyclists can learn to handle these obstacles and challenges, which they will find on the trails throughout the James River Park, in a controlled environment.
“This site, which has been built largely with the labor of volunteers who love mountain biking, will provide a place to learn and practice mountain biking skills and introduce the fun of mountain biking as a recreational activity to a much larger audience,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director of the department.
In addition, while this new facility provides “off-road” training, the city also has plans to add an “on-road” training component on Belle Isle adjacent to this site. The on-road training facility will provide a place for children and adults to become competent bicyclists, as well as learn and practice the skills needed to ride safely in an urban environment.
“The James River Park is already known throughout the East coast and internationally for its outstanding network of urban mountain biking trails. Now with the addition of this skills area Richmond has enhanced its reputation as a ‘bike city,’” said Jakob Helmoldt, the city’s bicycle, pedestrian and trails coordinator.
Organizations that provided volunteers who helped construct the new training site, as well as in-kind donations, include the Friends of the James River Park, the James River Outdoor Coalition, the Richmond Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts, the International Mountain Biking Association, Virginia Bicycling Federation, Hands-On Greater Richmond, SportsBackers, Altria, Luck Stone, Tektonics Design Group, Sattler Creative, Alpine Trails, Dreaming Creek, and Green Side Up Landscaping.
The Belle Isle Skills Area is free to use and is open from sunrise to sunset. For more information, call (804) 646-5733 or visit www.RichmondGov.com/Parks.
###
OHNA Response to Proposed Changes at Possible Amphitheater Site
From email:
Dear Mr. Berry,
Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to visit the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) on August 28, 2012 to make a presentation on the proposed amphitheater located near the Oregon Hill neighborhood. In your presentation, you discussed the changes Venture Richmond wished to make to the site, including a proposal to trim the south bank of the historic James River and Kanawha Canal in order to improve the sight lines for the amphitheater, which you envision accommodating 10,000 people.
At the same meeting, OHNA voted to oppose any damage to the historic James River and Kanawha Canal and, specifically, removing any portion of the south bank of the canal. The Oregon Hill neighborhood has important historic connections to the canal. The surviving home at 601 Spring Street belonged to Samuel P. Parsons, the canal Superintendent responsible for the canal’s expansion to Lynchburg. These connections also include the surviving home at 619 W. Cary Street that belonged to the Messler family, who owned a canal boat building business in Penitentiary Basin, just east of the proposed amphitheater.
While we deeply appreciate the worthwhile efforts of Venture Richmond in bringing the Folk Festival to Richmond, we believe that this can be accomplished without damaging the irreplaceable historic canal. This is an original portion of the canal that was built when George Washington was the first president of the canal. The city is going to considerable expense to protect the canal in the construction of the 2nd Street connector, so it would be unacceptable to damage the canal just to the west of this connector.
Suggestions made by members of OHNA include: covering the canal with a temporary protective structure during the folk festival, encouraging Venture Richmond to consider a smaller venue at the location of the amphitheater that would not require damage to the historic canal, moving the adjacent Children’s Stage to another location and using the new open space as a part of the proposed amphitheater, or placing an impermeable liner inside the canal, filling it with soil and flowers and building bridges to cross the canal.
OHNA is also asking that Venture Richmond limit the number of performances at the amphitheater to 15 days per year and to limit the times of the performances to 10:00 pm on weeknights and to 11:00 pm on weekends.
Again, we appreciate Venture Richmond’s presentation to our organization, and we hope that you will keep us informed regarding developments of the proposed amphitheater.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hancock
Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association, President
For more background on this, please click here and here and here.
Style Report: “Landmark Theatre Alters Renovation Plans”
Excerpt:
Three days after City Council agreed to give $14 million in tax dollars to renovate the Landmark Theater, the group managing the work scaled back part of the project, citing an “unanticipated reduction” in funding.
In a June 1 filing with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the Richmond Performing Arts Center indicated it was cutting back the first two phases of the project, which began in July, by $7.6 million. In order to obtain federal and state historic tax credits, construction plans first must be approved by the state and National Park Service.
Two months earlier, those first two phases involved $11.4 million in renovation work, according to state filings. That included a new roof and improvements to the restrooms, concession areas, sidewalks, lounge spaces, loading docks and the theater’s internal offices.
The amended filings in June scaled back the plans to include facade work, minor roof repairs, exit path lighting and prep work for a new box office and other building upgrades, a total of $3.75 million.
So as not to disrupt Landmark’s fall season, some work likely had to be scaled back because of the delays, says John Winter, chief capital projects manager for the city. “There had to be documents approved by council in order for the project to move forward,” he says. “I think that had a lot to do with the shortening of the window of available time.”
It’s unclear if the initial reduction in funds will affect the overall project. Altria Group agreed to pay $10 million for the naming rights to the Landmark in July, but that money is being provided while the work progresses during the next two years.
195 Ramp Closing Temporarily
According to signs, the 195 on-ramp from Cumberland will be closed for a month starting tomorrow while there is more work on the toll plaza.
From WRIC Channel 8’s website:
Richmond, VA—The Downtown Expressway Cumberland Street on-ramp will be closed to traffic for thirty days beginning Monday, September 10.
The on-ramp will be closed through early October, for the final phase of the Downtown Expressway Open Road Tolling project.
Motorists wishing to enter the roadway in this area are encouraged to use a detour to the westbound Belvidere/2nd Street on-ramp.
New House On S. Laurel
Foundation for 617 S. Laurel in place.
