Intermediate Terminal Project Plans Advance

The City of Richmond has announced plans to move forward with improvements to the Intermediate Terminal/Intermediate Wharf – a City-owned parcel that fronts the James River on the East side of the city.

Providing increased public access to the riverfront is one of the goals in the City’s adopted Riverfront Plan. Improvements to the Intermediate Terminal Dock are seen as especially timely with the completion of the Virginia Capital Trail – 52 miles of continuous multipurpose trail between Williamsburg and Richmond.

A structural stabilization project has been underway in the Intermediate Terminal area since August of this year. With the completion of that stabilization nearing in early Spring of 2016, the City is ready to move forward with broader plans for improving riverfront access in that area, to include passive and active Riverfront recreational opportunities. Conceptual plans for the development of the area include the possibility of a community pavilion, an event lawn, an interpretive tidal pool, a fishing area, or maybe even swings. An exploration of what the public would like to see created in that area will be undertaken with a planned public meeting process.

“While our Riverfront Plan suggests any number of possibilities for this area, we are ready to have a more direct discussion with the public and to develop more specific plans for enhancements in this area,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “We have an opportunity to lift up the richness of neighborhood history while creating a recreational asset that can unify the riverfront corridor. With the completion of the Virginia Capital Trail, the east riverfront area is being utilized more than ever, and we look forward to creating another accessible public space for the city’s enjoyment.”

Local civil engineering and design firm, Timmons Group, has been contracted to develop conceptual plans for the Intermediate Terminal. They will be holding public meetings beginning in mid-January 2016 to discuss project concepts and design recommendations.

The Richmond Riverfront Plan emphasizes the importance of the riverfront as a singular destination and attraction unique to Richmond which can catalyze growth for the whole city and in specific areas. The plan provides for phased riverfront improvements to reinvigorate existing public spaces and establish new public landscapes of varying character, program and scale. Along the east riverfront, other progress has been seen with the demolition of the Lehigh Cement silos and installation of the Low-Line project with CSX and Capital Trees. In other riverfront news, the City has also recently announced plans for Port of Richmond improvements and began construction on the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge.