Project Rebuild to Help Stabilize Richmond Home Prices The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones toured the 800 block of North 27 th Street in the Church Hill neighborhood to demonstrate how President Obama’s proposed American Jobs Act and Project Rebuild can help stabilize home prices, revitalize neighborhoods, create jobs, and support local economies throughout the City of Richmond. “Project Rebuild is fundamentally an investment not just in hard hit communities, but also in the hardworking families of Church Hill who have watched their home values plummet on average by $5,000-to-$10,000 simply because they live on a block with a foreclosure sign. The Project Rebuild investment will not only help stabilize individual home prices on the block, but it sends neighbors a hopeful message – we believe in you, we are investing in you, stay here and raise your family,” said Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S. Depa...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones joined City Council Vice-President Ellen Robertson, Fifth Street Baptist Church Pastor F. Todd Gray, and Workforce Investment Board Chair Deborah Wickham, in a ribbon cutting ceremony today to celebrate the opening of the One Stop Resource & Missions Center at Fifth Street Baptist Church, 2800 Third Avenue. The new share site is the first joint Workforce Development Center in the City of Richmond and will offer services and resources to City residents to better prepare and search for jobs. The center will partner with RESOURCE, the Capital Region Workforce Investment Board, to teach classes on résumé writing, interview skills, and networking. Trained volunteers will staff the center and serve as career agents and job coaches for interested residents looking for work. “We know that many Richmonders are struggling, and it is important for the City to partner with the community to be able to provide centers like this,” said Mayor Jones. “In our region, the...

~Approximately $62.3 million to be voted on by RMA Board~ In a new development related to the City's pursuit of monies owed from the Richmond Metropolitan Authority (RMA), the City Administration says it will pursue the full amount owed, rather than the initial arrangement which included an interest rate discount. In June of this year, Mayor Jones announced a proposal in which the RMA would return funds to the city before the year's end. The amount owed is more than $60 million. The RMA had originally asked for some interest rate forgiveness and the city introduced a paper for City Council consideration that would have foregone about $2 million in debt. Today the Administration acknowledged that current financial market conditions make it likely that the RMA could repay the entire amount with no discount attached. "Anticipating favorable action by the RMA Board, I am withdrawing Ordinance No. 2011-160," stated Mayor Jones. "I am hopeful that City Counci...

The City’s Department of Economic and Community Development received an Excellence in Economic Development Award for their marketing kit in the category of General Purpose Promotion for communities with populations of 200,000 – 500,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The award was presented during the IEDC Annual Conference in Charlotte, NC on September 20. “I thank the International Economic Development Council for recognizing Richmond with this award as it underscores our efforts to attract and retain both large and small employers, create jobs and preserve our City’s neighborhoods,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “Effective marketing is a catalyst to leveraging the numerous attributes of the city and thereby enhancing our economic development activities.” "We recognize the City of Richmond’s Department of Economic & Community Development for providing successful strategies to promote new standards in economic development in this period of glo...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced today the results of an internal investigation the City Administration has conducted of the Department of Public Works’ (DPW) Facilities Management Operations. The investigation was pursued after the City Administration received an internal complaint warranting an assessment of operations, contracted labor, vendor payments, and equipment purchases under the management of that division of public works. Facilities Management is responsible for maintenance of city facilities and currently represents an annual expenditure of approximately $25 million in equipment purchases and contractor costs. “We’ve found several operational inefficiencies that bring into question the credibility of the existing operation and my level of concern has led me to turn over the results of our investigation to the Commonwealth Attorney for further investigation,” stated Mayor Jones. “We have taken the necessary steps and actions to secure the operations of the division in que...

Richmond, Virginia selected to host global event Richmond, Virginia has been selected to host the 2015 Road World Championships. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), competitive cycling’s governing body, selected Richmond after a competitive bid process that included the country of Oman. “Richmond is thrilled to be selected to host the 2015 Road World Cycling Championships, joining a list of great cities like Madrid, Florence and Copenhagen,” said Richmond Mayor, Dwight C. Jones. “Bicycling, for transport and fitness, has been an important focus of my administration. Hosting the World Championships will help bring Richmond one step closer to being one of the world’s great bicycling cities.” Cycling’s pinnacle event, the annual Road World Cycling Championships provide a rare opportunity for athletes to compete for their countries in both the traditional road race and individual time trial. Fans will also be treated to a team time trial competition between the world’s top pr...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones joined the Director of Richmond Public Library Harriet Coalter in a ribbon cutting ceremony today to reopen the newly renovated Belmont Library at 3100 Ellwood Avenue. “I take pride in celebrating the new renovations, additions and exciting features of Belmont Library,” said the Mayor. “Investing in our City’s future through infrastructure upgrades and enhancing educational enrichment opportunities, such as those offered in our City libraries, is vital to the success of our City’s future generations.” New library features include lighting, carpet, furniture, computers, an enlarged meeting room, teen area, and a new parking lot entrance. Renovations also included a Green Building Council approved roof system and new heating and cooling system to reduce the building’s carbon footprint. The library was originally constructed in 1956 with recent renovations beginning in the winter of 2010. Mayor Jones first announced the library renovations in March 2009 during his bi...