Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Sheriff C.T. Woody toured the site of the new Justice Center construction project last week. The tour was done as contractors reached the milestone of setting the first cornerstone of the city’s new Justice Center. The project is estimated to cost $134.6 million. “I am pleased to see the progress on this very important and long overdue project,” said Mayor Jones. “We are building this new Justice Center with an eye to the future; a future in which this facility will only house those who actually belong here.” “My employees, our daily visitors, and our jail’s residents all look forward to the transition into the country’s newest, most modern facility. The Richmond Justice center will serve as a model for years to come for other jails across the Nation, and it’s exciting to see it take shape before our eyes,” comments Sheriff C.T. Woody, Jr. “We are grateful for the efforts of the Mayor and all the members of our surrounding community for their suppo...

The City’s Department of Public Works Transportation Engineering Division will begin work July 9 on upgrades to the first 100 traffic signals that will be linked to the City’s proposed Traffic Operations Center (TOC).  This $21 million federally funded project will upgrade the City’s outdated traffic signal system and will install a new state-of-the-art system to the TOC, which is scheduled to open in City Hall next year. The upgrade of the signal system will involve installation of fiber optic and copper communication cables that will connect approximately 300 intersections to the (TOC).  This is the start of the first of three phases that comprise the project.  WHO:   City of Richmond Department of Public Works WHAT:   Richmond Signal System upgrade WHEN:  Tuesday, July 10 through Friday, November 2, 2012, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.                  WHERE:   This project will take place at the followi...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement today following the initial meeting of the Steering Committee he appointed to advise him on the opening of the Washington Redskins’ Summer Training Camp in the city of Richmond. “Today marks the launching of our review process. The Steering Committee we’ve assembled is tasked with helping us prepare for this world-class opportunity to host the Redskins Summer Training Camp here in Richmond for the next eight years and I was pleased to formally convene the work of the Committee today. “I’ve named Mike Fraizer, owner of the Richmond Raiders, as chair of the Steering Committee. We have designed the work of the Steering Committee to take place in a relatively quick turnaround process as we plan to get this review done inside of three months. Ultimately, we want to produce a top training camp; not only from the player perspective, but also from the fan perspective. “Right now we are using a wide funnel and all sites are unde...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones today announced the transition of the City’s Hispanic Liaison Office to the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), effective July 1, the beginning of the City’s fiscal year. The OMA transition will augment access to city and community-based services, promotes information, education, and civic participation in order to improve the quality of life of the city’s diverse cultural and linguistic communities. The transition also aligns with the City’s Balanced Scorecard key focus area of building unique and inclusive neighborhoods. “Richmond is a global society with new communities enriching the City culturally and economically. The foreign-born population of the city is 7.1%, according to the 2010 census, and 9.6% of city residents speak languages other than English at home. The enhanced OMA will work closely with all City departments to help create a more inclusive environment, and will continue to build an attractive and multicultural image for potential newcom...

The Virginia Sustainable Building Network (VSBN) has named the City of Richmond as the Best Green Organization for 2012. Each year, VSBN highlights and awards “green” businesses, organizations, design firms, and community programs that present the best “green” projects or programs in Virginia. Alicia Zatcoff, City Sustainability Manager, accepted the award today on behalf of the City during the VSBN Annual Meeting in Madison County. The Best Green Organization category recognizes an organization for its leadership in promoting and advancing the principles of sustainable design, implementation of sustainable practices, or adoption of sustainable programs or ordinances. Richmond was recognized for its development of the RVAgreen Sustainability Plan and the many accomplishments under the City’s RVAgreen Program.  “We are very pleased to receive this recognition for all the hard work the City Administration has put in to making Richmond more environmentally, economically and ...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones today announced members of his Steering Committee to advise him on the opening of the Washington Redskins’ Summer Training Camp in the city of Richmond, beginning in 2013.  The committee will look at the team’s criteria for a facility, existing state-of-the-art facilities, potential locations in the City, financing, and strategic partnerships. Members of the Steering Committee are: “There has been a tremendous response from the community about the Redskins’ summer training camp coming to Richmond in 2013,” said Mayor Jones, “Having the Redskins in Richmond builds on the great base of support in Central Virginia for the team, and it capitalizes on the city’s growing sports enthusiasm.  I want to thank those named to the Steering Committee today for their willingness to devote their time and energy to making this a reality!”   Bruce Allen, Executive Vice President and General Manager of The Washington Redskins, stated, “We appreciate all ...

On June 14, 2012, the City of Richmond successfully sold $248.2 million in bonds to include $101.3 million in continued funding for the City’s $500 million multi-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). CIP projects include the construction of four new schools, a new Justice Center, street and sidewalk projects, and various other improvements to City buildings and infrastructure. In addition, $146.9 million of existing bonds will be refinanced at lower interest rates, producing $12.9 million in savings. The various series of bonds included $7.5 million of Qualified School Construction Bond proceeds issued at a net zero percent interest rate to finance a portion of the construction costs of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School.     The nine firms of the underwriting team that sold the bonds was led by Citigroup, Wells Fargo and BB&T Capital Markets, and also included three minority-owned underwriting firms, Seibert Branford & Shank, Jackson Securities and ...