Mayor Jones, along with Delegate Delores McQuinn, Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille, Virginia Union University President Claude Perkins, Joy Bailey of LORD Cultural Resourcs, and Matt Laird of the James River Institute for Archaeology spoke on Thursday, August 13, 2015 about the importance of the Slave Trail improvements and the plans for Lumpkin's Jail moving forward. The following are Mayor Jones prepared remarks. Good afternoon. I am so pleased to be here today to talk about the progress that has been made by the Slave Trail Commission.  I especially want to thank Delegate Dolores McQuinn for her introduction. Her passion and labor for this commission’s work is why we are as far along as we are today. I also want to thank Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille and Dr. Claude Perkins from Virginia Union University for being here. Additionally, I want to welcome Joy Bailey Bryant from LORD Cultural Resources and Matt Laird from the James River Institute for Archaeology. Thank you for j...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones provided a progress report of the Richmond Riverfront Plan implementation. Citing several Phase 1 projects nearing completion, Jones spoke about the Richmond resurgence detailing progress made along the riverfront. 
The Riverfront Plan was adopted in 2012 and the Jones Administration provided initial funding in the Fiscal Year 2013 Capital Improvements budget. Highlighted projects discussed during today’s press conference included the Lehigh Silos demolition, the Virginia Capital Trail, the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge, the Low-Line, and Terminal Dock improvements. 
“Demolition of the Lehigh Cement property is an important milestone in the implementation of the Richmond Riverfront Plan,” said Mayor Jones. “Removal of these silos represents the beginning of the transformation of the downriver portion of the Riverfront.” 
Jones noted significant progress, calling it an exciting time for the city. Along with removal of the silos, plans have been annou...

~ Sheds to be re-purposed for other uses ~ Demolition crews will begin removal today of the sheds at the 17th St. Market (Farmers’ Market) in the first phase of planned improvements to open up the space into an expanded public market. The work is part of the Shockoe Bottom Revitalization Strategy – a process which included public engagement and recommended removal of the existing sheds to position the space as an open urban square conducive to flexible programming. The City’s Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) has engaged Pryor Hauling, Inc., for the removal of the sheds. While fencing will be placed around the project site, no streets are scheduled for closure during the shed removals. Existing produce vendors at the 17th Street Market will be moved to the Main Street side of the market where they can continue to set up stands. Plans include salvaging and re-purposing the sheds, which will be coordinated by Enrichmond . The Shockoe Bottom Revitalization St...

Demolition crews will begin removing the pedestrian bridge connecting Kanawha Plaza to Dominion Plaza starting at 6 p.m. tonight. That’s when Canal Street will be closed between 7th and 8th Streets, and removal of the bridge will begin between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Drivers on 8th Street will still be able to turn left onto the Manchester Bridge. Removal is expected to be completed by late Sunday. Prior to removing the bridge, preparatory work will include installing protective measures to prevent pedestrian access during demolition. Once the road is closed, crews will mobilize equipment, install shoring to support the bridge, and place protection on the road and sidewalks beneath it. The first step is for a crane to break the north end of the bridge free, where the bridge ties into Dominion Plaza. Then the rest of the bridge will be removed using a CAT excavator. All debris will be hauled away and disposed of at the Cox Recycling Center. After the bridge is down, all materials will be re...

Richmond 2015, in conjunction with officials from the City of Richmond and Henrico and Hanover counties met Wednesday, August 5, 2015 to brief the media on the comprehensive Transportation Plan and interactive navigation website for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. They discussed race schedules, traffic management strategies, navigating around town during the event, parking, shuttles, and emergency information. Visit  http://navigate.richmond2015.com/ for more information on these topics for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships that will take place September 19 - 27, 2015.

The City’s Department of Public Works has completed work on a new roundabout at the intersection of 25th Street, Nine Mile Road and Fairmont in Churchill.  Plans for the roundabout were part of the corridor improvements presented in the East End Transformation Plan. Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Richmond City Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille, East End 7th Voter District, will announce the opening of the roundabout at National Night Out festivities in Churchill tonight. 
 “I’m so pleased that we are seeing many of the things the community talked about during the Church Hill visioning process come into being,” said Mayor Jones. “Step by step, we are bringing about changes in housing, infrastructure, health and education and this roundabout project beautifies this anchor corridor providing a welcomed makeover that will improve traffic flow and safety.” 
 “The 25th Street and Nine Mile Road corridor is an important commercial gateway for the East End/7th District,” commented Councilwoma...

Mayor Dwight Jones, Debra Gardner, DCAO for Human Services, Barry Russell, Deputy Director for Parks and Recreation, John Snyder, Enrichmond Foundation, and Dwight Snead of Dwight Snead Construction Company joined in announcing the renovation of Kanawha Plaza on Friday, July 31, 2015. The following are Mayor Jones prepared remarks. Good afternoon and welcome. We appreciate all of you joining us for our Kanawha Plaza Renovations Kick-off today, as this is an important project for our downtown and an important project for our city. Kanawha Plaza was conceived of over 40 years ago – back in 1972. This park was designed to reconnect our central business district and the James River. It was meant to also beautify our downtown, sitting astride the Downtown Expressway which was built after land was cleared for urban renewal. Parks can be complex elements of a city, but in Richmond, we pride ourselves on our park amenities. With over 100 parks in our city, ran...