Motorists can expect smoother traffic flow next week in the area of the 5th Street and the 7th Street bridges over Leigh Street.  The rehabilitated 5th Street Bridge will open Monday morning. The 7th Street Bridge re-opened in June.  Both bridges were closed earlier this year when the $3.6 million dollar refurbishment began.  The Leigh Street corridor between 5th and 7th streets, which closed during construction, also re-opens on Monday. In Shockoe Bottom, the two-way traffic conversion of 17th Street between East Broad and Grace streets will open to traffic on Monday. The traffic pattern change is one of several improvements included in the $614,000 project funded by the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program under the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act.  Other areas recently upgraded and now open to traffic include:  • 17th Street, two-way traffic from Broad Street to Franklin St...

~ Team to support UCI Road World Cycling Championships sustainability effort ~ The Southern Regional Office of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) selected the City of Richmond and HandsOn Greater Richmond, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Groundwork RVA, and Virginia Green Travel Alliance to receive an AmeriCorps NCCC Team this Fall. The Southern Regional Office received 50 applications and awarded only 20 teams. NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential national service program for young adults who want to give back to communities in need at different locations across the country. There are currently more than 50,000 members serving in AmeriCorps NCCC. “Being selected as a recipient of an AmeriCorps NCCC team recognizes the importance the City places on volunteerism as a way to engage young people in the work of City government and improving the community,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. The Richmond NCCC team will have five to nine members and work in Richmond from...

In a national survey of small businesses conducted by the website Thumbtack, the Richmond region ranked third in Business-friendly Cities. The survey included rankings in 11 different categories including; overall friendliness; ease of starting a business; ease of hiring; regulations; health and safety; employment, labor and hiring; tax code; licensing; environmental; zoning; and training and networking programs. The region received A+ ratings in nine of the 11 categories. “A business-friendly climate is at the heart of our region’s efforts to attract and retain companies, said Lee Downey, City’s Interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Planning and Economic Development. “Surveys such as this, that ask companies their opinions directly, validate that our efforts are on-track.” Richmond has been included in the survey since 2013 and the category ratings have improved greatly over the past two years. The first and second ranked cities are Manchester, N.H. and Dallas, TX resp...

The City of Richmond and CultureWorks are pleased to announce a special cycle of the Arts and Cultural District Micro Grant Program . Arts and Cultural District Micro Grants provide funding assistance to district non-profits, small businesses and galleries located to reach visitors in the area during the 2015 UCI World Road Cycling Championships and major music and food festivals occurring between September 1 and November 1, 2015. Grants up to $1,000 are available to support arts related events, installations or programs in the Arts and Cultural District. Partnerships between entities located inside and outside the District are encouraged. Previous recipients of an Arts and Cultural District Micro Grant are eligible and encouraged to apply for this special cycle. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.  Awards will be based upon creativity in design and approach, coinciding with major events occurring in/near to the District during the grant period, and need...

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...