The City of Richmond invites the entire community to the 15 th annual Multicultural Festival, Imagine 2019, to celebrate the cultural richness of our communities. The free festival will be held at the Broad Rock Sports Complex on Old Warwick Road on Saturday, September 28 from noon to 5:00 p.m. Organized by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the festival is a fun event for the entire family, presenting an opportunity to enjoy music and food from the wide variety of cultural communities in Richmond and to take advantage of free health screenings provided by partners. This year, the festival will include performances from Sayaw Diversity, Sacred Heart Folklorico, the Motown Kids, Salsa Guy Richmond’s Bomba y Plena, Lion Dance, Mexican Regional Music Band, groups from the Philippines and North and South Sudan, and more. In addition, more than 55 area organizations will provide information about community services. Una Vida Sana and La Casa de la Salud will offer fre...

The City of Richmond was recently designated a Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) site.  Starting two years ago, representatives from the Richmond City Health District and the City of Richmond collaborated with numerous local community service providers to align, intertwine, and coordinate their programs with the goal of producing healthier, more energy-efficient housing, higher-quality green jobs, and improved health and social outcomes for families. Local leaders committed to this effort because they recognized it was an effective way to improve how the community addressed the connection between health and housing. As part of the designation process, the stakeholders signed onto a compact to continue this important work. Signatories include: Director of the Richmond City and Henrico County Health Districts Dr. Danny Avula, Mayor Levar Stoney, KC Bleile of Viridiant, Lee Householder of project:HOMES, Malcolm Jones of Rebuilding Together Richmond, Ruth Ann Norton ...

Mayor Levar M. Stoney announced today the appointment of Dawn Barber as the Director of the City of Richmond Department of Justice Services. A former assistant police chief for the City of Newport News,   Barber brings more than 31 years of professional experience in justice services and law enforcement to the City of Richmond Department of Justice Services.  Most recently, Barber served as the Director of Juvenile Services for the City of Newport News. In addition to her experience in city government, she serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy Reserves. In her new role, Barber will oversee   the city’s services for adults facing potential incarceration and youth who are either at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system or who have been formally processed by the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. These services include prevention and diversion efforts, in-home services, monitoring and surveillance, secure confinement, counse...

The City of Richmond’s Department of Planning and Development Review (PDR) seeks to once again engage the Richmond community in the development of the updated city master plan. Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth,   the city’s new master plan, is entering the next community engagement stage of development. The plan’s aim is to establish a 20-year vision for the city’s growth, factoring in extensive community input.  Last fall, residents of Richmond shared their vision for the future of the city. Now, Richmonders can see and provide feedback on how their ideas have been incorporated into a vision for the city in 2037, the component goals necessary to create that vision and the draft land uses, transportation connections and strategies needed to achieve those goals. From September 23 to November 3, community members can provide their thoughts at their convenience via any of the following four methods: Attend a Richmond 300 Forum:   Each forum will include a ...

“A city that values diversity, equity and inclusivity can’t stay silent about a barbaric and abusive practice that targets LGBTQ+ youth. “I am proud that members of Richmond’s City Council joined me in opposing the inhumane and regressive practice of conversion therapy and affirming the sexual orientation and identities of all  Richmonders .” ##

An exhibit exploring the themes and activists of the Civil Rights movement will be on display in Richmond’s City Hall from September 4 to November 22, 2019. The exhibit, titled “Growing Up in Civil Rights Richmond: A Community Remembers,” will include 28 photographic portraits in total, 25 displayed on the first floor of City Hall and three in the lobby of the Mayor’s Office.  The photography exhibit seeks to amplify the diverse faces and voices that fueled the local civil rights movement. For the exhibit, photographer and visual journalist Brian Palmer photographed 30 Richmond locals whose childhoods were impacted by the civil rights movement, and University of Richmond history professor Laura Browder gathered oral histories through interviews with the subjects. Excerpts of the interviews will accompany and contextualize the photographs. Ashley Kistler, longtime Richmond-area curator and Chair of the Public Art Commission, and Dr. Browder conceived of the project originally...

Mayor to submit an ordinance to council proposing $6.2 million for Cost of Living Increase for Richmond retirees, the first in a decade Mayor also proposes $1 million in investments for community centers and two ADA accessibility projects to improve access to the James River and riverfront parks Thanks to increased tax revenues above projections, improvements in tax collection, and savings from efficiencies in departmental operations, the City of Richmond is projected to end Fiscal Year 2019 with an estimated $15 million surplus. Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced he will propose an ordinance at the September 9th meeting of the Richmond City Council to dedicate $6.2 million of the surplus to fund a 1% increase in the Cost of Living Adjustment paid to city retirees – the first such increase paid to former city employees in more than a decade. The proposal makes good on the mayor’s commitment to use budgeted surplus funds to provide a retirement boost to city retiree...