August 15, 2011 Vol. 3 Issue 8
Welcome
Welcome to the August edition of the "Building a Better Richmond" newsletter. As the summer season comes to an end, I want to use this newsletter to show you the work being done by your City government.
To begin, I would like to draw your attention to my commentary that appeared in the August 14 print edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. This commentary addresses the recent Economic Development marketing procurement that has garnered significant attention over the past couple of weeks. I encourage you to take time to review the article.
In late July, City Council overwhelmingly approved the agreement between the City of Richmond and Tompkins/Ballard Joint Venture for the design and construction of a new city jail. This has been a much anticipated vote and on behalf of the residents of Richmond and the dedicated sworn officers that work at the City Jail, I thank City Council for acting on our recommendation. We are confident that this is the right outcome and the right decision for our city, the law enforcement officers and the inmates.
We can now move forward to address the inhumane conditions that exist in our current City Jail. And, just as we've been intentional about our efforts to build a new jail, we will be intentional about the outcomes that we expect to see as a result of this project. We will hold Tompkins/Ballard accountable throughout the process to the standards of excellence that their proposal represents and that led to their selection.
I've stated on numerous occasions that I want Richmond to grow by design and not by default. Within the past year, we have broken ground on two new schools with two more to come, agreed to build a new City Justice Center, began renovations to City libraries and now we are building a new fire station.
I would like to thank State Senator Henry Marsh, Chief Administrative Officer Byron Marshall and Fire Chief Robert Creecy for joining me in breaking ground on a new Fire Station No. 17 to replace the existing Fire Station No. 17 on Bainbridge Street that was built in 1917. We want this and every City fire station to be part of your neighborhood. Fire protection is a community interest, and this fire station is going to be a community station, a gathering place for the community.
The new Fire Station No. 17 will be located in Canoe Run Park at 2211 Semmes Avenue. The new 3-bay, single story facility is slated for LEED Silver certification and will have 11,351 square feet of space.
As the construction of the new fire facility occurs in a small portion of Canoe Run Park, several park enhancements will be included in the overall project. Park enhancements include moving and improving the running trail, installation of trail lights, and moving several young trees from the Semmes Road area to other parts of Canoe Run Park.
On the festival front, the City of Richmond is proud to once again partner with Elegba Folklore Society this year to present the 21st Annual Down Home Family Reunion. This year's celebration of African American folk life will happen August 20, from 4 to 11 p.m., at Abner Clay Park, which is located on West Leigh Street near Belvidere in Historic Jackson Ward. The Down Home Family Reunion,is a downtown weekend festival that celebrates African American folk life with world music and dance, the Heritage Market, special children's events, interactive site demonstrations and delicious down home food. It is designed to show aspects of West African cultural traditions that are African American and that have been absorbed by the American South. I hope you are able to attend.
Please enjoy reading the remainder of this newsletter and forward it to your friends and family.
Please enjoy reading the remainder of this newsletter and forward it to your friends and family.
2011 MYA
More than 400 youth participated in this year's Mayor's Youth Academy (MYA) program which recently held its 2011 Culmination Event. This is the second year of the Mayor's Youth Academy, which is a citywide program that draws upon the expertise and resources of leaders in government, business, faith-based, and non-profit sectors to develop Richmond's future workforce. The Mayor's Youth Academy consists of four components; Summer Works Initiative, Life Stages, Youth Gardeners, and Counselors In Training.
Participating youth worked very hard to accomplish the task set before them and I am certain they will apply what they learned this summer to their coursework when they return to school in a few short weeks. We must be diligent in demonstrating and encouraging our youth to become the future entrepreneurs, chefs, actors, fashion designers, gardeners, singers, photographers, as we want our youth to become leaders for this city, this country, and possibly the world.
I offer my sincere thanks to all of our sponsors, facilitators, counselors, and supervisors for their time, hard work, dedication and professionalism in guiding these young people on the road to excellence. I'm sure their leadership skills have inspired these wonderful students and I hope they will continue to yearn for more.
I am sure that you have all heard or experienced the issues that currently plague the First Fridays' event. I believe that we should address this matter as a teachable moment where we can work to positively impact many city youth. Art can be a tremendous tool to enhance one's sense of being and discovering future potential. It is my hope that our youth will ultimately embrace the artistic opportunities provided during First Fridays. As we endeavor to come up with solutions for young people, I ask that you provide your suggestions as to how we improve the First Fridays' experience for all of those who attend both young and mature alike. Please visit www.RichmondGov.com and click on the "City Invites Community Input about First Fridays Art Walk" to submit your suggestions as to how the current issue should be handled so that First Fridays can continue to be the tremendous event that has been enjoyed since its inception.
MPACT Success (Mayor's Participation, Action and Communications Team)
The city's MPACT initiative has met with great success in its first year. This initiative encourages community participation, drives city action and fosters communication to develop a shared vision for Richmond's future. I asked for you to get involved and you have, evidenced by your participation at sector MPACT meetings, reporting priority issues on the MPACT website, calling 3-1-1, or by smart phone. The following are statistics from the first year of MPACT:
- More than 17,000 service requests logged in the first year
- Successfully closed more than 16,000 requests within 15 business days
- 94.6% service request completion rate
- Filled more than 1,700 potholes
- Replaced more than 1,700 streetlights
- Cut more than 1,900 properties due to high grass
- Answered more than 9,100 requests for trash and bulk pick-up service
As we move into the second year of MPACT, I ask that you continue your involvement and that you encourage your friends and neighbors to also join in. Working TOGETHER, we can continue to "Build a Better Richmond." Join the MPACT movement by visiting www.RichmondGov.com and clicking on the large MPACT button for more information.
9/11 Day of Service
This September marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In honor of this historic milestone, HandsOn Greater Richmond and the City's Neighbor-To-Neighbor (N2N) Initiative are partnering with HandsOn Network and My Good Deed for the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. HandsOn Greater Richmond and N2N have created tribute projects throughout the area, providing opportunities for hundreds of Richmond residents to honor and remember 9/11.
Please join us at the 9/11 Commemoration Event at the Byrd Park Carillion, 1300 Blanton Avenue, on Sept. 11 at 8:30 a.m. The event will include the ringing of the Carillion bells followed by a moment of silence and remembrance of all of those who were affected by the September 11 tragedy. This event will be immediately followed by a series of Tribute Projects that will continue throughout the following week..
I encourage all Richmonders to participate in service and remembrance activities on the upcoming 9/11 ten-year anniversary, as a show of respect and honor for those who perished and to rekindle the spirit of unity and compassion that swept our nation after 9/11 to help meet the challenges we face today.
To register or for more information on the 9/11 Tribute Projects visit www.Richmondgov.com/NeighborToNeighbor and click on the "Special Events" tab.
New Schools Update
I invite you to attend the community meeting to discuss updates for the construction
of the new Huguenot High School on Tuesday, August 16, from 6 to 8 p.m., in the
Huguenot High School auditorium, 7945 Forest Hill Avenue. The Building a Better
Richmond Team and Richmond Public Schools are hosting this community meeting to
share the construction schedule for the new Huguenot High School as well as additional
updates. I hope you can attend this important community meeting.
I also encourage construction management firms, subcontractors, suppliers and vendors
to attend the Construction Management at Risk Project workshop on Thursday, August
18 at 6 p.m., at the Richmond Police Training Academy, 1202 West Graham Road. This
workshop is designed to discuss the construction of the new Martin Luther King,
Jr. Middle School and Huguenot High School. For more information on Construction
Management at Risk, please visit
www.cmaa.com or www.BuildingaBetterRichmond.com.
In Closing
Thank you for taking the time to view this newsletter. I hope you found it informative and insightful and
that you will share it with others in your family and community.
For more information on the city of Richmond, please visit www.RichmondGov.com.
Thank you.
Dwight C. Jones
Mayor, City of Richmond
