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Nitika and Joshua Achalam may be staying home, but they are staying busy. They are outside their home in Fulton with their chickens, Octavia Butler and Zora Neale Hurston. Asked how their lives are different during the pandemic, Mrs. Achalam, executive director of Project Yoga Richmond and an herbal healer with True Grit Botanica, said, “We’ve launched an online membership platform where the community can remotely access yoga and mindfulness content from PYR ambassadors.” Mr. Achalam, a reggae artist and educator, said, “Shows are postponed. But we’ll regroup and spend more time in the studio.” On April 4, he performed in “Couchella,” a digital music festival that helped raise money for the Makindu Children’s Center in Kenya. The money will help install hand-washing stations at the center to combat the spread of COVID-19. Asked about the silver lining, both say the crisis has caused them to slow down and concentrate on the health and well-being of themselves and family.

Nitika and Joshua Achalam may be staying home, but they are staying busy. They are outside their home in Fulton with their chickens, Octavia Butler …

Published on April 16, 2020

It’s still incomplete. But in a few months, the metal beams these men are sitting on will become a bridge that will allow Richmonders to cross the James River on bike or foot. It will be the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge, named for a respected, but now deceased city planner. The workers are from Winchester-based Howard Shockey & Sons Inc., which is building the span that is to open in August. The pedestrian bridge will link Brown’s Island in Downtown to a recreation area on the south side of the river. Estimated cost: $11.5 million, including $9 million in city funds and $2.5 million in state funds. The bridge, which sits above the remnants of a former power company dam, is part of the city’s effort to make the riverfront more accessible.

It’s still incomplete. But in a few months, the metal beams these men are sitting on will become a bridge that will allow Richmonders to …

Published on May 27, 2016

Pitching in for Flint // Faith and civic groups, businesses and people across the Richmond region are pitching in to help the residents of Flint, Mich., whose public water has been poisoned with high levels of lead. Joining the effort, Fourth Baptist Church Pastor Emory Berry Jr., above left, and Hermon Jones load bottled water onto a truck Wednesday at the East End church to be trucked and distributed to Flint residents. Similar volunteer efforts are being conducted at several churches. Flint’s water crisis began when Michigan officials decided to temporarily switch Flint’s water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River in 2014 as a cost-saving measure. Since then, children and adults have been sickened by the water, with reports of rashes, hair loss and other illnesses.

Pitching in for Flint // Faith and civic groups, businesses and people across the Richmond region are pitching in to help the residents of Flint, …

Published on March 31, 2016

Plans in 2016 had called for the old building to be converted into a commercial space, possibly for use by the city Department of Public Utilities. In 2019, DPU nixed the idea because of the cost of removing asbestos and other contaminants from the 11-acre site. The demolition has been in the works since July 2020. The site was best known for an iconic 60-foot-tall metal work called a gasometer that surrounded the empty, below-ground storage tanks. The gasometer has been carefully removed and could later be reinstalled as a piece of public art. More than $4.3 million has been invested to clear the old structures and remove contaminated soil from the property, which is envisioned as an East End development site.

Plans in 2016 had called for the old building to be converted into a commercial space, possibly for use by the city Department of Public …

Published on February 24, 2022

Cityscape // This new public sculpture, titled “Estuary,” now stands behind Fire Station No. 17 at 2211 Semmes Ave. Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones led the July 21 unveiling of the 10-foot-tall, stainless steel piece. The sculptor is Ross Caudill of Brooklyn, N.Y., who earned his master’s in fine arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. When the station was built in 2012, 1 percent of the $4.6 million construction cost was set aside to pay for public art to go with it. Mr. Caudill was paid $34,103, and another $5,000 was spent to install his work. However, his sculpture is largely invisible to people and traffic passing the station on Semmes. It is actually located outside the station property in adjacent Canoe Run Park, where it overlooks people playing and exercising. The city park is at 20th Street and Riverside Drive.

Cityscape // This new public sculpture, titled “Estuary,” now stands behind Fire Station No. 17 at 2211 Semmes Ave. Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones led …

Published on August 5, 2016

A key element of Richmond’s drinking water supply system is undergoing about $54 million in major improvements. These photos document the construction underway at the historic Byrd Park Reservoir that first went into service 145 years ago to supply water to the city and surrounding counties. The purpose of the work: To keep the 55 million-gallon storage facility functional. The city Department of Public Utilities is projecting to spend $60 million to cover all costs, about $7 million more than anticipated when the project was first envisioned four years ago. So far, about $4.7 million has been spent on inspections, planning and design, DPU has reported. Opened in 1876, the reservoir is located on the east side of Blanton Avenue and is bounded by Grant Street and Police Memorial Way.

A key element of Richmond’s drinking water supply system is undergoing about $54 million in major improvements. These photos document the construction underway at the …

Published on January 6, 2022

Cityscape // Wayne Floyd, left, and Jordan Wiles from Empire Granite work on the pedestal where the new statue of Richmond great Maggie L. Walker is to stand. The plaza at Broad and Adams streets is expected to be complete in four to six weeks. The bronze statue of Mrs. Walker “is finished,” sculptor Tony Mendez said Wednesday. It was completed two weeks ago, he said. He’s now awaiting instructions from the city about when it is to be delivered to the site. So far, City Hall has yet to announce a date for the dedication as officials work with the Mrs. Walker’s descendants on the timing. Mr. Mendez said there has been talk about holding the program on Saturday, July 15, Mrs. Walker’s birth date. This year would be the 153rd anniversary of the birth of the founder and president of the first bank to be chartered by an African-American woman. The total project cost: About $900,000.

Cityscape // Wayne Floyd, left, and Jordan Wiles from Empire Granite work on the pedestal where the new statue of Richmond great Maggie L. Walker …

Published on April 8, 2017

Standing with Bennett: Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, left, meets with alumnae of Bennett and Spelman colleges Monday evening at Fifth Baptist Church in Richmond to rally efforts to help raise $5 million by Feb. 1 to save Bennett College. Dr. Cole previously served as president of both institutions, the only two historically black women’s colleges in the nation, and was central to a video the group made Monday and posted on social media. United in sisterhood, the video calls on Spelman women and Bennett Belles to support the Greensboro, N.C., college, which may lose its accreditation if it cannot gain a more sound financial footing by the Feb. 1 deadline. The effort came together within 24 hours. “I have never witnessed black women move so quickly with one mission to make sure African-American women have the opportunity to  receive a quality education,” said Marissa Jennings, Bennett Class of 2003. Dr. Cole’s message is available online at https://vimeo.com/314049002. To donate, go to www.bennett.edu/donate. (Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press)

Standing with Bennett: Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, left, meets with alumnae of Bennett and Spelman colleges Monday evening at Fifth Baptist Church in Richmond to …

Published on February 1, 2019

Dr. Derik E. Jones, left, and Dr. Dwight C. Jones, pastors of First Baptist Church of South Richmond, get a closer look at the new bronze sculpture “Hope Empowered by the Truth” with its creator, local artist Kathleen Lowry. The 150-pound sculpture was unveiled at the Decatur Street church on Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, during a ceremony viewed online by more than 200 people. Ms. Lowry donated the piece to the church after attending the socially distanced kickoff last September of First Baptist’s yearlong 200th anniversary celebration. She said the church seemed like the perfect home for the sculpture. “It is recognition of the work you do every day to promote peace in our country,” she said during Monday’s event. “Martin Luther King knew what would be necessary — faith, hopefulness, truth-telling, courage, resilience, kindness and forgiveness. And that is what you are doing and being in the struggle for equality and peace. It is an extremely tall order.” Members of the congregation will be able to see the artwork once the church reopens for in-person worship service. The church has held virtual services because of the pandemic.

Dr. Derik E. Jones, left, and Dr. Dwight C. Jones, pastors of First Baptist Church of South Richmond, get a closer look at the new …

Published on January 21, 2021

Construction of a new Amazon facility is scheduled for completion in Henrico County’s Fairfield District this year. When the online retailer announced plans in April 2021 for its state-of-the art robotics fulfillment center on 119 acres along Richmond-Henrico Turnpike, near Richmond Raceway, Amazon and county officials said it would lead to 1,000 job opportunities. The 2.6-million-square-foot facility will be the largest building in Central Virginia, officials said. To accommodate increased traffic in the area, Richmond-Henrico Turnpike has been extended to four lanes, with a new traffic signal placed at the main entrance to the site. “Amazon has been proud to call Virginia home since 2006,” said Alicia Boler Davis, who was Amazon’s vice president of Global Customer Fulfillment at the time of the announcement. “Collectively it takes a strong workforce and local support network to serve our customers across the Commonwealth and the region. The launch of this state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Central Virginia will create more than 1,000 jobs with industry-leading pay and benefits starting on the first day of employment. I’m excited to see Virginians continue to excel at Amazon, building better and brighter futures.”

Construction of a new Amazon facility is scheduled for completion in Henrico County’s Fairfield District this year. When the online retailer announced plans in April …

Published on January 26, 2023

Dominion’s new office tower for Downtown // This rendering offers a view, left, of a new, 20-story office tower Dominion Resources is moving to develop at 6th and Cary streets. It will replace the vacant, six-story Richmond Plaza building that will be torn down. At right is a view of a potential companion building Dominion might build to replace the One James River Plaza building at 701 E. Cary St. This is the view north and west from Kanawha Plaza at 9th and Canal streets. Dominion is promising inclusion of African-American, minority and women-owned contracting businesses in the construction. Based on current building costs, Dominion is expected to invest between $100 million and $150 million in the new building. Completion is expected in 2019, when Dominion would either renovate or replace One James River Plaza. The project is being undertaken to improve Dominion’s space Downtown and to provide room for projected employment growth during the next 10 to 15 years.

Dominion’s new office tower for Downtown // This rendering offers a view, left, of a new, 20-story office tower Dominion Resources is moving to develop …

Published on May 20, 2016

A front-end loader scoops out the sediment choking the Haxall Canal in Downtown, whose waters once powered an electric plant. The work to dredge the canal from Brown’s Island to 12th Street began Jan. 15 and is expected to take four months, according to the city Department of Public Utilities, which is managing the job. Cost: $1.5 million. The water in the canal also is being drained, above, the department said, adding it is working with the state to save the fish that will be affected. The canal, which receives its water and sediment from the James River, was last cleaned in 2008. The work is needed every 10 to 15 years, according to DPU officials, to protect the equipment that controls the level of water in the canal and to improve the flow. The department briefly drained the canal last summer to conduct a survey in preparation for this work. The canal also is drained periodically to remove sediment that accumulates at the head gates, DPU officials stated. (Ava Reaves)

A front-end loader scoops out the sediment choking the Haxall Canal in Downtown, whose waters once powered an electric plant. The work to dredge the …

Published on February 8, 2019

People check out a 28-foot model of an envisioned park that would span the James River. The Richmond BridgePark Foundation unveiled the model last Thursday at a Broad Street venue. The area would include trees to help make it feel more like a park. As yet there is no funding for BridgePark, which would cost millions of dollars to create. The proposal was inspired by a similar walking bridge, the High Line, in New York City. One proposal calls for BridgePark to use the still visible piers of a bridge that was toppled in a past flood. The proposed bridge would link Kanawha Plaza in Downtown to the Manchester Climbing Wall in South Side and fit between the Manchester Bridge that links 9th Street to South Side and the new pedestrian T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge that connects Brown’s Island on the north bank of the James River to Manchester on the south bank of the river. (Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press )

People check out a 28-foot model of an envisioned park that would span the James River. The Richmond BridgePark Foundation unveiled the model last Thursday …

Published on November 17, 2018

The City of Richmond has unveiled its possible design plans for the former site of the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue. The controversial statue was removed one year ago after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled 7-0 that “values change and public policy changes, too” in a democracy. The site frequently is referred to as the Marcus David Peters Circle by some community activists since the summer of 2020 following the deaths of George Floyd and other Black people who died at the hands of law enforcement. The city’s Urban Design Committee will review the temporary plans that include removing the fencing and concrete graffiti barriers and installing landscaping that could cost up to $100,000. According to the City, this is not the final plan for the “Reimagine Monument Avenue” project. A meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 8, convened by the Urban Design Committee, to discuss plans. The Richmond Planning Commission’s final vote is scheduled Sept. 19.

The City of Richmond has unveiled its possible design plans for the former site of the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue. The controversial …

Published on September 8, 2022

New wheels for Chesterfield schools/Al Parham, supervisor of Chesterfield County Public Schools’ bus fleet, wipes off the plug-in station for the school system’s two new electric school buses during a “Plug-in Ceremony” Aug. 12 at the county’s bus maintenance facility, 7300 Walmsley Blvd. School and county officials, along with officials from Dominion Energy, attended the event held to show off the two new vehicles that were delivered in May. Chesterfield is the first municipality in Metro Richmond to receive the electric school buses through a program sponsored by Dominion Energy. Under the program, school districts pay no more for the electric buses than they would for a diesel model. The program also covers the cost of the charging stations. The first 50 buses were provided under the program in 2020 to 14 school districts in various parts of the state. (photo: Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press)

New wheels for Chesterfield schools/Al Parham, supervisor of Chesterfield County Public Schools’ bus fleet, wipes off the plug-in station for the school system’s two new …

Published on August 19, 2021

Work is underway on the $1.2 million renovation of Virginia Union University’s renamed Wil- lie Lanier Field at Hovey Stadium. Mr. Lanier, a former All-Star and Pro Bowl player with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 to 1977, played on Hovey Field when he was a student nearly 60 years ago at Richmond’s Maggie L. Walker High School next door. He has played a vital role in the project to resurface the field from grass to FieldTurf. When the VUU Panthers football team kicks off its 2020 season home opener on Oct. 3 against Shaw University, the new field will be a point of pride for the team and will put VUU on the same level as universities around the nation, officials stated. “That field shows something,” Mr. Lanier stated. “It shows the ability of what it is to provide for those young individuals who can take confidence and pride in where they play and how they are able to perform.” Squares of the old grass field, which has been in place since 1907, are being sold online to help fund the project. Go to https://vuusports.com/sports/2008/11/5/MBB_1105085727.aspx?id=42

Work is underway on the $1.2 million renovation of Virginia Union University’s renamed Wil- lie Lanier Field at Hovey Stadium. Mr. Lanier, a former All-Star …

Published on July 2, 2020

Cityscape // A new traffic circle is taking shape at the Six Points intersection in Highland Park in North Side. The $1.2 million project to improve traffic control has been underway since early January. When complete, it will be one of the biggest roundabouts in the city. It will serve motorists heading east and west on Brookland Park Boulevard, and north and south on Meadowbridge Road. The other streets that meet at this central point are Dill Avenue, which runs northeast, and 2nd Avenue, which is south of the intersection. Pedestrian crosswalks, handicap ramps and landscaping also are to be installed. Traffic lights that have long controlled the flow of cars and trucks have been removed from the intersection. City officials believe the new traffic circle could help eliminate crashes. Traffic accidents at the intersection were rare, however, with only five in the previous three years. Weather delays from snow and heavy rain have delayed the project’s completion. The city is using federal and state funds and its own contribution to cover the project’s cost.

Cityscape // A new traffic circle is taking shape at the Six Points intersection in Highland Park in North Side. The $1.2 million project to …

Published on July 8, 2016

A “Now Leasing” sign adorns an entry to the Church Hill North development on North 31st Street off Nine Mile Road in the city’s East End. While no announce- ment has been made, the sign signals that the yearlong construction on the first phase of new apartments is coming to a close. The development was undertaken by The Community Builders of Boston in partner- ship with the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The site is the former home of Armstrong High School, which was torn down to make way for the new residences. The first phase was announced on Oct. 30, 2018, when work began to include 60 family units and 45 apartments for seniors at a cost of about $26 million. Work on another 70 units was begun earlier this year, and those units are in various stages of completion. The total development is to include 256 units, including a few single-family homes. The project is the first step in the overhaul of the nearby Creighton Court public housing community. Some Creighton Court residents are to be moved to Church Hill North as planning for renovation or replacement of the 504-unit Creighton Court complex continues.

A “Now Leasing” sign adorns an entry to the Church Hill North development on North 31st Street off Nine Mile Road in the city’s East …

Published on December 20, 2019

Cityscape //These scenes show examples of the impact of the June 16 storm that hammered Richmond and Henrico County and knocked out power to nearly 120,000 homes and businesses in the two localities. Left, Laurie Petersen photographs a tree split during the raging winds at Monument and Roseneath avenues in the West End. Right, Brad Spangler takes a closer look at a car crushed under trees felled by the storm that packed 70 mph winds and dropped 1.6 inches of rain. Location: Seminary and Claremont avenues in North Side. Richmond area damage estimates ranged from $2 million to $5 million, including $770,000 in damage to 10 Richmond school buildings. Officials said all but $100,000 of the schools damage would be covered by insurance. Dominion brought in hundreds of workers, who helped restore power by late Monday. Fifty crews from the City of Richmond, meanwhile, cleared fallen trees blocking 156 streets and removed 700 tons of tree debris through Tuesday. As of Tuesday night, Byrd Park, Battery Park Pool and Bryan Park had yet to reopen. The city and Henrico County are offering to haul away tree limbs from residents’ property. In the city, residents can place limbs and brush near the curb or alley for pickup. County residents must register for service at (804) 501-4275 or online at www.henrico.us/services/storm-debris-pickup. The county’s deadline to sign up is Friday, June 24.     

Cityscape //These scenes show examples of the impact of the June 16 storm that hammered Richmond and Henrico County and knocked out power to nearly …

Published on June 24, 2016

Multiple construction projects are underway at the Virginia War Memorial Carillon in Richmond. In 2016, Elizabeth L. O’Leary of the Carillon Civic Association described the historic monument: Rising a lofty 240 feet in the heart of Richmond’s William Byrd Park stands the Virginia War Memorial Carillon — the Commonwealth’s official monument to the approximately 3,700 men and women from the state who died as a result of World War I. The Georgian-revival tower houses a massive musical instrument made up of 53 fixed bronze bells of varying sizes, still played today by a carillonneur who strikes a pedal keyboard just below the bell chamber. Dedicated on October 15, 1932 — 14 years after the end of the Great War — the Carillon opened amidst a swirl of patriotic fervor and controversy. Its original design, commissioned several years earlier by the Virginia General Assembly from celebrated Philadelphia architect Paul Cret, called for a sleek classicized temple. Shortly after ground breaking, a citizen’s committee waged a successful popular campaign to build a carillon instead. Building the more expensive “singing tower” — a brick encased steel frame that originally supported the heavy bells cast by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough, England — required additional fundraising to achieve the final cost of $325,000.

Multiple construction projects are underway at the Virginia War Memorial Carillon in Richmond. In 2016, Elizabeth L. O’Leary of the Carillon Civic Association described the …

Published on April 27, 2023