Board president of Richmond Story House B1
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VOL. 28 NO. 49
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New ‘RVA Illuminates’ to kick off holiday season at Kanawha Plaza B3
DECEMBER 5-7, 2019
Independent, unbiased?
Questions raised by City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray about consulting firm’s ties to backers of the $1.5B Coliseum and Downtown development plan By Jeremy M. Lazarus
A Chicago-based real estate development, hospitality, hotel and tourism consulting firm with ties to known advocates of the $1.5 billion Richmond Coliseum replacement plan has been tapped to undertake what was to be an independent and unbiased assessment of the proposal for Richmond City Council. The firm is C.H. Johnson Consulting also known as Johnson Consulting. Its links to a key consulting firm on the proposed Coliseum and Downtown redevelopment plan, and a past tie to another plan supporter, the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority, turned up after the city Department of Procurement Services, issued a notice of an intent on Nov. 26 to award C.H. Johnson the consulting contract. Potentially worth $190,000, the contract would authorize C.H. Johnson to undertake a wide-ranging, 90-day Mr. Johnson Mr. Hunden study of the assumptions on which the Coliseum and Downtown development plan is based. The announcement of the pending award to C.H. Johnson by an arm of the city government that reports to Mayor Levar M. Stoney, who is backing the massive plan, was issued even as a separate City Council review panel, the Navy Hill Development Advisory Commission, entered the final phase of its work. The commission is expected to issue its assessment of the proposed project later this month. On the surface, C.H. Johnson, which lists more than 23 years of experience in convention center and hotel developments in a variety of cities, has no direct relationship with the principals or the proposal that the city and Navy Hill District Corp. are spearheading. The plan calls for new larger arena to be built in Downtown, along with a convention hotel, apartments and other developments on mostly city-owned land near City Hall. However, an internet search shows relationships involving Please turn to A4
James Haskins/Richmond Free Press
Donald McWilliams Jr. and Roberta Jennings re-create their engagement pose on the landing of the 100-square-foot tiny chapel where they will become husband and wife before the Richmond Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 7.
A holiday wedding to remember By George Copeland Jr.
While every wedding seeks to be a memorable moment for everyone in attendance, none will have had the experience Donald McWilliams Jr. and Roberta Jennings will share this Saturday. On Dec. 7, the two will tie the knot in a mini-chapel moments before they and
the chapel become part of the Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union’s float in Richmond’s annual Christmas Parade. “I thought it was a great idea because it’s small, intimate and it’s very economical,” Ms. Jennings said. “You don’t have to spend three, four or $5,000, and you still have a beautiful wedding.” This will be the first marriage for
Ms. Jennings, 56, and the third for Mr. McWilliams, 59. Their relationship began three years ago while both were homeless, following the death of Mr. McWilliams’ second wife. The two formed a connection, pooling their resources to rent an apartment Please turn to A4
School Board adopts new rezoning plan without pairing schools By Ronald E. Carrington
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
Let’s dance Classmates Jeremiah Crews and Valerie Velasco-Fuentes take their opening stances as they begin a dance performance for parents, teachers and schoolmates last month at Southampton Elementary School. The students were part of Dancing Classrooms Greater Richmond, a nonprofit program that uses ballroom dance to teach youngsters social awareness and build self-esteem. Teams from various schools competed Wednesday night at Huguenot High School in “Colors of the Rainbow,” a match between fifth-grade teams from six schools in the Richmond area.
After more than five hours and some heated discussions, the Richmond School Board voted 5-4 on Monday to accept a rezoning plan that would redraw school attendance boundaries in all parts of Richmond, along with other recommendations. Plan Y, which was adopted by the board, would change school attendance zones in the East End, West End and South Side, with the focus in South Side to relieve overcrowding at elementary schools by moving some students to the new, larger E.S.H. Greene Elementary that
is to open in the fall schools, which was of 2020. At the same proposed as a way to time, a new middle create greater equity school is scheduled and student diversity. to open in South But the pairing plan Side, along with a proved unpopular new George Mason with many parents Elementary School across the city, who in the East End. criticized it as too Ms. Page The plan apcostly at $617,500 to proved by the board does not $842,500 for each pairing. call for pairing any elementary The approved plan also calls
for making Carver and Bellevue elementary schools magnet schools in the fall of 2021 and creating 50 new slots at Mary Munford Elementary to be allocated for Carver Elementary students, with transportation provided. It also calls for the Richmond Public Schools administration Please turn to A4
City public defenders launch pay parity campaign The money would be used to raise the pay that the defense attorneys for Public defenders who represent the indigent now describe as meager nearly half of the people facing state pay. criminal charges in Richmond’s court The results are promising, accordsystem are tired of being underpaid ing to Ashley Shapiro, senior assistant state employees. public defender in the Richmond The cadre of defense attorneys office. is campaigning to get City Hall to She said Mr. Saunders said “mulMs. Shapiro provide the same kind of taxpayertiple times” during an Oct. 9 meetfunded salary supplement that the city has long ing that “the mayor supports what we do, and granted the attorneys who prosecute the alleged he supports competitive pay.” Ms. Shapiro offenders and the Richmond Sheriff’s Office acknowledged, however, that no commitments that jails those who are convicted. were made. Employees of the Richmond Public DefendJim Nolan, the mayor’s press secretary, coner’s Office met recently with Lincoln Saunders, firmed that “as a supporter of criminal justice Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s chief of staff, and reform, the mayor believes public defenders other city officials to make their case to have Please turn to A4 $1 million included in the next city budget. By George Copeland Jr.
City of Richmond photo
New City Council member City Clerk Candice D. Reid, left, administers the oath of office Monday to Stephanie Lynch, 32, the new 5th District representative on Richmond City Council. Ms. Lynch beat six rivals in the Nov. 5 special election to replace Parker C. Agelasto, who stepped down Nov. 30. The first woman to hold the seat, Ms. Lynch pledged to be a “consensus builder” in striving to get things done during the 13 months left of Mr. Agelasto’s term. The new councilwoman is the director of government affairs, strategy and development for Richmond-based Good Neighbor Community Services, a mental health and disabilities services company that operates more than 40 group homes in Virginia.