Black Ambition B2
Richmond Free Press © 2023 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOL. 32 NO. 48
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
richmondfreepress.com
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Meet this week’s Personality B1
NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 2, 2023
Absence of motion?
Center City and Diamond District development proposals show little movement By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Slow going. That appears to be the situation for the two largest development projects that involve City Hall. Heading into the new year, Richmond has yet to select a developer for the $300 to $500 million, two-block Center City project in Downtown that aims to replace the vacant Coliseum with a 500-room hotel, office buildings, affordable housing and a redo of the Blues Armory. Four teams were announced as finalists in June, but the winner remains unamed, despite a city timeline suggesting that the master developer would be announced before the end of the summer. Even people who participated on the evaluation committee are puzzled over the lack of progress. “It’s very strange,” said one member of the evaluation team who spoke on condition of anonymity. “There has been no explanation for why this is not moving forward.” Meanwhile, the $2.44 billion Diamond District development to create the equivalent of a small town on 67 acres in North Side where the
Diamond District rendering
current baseball stadium stands also remains in tortoise mode. In the wake of the stinging defeat of the Richmond Grand Resort and Casino proposal, the project that was to be a joint venture of Kentucky-based Churchill Downs, the Diamond District — and the replacement of the baseball stadium — has become the top development priority for Mayor Levar M. Stoney as he approaches the start of his eighth and final year as the city’s chief executive. It is not unusual for big projects to take time. For example, Henrico County’s $2.4 billion Green City development was announced two years ago but has yet to break ground. But even aspects of the Diamond District that Mayor Stoney and his administration were supposed to have completed in 2023 remain on the to-do list. For example, in late April, City Council authorized the transfer of the city-owned property in the Diamond District to the Richmond Economic Development Authority – the city’s independent development arm. Please turn to A4
Three times the charm
Robinson triplets turn 10 By Darlene M. Johnson
A decade ago, Deirdre Harris welcomed three of her daughters, Kali’Co, Keri’Co and Koh’Co Robinson. Triplets, the girls were delivered two months prematurely by Cesarean section on Oct. 21, 2013, and required medical support. Ninety percent of triplets are born prematurely compared to 60% of twins that are born prematurely, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Over the last 20 years, multiple births have increased primarily due to one-third of women giving birth over the age of 30. Ms. Harris was 33 at the time and experienced health complications that kept her in the Please turn to A4
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Triplets Kali’Co, Koh’Co and Keri’Co Robinson, who turned 10 on Oct. 21, are in the fourth grade at Montrose Elementary School in Henrico County.
Richmond School Board decides not to publish graduation shooting report By George Copeland Jr.
Weeks after an external investigation into operations leading up to the June graduation mass shooting in Monroe Park was provided to Richmond Public Schools leadership, the next steps for the division are still unfolding. Last week, a motion to publish the findings, which were part of an external review by the law firm Sands Anderson, failed in a 6-2 vote during the Richmond School Board’s latest meeting. The motion was introduced by 4th District Representative Jonathan Young, who believes withholding the report is a poor choice for the board, particularly given the information it provided. He and Kenya Gibson, 3rd District, voted to approve the motion. “Colleagues, we’ve been in receipt of that third-party report for two weeks now,” Mr. Young said. “The only way to fix a problem is to one, acknowledge a problem and then two, to be transparent about what that problem looks like.” In early June, Huguenot High School graduate Shawn D. Jackson and his stepfather Renzo R. Smith were shot and killed in Monroe Park by Amari Ty-Jon Pollard following Huguenot’s graduation ceremony held at the Altria Theater near Virginia Commonwealth University. The
shooting is believed to have been the result of a year-long personal conflict between Mr. Jackson and Mr. Pollard. The board reviewed Sands Anderson’s findings on the event and the circumstances around it at the time in a closed session weeks earlier. Following last week’s meeting and the earlier review of the report, Mr. Young said that any further action by the board is unclear. “We’re really kind of stuck,” Mr. Young said. “We’re at a
who voted against Mr. Young’s motion pointed to the consequences of publishing Sands Anderson’s report, which is still under attorney-client privilege, and the advice of their legal counsel as Mr. Young Ms. Gibson reason to not release place where we really can’t it at this time. “I’m not going to be mago forward, absent being able to have this kind of public dis- nipulated to vote on something course about what we believe that we’re clearly being recomcould be improved.” Please turn to A4 At the time, board members
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Walking in rhythm Members of the Heavy Hitterz Dance Team add excitement to parade and other festivities during the third annual Armstrong Walker Football Classic Legacy Project on Saturday Nov. 25. More photos on B3.
Councilwoman hopes proposed changes to City Charter find support By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Under proposed changes to the City Charter or constitution, City Council would gain new authority over housing subsidies and real estate tax relief to residents with low to moderate incomes, in addition to setting its own compensation and modifying zoning. Fifth District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch hopes to gain unanimous support from her eight colleagues at the Monday, Dec. 11, council meeting for the changes she has negotiated with Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration. If passed by the council, the package would be sent to the General Assembly for approval in the upcoming 2024 session. Many of the changes follow recommendations that a council-created Richmond City Charter Review Commission submitted Aug. Ms. Lynch 2 after a year of study. As the most significant package of charter changes proposed since the 2004 creation of a mayor elected citywide, the amendments do not address the current relationship between the council and the mayor ahead of the 2024 elections for the governing body and chief executive. The biggest proposed change could well be the tax and housing initiatives that the charter review commission did not address. The proposed Section 2.09 amendment would allow the city to defer property taxes and tax increases for qualifying low or moderate income property owners, using the definition of such individuals established by the Virginia Housing Development Authority, now known as Virginia Housing. Such a program could allow the taxes to accumulate over time to be paid off from proceeds after the property is sold. In addition, the proposed charter change would authorize the city to create a program that could help such qualifying individuals buy a home or receive rental subsidies. The city also could use state or federal funds to advance such initiatives. The charter amendment also would declare the creation of programs that could provide funds directly to individuals for housing to be “in the furtherance of a public interest” to get around state constitutional restraints. Please turn to A4