A Plan for the James.

For those of you that have been hiding under a rock, Richmond has been discussing the idea of redeveloping our Riverfront. Well, redeveloping might be the wrong word, but lets just say it may undergo some changes. Being a native of Richmond, I've heard everything positive and negative about the River. I grew up in the West End and the culture out there can be a little harsh. It seems every time I mention going swimming in the James River, I get this reaction:

The James River is a very important asset to growing tourism in our beautiful River City. Did you know that Richmond was named Best River City by OUTDOOR Magazine this year, just a few weeks ago in fact. So we have earned the name, River City. But there is so much more we can do. Sure we have the natural aspects of class 4 rapids running through our downtown, but accessibility is not so great. The Riverfront Plan aims to change that.

First of all, the James River is not dirty. I swim in it all the time and I am perfectly healthy. In fact, I'm training for a marathon and I just ran a Half Marathon a week ago. I may go as far as to say that a good portion of the #ActiveRVA community utilize the James River on a regular basis, which explains why SportsBackers was vocal on this idea.

Second, you don't have to go to Virginia Beach or the Outer Banks to enjoy sun and water at the same time. Right now, you can go to Belle Isle, the Pipeline Overlook, Manchester Docks, Rockett's Landing, Pony Pasture, Texas Beach, Huguenot Flats, and many other places along the river to enjoy it. With the Riverfront Plan, Mayo Island could be turned into a park with river access for sun bathers, boating enthusiasts, fishermen, and other that would like to enjoy the river's assets. It incorporates a man-made beach to be created (my idea, but the location is not) Across from Belle Isle in Manchester. It connects Brown's Island to the South side of the river with a ruined footbridge. Many more ideas are involved with which you can discover here: http://www.richmondgov.com/PlanningAndDevelopmentReview/documents/Riverfront_Plan_Draft_20120611.pdf

Third, making the River a key tourist destination for the city would provide a boom for development along the river or near the river. People would want to explore the rest of the city and find that we are a city with many attractions, tasty restaurants, history, art, and festivals galore! We will be better than cities like Savannah or Charleston...

Yesterday, the 2012 Riverfront Plan was incorporated into the Downtown Master Plan by the City of Richmond Planning Commission. Sure, that is great, but we still have so much more to do before the plan becomes reality. It needs support, financial backing, and implementation. The road has just begun and I hope we see the end result. I will most likely rant about this topic again!

Thank you for following my post and I hope to see everyone out this weekend enjoying the sites. It's my birthday! Celebrate by going on an adventure in the city! For me? Please!?

Best. Present. Ever!