Hello fellow Richmonders! It's been a while since I have written a blog, my bad, I was doing a little research. Let's jump right into it shall we?
With Richmond soon to be on the international stage in 2015, some things need to happen to better highlight our assets and our potential. Certain systems need to be improved to make our city a better place to live, work, and play. A certain few things include Education, Transportation, and Tourism. Without regional cooperation, the City of Richmond needs to look internally to create Revenue streams to bolster both the Educational and Transportation systems of our great city. Our Schools are hurting and fail to compete with the counties on many levels. Renovations need to be made to both Academic and Athletic facilities. And Transportation, our roads are in bad shape. Also, with the prospect of High Speed Rail becoming a reality, we need Light Rail to connect our urban communities with the national infrastructure. And how might we provide this Revenue stream? The answer is quite clear and does not take someone with a masters degree in Urban Planning to figure it out. Retail at the Boulevard and Entertainment in Shockoe!
Alright, so the ballpark idea is back on the table. Where should we put it and how much revenue will it bring the city? However, before answering this question, two more questions should be asked. When considering the Boulevard and Shockoe, which is better suited as an Entertainment District? Which is suited as a Retail District? Its a no-brainer that the Boulevard site is much larger than Shockoe. Its also a no-brainer that Retail would bring in more revenue than a baseball stadium. That said, my answer to these questions is first, a Boulevard Retail District.
The potential for a Boulevard Retail District would bring a high stream of revenue to the city to pay for it's failing Education and Transportation systems. The corporate tax dollars that could be created by an urban retail district that rivals Short Pump with easier access to the interstate, closer proximity to the urban center, and the land value alone would be huge for the city. There is already development along the Boulevard corridor between Broad and Leigh. Wouldn't it be great if VCU students could bike to a nearby Target or Wal-Mart, or residents in Shockoe and Church Hill didn't have to drive to Short Pump or Laburnum to go shopping? And think of the revenue. Think of all the tax dollars the City of Richmond would generate to pay for Education and Transportation. So tear down the Diamond and build and urban mall with mixed-use development. Hell, hire the same company that developed Short Pump.
Take a second to read this article in Style Weekly
Now, where would a stadium go? Well that leaves Shockoe. Being that Boulevard would clearly be a better location for an urban retail district, a lot better than Shockoe with it's 67 acres, that makes Shockoe a clear choice of a ball park. But why not take it a step further and really make it something special for the city. Let's not just make it a Baseball stadium, but let's also make it a Soccer and Football Stadium (perhaps for VCU). We could then tear down SportsBackers Stadium and sell that to development and then develop City Stadium into Mixed-Use Residential. This makes Shockoe the focal point of the city when it comes to entertainment. And there are already bars, restaurants, and young professionals living in Shockoe. Might as well make it an Entertainment District. The Shockoe Entertainment District would put Richmond in competition with other cities for many sporting events, concerts (most big shows are in Charlottesville and Virginia Beach), and many other revenue streaming entertainment ideas. Not to mention the nearby historical values of the Canal Walk and Church Hill. From a tourism standpoint, you could check into a hotel, walk to a baseball (or football or basketball) game, take a stroll down the Canal Walk, take a carriage ride or segway tour from Captiol Square to Church Hill, grab dinner and drinks, and/or go to a festival on Brown's Island, all without having to get into a vehicle.
To bolster this Shockoe Valley Entertainment District idea is my uniquely proposed ABC ordinance that was sent to me from Savannah. You are welcome to sift through the 20+ page document, but I have already done that for you. And edited it to fit Richmond. In short, Savannah's ordinance allows their city council to regulate any establishment that sells alcohol. It also allows for alcohol to be consumed in plastic cups on the street in the specifically designated Historic District. This allows tourists to travel from site to site, bar to bar, with a drink in hand. It seems crazy at first glance, but wouldn't this idea make it easier for police to devise a plan to patrol this designated area? In fact, since it was adopted in 1999, the crime rate in the Historic District of Savannah dropped dramatically, while tourism revenue increased dramatically. Funny how that works. Another district in Kansas City was also in desperate need of redevelopment. This district in Kansas City was a lot like what Shockoe Bottom (notice that is the only time I said Bottom, and for good reason) is today. That district was redeveloped by the Cordish Companies who also developed Riverside on the James at Haxall Point. In 2007, they petitioned Missouri's General Assembly to allow for an ABC Ordinance that was more liberal in a designated entertainment district. And in 2008, the Power and Light District opened for business. I will have more information and statistics on this after my trip in July. Also on my trip (including Savannah, again) will be San Antonio. Being that we have a Canal Walk, thought it might be necessary to study their RiverWalk. Did you know that they too have an ABC Ordinance that allows for open containers on Paseo Del Rio? More details coming on all of that after my trip in July. You are more than welcome to follow the updates on what I am calling the RVA Regulated Entertainment District or #RVAred, which is what my whole lobby effort is so cleverly named. The Shockoe Entertainment District would not be a free-for-all like the French Quarter in New Orleans (also on my trip), but it would be regulated idea that is progressive for tourism and still maintains our historic and southern traditions.
To bolster this Shockoe Valley Entertainment District idea is my uniquely proposed ABC ordinance that was sent to me from Savannah. You are welcome to sift through the 20+ page document, but I have already done that for you. And edited it to fit Richmond. In short, Savannah's ordinance allows their city council to regulate any establishment that sells alcohol. It also allows for alcohol to be consumed in plastic cups on the street in the specifically designated Historic District. This allows tourists to travel from site to site, bar to bar, with a drink in hand. It seems crazy at first glance, but wouldn't this idea make it easier for police to devise a plan to patrol this designated area? In fact, since it was adopted in 1999, the crime rate in the Historic District of Savannah dropped dramatically, while tourism revenue increased dramatically. Funny how that works. Another district in Kansas City was also in desperate need of redevelopment. This district in Kansas City was a lot like what Shockoe Bottom (notice that is the only time I said Bottom, and for good reason) is today. That district was redeveloped by the Cordish Companies who also developed Riverside on the James at Haxall Point. In 2007, they petitioned Missouri's General Assembly to allow for an ABC Ordinance that was more liberal in a designated entertainment district. And in 2008, the Power and Light District opened for business. I will have more information and statistics on this after my trip in July. Also on my trip (including Savannah, again) will be San Antonio. Being that we have a Canal Walk, thought it might be necessary to study their RiverWalk. Did you know that they too have an ABC Ordinance that allows for open containers on Paseo Del Rio? More details coming on all of that after my trip in July. You are more than welcome to follow the updates on what I am calling the RVA Regulated Entertainment District or #RVAred, which is what my whole lobby effort is so cleverly named. The Shockoe Entertainment District would not be a free-for-all like the French Quarter in New Orleans (also on my trip), but it would be regulated idea that is progressive for tourism and still maintains our historic and southern traditions.
So to recap, lets make the Boulevard Retail District and the Shockoe Entertainment District a reality while improving the later with the RVA Regulated Entertainment District policy.
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