Article by: Richmond Grid

Leveraging Arts and Culture

At his State of the City Address, Mayor Dwight Jones announced his intentions to create an Arts and Cultural District (ACD) in Downtown Richmond

The City's arts and cultural organizations are among our greatest assets,
The City’s arts and cultural organizations are among our greatest assets,” Mayor Jones stated regarding the proposed ACD he made at the Hippodrome located in the proposed district.

The City’s arts and cultural organizations are among our greatest assets,” Mayor Jones stated regarding the proposed ACD (Arts and Cultural District). “Arts and culture at every level are critical to the future of our city.” Consistent with this, in 2009 a group of arts industry leaders and professionals convened by CultureWorks initiated a process that laid out the elements of an arts district.

The map shows ACD as the polygon created by drawing a continuous line along the following path. Starting at the intersection of E. Leigh Street and N. 11th Street, head south on 11th Street, then head east on E. Broad Street, then head south on 12th/Governor Street, then head west on Bank Street, head North on 9th Street, head west on Franklin Street, head south on 2nd Street, head west on Main Street, head north on 1st Street, head west on Franklin Street, head north on Belvidere, head east on Marshall Street, head north on Madison Street, head east on Clay Street, head north on 1st Street, head east on East Jackson Street, head south on 2nd Street, head east on E. Leigh Street to 11th.
The map shows ACD as the polygon created by drawing a continuous line along the following path. Starting at the intersection of E. Leigh Street and N. 11th Street, head south on 11th Street, then head east on E. Broad Street, then head south on 12th/Governor Street, then head west on Bank Street, head North on 9th Street, head west on Franklin Street, head south on 2nd Street, head west on Main Street, head north on 1st Street, head west on Franklin Street, head north on Belvidere, head east on Marshall Street, head north on Madison Street, head east on Clay Street, head north on 1st Street, head east on East Jackson Street, head south on 2nd Street, head east on E. Leigh Street to 11th.

The cultural district concept builds upon this group’s critical work by establishing boundaries that will encompass a significant number of creative enterprises, entertainment venues and historic and culturally significant buildings.

The proposed arts and culture district will help promote the improvement of the City’s urban core by leveraging arts and culture for their maximum economic development and revitalization benefit.

The ACD will serve as the initial geographical focus of a pilot program entitled ArtBusinessRichmond, a multi-tier strategy that consists of:

  • strategic property rehab
  • small business development (technical assistance services and micro-finance support)
  • funding for facade improvement.Other activities, like stepped up code enforcement and beautification, may also be carried out under the banner of improving the ACD.

    Services will be a coordinated effort of the Department of Economic & Community Development, the Office of Minority Business Development, the Department of Planning & Development Review as well as the City’s civic and non-profit partners.

    Geographically the ACD consists of Broad Street, Grace Street and Franklin Street from 10th to Belvidere (including the State Capitol complex); and the area bounded by Madison Street, W. Marshall Street, 1st Street, Jackson Street, 2nd Street, Leigh Street, and N. 11th Street.

CategoriesCommunity Builders, General, LiveTagged
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Richmond Grid

Grid is a solutions-oriented news platform that celebrates makers, storytellers, and community builders. Our goal is to share stories about people inspired by a purpose beyond themselves. We are interested in hard work, humility, authenticity, and stewardship. And most of all, people who roll up their sleeves and push Richmond forward.

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