Members of the public are invited to participate in a public discussion of the Reconnect Jackson Ward Feasibility Study. The meeting is hosted by the three organizations leading the effort: the City of Richmond Office of Equitable Development, the Virginia Office of Intermodal Planning, and Investment (OIPI) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
The six-month study began in January. It will evaluate and recommend options for reconnecting Jackson Ward, a historically African American neighborhood that was physically and economically divided by Interstate 95/64 in the 1950s.
The first of three public meetings took place on Thursday, March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. The Black History Museum and Cultural Center hosted the meeting. The second meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Luke Legacy Center (900 St. James Street). The third public meeting is Wednesday, March 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Maggie Walker Memorial Plaza (W. Broad Street and N. Adams Street).
The meetings will feature interactive stations staffed by the study team’s subject matter experts in an open-house format. The team seeks to educate attendees on the study, engage on what reconnecting Jackson Ward means for attendees, and solicit community feedback on design elements, points of interest, and locations for reconnection.
If members of the public cannot attend the meeting, the meeting materials and a survey will be posted on the project site. The project team will also be hosting pop-up events in March to gather input.
About Reconnecting Jackson Ward A direct outcome of the Richmond 300 master plan, the Reconnect Jackson Ward Feasibility Study will identify future funding opportunities that will further the city’s vision of reconnecting Jackson Ward.
For more information, visit ReconnectJacksonWard.com or call 804-282-4455.
For more on the history of Jackson Ward and the effects of redlining on this historic neighborhood, read That Was Then and Science and Tech Talk in RFM.
