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“Help Me Understand”

With the Mayor’s proposed Shockoe development still making news, Marc Cheatham has posted up a nice piece on the debate on his Cheats Movement blog:

I struggle, and have struggled a long time with who is really winning this debate and what does winning mean. I just saw the video […] from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and I must say that the 3 minutes I spent watching the video did more to get me critically thinking about the history of Shockoe than any Lupita tweet. I’ve always wondered in regards to the multitude of opportunities in Shockoe Bottom, how do we as a community respect our ancestors, heritage, and history and yet prepare, plan, and take action for a better present and future. How does that happen? I don’t believe that can truly happen without mutual respect, meaningful dialogue, and compromise, on all sides.

[…]

So, help me understand, if stadium/development naysayers “win or get their way” what does that look like? Does that mean nothing happens in Shockoe Bottom? Am I stuck with a few decent eating spots and a few more “questionable” night clubs? And that does beg the question, where were all the protests about our sacred ground of Shockoe Bottom when they were building all those “sweet” clubs just a few blocks away from the Lumpkin’s Jail site? If status quo is acceptable, who’s really winning? Are our ancestors currently winning?

That doesn’t mean I need a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom. I love baseball on the Boulevard. I’ve gone for years and will continue to go if it remains there. Where does that leave Shockoe? Who wins if baseball stays on the Boulevard?

12 comments

Hillage Idiot 01/23/2015 at 11:27 AM

This is excellent and hopefully spurs respectful debate and ideas. As much as the Mayor and his office botched the ballpark plan at least it was a plan. If there’s an economically viable alternative how is it not discussed? Conspiracy theories are not going to move the needle. Anti-ballpark project folks, where is your solution and why haven’t you worked to honor the history of Shockoe Bottom and present a cogent economically viable plan?

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Aud 01/23/2015 at 2:32 PM

Although I’m against the stadium being built, I also question what will happen afterwards.

To be honest, there are many African-American cemeteries in Richmond that are in deplorable condition, some which serve as final resting places for highly-notable Richmond figures (e.g., Maggie Walker, John Mitchell Jr., Rosa Bowser), as well as free blacks, those born into slavery, black confederate soldiers, civic leaders, etc. Where’s the continuous protests and celebrity tweets here? How can we as a community, and a city, be outraged at the destruction of Shockoe Bottom when we can’t take even care of the cultural, historical, and spiritual sites that have been crumbling for decades? Who are we honoring?

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Ziti 01/23/2015 at 3:11 PM

I think the Mayor’s plan was less about the ballpark and keeping the Flying Squirrels than finding some way to develop Shockoe Bottom around Broad / the Farmer’s Market area. It’s a greal location — right next to the Capitol area, Church Hill and the already existing Shockoe businesses.

But there are two huge problems facing any development:

1. Flood mitigation issues are really expensive to deal with, otherwise a developer would already have come in to build something.

2. The history of slavery in that area means that certain kinds of development will be seen as disrespectful and inappropriate.

I think there are flaws with Mayor Jones’ plan, but at least he tried to deal with both these issues: bringing in a stadium, hotel, etc., which would help pay for the cost of building in a flood plain, while at the same time including a museum documenting the history of slavery.

Without any realistic, fundable alternative to Mayor Jones’ plan, we’re going to get what we have right now: gravel parking lots that add little to the economy and don’t pay any homage to the site’s history.

So the choices are:

A. gravel parking lots;
B. Mayor Jones’ plan; or
C. …. what?

Who’s got a viable third option with dollars lined up to pay for it?

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mary anne 01/23/2015 at 4:44 PM

Here is the proposed alternate plan:
http://shockoebottom.blogspot.com/p/our-proposal

here is another excellent resource. This site covers both proposals, supporting studies on both proposals:
http://www.psgrichmond.org/content/news-and-resources-shockoe-bottom-boulevard-development-proposals

See also: http://richmondarchaeology.webs.com/

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mary anne 01/23/2015 at 4:59 PM

P.S. – John, what “sweet clubs” were you talking about near Lumpkin’s?

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John M 01/23/2015 at 5:04 PM

MA – the quote is from Mark’s piece linked above

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mary anne 01/23/2015 at 5:09 PM

sorry. didn’t sound like something you’d say. sorry J.

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Ziti 01/23/2015 at 6:56 PM

Mary Anne,

Does the proposal outline how much money the alternate plan will cost, and where the money will come from? Is it public funding or private?

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mary anne 01/25/2015 at 2:47 PM

Hey Ziti! Here is the alternative plan proposal link:
http://shockoebottom.blogspot.com/p/our-proposal

Scroll through the proposal & you will find the section on Funding options. at the end of the proposal you will see several links to info. about the economic of African American genealogical/history focused sites & tourism. To be honest I haven’t read them yet but will when I get a chance.

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