creativeclass

All, there is a lively discussion of the rental vacancy rate here (see comments below the article, also click on the links provided in some of the comments for more details): http://richmondva.wordpress.com/2009/02/16...rst-in-country/ The statistic is based on a U.S. Census survey of the Richmond MSA, which includes Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights, as well as some exurbs such as Louisa, Caroline and King and Queen Counties, so it may not be representative of Richmond City alone. However, the rentalvacancy rate seems to have been very high through all four quarters of 2008, at least according to this data.

My research came to the same conclusion....the majority of the site appears to be under I-95. However, a portion very likely lies under the parking lot, and should be recognized as an important part of the Slave Trail. As with the Lumpkin's Jail site on the other side of Broad Street, the Old Burying Ground lies under a great deal of fill. I'll leave it to others to decide exactly how to recognize and honor this site, but more research would help. VCU could gain some positive publicity from this; so far, 2008 has been a bumpy year for the institution.

While AD Williams will certainly be demolished, with West it could be a different story. As always, VCU holds all the cards, but in 10 years Trani will have retired and additional proposals for adaptive reuse of West will have been floated. Will VCU choose demolition-by-neglect, as the Commonwealth did with the Murphy - needlessly turning a landmark into an eyesore, before finally sending in the wrecking ball? VCU promises that its new School of Medicine building will be "a signature building that people can be proud of", according to the SVP of Finance & Administration (quoted in the T-D). When it opens in 2013, we'll all be able to compare the two buildings side-by-side. Will the new building be designed to harmonize with West, or will it attempt to dominate the area? Will adequate funds be budgeted for the maintenance of West over the next decade? These will be important clues to the ultimate disposition of West.

That is the vision for the northernmost part of the Slave Trail. I don't think VCU had any grand scheme in mind with the property, other than providing some surface parking for its workers. Like most, they assumed that the cemetery had been forgotten. If it chooses, VCU can reap some positive publicity from this, but not in the cynical way that D_C has described.

Right, Cadeho. I think VCU is unaccustomed to its recent burst of negative publicity, to include its stubbornness about West Hospital and the news about its secret agreement with Philip Morris regarding tobacco research. Let's hope that VCU's decision to delay paving the parking lot leads to a productive dialogue about integration of the property into the Slave Trail. By superimposing the historic location from old maps onto the current city grid, the exact location appears to lie partially (or even mostly) under 1-95, but a portion likely lies under the parking lot. More research is needed, but I'm optimistic that a compromise can be worked out.

VCU does the right thing, after a discussion with Delores McQuinn. Later, VCU and the Slave Trail Commission issued a joint statement. Read the article here: VCU Delays Repaving of Parking Lot at Burial Site

VCU is utterly indifferent to the significance of the property. I'm not sure what would change that view, other than a massive sustained campaign to raise awareness. (Why is it necessary to educate an institute of higher learning on history and ethics?) As it is, the old cemetery is an important stop on Richmond's evolving Slave Trail, and would be a logical place to hold Juneteenth ceremonies. The fact that Wilder is more interested in his project in Fredericksburg does not help. The first phase excavations of Lumpkin's Jail site in '06, which is across Broad Street from the old burial grounds, found pre-Civil War artifacts far below the surface. I am sure the burial remains are still there north of Broad, far below both the parking lot and I-95.

Is there any place within VCU's vision of world-class bricks and labs for reflection and reconciliation? Guess not.... VCU, Wilder Ignore History

In reviewing some old posts on this thread, I realize I never got a response to this from NYCJSW (a.k.a. "Spin Doctor"). Ah well, in the end, he'll get what he wants. I think I'll be a lawyer in my next life.

Hillary on the ticket would create too much internal rancor at a time when the Dems need to focus on McCain. If Obama is elected, he ought to reward her with a nice ambassadorship...or she can continue to serve in the Senate. Virginia's very much in play this year, so Tim would be an excellent choice for Veep, though I suspect Barack might go for someone with a deeper resume to reassure those who feel he lacks "experience". Okay, enough politics, back to the topic!

Obama / Kaine '08!

Interesting spin from our local "journalists." I admire VCU's ambition to become a high-profile and well-regarded institution, but when unchecked ambition affects its ethics, BIG PROBLEM. The New York Times actually obtained a copy of the contract before writing their story, and got a senior VCU official to admit the following:

Not good publicity for VCU at all; I was disappointed when I read it this morning. Someone needs a lesson in business ethics.....it's hard to regain a good reputation if it can be sold at such a low price. I'd like to see an official response from VCU about this.....just silence so far.

How far will a university comprimise its own rules and values when money is at stake? Pretty far, if the university is VCU, which signed a contract with Philip Morris that restricts the university from publishing their studies, or even talking about them, without the company's permission. From today's New York Times... At One University, Tobacco Money is a Secret Dr. Trani was unavailable for comment for the article. Excerpt:

Because of recently-passed legislation, very soon VCU will no longer need the Commonwealth's permission to demolish a building on campus. NYCJSW, did you draft this?? What's still unclear is if the Department of Historic Resources would still have any say in future VCU-proposed demolitions. (As previously disclosed, DHR has no say regarding West Hospital due to a past agreement with VCU). Your taxpayer dollars at work! The Details: Tier 3 Legislation - Delegate Chris Jones and Senator John Watkins introduced legislation (HB 1124, SB 358) on behalf of VCU to grant the university the highest level of operational flexibility in key areas under the Higher Education Restructuring Act. Both bills have passed the General Assembly unanimously and were signed by the Governor on March 12th. This legislation will go into effect on July 1, 2008.

Yawn. I understand your point very well. VCU's idea of "compromise" is to demolish West, with vague promises to try to build a nice replacement building for its world-class labs. That was the plan a decade ago and remains the plan today. I'm not bitter, I understand the legal arrangements that were made long ago to put this plan in motion, but what really interests me is how VCU views stiff inflexibility as a virtue, and demolition as compromise?

Wrong. VCU doesn't want to debate this issue because, thanks to the MOU, it doesn't have to bother to debate anyone at all. VCU has the absolute right to demolish West whenever it wants. Please try to keep up, would you?

Burt, none of the pro-demolition people at VCU have explained why vacant parcels near and adjacent to West couldn't be utilized for VCU's plan. The article you referenced doesn't address this basic question. Nobody opposes VCU's quest for world-class facilities - but no one has explained why West must be demolished in order to accomplish this.

Spin Doctor, my comments have been focused on opposition to the planned West Hospital demolition. I agree with Cadeho; VCU has not acknowedged the importance of West to the city and has not adequately explained why West must be demolished in order to execute VCU's planned expansion on the MCV campus. Please note: Opposition to the demolition of West Hospital does not equate to my opposition to everything VCU has ever done since the Egyptian Building was built. Your selective reading of my posts seems to ignore favorable comments regarding the expansion of VCU's academic campus to Broad Street and east of Belvidere. Now then: back to topic. Demolition is irrevocable, and demolition of landmarks should be carefully considered by all who would be affected. This comparison may be apt: The landmark Penn Station in NYC was demolished in the early 1960s amid much controversy, and replaced in 1968 by the graceless brown drum-shaped concrete hatbox that is Madison Square Garden. A bold, imaginative plan to put the genie back in the bottle by moving Madison Square Garden one block west to the Farley Post Office, building a monumental new train station, and demolishing the current MSG is in danger of collapse due to the softening economy: Plan to Rebuild Penn Station Area May Be Close to Failure Why is West a landmark worth saving? Here is Ed Slipek's 2004 Style Weekly article that everyone at VCU should read: [url=http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=8853]Save the West Hospital - Why VCU should renovate one of Richmond

Spin Doctor, this line of reasoning has justified a sordid parade of bad behavior, not just from institutions but from politicians, both local and national (and yes, even in NYC). "But they've done so much for this city.....let's give them a pass to do whatever they want. They deserve it!! After all, without [insert name of institution or politician here], downtown would be Bosnia." And this is how the powerful become arrogant and unresponsive to those that they serve.

I wrote and implied no such thing.....this is a power play, Spin Doctor, pure and simple; nothing unique about that - I've seen it happen in other cities I've lived in (particularly Washington DC). By the way, thanks for posting the link to the article on VCU in Style Weekly. Did you know that the author, Ed Slipek, wrote a terrific appreciation of West in the same publication several years ago? D_C, don't get too excited about any promises regarding a new building topped with a similar roofline. VCU may promise to do that, but in the end, all they're interested in is demolishing West. And I guarantee you that the replacement building will not be half as distinguished. A new Disneyfied rooftop on West's replacement would be a "tribute to those who fought to have West Hospital saved"? Gee, thanks but no thanks.

Unless VCU is somehow swayed by local opposition to their own Master Plan (doubtful), it will demolish West Hospital. They have the ability to do that tomorrow if they choose. What's interesting is that they don't want to seem like bad guys while they're executing their long-term plans. They'll promise Richmond anything short of preserving the building, while in the end they will do as they please. That's how things happen in this city, and NYC JSW knows it. His arrogance proves it. I'm not impressed by hints that VCU will, or should, replace West with an equally-monumental structure, or roofline, or whatever. Plans can and do change, and the more likely replacement by VCU will be "more of the same". At least the charette / Master Plan process gives residents a chance to be heard on important issues such as this.

Hey Spin Doctor, you should have read the article first, before dropping your inane comments into a 'serious' forum. By the way, are they paying you by the response or by the word to post here?

A recent Times-Dispatch article suggests a pent-up demand for housing on both VCU campuses, as only about one-third of students live either on campus or in private housing in the neighborhoods immedately surrounding VCU, according to a VCU spokesman. Owning off-campus Buying may beat renting if your kids are in school This is not to suggest that the new medical facility should be built on the edge of campus in place of the old dorms.

This is a compromise? The smell of arrogance is thick in the air. And no one is disputing that West Hospital, in its current neglected state, is obsolete for its original purpose. That's why there is something called "historic rehabilitation" which could transform West for another 70 years of useful service to VCU. By the way, you never addressed my two questions from this morning - why is the site of West Hospital the only possible one for VCU's expansion? And has any effort been made to explore if West could be adapted to other uses, particularly for housing, after appropriate restoration?