Current News
Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods to Hold Renovator's Open House
February 25, 2010 (5 - 7 pm)
Pictured Below: 3013 Libby Terrace in Richmond, Virginia.
"A Room with a View"
The simple Italianate facade of this 19th Century residence reveals precious little about its surprising interior. On February 25th from 5 until 7 pm, members of the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods and the public are invited to explore this fascinating home, which overlooks Libby Hill Park and the James River. First floor rooms feature arched doorways, milled woodwork and fireplaces, while on the second floor the most stunning elements are the incredible views of the James. Please RSVP to the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (644-5040) or email info@richmondneighborhoods.org. (5$ donation requested)
CLICK HERE for directions to 3013 Libby Terrace
The Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods
Vacant & Foreclosed Properties Initiative
826 N. 24th Street ~ Union Hill 808 China Street ~ Oregon Hill
CLICK HERE for pricing and contact information on 826 N. 24th Street in Union Hill.
CLICK HERE for pricing and contact information on 808 China Street in Oregon Hill.
Essential to the vitality of the city of Richmond, local neighborhoods are the primary focus of the vacant and foreclosed properties initiative. Many of the neighborhoods that give Richmond its charm and special quality of place are threatened by vacancy and blight, especially in those communities with strong historic roots. Through initiatives like the Option Property Program, the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods is restoring communities, one house at a time. Our staff follows real estate foreclosures and home vacancies closely, in order to identify properties before they are beyond repair and then facilitate their rehabilitation.
CLICK HERE to learn about our current Option Properties.
To find out about neglected homes in Richmond's historic neighborhoods,
check out Richmond Slumlord Watch
For an article by Richmond BizSense contributor Drew Jackson listing Richmond foreclosures CLICK HERE
Commission on Architecture Review (CAR)
Task Force to Continue Monthly Meetings
(Click on the map below to see Richmond's City Old & Historic Districts)
A Task Force to review the guidelines, policies and procedures of the CAR was convened by City Council in the fall of 2009 and in ongoing monthly meetings gathered to discuss the existing City Old & Historic District practices and processes. The overarching goal of the Task Force was to respond to issues raised by the public, City Council, and by applicants in commission proceedings regarding the clarity of the CAR guidelines, their administration, and the processes involved in their undertaking.
Please CLICK HERE to find a summary of subcommittee recommendations created by the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods. Click on the links below to read the original CAR Task Force subcommittee preliminary reports.
Richmond Slave Trail Commission Makes Progress in Plans for Shockoe Bottom Heritage District Development
(Pictured below: Rendering of proposed slavery museum & Lumpkin's Jail archaeological site by Stockton Clay Architects of Richmond, Virginia.)
Members of the Slave Trail Commission are working with city and state elected officials to select a planning and economic development consultant to perform a Shockoe Bottom area study, which would recommend future potential uses of the area. In the latter half of 2009, Richmond saw great progress made on planning a slavery museum, a preserved Lumpkin's Jail site, and a marked slave trail running from the banks of the James throughout the neighborhood. (Check out the article HERE that describes local design group Stockton Clay's concept for a slavery museum.)
The Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhood believes that the geographic and historic origin of the city of Richmond, the neighborhood we now call Shockoe Bottom, is a community rich with historic fabric and vibrant activity, and supports the effort to bring about a plan that emphasizes the community's potentially enormous impact on Richmond's revitalization. The Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods has been involved in the discussion of the most effective ways to promote Richmond's slave trade history since our organization helped to rescue and preserve the Winfree slave cottage from deterioration. (Read more about freed slave Emily Winfree's home HERE.)
With the excavation of the Lumpkin's Jail site in 2009, the Alliance continued to advocate for acknowledgement of Shockoe Bottom as a significant place in the understanding of African-American and slave heritage in Richmond, Virginia and at the national level. While important sites like the Negro burial ground, just north of the Lumpkin's Jail site remain under asphalt, the national Historic District document Slave Trade as Commercial Enterprise in Richmond, Virginia provides maps and copious evidence that these critical spaces remain preserved underground. The Alliance will continue to be active in the Slave Trail Commission in the effort to protect, excavate and incorporate these historic sites into the public realm, so that all Richmonders and visitors to Shockoe Bottom can learn about the nation's slave trade past.
For more information about how Richmond leaders are making an effort to recognize this history read the most recent commentary in the Times-Dispatch HERE.
The Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods is now Accepting Nominations for the 2010 Awards!
CLICK HERE to access our 2010 Golden Hammer Nomination Form.
The 10th Annual Golden Hammer Awards were held November 12, 2009 at Plaza Bowl in the Southside Plaza Shopping Center on the corner of Belt Boulevard and Hull Street. The 2009 Golden Hammer Awards was the most highly attended that the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods 
has held in ten years, despite torrential rains. Thirty-two renovation and infill projects from neighborhoods across our fair city were represented in the presentation, for which City of Richmond Community Development Director Rachel Flynn and Valentine Richmond History Center Director Bill Martin made opening remarks. Many of the project leaders, including architects, local developers, contractors, and home owners were in attendance; Plaza Bowl's twenty bowling lanes were full of activity and lively conversation.
CLICK HERE for more information on the 32 excellent nominated projects.
CLICKE HERE to read about the 2009 Awards Ceremony & Winners
Be a Part of the Coalition to Protect Richmond's Historic View Shed and Public Access to the James River!
View of the James River from Libby Hill in Richmond, Virginia (Present Day)
In the on-going discussion over the most appropriate use of the banks of the James River, Richmond's defining natural feature, local residents are taking a stand and inviting fellow citizens to join them. Neighborhood activists, conservationists, historians, and James River enthusiasts have created an online "Riverfront Petition" and are filling it with the signatures of residents who share their concern for protecting access to public park space in downtown Richmond. The goal is to demonstrate to City Council that 
Richmonders value the natural landscape and view from the vantage point of Libby Hill Park. According to Richmond lore the city was so-named for this picturesque view of the southern bend in the river. To the American city's founders, this view resembled the Thames River at Richmond outside of London, England (Richmond Upon Thames, London, UK pictured left). The petition is sponsored by local nonprofit organizations Together We Stand, Scenic Virginia, Partnership for Smarter Growth, and Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods, and is in accord with the Downtown Masterplan's recommendations on the preservation of public park land on the banks of the James River.
CLICK HERE to find out more! Sign the petition to save "The View that Named the City" and preserve public access to the James River at this historic site.
Preservation Consultant Services Now Offered at the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods
A "One-Stop-Shop" for Historic Home Renovators
If you are the owner of a historic home in a City Old & Historic District or considering purchasing property in one of Richmond's historic neighborhoods, then our preservation consultants may have something to offer you. From nuts and bolts rehabilitation advice, to tax credit consulting, to helping you attain C.A.R. approval for your renovation project, Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods consultants will facilitate your historic home renovation.
Please CLICK HERE for details about Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods Preservation Consultant Services
Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods Recognizes Blacks' Contribution to the Building of City Communities
Slaves and free blacks played a vast role in the construction and design of America's cities; yet they are largely unrecognized for the role they played in the construction and design of one of America's most historic cities-- Richmond Virginia. To bring attention to the contributions of African Americans to the city's architectural heritage and to encourage the preservation of what remains of this impressive legacy, the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods has proudly published Built by Blacks: African American Architecture and Neighborhoods in Richmond, VA.
THE SECOND PRINTING IS HERE! A second printing of this well-received publication has been delivered to retail locations around Richmond. Many thanks to everyone for the interest in this subject.
Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods Encourages Neighborhood Preservation Through its Historic Tax Credit Service
Typically utilized as a tool for developers for large, commercial renovation projects such as Tobacco Row or Rocketts Landing, historic tax credits can also greatly benefit the individual home owner renovating a historic structure for a residence. The Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Service © helps people navigate the 3-Part application process. READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY » Not only do historic tax credits provide a tax benefit to the user, the economic impact in the state of Virginia since the inception of the program in 1998 has been enormous. A new brochure has been published by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources quantifying the impact of the historic tax credit. The new booklet, Prosperity Through Preservation quantifies the total economic benefit to the Commonwealth to be $1,519 MILLION! To say the Historic Tax Credit Program has been a success is an understatement.
The numbers show that preservation of our historic architecture pays. If you have questions about how the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Program works, feel free to call us at 804-644-5040 or send an email to: info@richmondneighborhoods.org
