Oregon Hill residents were very pleased and thankful to see that the fire damaged pedestrian bridge has already been repaired by City workers. Thanks to Superintendent of Facilities Management Floyd Everett and his crew for their fine work!
Oregon Hill
News For Oregon Hill, in Richmond, VA
Glad to see this got repaired quickly.
Can’t believe someone did that. Was it those homeless guys who sleep down there building a fire, or was somebody trying to vandalize the bridge?
With the increase in homeless camping in this area and now with the bridge being recently vandalized, I encourage others in our community to email Lt. Davenport with the police department to have more patrols in this part of our neighborhood.
Donald.Davenport@richmondgov.com
nice bridge, where is this located at? Does it allow access to the water?
Its on the the north side of the James RIver, underneath the Lee Bridge, going over the Kanawha Canal.
It allows pedestrians and bicyclists to go over the canal from Oregon Hill and the North Bank Trail and then leads downs to Tredegar Street, the James RIver, and the pedestrian bridge that goes under the Lee Bridge to Belle Island.
From 2005 Valentine Museum/Richmond History Center History Makers Honorees:
http://richmondhistorymakers.com/past-honorees2005.htm
“Honoree: Napi Ippolito Circle School Cooperative
Combining innovative solutions with persistence and persuasion, Napi Ippolito has made the Richmond region a better place to live, work and visit.
More than a decade ago, Ippolito noted that Richmonders lacked safe and legal access to James River Park and Belle Isle from the north side of the river. In that area, dangerous railroad tracks and murky waters in an abandoned portion of the Kanawha Canal precluded visitation of one of the nation’s largest inner city wilderness areas.
Ippolito, who is a grandmother and school principal, became determined to provide a safe and scenic passage not only for the children in her care, but also for neighborhood residents, VCU students and Richmond tourists. She envisioned an inviting, natural pathway that would be enhanced with educational interpretations of the richly historic area. The history along this route includes all three of the significant landmarks of this area’s long-neglected abolitionist and free black heritage.
By building a coalition of civic associations, politicians, historians, educators and environmental advocates, Ippolito spearheaded creation and endowment of one of Richmond ‘s first Greenway Parks: a connector between Monroe Park and the James River Park system. Ippolito successfully raised funds exceeding a half million dollars, including significant grants secured from the Virginia Recreational Trails Fund Program and the Virginia Department of Transportation. In addition, Ippolito’s enthusiasm and spirit of volunteerism enticed many residents to provide labor for related construction projects and clean-up work parties.
Today, bicyclists, hikers, mothers with strollers and city visitors benefit daily from Ippolito’s significant initiative. Ippolito has earned the honor as a Richmond History Maker.
“Napi is an inspiration for her vision and persistence in uniting VCU, Oregon Hill, environmental organizations, and historians in finding an elegant and educational solution to a serious problem,” states Charles Pool. “Lives will be saved…and the quality of life enhanced by a well-funded Greenway path with historical interpretation and scenic beauty.”
Unfortunately, in the seven years from when Napi helped OHNA gain the funding for the bridge (2005) and when the CIty actually got the new bridge put in place (2012), the Circle School had closed and Napi had left the neighborhood. The full vision for a ‘Belvidere’ greenway that would go connect all the way from Belle Island, up and through Oregon Hill’s Parson Linear Park, Monroe Park, and point northward (maybe even being a link on the East Coast Greenway (www.greenway.org) has been delayed for a generation or so by the construction of some really bad looking student apartments.
See issue #4:
https://www.oregonhill.net/2011/06/17/top-ten-issues-for-the-neighborhood/
Despite the wait, Oregon Hill residents were glad to see the new bridge. It’s come at a time when there is increased attention for the canal and the river park system. Its also good to see the City being able to maintain it.
OHNA still hopes to have a celebration for the new bridge at some point in the future.
The bridge was also vandalized the day it was officially opened with someone taking a gallon can of silver oil-based paint and splashing it all over the bridge. Build something nice and there are always some idiots waiting to immediately damage it.