Fighting them off forever, and believe me, I have no desire to keep rehashing this controversy. It’s unfortunate that a few VCU boosters and sports fans continue to put their school in such a bad light.
From VCUramnation.com :
VRam said: ↑
Whatever happened to those abandoned barns that were falling down? Did they relocate them?(vcu2008hsep replied:)
If I remember correctly, the stables were dated back to the late 1800s. There was no historical significance to them and were essentially derelict and used for storage. When the Cary St was expanded, those old buildings were torn down….
vcu2008hsep, Feb 26, 2013
All I can do to counter the lies and misinformation is keep posting the truth:
https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/09/03/antrim-photo/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/09/04/more-stable-history/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/09/12/1994-dhr-letter/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/09/23/vcus-parking-lots-alternative-sites/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2009/01/13/no-alternatives/
There were other posts too, but not all of them have survived over time. Thanks to misconceptions spread in the local media, many people have no idea that one of the livery stables, before it was taken by VCU, was completely renovated and occupied as a living space. It was even admired in an article that appeared on the front page of the Times Dispatch’s real estate section (of course the link to that story is long gone).
I would not care so much about responding to this VCUramnation drivel, but in addition to the revisionist history-making, there seems to be constant scheming about how to destroy more of our historic neighborhood. Again from VCUramnation:
“And, this is a contemporary thought – since Williams Mullen built thir skraper on top of the RMA parking deck that was built over the Expressway. Not sure why in our latest athletics complex plan (which seemingly mapped out all of the possibilities in the world) did not include one like this. Parkwood is already pretty much a dead street pass Harrison. Cumberland can be re-routed as a tunnel underneath the new athletics complex. Do the same for Grayland, with impressive entrance/exits to the Expressway.
The new complex, Ram Village, would be bordered by Cary to the north, Harrison to the west, Linden to the east, and Idlewood to the south.”
I am perfectly happy to allow VCU to bask in its continued success and improvement, and I have nothing against good-natured school spirit, but the intellectual dishonesty and continued threats of encroachment are dishonorable and unfitting for an institution of higher learning.
In the end, its up to the VCU administration to set the tone for their community relations, and yet they refuse to recognize it, again and again.
Really, Scott, just let it go. It’s a basketball fan forum.
http://xkcd.com/386/
Yeah, well, I guess a university as big as VCU considers it above a small thing like the truth.
This is about where we live, so I do care and I am not about to ‘let it go’, especially given the past experience with VCU admin.
It is time for VCU to live up to its supposed ‘community partnership’ and make a permanent commitment to Oregon Hill. I request a written contract, signed by VCU’s Board of Visitors and the Mayor of Richmond, that will prevent VCU from ever threatening Oregon Hill again. We need a lasting compact that includes NOT building new facilities or purchasing additional property south of Cary by the University OR its private real estate foundation. This positive step would perhaps allow a normalization of relations with VCU from its current state of distrust.
Fred,
This sounds like a case for the Fantastic Four :
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/four-city-hall-watchdogs-join-forces/article_81b8050d-0318-518a-97fa-a6d09a610fd7.html
In regards to building atop the expressway, I think its a great idea. The urban grid should absolutely take over the land robbed from it by the construction of the downtown expressway. VCU sports fields may not be the best option as they will continue to deny the urban character of Oregon Hill to the south and the city in general. VCU needs to build at higher densities and take up less space, not more. I think if Oregon Hill needs to prepare for any changes in the next 20 years its an increase in density and infill projects, not more block clearing and low slung, low quality VCU facilities.
I agree with most of your points Don. Oregon Hill residents would like to see the space above the expressways used and have expressed that during the last City Master Plan sessions.
However, Oregon Hill has also seen a lot of infill already. Historically sensitive development of new houses has been welcome and spearheaded by the neighborhood in the past with the Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council. What worries residents is, as you say, low quality VCU buildings and athletic fields. We have already seen some really bad apartment buildings built along Cary and Belvidere by private developers.
We live in an urban environment and more density can be expected, but like I keep saying, density has to work FOR a historic neighborhood such as ours, not AGAINST it.
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