In regard to Issue #1, at a meeting last week between the Virginia Commonwealth University administration and Monroe Park campus community and neighborhood leaders, VCU President Michael Rao dismissed calls for lasting compacts for the university’s physical expansion and instead suggested that input be given in the next VCU Master Plan process.
The problems with that are numerous:
Oregon Hill residents in particular have no reason to trust VCU’s Master Plan process, simply because VCU now has a history of abruptly changing it’s Master Plan at any point to serve its own purposes. Add VCU’s assumed powers and history of encroachment on top of that, and there is even more reason for nearby neighborhoods to feel threatened. There’s no “community partnership” in that!
Another reason to look askance at the VCU Master Plan process is that Richmond in general has always discounted any citizen input into planning, including it’s own Downtown Master Plan. This city has a bad history of patrician rule that is not above playing racial politics with whole neighborhoods. It’s again worth noting that the initial draft of the City’s Downtown Master Plan asks for more protection of Richmond’s historic neighborhoods.
One thing that I conveyed to President Rao was how the administration’s willingness to disregard community concerns about VCU encroachment in turn fosters a disrespectful attitude from some VCU students and boosters. And it’s not just Oregon Hill that bears the brunt of this arrogance, especially in discussions over possible football stadium locations.
In the end, the VCU Public Relations Department can keep acquiring awards, but until the VCU administration takes the positive step of making a lasting, reliable border agreement with its neighbors who have been asking for one for years, then there can be no true “community partnership”. The thirty+ year siege of Oregon Hill continues.
Amen! VCU’s modus operandi is to use the VCU Real Estate Foundation to acquire and demolish property, thereby avoiding review by the Va. Dept. of Historic Resources.
While I agree this is necessary, what scenario do you see where VCU poses an actual threat to Oregon Hill? In my mind, they would never cross the bridges. This doesn’t leave a lot of property ripe for takeover as much of it has been redeveloped into Pine Courts. Are you worried they could buy up the 800 block of Cary or 100 block of Cherry? I guess it wouldn’t be a stretch for them to go after the 2 houses behind the gym (1 of them was for sale relatively recently) and that parking lot.
Obviously you see them as a threat, I’m just trying to understand the threat that you see, I don’t disagree.
Can you further elaborate on VCU’s use of racial politics?
Just as an observation…your photo is literally all white people.
Chris, although it has seen a lot of abuse, the “Oregon Hill Heights” section above the expressway is part of Oregon Hill, just as the Overlook condos closer to the river are.
The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association as well as the City’s Community Development Dept. have been trying to get more urban business on W. Cary Street. We believe small businesses are important for the neighborhood (See Issues #2, #3 on my previous post). More VCU encroachment, and even the idea of VCU encroachment, threatens that, to the point that some great properties are just sitting there unused and not getting renovated. We need VCU to take a positive step with a lasting contract.
Aaron, my actual statement was “This city has a bad history of patrician rule that is not above playing racial politics with whole neighborhoods.” Do you disagree with this?
In reply I will just say that promises have been made to various individuals and groups over the years, with varying degrees of compliance, for various reasons. Personally, I would like to see more open and straightforward relationships. Past racial segregation has lead to the mistreatment of everyone’s history. Not everything can be summed up by one picture.
Re: #1 Tardus
I’m just becoming aware of this technique.
So Much Pain – So Little Gain
Sorry about that Scott.
If VCU makes border agreements, where will they expand? VCU has done many incredible things for this city and as long as they protect historic buildings (not just old buildings), they should be able to expand.
If they want to evict two people and tear down an empty Common Groundz, they should and they will. 70 extra students living on campus each year will help stimulate the cities economy that relies on VCU students that are eating, drinking and helping to redevelop empty retail space. Richmond is a shrinking city and without VCU’s growth over the past decade Richmond would be in serious trouble.
A far scarier issue is the chain restaurants associated with this growth. I know people who have lived in Richmond for a year and literally only eat Chipotle, Five Guys and Quiznos.
Aaron, there are a myriad of ways I could respond.
In short I could say that Oregon Hill has already sacrificed block and blocks as well as important historic sites to VCU. The neighborhood was here long before VCU was ever started. It’s pure arrogance to suggest that only VCU’s growth matters. If VCU wants to expand, it should listen to City officials, who when asked, suggest eastward toward downtown proper, or in the case of giant sports facilities, creating a satellite campus.
For the long answer, I would expound on some of those themes, also discuss problems with VCU’s growth (quantity vs. quality, financial and environment issues, overall effects on Richmond’s standards of living, dishonesty and political shenanigans by the VCU administration, loss of Grace Street music scene, corporate hegemony, etc. etc). Certainly my old posts express some of those things. I could probably teach a semester long class on it.
But I am not here to do that. You see, frankly, my neighbors and I would really like to spend our energy and time improving the neighborhood, not continuing to battle against the huge and popular entity known as VCU. Many of us work and go to school at VCU- we are not anti-VCU, and despite how the administration may portray our protests, we are not anti-VCU student. We understand that students want a new rec center or a football program, we just don’t think these things need to be in Oregon Hill. All along we have suggested alternative sites.
Unfortunately, for over thirty years, VCU administration has gradually worked towards destroying our historic neighborhood. VCU has NOT been a good neighbor. Promises have not been kept. We need a lasting, enforceable contract. We do not want to lose our last business district area on W. Cary Street and we do not want to have to fight this fight forever.
Pingback: New Store on Cary Street ‹ Oregon Hill
I hope VCU does take Oregon Hill. I own a house there and with all the over building of apartments and cheesy townhouses the character of the neighborhood has been destroyed. Oregon Hill used to be for Artist, Musicians, white trash, skate ramps and squatters. Now they are all gone and all that is left is and overbuilt enclave surrounded by massive apartment buildings with no parking.
Oregon Hill is doomed to be occupied by douche bags.
I hope you are wrong about the future. I guess I am a bit confused by your stance. You own a house in the neighborhood but don’t live in it?
Oregon Hill used to be, still is, and hopefully will be in the future, for working families, students, professors, and small businesses, while remaining affordable for musicians and artists. I still have a bunch of posts to do about songs written for and about the neighborhood.
While some things do change over time, hopefully the neighborhood will continue to survive and thrive.
Pingback: 1979 ‹ Oregon Hill
Pingback: AVAIL’s “scuffletown” Still Resonates (and “with dominion at our door”) ‹ Oregon Hill
Anything VCU builds in Oregon Hill would be far superior to anything currently in Oregon Hill.
And there is that arrogance again…suffice it to say that many of my neighbors, including ones who have loyally worked at VCU for decades, disagree.
VCU is a public university and Oregon Hill is supposed to be part of the public it serves, not harms.
Pingback: VCU Community Engagement Celebrated | Oregon Hill
Pingback: Questions For the 10th District Candidates | Oregon Hill
Pingback: Who Will Be Richmond’s Next Mayor? | Oregon Hill