Category Archives: Kanawha Canal

Riverfront Amphitheater Plan Augmented With New Temple

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In the latest news on riverfront development, CoStar, soon to be Richmond’s largest employer, is joining the New Market Corporation to bring an Asian-themed temple to the downtown scene.

The large structure will be constructed along the now destroyed footprint of the canal, next to the planned amphitheater.

The planned temple is being added shortly after local website Richmond Biz-Sense sponsored a March 22nd ticketed event entitled “The Future of the Riverfront”.

That event celebrated a whole “business campus” concept that has been embraced by City planners and administration, Venture Richmond, high-end multi-family housing developers and may others in Richmond’s ‘business community’. It is being driven by CoStar’s giant new high rise building (currently under construction) and their vision – thousands of young and talented workers who will be in the new building and mostly live in the Manchester apartments and condos that have sprouted up across the river. Ideally, no cars will be necessary- workers will walk across the Potterfield bridge to work and/or take a clean shuttle. The business complex will have room for 5 or 6 restaurants/ establishments.

A CoStar employee, who wished to remain anonymous, related that, after the event, “higher-ups became concerned that were neglecting the ‘spiritual development’ of their ‘shachiku‘, so they add temple. They are hoping it will instill more loyalty.”

Whatever the inspiration, the proposed temple is sure to win praise for its beautiful, classical design, and many hope it will offer a quiet retreat from urban life, with a reverence similar to the Virginia War Memorial. Cameras and security patrols will help keep the homeless out and enforce a meditative atmosphere.

Letter To Council On New Market’s Threat Against The Canal

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From letter:

Dear Honorable Members of the Richmond City Council,

It is devastating to learn that New Market has applied with the Corps of Engineers to backfill the historic James River and Kanawha Canal beside the American Civil War Museum at Tredegar. Burying the authentic canal, built when George Washington was President of the canal, undermines the city’s effort underway to rewater the canal. The canal, built with the sweat of slaves and Irish immigrants, provided the power for the Tredegar Iron Works and made Richmond an important shipping hub.

Here is a link to New Market’s deplorable application to fill the canal: https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/habitat/getPDF.php?id=20180983

A few years ago the Richmond City Council expressed its desire to revitalize the canal at this location by spending $385,000 for a bridge over the canal on the new 2nd St. connector to maintain the navigability of the canal. New Market’s proposal would fill the canal at the east side of the bridge.

Please take action to let New Market know that the Richmond City Council has devoted significant financial resources to protecting the canal, and it is not in the city’s interests to have the canal backfilled with dirt.

Below, also please find a message from the Dr. Bill Trout, the Curator of the Canal Museum.

Sincerely,
Charles Pool

From attached message:

I hope that we can do something to encourage NewMarket to work toward opening the canal at Tredegar instead of filling it in. A press release from the Virginia Canals & Navigations Society should go through our president Roger Nelson.
Here are some thoughts:

Don’t let NewMarket waste Tredegar’s most historic, dynamic and scenic resource.
The canal should be a major tourist feature at Tredegar because Tredegar is there only because the Kanawha Canal is there – for its transportation and for water power. Tredegar would come alive again by opening the canal for boat trips, and for powering waterwheels and turbines. Filling it in and putting up display panels won’t help. Can you imagine water flowing down a raceway and turning a big water wheel? Wouldn’t that be what tourists would photograph and remember? Tredegar means power!
At Tredegar is the only part of the canal in Richmond where there can be mule-drawn canal boat trips, because the towpath is there and gone everywhere else. People love boat rides. Ask canal parks in the other canal states if mule-drawn rides are enjoyable and educational and bring a canal alive. And how did Tredegar receive its supplies of pig iron and fuel during the Civil War? By canal! Tredegar means transportation!
The James River (now Kanawha) Canal was the first operating canal system with locks in the United States. The first part was open at Pump House Park in 1789 while George Washington was the canal company’s honorary president. He visited the canal, with great ceremony, in 1791. Don’t waste Washington’s canal.
So. Open the canal at Tredegar. A $385,000 arched bridge over the canal bed is already there, waiting for the water. Use your imagination, Richmond! Put your canal back to work, don’t fill it in!

Bill Trout
Curator, Virginia Canal Museum

p.s. The canal society has just published a new book, Amazing Virginia Canals, featuring the high points of our remarkable canal and river navigation network. Pages 26-27 are about the canal at Tredegar and its future. See www.vacanals.org/shop.

Wildlife Sounds In The Canal

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frogsincanal from Scott Burger on Vimeo.

This movie was taken about a month ago from the bridge over the Kanawha Canal on the Brown’s Island Way/Second Street Connector. The camera faced west towards the Lee Bridge but you can hear on the audio all of the wildlife noises. If you listen carefully, you can also hear a rock cover band playing a song at a private function at Tredegar.

Oregon Hill neighbors recently learned that New Market corporation has quietly submitted (with Venture Richmond’s support) an application to fill the canal just east of this site, adjacent to Tredegar Iron Works. More on this later and in the meantime you can read about past struggles between those who went to destroy and those who want to protect the canal (including the “Fences Of Contention“), but for right now listen to the nighttime nature sounds while you still can.

Two Important Activist Events This Thursday

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This Thursday evening there are two events that local activists may find enticing. First is a protest against the influence of money on our government from corporate interests, and in particular Dominion Energy.

From the event description:

Governor Northam is holding a fundraiser with Dominion Executive Bob Blue and Dominion’s Law Firm McGuire Woods (among other corporate interests) for his “The Way Ahead” PAC – this is corruption on display, and this corruption is the reason projects like both the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines, Tom Farrell’s Navy Hill proposal, and others that harm Virginia communities for private profit are allowed in our state.

PLEASE JOIN US for a demonstration outside of the reception to send a message to Governor Northam and any future candidates in Virginia: Corporate corruption in our government will not stand – The Way Ahead for Virginia will be free of corrupt money, like from Dominion, and free of corporate shills like Northam!

We will demonstrate outside of the McGuire Woods building (800 E Canal St – where the fundraiser reception is being held), from 5:30-7:30 (the time of the fundraiser). Bring your signs and banners to make the message visible (we will have some signs to share).

Come for all or part of the event and send a clear message to Northam and any future politicians – this type of corruption will no longer stand. Dominion’s days in our government are over!

#NoACP #NoMVP #NoPipelines #DumpDominion

One future possibility to consider is a constitutional amendment for both the Virginia and federal constitutions against corporate money, a la www.MoveToAmend.org It’s noteworthy that Mayor Stoney has evidently gone in an opposite direction- stating just this past month that he would continue to accept donations from Dominion Energy.

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A second progressive event that should also generate a lot of political discussion is a Ranked Choice Voting Info Session at the Richmond Main Library, hosted by FairVote Virginia. That begins at 6 pm.

From event description:

Our Richmond local action group is officially up and running! Join us at the Richmond Public Library to meet local FairVote supporters, debrief on our latest legislative efforts, and learn how you can help bring ranked choice voting to Virginia in 2019.

FairVote Virginia is VA’s chapter of the national FairVote movement to advance ranked choice voting. Visit our website at fairvoteva.org to learn more.

This community news site has brought up ranked choice voting before, including in relation to the City’s Mayoral election.

An Appeal For Intermediate Terminal #3

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Following up on an earlier post, neighbor Charles Pool has written an appeal to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation of the recent DHR determination that the Intermediate Terminal is not eligible for listing on the National Register.

In the document linked below, he lists a dozen reasons that the Terminal and adjacent structures are eligible for listing on the National Register and that the demolition of the Terminal would constitute and adverse impact on historic resources.

Pool appeal to the ACHP, NPS and HUD regarding Intermediate Terminal #3, Richmond, VA