ACORN wants to restore creek in Shockoe Bottom
Style Weekly has the story on an interesting idea for Shockoe Bottom: restore a creek that used to run through the neighborhood. ACORN, citing the need for more water features and restoring nature, believes that the creek would be a better alternative to the Shockoe Center project.
Considering how terrible the storm drains smell already, I can’t imagine this would work very well.
There are so many, many things wrong with this idea. I do not even know where to begin.
I like the idea. Let’s hear your reasons against, shockoe, instead of just arrogantly dismissing.
It seems a little wacky to me, too.
My apologies- I did not mean to “arrogantly dismiss” this idea. First of all, where was this stream initially and how will it affect what is currently there?
-Shockoe smell. I love living down here, and do not mind when I walk by the storm drain outside my house and get a huge whiff of that stench. It’s part of the bottom. But really, it’s gross, and no one from Chesterfield would appreciate it.
- As a huge fan of the canal walk/what the canal walk could be, I resent David Herring just blowing it off. Development is still possible along the canal walk, and if it is downtown development you want, it would make the most sense to try there first. Why? Because millions of dollars have already been invested in making it nice. It might be hard to imagine, but San Antonio’s River Walk took a decade to develop and was more pitiful than the canal walk at the beginning. Herring implies that more development is impossible along the canal. I did extensive research on the canal’s future in college. Yes, everything has not come together as planned to be a hot spot in Richmond, but everyone I interviewed involved with Richmond economic development is hoping the initial vision will be realized.
-Where would the money come from to fund exhuming the stream? If you do not believe baseball will bring money, how can you convince yourself a stream will?
-How is baseball not tourism? I see the stadium as working perfectly with an effort to build up Richmond’s tourism. Sure, no one would visit Richmond for our AA baseball team, but it offers something fun to do while you’re here for something else. (like a sweet slavery museum)
-Finally, while I am no expert in flooding or engineering, Gaston was a fluke. For the sake of getting out of my lease, I pray everytime it rains that my basement apartment will flood beyond repair. Unfortunately all the storm drains have been fixed and I have no such luck. Precautions should be taken to prevent future disasters, but flooding is not the constant threat people make it out to be.
First of all, let me say up front that this idea would take money, so I am not sure how possible. Would love to see some numbers.
Shockoe Creek has been turned into a tunel that goes under the 17th and 18th Street area into a giant underground holding system. Years and years ago, I explored a bit of it.
I note that the old YMCA building was built by Masons, who usually build on or near water for its spiritual ‘power’. The Landmark (Mosque) and the Byrd theaters were also built by Masons over the underground stream that runs down the Main/Cary St. corridor.
I believe the smell could be mitigated with proper planting and treatment. I think pedestrian scale development could work well along a daylighted SHockoe Creek.
I will leave the Canal Walk for another thread, but I too question some of the oppportunity costs and mistakes that have gone along with its development.
The tunnels sound interesting- would love to hear more about what you know!
I’m attracted to the idea of working WITH nature rather than against it. The idea of restoring a natural feature , though it may be expensive, seems like a common sense approach and would hold more value to me than a stadium or another place to buy stuff.
In a time when nature has been paved over, blown up, polluted, chopped down and dug up, maybe some healing would be just the thing that is needed.
However, there is the question of how this would affect what is already established and I know nothing about those details. Still , I think this kind of thinking has real value and we should continue thinking along these lines.
And thanks for the Mason info. Scott I’ve always been interested in their shenanigans:)
I’d rather see ACORN use its limited resources for the historic buildings that need assistance in the area. If some donor were to donate funds solely to support this project, then fine, I guess…
Well if they have the Ballpark set up they would have a lake and river combo and if we play it right we could turn it into Kayak course that would go through the 17th Street market
Great points, shockoe, though I disagree with you that nobody will come to richmond to see a double-A team.
While the Defenders are currently a San Fran affiliate (with admittedly limited fans in this area), they will play clubs with affiliates that people around here are fans of – like the yankees, mets, phillies, nationals, etc. The players at AA are hot prospects and attract a variety of baseball fans.
I also question why ACORN thinks this is an idea that is in line with their mission statement: “A.C.O.R.N. hopes to restore vitality to historically important urban areas and, thereby, improve the quality of life for all Richmonders.” While the creek may be historically accurate, I question how it will revitalize the area and “strengthen” the neighborhood and increase property values.
I, like many others here, also wonder where that money is supposed to come from if many are unwilling to help the stadium happen at ALL because it takes money away from schools. At least the stadium provides returns.