Aug. 17 Newsletter: Community gardens

Weather: More of the same as a high of 91 pairs with scattered afternoon showers.

On this date in 1988, the city records a record high temperature for the day, 99 degrees, as the region is blanketed with smog.

Richmond's community gardens are a hidden gem

Richmond Grows Gardens is the city's urban agriculture program, which was introduced in 2011 to transform city-owned properties into green spaces. 

Today there are 30 active gardens across the city, from Church Hill to the Southside.

The new "Richmond Inspire" parks plan is hoping to bring more coordination and direction to the effort, acknowledging that many residents do not know how to get involved with the gardens and their limited space. Read more here.

Richmond agreed to pay a tax refund after being sued. The city’s own lawyer struggled to get the money sent

In the spring of 2024, a local real estate firm sued the city of Richmond over the tax bill on about 18 acres of industrial property. The city ultimately agreed to lower the bill.

But according to court documents, the city’s own lawyers couldn’t get the embattled Finance Department to calculate the exact amount the taxpayer was owed and issue the refund. 

The city ultimately paid more than $1,000 in interest due to the delayed payment. Read more here.

Chesterfield Board indicates it won’t approve any more data centers in the county

The county is now taking steps to restrict further data center development, including changing zoning codes to prohibit by-right data center building anywhere in the county.

Changing the tax rate is also being discussed. Chesterfield taxes data centers at 24 cents per $100 of assessed value. Neighboring Henrico County recently increased its rate from 40 cents to $2.60. Read more here.

VUU seeking city permission to develop Richmond Community Hospital property

Richmond city officials are set to consider a new request from Virginia Union University to build housing on the grounds of a former hospital building critical to Richmond’s medical and Black history.

In its proposal, the school said it will preserve the Richmond Community Hospital building at 1209 Overbrook Road, though neighborhood advocates are urging city leaders to ensure VUU holds to that commitment. Read more here.

Lea Whitehurst-Gibson works to amplify Southside’s voice

After studying theology, Whitehurst-Gibson did missionary work in Kenya, Zambia and Mongolia. In 2008, she and her siblings moved to Richmond and shared a house in Jackson Ward. While she took classes in international studies at VCU, she fell in love with the city. 

But she said she noticed that Southside Richmond often got left behind in the public discourse. 

“She’s had a tremendous impact on the South Richmond community,” a friend said. Read more here.

Today's sponsor:

TODAY ONLY: Free NYT Cooking or Games for a year when you donate

Today is National Nonprofits Day, and there’s never been a better time to donate to The Richmonder!

Support nonprofit news and receive a one-year subscription to New York Times Cooking, with thousands of delicious recipes, or New York Times Games, featuring Wordle, The Mini, and other subscriber-only exclusives.

• Become a new donating member to The Richmonder for $15 a month
• Or make a one-time donation of $100 or more to The Richmonder

In other news

• Five injured in weekend shooting at Virginia State University
  • The suspect, as well as four of the victims, are not students at the school.
• Two Richmond principals return to lead the schools that shaped them (12 On Your Side)
  • John Marshall and the Richmond High School for the Arts both welcome new leaders this year.
• We’re going to tire of hearing about El Niño, but we’ve got to deal with it (Cardinal News)
  • The weather pattern will mean a wetter winter, but not necessarily a snowier one.
• Mixed Messages: What's news and what's sponsored content? (Style Weekly)
  • Ethically avoiding any conflict of interest, whether perceived or real, is key to earning and maintaining the public’s trust.
• Richmond man restores 1890s bicycles, ships them worldwide (CBS 6)
  • "It makes me feel tethered to a part of history that otherwise is very easy to lose."

The editor's desk

I'm excited for tomorrow's listening tour stop. We'll be at King's Korner in Chesterfield for lunch, the restaurant that shares space with the county airport. Look forward to seeing you there!

Michael Phillips, founder
mphillips@richmonder.org

Sent this by a friend? Sign up for our free thrice-weekly newsletter here.

Do you enjoy The Richmonder? Join us as a donor and we'll send you a hat or mug!