RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Richmond city leaders appear to have reached a compromise and a path forward on the future of Gilpin Court that will be voted on during Wednesday night's Board of Commissioners meeting.
"There will be a vote today, on a NEW Compromise Gilpin Court Development Plan - that incorporates several important requests of Mayor [Danny] Avula and Councilwoman [Kenya] Gibson - and NOT the original plan to transfer all of Gilpin into the RDC [Richmond Development Corporation] all at once," said CEO Steven Nesmith in a statement Wednesday morning.
For months, Nesmith promoted a plan to transfer ownership of Gilpin to RRHA's non-profit arm, the Richmond Development Corporation (RDC). That plan has faced opposition from several city officials, including Mayor Danny Avula and Councilmember Kenya Gibson, over concerns of transparency, residents' rights, and that it needed city council approval to progress.
All sides now appear to agree on the last point and are promising to work together to address the concerns.
“I am happy to share that based on the discussions I’ve had with RRHA leadership and the Mayor’s office, I believe there is shared agreement that City Council must vote to establish Gilpin Court as a redevelopment area as our lawyer stated," Gibson said in a statement.
She led efforts to pass a resolution over the summer to send a letter to RRHA about the need for council approval and withdrew an ordinance on the same issue Tuesday prior to its first hearing
"I’m now focused on the path forward to ensure transparency and community engagement as we progress," she added.
On Tuesday, Gibson and Avula sent a new letter to Nesmith outlining their vision for resolving the issues surrounding the redevelopment.
"We want to see more City Council and RRHA board connectivity. I think that would be a really good outcome from all of this," Avula said at a Tuesday news conference. "But, I think if nothing else, the understanding that this does have to go through city council approval, and that is going to just require us being at the table together more is a really good outcome."
Speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Creighton Court redevelopment Tuesday, Nesmith emphasized his commitment to finding a collaborative solution while highlighting the urgent need for action at Gilpin Court. He called it inhumane that people are living in brick and cinder block houses in Gilpin.
"We're going to vote to take the next step, but it's going to be a step of compromise," Nesmith said. "It's not a transfer. It's a new plan, a new day and a compromise solution. That's what we'll be voting on."
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