RICHMOND, Va. β Packed pews and passionate voices filled Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Thursday night as residents and community members shared their concerns and hopes for the Gilpin Court redevelopment plan with the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
The Reimagine Gilpin Court plan would transfer management of Gilpin Court to the Richmond Development Corporation, a nonprofit arm of RRHA. The move would create more funding opportunities for the $400 million project, according to RRHA CEO Steven Nesmith.
"We want to take that nonprofit to attract private capital in a public private partnership," Nesmith said.
For months, residents and city council members have expressed concerns about moving ownership from public to partially private and the lack of dialogue between residents and management.
"You guys have to stay on top of this project, you're going to have to ask for transparency, you want to know every move they make and every brick they knock down," one resident said.
Another resident emphasized the need for honesty in the process.
"Keep the lies to a minimum and be for real that's all I got to say," the resident said.
"We just want more inclusion. We just want something that's guaranteed when, if or when the transfers happen," another resident said.
One longtime resident spoke about their deep connection to the community.
"When I talk about my home and the palace I got to live in, until my last dying days I want to make sure it's going to be alright," the resident said.
In response to community concerns, Nesmith announced several changes to the plan.
"We're taking a new approach, that is we're not taking a forklift and moving gilpin somewhere. No instead our new approach is through a ground lease," Nesmith said.
This means through each of the 10 redevelopment phases, RRHA will maintain ownership despite it being under the nonprofit's arm. Other changes include adding a resident spot on the nonprofit's board and bringing decisions back to the RRHA board of commissioners.
"We must ensure that our young people, our adults our seniors are not living in cinder block and concrete," Nesmith said.
Residents emphasized they support improvement but want inclusion in the decision-making process.
"People have spread rumors that we're against redevelopment, self sufficiency. It's none of those things we're just asking that don't make decisions for us that live here, include us in decisions, and we can come together at the table as a whole community," one resident said.
Another resident highlighted the stakes for the community.
"This is the last stop. There's no other stop. So they are more afraid to lose in their home, but once they learn be more educated, they will speak out, talk more," the resident said.
The RRHA board of commissioners is set to vote on the transfer Sept. 17.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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