RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond’s Department of Public Works (DPW) will reopen one travel lane and restore parking on Highpoint Avenue in Scott’s Addition after receiving pushback from the neighborhood association and a nearby business owner.
Lindsey Lewis and her company, Clachan Properties, own The Green Room Salon Studios on Highpoint Avenue where parking is a premium in the booming neighborhood.
According to the city’s online permit portal, DPW issued a work-in-street permit (WISP) on Nov. 13 for the construction of a $144 million, seven-story building with apartments and commercial space at 3200 West Moore Street expiring October 2027.
Lewis said the business owners that rent space in her salon and their customers arrived on Nov. 18 to find Highpoint Avenue closed with one sidewalk open.
“Not only are we taking away the quick and easy access parking, but this is my main ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] entrance as well,” Lewis, Clachan’s senior vice president, said. “Even if I opened up the Moore Street entrance, I have stairs over there.”
She said a construction supervisor told her their WISP permit allowed crews to close Highpoint Avenue for the next 14 months.
As someone who works in the construction industry, Lewis encourages new buildings in the neighborhood and welcomes the potential customers moving in. However, she said she didn’t receive a heads up about the closure from the city.
“When there's rezoning happening that can impact you, we will get letters for things like that. But for a work-in-street permit, I guess there is no letter. There's no process to notify the owners,” Lewis added.
Greater Scott’s Addition Association (GSAA) President Jeremy Hoffman, a Scott’s Addition resident, said the lane closures along Moore and Norfolk Streets and Mactavish Avenue and the full closure of Highpoint Avenue came as a surprise.
“All of a sudden, I'm getting emails from residents and businesses saying, ‘What's going on?” he said.
He added that GSAA has asked the city since 2023 for more transparency when it comes to construction that disrupts traffic for bicyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles. Several multi-story mixed-use buildings have been built across the neighborhood that shut down streets and sidewalks for months.
“It is not so much that we have a problem with the construction and inviting new people into the neighborhood. It was the lack of communication and collaboration and transparency about the intensity of the construction work-in-street permit,” Hoffman said. “We just want to know.”
Scott’s Addition resident Paige Poprocky shared she was unaware of the project, as well.
“Many residents, business owners, and visitors have been impacted by lost parking and limited access. I hope as the neighborhood continues to grow, there can be more collaboration and transparency from those managing construction projects so the community is informed and supported,” she stated.
A construction site supervisor told CBS 6 Tuesday morning that street signs warning about the closures were placed the week of Nov. 10, and they canvassed neighbors ahead of the closures. The posted signs said the road closure would start Nov. 17.
In emails shared with CBS 6, a DPW engineer said they were unaware during the permit review that The Green Room’s entrance was their ADA access for the building.
DPW has since modified the WISP permit to open the Highpoint Avenue northbound travel and parking lanes on Dec. 8 following the demolition of a nearby building.
“We understand residents rely on timely and accurate information, and we regret and apologize for the delay in communicating the closure notice to the community. We are reviewing our internal notification process to ensure future updates are shared with the public in a timely manner,” a DPW spokesperson said in a statement.
The DPW spokesperson added that as projects progress, the city coordinates with contractors to maintain clean, safe detours.
“These measures reflect our commitment to safety even during periods of rapid development,” they said. “Mayor [Danny] Avula and the City of Richmond remain firmly committed to Vision Zero and traffic calming improvements across the city.”
Richmond Councilwoman Katherine Jordan and Second District Liaison Sven Philipsen worked with Lewis and DPW on a solution.
“While I’m excited to see continued investment in Scott's Addition, there's no doubt the construction has significant impact on existing neighbors, businesses, and the broader neighborhood. I'm grateful for the work Greater Scott's Addition Association has done to highlight those challenges, communicate impacts, and advocate for improved processes and timelines,” Jordan said in a statement.
Councilor Jordan added she is committed to working with the community and city administration to improve communication and coordination protocols, particularly for whole-street and long-term closures.
Lewis said she was appreciative that Clark Construction, DPW, GSAA, and the Second District Office to address the situation and will soon regain access to parking at The Green Room’s entrance.
"We appreciate the community's patience regarding the temporary traffic inconveniences in Scott's Addition. To minimize disruption to businesses on Highpoint Avenue, we have worked with the City to revise our work-in-street permit and will implement a new configuration early next week," a Clark Construction spokesperson said in an email.
Richmond BizSense reported a groundbreaking for the project is planned for early 2026 and construction is scheduled to take two and a half years.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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