Riverfront Petition Kickoff Tomorrow

Technically the Riverfront Petition addresses issues on the other side of the river but it is silly not to think that development will not have an affect on the Southbank. Wednesday, October 14 from 5-7 p.m. is the official launching of the Riverfront Petition. The event will be held on The Sugar Pad (on Water Street at Intermediate Terminal where the Annabelle Lee used to dock). Featured speakers will include Christopher Newport, William Byrd II, Rachel Flynn, and Ralph White. The purpose of the petition is to let elected citizens know that you support public ownership of riverfront property. The full petition follows:

We, the undersigned Citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia and other locales, request that our elected officials in the City of Richmond and the Commonwealth of Virginia take the necessary steps to achieve full ownership and control of all riverfront land along the north bank of the James River in the East End of the City of Richmond, from the former Intermediate Terminal site to Mayo Island, in order to:

· Create a riverfront park that will ensure and enhance public access to this historic section of America’s Founding River;

· Preserve the historic panoramic viewshed of the James River from Libby Hill Park that was the inspiration for the City’s name; and

· Provide a natural connection to the numerous and unique historic sites in Shockoe Bottom, particularly those acknowledging the largely-untold African-American experience in Richmond, for the good of the public and the sustainability of Virginia’s Capital City, in perpetuity.