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City Center
Solicitation Process
The Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond, Virginia (“EDA”), in collaboration with the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority (“GRCCA”), is in the midst of a solicitation process to select a development partner interested in purchasing and redeveloping approximately 9.4 acres of under-utilized, EDA-owned property in Richmond’s City Center Innovation District (“City Center”). The vision for City Center is to redevelop the area to become a mixed-use, mixed-income urban innovation district destination anchored by a headquarter hotel supporting the Greater Richmond Convention Center along with commercial, educational, and residential development to create a dynamic downtown.
Request for Offers
The EDA and GRCCA issued a Request for Interest (RFO) to four teams that responded to the RFI. The four teams invited to respond to the RFO are (listed alphabetically): Capstone Development, LLC; City Center Gateway Partners; Lincoln Property Company; and Richmond Community Development Partners.
Issuance date: Friday, March 10, 2023
Submission due: Thursday, April 20, 2023 by 3:00 P.M. ET
Downloads:
Request for Interest
The EDA and GRCCA issued a Request for Interest (RFI) on November 3, 2022 and received five submissions on December 20, 2022.
Downloads:
City Center Site Visit
The Economic Development Authority and the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority hosted an in-person site visit on November 29, 2022.
- Attendee List
- Presentation PDF about Activation Capital and the City Center RFI process
- Video of the Presentation (You Tube)
City Center Feedback Form
Please use this form to submit your comments about the City Center Request for Information. Comments will be reviewed every other week.
The City Center Phase One Parcels are comprised of approximately 9.5 acres containing the Richmond Coliseum, historic Blues Armory, and former 6th Street Marketplace.
| Parcel ID | Street Address | Current Use | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|
| N0000007001 | 601 E Leigh St | Coliseum (vacant & unused) | 7.36 |
| N0000011034 | 530 E Marshall St | 6th St Marketplace (vacant & unused) / park | 0.22 |
| N0000011032 | 550 E Marshall St | 6th St Marketplace (vacant & unused) / park | 0.404 |
| N0000006025 | 408 A N 7th St | Park space | 0.428 |
| N0000006025B | 411 N 6th St | Blues Armory (vacant & unused) | 0.487 |
| N0000006004 | 406 N 7th St | Park space |
0.574 |
The Evaluation Panel is comprised of 12 members, including EDA board members, GRCCA finance committee members, and city administrative staff. The panel will be assessing each of the submissions based on the evaluation criteria laid out in the RFI document. The criteria can be grouped into five categories:
• Development team qualifications – financial capability, years of experience, diversity of team, and more;
• Experience with urban mixed-use projects – experience with urban mixed-use redevelopment projects and proven capacity to deliver project requirements;
• Equitable development benefits – employment opportunities, affordable housing, sustainability, resiliency, and more;
• Project understanding – a solid understanding for accomplishing the city’s goals; and
• Financing approach – having provided a financing approach that minimizes public investment.
Communication with the Panel: Members of the public can send comments/questions to the City Center Evaluation Panel by using this form. Do not email the Evaluation Panel members, staff, or advisors about the Diamond District project (emails sent directly to the Evaluation Panel about this project will not be read). Comments/questions will be reviewed periodically and distributed to the Evaluation Panel during the evaluation process.
Evaluation Panel Members
- Nupa Agarwal – Richmond EDA Board Member
- Jack Berry – President & CEO of Richmond Region Tourism
- Melvin D. Carter – City of Richmond Chief of Fire
- Sharon L. Ebert – City of Richmond Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Planning and Economic Development
- Pat Foster – City of Richmond Director of the Office of Minority Business Development
- Brandon Hinton – GRCCA Finance Committee Chair
- Nathan Hughes – Richmond EDA Board Treasurer
- Lynne Lancaster – City of Richmond Deputy Director of Public Works Deputy Director
- Ellen Robertson – City of Richmond 6th District Council Member
- J.E. Lincoln Saunders – City of Richmond Chief Administrative Officer and GRCCA Board Chair
- Leonard L. Sledge – Richmond EDA Executive Director and City of Richmond Director of Economic Development
- Sheila D. White – City of Richmond Director of Finance
Advisors
Additional Advisors may be added as the evaluation process progresses.
- Maritza Mercado Pechin – City of Richmond Deputy Director of Planning and Development Review
- Matthew A. Welch – City of Richmond Policy Advisor to the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio
Pre-solicitation Milestones
2020-2021: Small Area Plan Development
The City Center Small Area Plan was adopted by Richmond City Council in January 2022. The Small Area Plan sets a vision, goals, and strategies for creating a City Center in the core of Richmond’s Downtown. The City and the EDA own approximately 26 acres of land in the Downtown that are in either poor condition, are underutilized, or both and is seeking private partners to redevelop the parcels. The final City Center Innovation District Small Area Plan can be downloaded at: https://www.rva.gov/planning-development-review/city-center
May 2022: Properties Transferred to the EDA
On May 18, 2022, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners approved the transfer of the Blues Armory properties to the EDA. On May 23, 2022, Richmond City Council approved the transfer of the Coliseum to the EDA to prepare for the redevelopment of the Coliseum and implement the vision for City Center via Ordinance 2022-144.
September 2022
The greater City Center was rezoned in accordance with the City Center Small Area Plan.
November 2022
The EDA and GRCCA issued a joint Request for Interest to begin the process to select a development partner to redevelop the Phase 1 Parcels.
