The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities (PRCF), in partnership with 8 News and Summit Media, will host RVA Illuminates at Kanawha Plaza, 801 E. Canal Street, on Friday, December 2, 2022 beginning at 4 p.m.

RVA Illuminates will feature performances from the Richmond Police Department Band, DJ Lonnie B, and Sam Reed and Friends. Kelli Lemon will emcee for the evening. Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders will flip the switch at 6 p.m., lighting up the downtown skyline and announcing the arrival of the holiday season. At 7:15 p.m., the holiday movie “Elf”, presented by Venture Richmond, will be shown.

“Each year we continue to build in new traditions with the old. Partnering with Venture Richmond to show “Elf” is a great new addition,” says Chris Frelke, Director of PRCF.

In addition to the event at Kanawha Plaza, Shockoe Illuminates will take place at the 17^th Street Market, 100 N. 17^th Street, on the same day. From 5 - 8 p.m., patrons will be able to begin their holiday shopping, enjoy holiday carolers, and partake in the skyline lighting.

Also adding to the holiday tradition, PRCF is asking city businesses and residents to light up their own storefronts and homes on December 2 at 6 p.m., adding to the illumination of the entire city.

For more information about the department, follow PRCF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit our website at www.rva.gov/parks-recreation.

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Who is eligible to receive a rebate?

Eligible taxpayers will be those who owed and/or paid real estate property tax as of the second billing of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. Taxpayers who paid the fiscal year 2022 real property taxes in full on the January 2022 billing and are the property owner of record as of the second billing of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, are eligible to receive the rebate.

Any of these taxpayers who received a partial exemption will receive a five-cent rebate at a prorated amount.

Any of these taxpayers who were fully exempt from real property tax will not be eligible for a rebate.

Delinquent credits will be applied as part of the overall pool. Those who have a delinquent balance will see the rebate amount applied. The rebate will be first applied to the oldest delinquent amounts. If the rebate exceeds the delinquent amount, the balance will be credited to the next tax bill.

How is the rebate calculated?

The rebate is calculated by dividing the total taxable value of the property by $100, then multiplying the result by .05.  For example, a $260,000 taxable value/ $100 x .05 would result in a $130.00 credit.

Property owners who owe delinquent taxes to the city will see that credit applied to their outstanding balance (and then applied to their upcoming bill if the credit amount exceeds the delinquency).

How is the tax rebate possible?

A tax rebate is possible because the city has surplus dollars available from Fiscal Year 2022.

Because of this, the City can provide a one-time tax rebate across the board for all property owners.

Why not permanently cut the tax rate?

The tax rate should not be permanently cut because the nation’s economic climate is uncertain, and the City’s financial advisors do not recommend cutting the tax rate, which is currently at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value, at this time.

It is important to note that each penny reduction in real estate tax is equivalent to $3.4 million in lost revenue and each penny reduction also reduces the city’s debt capacity by approximately $4.2 million.

A permanent tax cut impacts the City’s ability to provide core services to residents, such as paving roads and garbage collection.

I haven’t been able to pay the full amount of tax due for this year. Will I be eligible for a rebate?

No. All real estate taxes owed for the tax year 2022 must be paid in full to qualify for the rebate.

I owe delinquent taxes from prior tax years. Am I eligible for a rebate?

All delinquent taxes from prior tax years must first be paid. 

I moved into the City of Richmond after June 30, 2022, will I be eligible for a rebate?

No.

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EDA and GRCCA invite experienced development teams to respond to the RFI 

The Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond (“EDA”) and the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority (“GRCCA”) are officially inviting development teams to submit information to be considered for Phase 1 of the City Center Innovation District Project (“City Center”).

Located in the heart of Downtown Richmond and within three blocks of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, the VA Bio+Tech Park, VCU Health, the State Capital, the Pulse Bus Rapid Transit line, and I-64/I-95, City Center is a prime redevelopment area. City Center is easily accessible throughout the Greater Richmond Region and the entire East Coat by road, rail, and air.

“Now is the time for Richmond to reinvigorate this part of our Downtown to be a more vibrant destination for innovation, residential life, and tourism,” said City Council Vice President Ellen F. Robertson.  “The collaboration between the Richmond EDA and GRCCA is the right approach to getting this redevelopment project done.”

“We are thrilled to start the redevelopment of our City Center and to align it with the vision of the City Center Innovation District Small Area Plan,” said Leonard Sledge, Executive Director of the Richmond EDA.  “All of the pieces are in place to position the redevelopment of the Coliseum site into a mixed-use, hotel-anchored development. We look forward to seeing this initial phase of the City Center redevelopment become a lively innovation district that attracts both established and startup companies, adds mixed-income housing, creates greenspace, expands tourism, and so much more, while also creating opportunities for as many Richmonders as possible.”

“The Greater Richmond Convention Center is an enduring testament to the power of regional cooperation,” said Brandon Hinton, Finance Committee Chair for GRCCA.  “Jointly owned by the City of Richmond and the Counties of Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover, the Convention Center adds tremendous value to the entire region, both in its role as an economic engine and as a cornerstone for our reputation as a thriving visitor destination.  Even so, a headquarters hotel has always been the missing link to fully maximizing this incredible facility’s potential.”

For the Request for Interest (RFI) document, please visit www.rva.gov/citycenter. Submissions are due on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, at 2:00 P.M. ET.

About the City Center Innovation District Small Area Plan

The City Center Innovation District Small Area Plan is a direct outcome of the Richmond 300:  A Plan for Growth, which has been awarded the 2021 Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan from the American Planning Association.  The City Center vision is to, “…be the place to live, learn, collaborate, create, and develop new life science businesses in a high density, walkable, urban full-service environment that includes multi-modal transportation options to city and regional neighborhoods and job centers.”
 

The City of Richmond has been awarded $1.9M to help reduce community violence for its “Youth Shape the Future” programming that looks to enhance the City’s work around reducing gun violence. Richmond was one of only six city/county/tribal governments in the country chosen for the highly competitive enhancement and expansion grants.

“Young people and their caregivers need positive development activities and productive learning environments,” said Mayor Stoney. “This major investment will enhance the reach of our Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Framework and foster healthier families and safer communities.”

This grant furthers the work outlined in the GVPI Framework focusing on the youth components to include youth justice, We Matter RVA, and the implementation of Youth LIFT Messengers.

The project will also fund enhancements of the City’s Gun Violence Prevention Steering Committee and GVPI Framework through the development of a robust strategic plan. Through the existing Framework, Richmond has committed to investing resources and deploying positive youth development philosophies to build protective factors and resiliency. The new strategic plan will be informed in part by the City’s soon-to-be-released Youth and Gang Violence Community Assessment and will be assessed and updated annually as part of the grant.

“The awarding of this grant comes at a time when Richmond is grappling with youth and teen gun violence almost on a weekly basis,” says Samuel Brown, Community Safety Coordinator. “Money is just the beginning but being able to enhance our programs and put more boots on the ground to pull our youth in is critical. My hope is to educate, train, and empower Richmond youth and teens to think critically before making life-altering decisions that no one can return from.”

The grant includes funding for a rigorous three-year independent evaluation of these Gun Violence Prevention initiatives to be led by VCU’s Survey and Evaluation Research Lab (SERL). The City of Richmond along with its community partners are grateful that the USDOJ believed in the work that is already being done and understood that the infusion of $1.9M will only help in making a bigger dent in changing lives and generations.