VCU news

By Mike Porter

Virginia Commonwealth University leaders met with representatives of the Monroe Park Campus Advisory Group on June 4 to update community members about VCU construction projects and to discuss community revitalization.

Nearly 50 people turned out for the meeting at The Depot, which housed the former Richmond Glass Company and was a railway station before that. VCU recently completed a nearly $8 million renovation to repurpose the building, allowing the School of the Arts to coordinate a variety of disciplinary programs and community activities there.

VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., said The Depot is a significant step in the university’s efforts to form a bridge along Broad Street between the MCV and Monroe Park campuses.

“This project is a linchpin in creating a space of vibrancy along Broad Street which the community deserves,” Rao said. “We’re interested in working with the city and others to form partnerships to develop a ‘creative corridor’ along Broad Street.”

The audience was also updated on VCU’s Institute For Contemporary Art, which will be dedicated to contemporary visual art, design, music, performance and film by nationally and internationally recognized artists and is expected to open at the southwest corner of Broad and Belvidere streets in 2016.

Rao said members of the public can get the latest information about construction projects on both campuses by checking out the VCU Master Site Plan.

During the question-and-answer session that followed, community members asked about student housing and learned that after two additional 200-unit residence halls are completed, attention will focus on upgrading older housing on campus. The audience was also updated on efforts by the City of Richmond to replace streetlights throughout the city with energy efficient units.

Audience members were encouraged to ask their neighbors to join the conversation.

“Forums like this continue to be an important place for bringing forward ideas and asking about where we’re going,” Rao said.

The Monroe Park Advisory Council consists of leaders and residents from the Carver, Fan, Oregon Hill and Randolph neighborhoods.

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